cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collaborative Autonomous Driving: Vision and Challenges

This paper discusses challenges in computer systems research posed by the emerging autonomous driving systems. We first identify four research areas related to autonomous driving systems: real-time and embedded systems, machine learning, edge computing, and cloud computing. Next, we sketch two fatal accidents caused by active autonomous driving, and uses them to indicate key missing capabilities from today’s systems. In light of these research areas and shortcomings, we describe a vision of digital driving circumstances for autonomous vehicles and refer to autonomous vehicles as "clients" of this digital driving circumstance. Then we propose a new research thrust: collaborative autonomous driving. Intuitively, requesting useful information from a digital driving circumstance to enable collaborative autonomous driving is quite sophisticated (e.g., collaborations may come from different types of unstable edge devices), but it also provide us various research challenges and opportunities. The paper closes with a discussion of the research necessary to develop these capabilities.
CLAH Lecture: Harrods Buenos Aires. The Case of the Unwanted Dresses, 1912–1940

In 1912, a small department store called Harrods opened in Buenos Aires, one that by the 1920s expanded to almost a city block. Although named after the founder of the London store, the manager of Harrods London, Richard Burbidge, his son Woodman, and a few board members planned the purchase of land and opened the business, and then presented it to the entire London board. Unfamiliar with Buenos Aires, believing that women consumed more than men, and presuming that upper-class women there had the same consumer desires of those in England, the store opened catering to the upper-class female population and focused on readymade dresses. And, to the great surprise of the local manager, women of all classes did not want these dresses because they preferred to purchase cloth and take it to their dressmakers.The dilemma facing Harrods Buenos Aires, detailed in company reports in the archive of Harrods London and in scans of Buenos Aires Harrods archives in the possession of British bookseller Jennifer Wilton-Williams, show that sales reports, rather than studies of the Argentine market like those published by the US Department of Commerce, shaped the new department store's response. Until the 1940s, Harrods Buenos Aires focused on the sale of less expensive articles that came from its dining room, its cosmetics department, and infants’ and children's clothing. Furthermore, employees purchased more than 40 percent of the clothing. Originally imagined as the flagship of the upper-class female shopper, it ended up as a store for the middle class, especially women who bought gifts and enjoyed being seen in the dining room. It closed in 1998.
Medicolegal Implications of Mild Neurocognitive Disorder.

Introduction The syndromes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild neurocognitive disorder (MiND), often prodromal to dementia (Major Neurocognitive Disorder), are characterized by acquired clinically significant changes in one or more cognitive domains despite preserved independence. Mild impairment has significant medicolegal consequences for an affected person and their care system. We review the more common etiologies of MiND and provide a systematic review of its medicolegal implications. Methods We conducted a systematic review of the peer-reviewed English literature on medicolegal aspects of MCI or MiND using comprehensive search terms and expanding our review to include sources cited by these reports. Results Impairment of memory, executive function, social cognition, judgment, insight or abstraction can alter an individual's abilities in a variety of areas that include decision making, informed consent, designation of a surrogate decision-maker such as a health care proxy, understanding and management of financial affairs, execution of a will, or safe driving. Conclusion Even mild cognitive impairment can have significant behavioral consequences. Clinicians can assist care partners and persons with MCI or MiND by alerting them to the medicolegal concerns that often accompany cognitive decline. Early recognition and discussion can help a care system manage medicolegal risk more effectively and promote thoughtful advance planning.
Identifying US Counties with High Cumulative COVID-19 Burden and Their Characteristics.

Abstract Identifying areas with high COVID-19 burden and their characteristics can help improve vaccine distribution and uptake, reduce burdens on health care systems, and allow for better allocation of public health intervention resources. Synthesizing data from various government and nonprofit institutions of 3,142 United States (US) counties as of 12/21/2020, we studied county-level characteristics that are associated with cumulative case and death rates using regression analyses. Our results showed counties that are more rural, counties with more White/non-White segregation, and counties with higher percentages of people of color, in poverty, with no high school diploma, and with medical comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension are associated with higher cumulative COVID-19 case and death rates. We identify the hardest hit counties in US using model-estimated case and death rates, which provide more reliable estimates of cumulative COVID-19 burdens than those using raw observed county-specific rates. Identification of counties with high disease burdens and understanding the characteristics of these counties can help inform policies to improve vaccine distribution, deployment and uptake, prevent overwhelming health care systems, and enhance testing access, personal protection equipment access, and other resource allocation efforts, all of which can help save more lives for vulnerable communities. Significance statement We found counties that are more rural, counties with more White/non-White segregation, and counties with higher percentages of people of color, in poverty, with no high school diploma, and with medical comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension are associated with higher cumulative COVID-19 case and death rates. We also identified individual counties with high cumulative COVID-19 burden. Identification of counties with high disease burdens and understanding the characteristics of these counties can help inform policies to improve vaccine distribution, deployment and uptake, prevent overwhelming health care systems, and enhance testing access, personal protection equipment access, and other resource allocation efforts, all of which can help save more lives for vulnerable communities.
Approach to Formalized Ultrasound Credentialing in a Community Hospital Health System with both Academic and Non-Academic Clinical Settings

# INTRODUCTION In the US, ultrasound in Emergency Medicine (EM) is widely considered the standard of care in clinical practice amongst most Emergency Department providers. At the authors’ institution and affiliates, there were a variety of health care providers utilizing ultrasound for clinical practice, and their skill levels varied, dependent on training and exposure. As an attempt to standardize credentialing practice and determine need for additional training thresholds, the authors endeavored to perform a skills assessment utilizing both written and clinical based practical assessments. # METHODS A 7 point questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of providers requesting formal training information, number of ultrasounds performed, and self-assessed competency. A 10 point written assessment with ultrasound knowledge and clinical application questions was also administered. A subsequent clinical assessment on live humans and models was then performed with multiple stations assessing 15 different instrumentation skills and technique, as well as image interpretation and evaluation. # RESULTS A total of 23 attending EM board-certified physicians, and four advanced practice providers (PA and NP) took the credentialing assessments scoring an average of 7.3 out of 10 (SD 0.83) for the written assessment. Twenty (71%) of the 28 tested passed the clinical evaluation on their initial attempt. Five (17%) passed on a first remediation. Three (10%) required more than one initial revision attempt. All those who did remediate were able to complete the revision with a passing score. # CONCLUSIONS Overall, the testing was considered a successful process. This program appears to have offered a level of standardization that was appealing to the credentialing body at our institution. We were able to assess to a level of competence considered standard of care by national credentialing bodies.
Quantifying the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gastrointestinal cancer care delivery

30Background: Changes in healthcare utilization and delivery during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic have altered the presentation, treatment, and management of patients with gastrointesti...
Potential for Process Improvement of Clinical Flow Cytometry by Incorporating Real-Time Automated Screening of Data to Expedite Addition of Antibody Panels.

Objectives We desired an automated approach to expedite ordering additional antibody panels in our clinical flow cytometry lab. This addition could improve turnaround times, decrease time spent revisiting cases, and improve consistency. Methods We trained a machine learning classifier to use our screening B-cell panel to predict whether we should order an additional panel to distinguish chronic lymphocytic lymphoma from mantle cell lymphoma. We used data from 2016 to 2018 for training and validation, and cases were restricted to the first case per patient (9,635 cases, 887 with the additional panel). We applied the model in real time over approximately 2.5 months in 2020 to 376 sequential cases, with automated email notifications for positive predictions. Results Using 80% of the data from 2016 to 2018 to train and 20% for validation, we achieved 95% area under the receiving operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and 94% accuracy in the validation set. Applying the classifier in real time achieved 89% AUROC and 94% real-time prediction accuracy (precision [positive predictive value] = 51%, recall [sensitivity] = 78%, and F1 score = 0.62). Fourteen of the 17 false positives had prior diagnoses to which the algorithm was not privy. Conclusions As an observational, not interventional study, our system performed well on testing within our laboratory for identifying cases to be flagged but cannot be used without laboratory-specific modifications.
Coherence in macroscopic high harmonic generation for spatial focal phase distributions of monochromatic and broadband Gaussian laser pulses.

Efficient application of ultrafast laser sources from high harmonic generation requires an understanding of how the spectrum can be controlled – the extent of the highest harmonics and the strength and cleanness of the harmonic lines. We study one important aspect in the coherent build-up of macroscopic high-order harmonic generation, namely the impact of different phase distributions in the focal area on the features of the generated radiation. Specifically, we compare the high harmonic signals for the commonly-used Gouy distribution of a monochromatic beam with those for the phase distribution of a short broadband Gaussian pulse. To this end, we apply a theoretical model in which the microscopic yields are obtained via interpolation of results of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation, which are then used in an individual-emitter approach to determine the macroscopic signals. Regions of poor and good coherent build-up as a function of the position of the gas jet are identified using measures for the strength of the harmonic lines and for the impact of off-harmonic radiation. While the largest extent of the spectra as well as the strongest contribution of off-harmonic radiation is found for positioning the gas jet after the focus for both distributions, the relative strength of the harmonics is overall weaker for the short Gaussian pulse distribution and the spectra differ for a gas jet positioned at the focus. These differences are mainly caused by the additional dependence of the focal phase in the transverse direction for the short Gaussian pulse distribution.
Zinc and Cells

Many studies have shown that zinc ions as an integral part of tissues and biologic fluids play an important role in homeostatic mechanisms regulating the reactivity of tissues and cells. In lymphocytes, zinc acts as a nonspecific mitogen (Chvapil, 1976). Within a range of 1.5 to 4.5 × 10−4 M Zn concentration in the culture medium, the blastogenic transformation of lymphocytes as well as their mitosis was significantly increased after 6 days in comparison with the effect of phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Zinc acted as a weak mitogen (Kirchner and Ruhl, 1970; Ruhl et al., 1974). Surprisingly, only zinc and mercury were stimulatory. Calcium and magnesium did not affect DNA synthesis in the culture system. Mn2+, Co2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, and Ni2+ at concentrations from 10−3 to 10−7 M were inhibitory. Inasmuch as DNA-synthesizing enzymes are zinc dependent, one may assume that enhanced mitosis of lymphocytes by zinc may be the result of increased activity of enzymes involved in cell mitosis.
Emotional face recognition in adolescent suicide attempters and adolescents engaging in non-suicidal self-injury

Little is known about the bio-behavioral mechanisms underlying and differentiating suicide attempts from non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents. Adolescents who attempt suicide or engage in NSSI often report significant interpersonal and social difficulties. Emotional face recognition ability is a fundamental skill required for successful social interactions, and deficits in this ability may provide insight into the unique brain-behavior interactions underlying suicide attempts versus NSSI in adolescents. Therefore, we examined emotional face recognition ability among three mutually exclusive groups: (1) inpatient adolescents who attempted suicide (SA, n = 30); (2) inpatient adolescents engaged in NSSI (NSSI, n = 30); and (3) typically developing controls (TDC, n = 30) without psychiatric illness. Participants included adolescents aged 13-17 years, matched on age, gender and full-scale IQ. Emotional face recognition was evaluated using the diagnostic assessment of nonverbal accuracy (DANVA-2). Compared to TDC youth, adolescents with NSSI made more errors on child fearful and adult sad face recognition while controlling for psychopathology and medication status (ps < 0.05). No differences were found on emotional face recognition between NSSI and SA groups. Secondary analyses showed that compared to inpatients without major depression, those with major depression made fewer errors on adult sad face recognition even when controlling for group status (p < 0.05). Further, compared to inpatients without generalized anxiety, those with generalized anxiety made fewer recognition errors on adult happy faces even when controlling for group status (p < 0.05). Adolescent inpatients engaged in NSSI showed greater deficits in emotional face recognition than TDC, but not inpatient adolescents who attempted suicide. Further results suggest the importance of psychopathology in emotional face recognition. Replication of these preliminary results and examination of the role of context-dependent emotional processing are needed moving forward.
Abstract 101: LRP1 Deficiency in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Augments Development of Angiotensin II-Induced Ascending Aortic and Superior Mesenteric Artery Aneurysms

Introduction and Objective: LDL receptor related protein 1 (LRP1) is an endocytic receptor highly expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells that maintains the integrity of the vessel wall. In addition, a recent genome-wide association study implicated LRP1 as a susceptibility locus for human aortic aneurysms. Chronic angiotensin II (AngII) infusion in mice leads to formation of ascending and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAs). The purpose of this study was to define whether deficiency of LRP1 in vascular smooth muscle cells alters development of either AngII-induced ascending or abdominal AAs. Methods and Results: Eight week old male mice with a smooth muscle cell specific-deficiency in LRP1 (smLRP1-/-) were generated by crossing sm22 promoter-driven Cre transgenic mice with lrp1 flox/flox mice. Littermates not expressing Cre were used as controls (smLRP1+/+). Mice were randomized into 4 groups: smLRP1+/+ saline infusion, smLRP1+/+ AngII infusion (1,000 ng/kg/min), smLRP1-/- saline infusion, and smLRP1-/- AngII infusion for 4 weeks. At baseline, there was no difference in aortic diameter in smLRP1-/- vs smLRP1+/+ mice. Following 4 weeks of infusion, smLRP1-/- exacerbated AngII-induced ascending AA development (growth of ascending aortic diameter: smLRP1+/+ saline: 0.10 ± 0.03 mm; smLRP1-/- saline 0.09 ± 0.03 mm; smLRP1+/+ AngII: 0.20 ± 0.03 mm; smLRP1-/- AngII: 0.50 ± 0.10 mm, P<0.01). In addition, AngII-infused smLRP1-/- mice exhibited superior mesenteric artery dilation that was quantified by a 7T Bruker ClinScan magnetic resonance imager (smLRP1+/+ saline: 0.41 ± 0.01 mm; smLRP1-/- saline 0.49 ± 0.05 mm; smLRP1+/+ AngII: 0.36 ± 0.02 mm; smLRP1-/- AngII: 1.14 ± 0.34 mm, P<0.02). Immunostaining of ascending aortas in smLRP1-/- mice revealed increased elastin breaks (P<0.05) without macrophage infiltration. The superior mesenteric artery displayed elevated intima and media macrophage infiltration (P<0.05). Interestingly, smLRP1-/- did not augment AngII-induced abdominal AA development. Conclusion: LRP1 deficiency in vascular smooth muscle cells exacerbates development of AngII-induced ascending aortic and superior mesenteric artery aneurysms, without contributing to development of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Routine And Persistent Problems In Decision Making: A Problem Solving Approach to Product and Brand Choice

This paper addresses the issue of “What underlies lack of brand loyalty?” Two types of problems are identified : routine ones which are solved by loyalty and persistant ones which are resistant to solution by loyalty. Differences in loyalty to product classes are demonstrated and related to problem type.
Should ventriculoatrial shunting be the procedure of choice for normal-pressure hydrocephalus?

Object Ventriculoatrial (VA) shunting is rarely used for patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), likely due to surgeon technical preference and case reports indicating cardiopulmonary complications. However, these complications have typically been limited to adults in whom VA shunts had been placed when they were children. Few studies have directly compared VA shunting to ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting in cases of NPH. Methods The authors retrospectively analyzed all NPH patients treated by a single surgeon at their center from January 2002 through December 2011. Thirty patients were treated with VA shunts (14 male) and 157 with VP shunts (86 male). The patients' mean age (± SD) at surgery was 73.7 ± 9.4 years for VA shunting and 76.0 ± 8.2 years for VP shunting; the median durations of follow-up were 42.0 months (IQR 19.2–63.6 months) and 34.2 months (IQR 15.8–67.5), respectively. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-square tests and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Results Perioperative a...
Some results on the stability of permanent-magnet reluctance machines

The dynamic characteristics of permanent-magnet reluctance machines are investigated. Using the d-q model representation, it is demonstrated that, subject to constant inputs and loads, the open-loop dynamic characteristics of this class of electromechanical systems give rise to the presence of multiple physical equilibria. Conditions which lead to the bifurcation of equilibria are presented and discussed.
Skeletal Microstructure and Mode of Attachment in Palaeacis Species (anthozoa, Tabulata) From the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian of Northeastern Oklahoma and Northwestern Arkansas

r-Three species of the Paleozoic coral Palaeacis are described from northeastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas. Included are the Chesterian species P. carinata Girty and P. snideri n. nom., a replacement name for the junior homonym P. cuneata Snider, and the Desmoinesian? species P. erecta n. sp. Coralla of each species exhibit two types of microstructure that characterize two skeletal zones. The outer skeletal zone is composed of numerous parallel trabeculae, mostly between 0.2 and 0.3 mm in diameter, that lie perpendicular to, and have their accretionary surfaces on, the exterior surface of the corallum. Trabeculae are closely spaced laterally and are not organized into rows except uncommonly on the distal portion of some coralla. Where trabeculae coalesce into parallel rows, ornamentation on the corallum exterior consists of parallel ridges or rows of small nodes. Where trabeculae are irregularly arranged, external ornamentation consists of irregularly disposed nodes. The inner skeletal zone consists of radially fibrous stereoplasm arranged into discrete septal spines that coalesce into irregularly developed septal ridges in each calice. In P. erecta, septal spines merge into continuous layers of fibro-normal stereoplasm in some places. On the basis of microstructure, corallum morphology, and external ornamentation P. carinata and P. snideri can be allied with P. axinoides Smyth and P. robusta Webb. Palaeacis erecta falls within the same group on the basis of microstructure and ornament, but has a unique corallum morphology. Two distinct types of skeletal attachment occur in these Palaeacis species. Palaeacis carinata and P. snideri exhibit an encrusting attachment surface that results in a prostrate growth habit wherein smaller substrates were entirely engulfed, producing free-living coralla. Palaeacis erecta exhibits a small, circular attachment surface and an erect growth habit wherein most skeletal accretion occurs perpendicular to, and away from, the substrate. The substrate is not engulfed and the corallum remains attached and sessile throughout astogeny. Palaeacis erecta is, to date, the only Palaeacis species known to possess this erect, sessile growth form.
Guidelines for Autologous Fat Transfer, Evaluation, and Interpretation of Results

The unpredictability and variability of duration of results were probably the biggest obstacles for autologous fat grafting (AFG) becoming the gold standard facial filler, particularly in the absence of serious competition. Lack of standardized harvesting, processing, and injection techniques, and lack of sound scientific studies to evaluate the duration of results were additional obstacles. Guidelines for harvesting, processing, storage, and injection are discussed. Using these types of “modern” techniques, most experienced AFG users report about 40% good long term results.
IMPROVING THE LIVES OF STUDENTS, GAY AND STRAIGHT ALIKE: GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCES AND THE ROLE OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students face many risk factors every day when they enter their school's door. These students often fear for their safety at school, are victimized, have academic difficulties, suffer from issues with their identity development, and are at risk for suicide. School-based Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) have been shown to reduce the risk for LGBT students in these areas. School psychologists are in a unique position to be instrumental in alleviating many of the problems LGBT students face every day by being a GSA advisor. This article reviews the literature on LGBT student risk in terms of the benefits of a GSA and guides school psychologists on how to start and advise a GSA in their schools.
Negotiating Participatory Ethics in the Midst of Institutional Ethics

This paper proposes participatory ethics as a framework from which we might begin to proactively engage some of the contradictions and gaps inherent in institutional ethical frameworks. A growing number of researchers negotiate ethical dilemmas encountered in research or expectations for what constitutes ethical research practice in collaborative dialogue with research participants. I show how participatory ethics are premised on very different assumptions, practices and subjectivities than those of institutional ethics, but create a forum for dialogue and reflective practice that is essential for engaging some of the shortcomings of institutional ethics.
The "effective dose" concept in older adults exposed to ozone.

Previous research on young adults has indicated that the magnitude of pulmonary function decrements induced by exposure to ambient ozone (O3) is related to the effective dose of O3 inhaled. The effective dose is defined as the product of O3 concentration (in ppm), mean minute ventilation (VE) and duration of exposure (min). The relative contributions of the three components of effective dose to the development of pulmonary function decrements in older adults are unknown. Twelve healthy, nonsmoking men and women (60–79 years) participated in each of four experiments: (1) a 1-h continuous excercise protocol, and (2) a 2-h intermittent exercise protocol, each performed while exposed to filtered air (FA), and to 0.45 ppm O3, resulting in different effective doses of O3. Pulmonary function (forced vital capacity, FVC, functional residual capacity, FRC, and associated calculated parameters) was measured pre- and postexposure. Ozone exposure induced significant decrements in forced expiratory volume in 0.5, 1.0 and 3.0 seconds (FEV0.5, 1.0, 3.0), regardless of the exercise protocol. There were no changes in FVC with any exposure protocol. There were significant decrements in forced expiratory flow rate at 25% and 50% of FVC (FEF25%, FEF50%) and in forced expiratory flow rate between 25% and 75% of FVC (FEF25–75%) with all four exposures, suggesting a fatigue effect. There were no differences between the decrements induced in FEV1.0 by O3 exposure under the two exercise protocols. The mean exercise VE was 25.3 1/min for the continuous exercise protocol, and was 25.2 l/min for the three exercise periods of the intermittent exercise protocol. There were no physiologically significant metabolic alterations with any of the four exposures. The results suggest that O3 concentration is the most important factor within the effective dose concept, followed by exercise VE, followed by exposure duration, the same relative rankings observed in young adults.
Are traditional gender role attitudes associated with risky sexual behavior and condom-related beliefs?

Traditional gender role attitudes, which emphasize an unequal distribution of power in the family and stereotypical norms about masculinity, may be associated with unsafe sexual behavior and beliefs in young men and women. This study was designed to examine associations between gender role attitudes including gender-based family role attitudes and masculinity ideology, sexual behaviors, and condom-related beliefs in a sample of sexually active college students (N = 154). Family role attitudes were related to risky condom-related beliefs but not to risky sexual behavior. Masculinity ideology was related to both sexual behaviors and condom-related beliefs but, in some cases, in a direction opposite to that predicted. These unexpected findings and the utility of examining masculinity ideology among women are discussed.
Ahead of its time?: The remarkable Early Classic Maya economy of Chunchucmil

Classic Maya sites in the lowlands of the Yucatan Peninsula are generally known for their monumental art and architecture in central sacrosanct spaces, and their political economies are believed to have been highly centralized. The predominantly Early Classic site of Chunchucmil, however, does not fit this stereotype. Moreover, even though its urban population ranks among the largest and most densely packed in any Maya site, it inhabits one of the most depauperate agricultural landscapes. These idiosyncrasies have stimulated a great deal of archaeological research, all of which lead to the conclusion that Chunchucmil had a surprisingly commercialized economy. In addition to importing basic necessities, some of which were exchanged in a large central marketplace, its basic economy was built on servicing merchants along the most active Mesoamerican maritime trade route and funneling long distance trade items to sites in the interior of the peninsula. This article summarizes the data leading to the conclusio...
Turbulent forces within river plumes affect spread

When rivers drain into oceans through narrow mouths, hydraulic forces squeeze the river water into buoyant plumes that are clearly visible in satellite images. Worldwide, river plumes not only disperse freshwater, sediments, and nutrients but also spread pollutants and organisms from estuaries into the open ocean. In the United States, the Columbia River—the largest river by volume draining into the Pacific Ocean from North America—generates a plume at its mouth that transports juvenile salmon and other fish into the ocean. Clearly, the behavior and spread of river plumes, such as the Columbia River plume, affect the nation's fishing industry as well as the global economy.
Comparison of sonar discrimination: dolphin and an artificial neural network.

The capability of an echolocating dolphin to discriminate differences in the wall thickness of cylinders (3.81 cm o.d. and 12.7 cm length) was determined by Au and Pawloski [J. Comp. Physiol. A 170, 41–47 (1992)]. The dolphin was required to discriminate a standard target from comparison targets of differing wall thicknesses. Performance varied from 96% to 56% correct depending on the wall thickness of the comparison targets. The 75% correct threshold was determined to be wall thickness differences of −0.23 mm for comparison targets with thinner walls and +0.27 mm for comparison targets with thicker walls than the standard. The dolphin performance was unchanged in the presence of artificial broadband masking noise until the echo‐energy‐to‐noise ratio fell below approximately 15 dB. A counterpropagation artificial neural network was used to examine broadband echo features from the same cylinders. Features of the echoes were determined by passing them through a filter bank of constant‐Q filters. Echo features of the standard and each comparison target were analyzed in pairs by a neural network having two output nodes. Twenty echoes per target were used in the training set and 30 additional echoes per target were used in the test set. For the noise free condition, the network performed at a comparable level to the dolphin for Q values between 4 and 5. In the presence of noise, Q values between 7 and 8 were needed before the network could perform at a comparable level to the dolphin for echo‐energy‐to‐noise ratios of 10 and 15 dB. Discrimination cues seem to originate from a shift in the spectra of the thinner comparison targets to lower frequencies and to higher frequencies for the thicker comparison targets.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Low Back Pain in the Pediatric Population

Back pain in the pediatric population is a common complaint presenting to sports medicine clinics. There is a wide differential that should be considered, including mechanical, infectious, neoplastic, inflammatory, and amplified musculoskeletal pain. The history, pain quality, and examination are key components to help distinguish the etiologies of the pain and direct further evaluation. Laboratory investigations, including blood counts and inflammatory markers, can provide insight into the diagnosis. The HLA-B27 antigen can be helpful if a spondyloarthropathy is suspected. Imaging as clinically indicated typically begins with radiographs, and the use of MRI, CT, or bone scan can provide additional information. Proper diagnosis of back pain is important because prognosis and treatments are significantly different. We review the pertinent evaluation, differential diagnoses, and treatment of low back pain in the pediatric population.
Studies of connexin 43 and cell-to-cell coupling in cultured human uterine smooth muscle.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the presence and the permeability of gap junctions between human uterine smooth-muscle cells in culture. STUDY DESIGN: The uterine smooth muscles obtained from term-pregnant women were cultured. The presence of gap junction was evaluated by immunocytochemistry with gap junction protein antibodies and by measuring input resistance and intercellular spread of lucifer yellow. These measures also evaluated the permeability of gap junctions. Octanol, isoproterenol, dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate and forskolin were applied to the cultures to assess their effects on the permeability of gap junctions. RESULTS: During culture, immunocytochemical staining of gap junction protein (connexin 43) was increased and input resistance was decreased on day 2 of culture versus day 21 (18.4 ± 7.87 MΏ day 2; 3.8 ± 1.76 MΏ, day 21; p p CONCLUSIONS: The increased staining of connexin 43 and the decreased input resistance during culture are evidence of elevated number of gap junctions between cells. The rapid and reversible increase in input resistance and decrease in spread of lucifer yellow by octanol are the result of decreased permeability of gap junctions. These two methods of modulation of gap junctions in human uterine smooth muscles are thought to be major mechanisms for the control of uterine contractility.
Disturbance-induced changes in community composition increase species invasion success

The process of biological invasions is necessary to understand to prevent future invasions and their negative impacts. Ecological theory and empirical work can provide a framework for approaching the process. Extrinsic factors, such as disturbances, can increase the probability of a successful invasion through several mechanisms. Disturbances may decrease native species’ abundances, decrease species diversity, or change community composition. We conducted a microcosm experiment using a container protozoan and rotifer community to examine how disturbances and the timing of the invasion affected the probability of invasion success. Native species richness significantly decreased with disturbance presence, but total native abundance was not affected. Invader abundance and richness significantly increased with increasing disturbance. Invasion timing had no effect on invasion success, implying that changes in native abundance or biomass did not facilitate or prevent invasions. Several native species that dominated post-disturbance communities had lower abundance levels in no-disturbance and invasion treatments, indicating that species in this community may have exhibited trade-offs between competitive ability and disturbance tolerance. These results suggest that changes in species richness and composition are most important in facilitating invasions, and this may be the result of increased vulnerability to invasion in a post-disturbance community dominated by poor competitors. Understanding how species invasions are facilitated by community characteristics can provide further insight to identifying when communities are most vulnerable and how to prevent invasions.
Column Supported Embankments with Geosynthetic Encased Columns: Parametric Study

Three-dimensional finite element analyses were performed to investigate different factors that affect the behavior of column supported embankments (CSEs) that are constructed using geosynthetic encased columns (GECs) as the deep foundation elements. Analyses were performed to study the influence of the geosynthetic encasement on the behavior of granular columns (GCs) in CSEs. Stress reduction ratios (SRRs) obtained from finite element analyses were compared to those calculated from ten different analytical solutions. Parametric analyses were also carried out to study the effect of variations in the stiffness of the encasement, the area replacement ratio, and the length of the geosynthetic encasement on the performance of CSEs. Finally, the sensitivity of the numerical results, particularly the lateral displacement of GECs, to the constitutive model that was used to simulate the behavior of the granular column material was examined. Numerical results showed that encasing a GC in a CSE not only improves the performance of the CSE but also enhances the behavior of the GC. No agreement was found between the calculated values of the SRR from finite element analyses and those from existing analytical solutions.
Performance of serpentine passages in the cooling system of a phosphoric acid fuel cell stack

Abstract An experimental rig was designed and constructed to simulate the operating conditions prevailing in a phosphoric acid fuel cell stack. The rig measures the heat transfer coefficient, the thermal contact resistance, and the fuel cell plate temperature. A serpentine cooling plate configuration was used to investigate cooling system performance and efficiency. Oil and water were used as cooling media. Measurements for coolant flow rates ranging from 16 to 88 kg/h and stack clamping pressures (interface pressures) from 0 to 3445 kPa were investigated. The experimental results were used to derive mathematical relations for the overall heat transfer coefficient as a function of the stack clamping pressure and Reynolds number for the two coolants. These relations were incorporated into a previously developed computer program to predict fuel cell plate temperature distributions and performance of the stack cooling system. The experimental results showed good agreement with the computer simulation.
Flexible parylene-based 3-D coiled cable

Prosthesis systems require reliable and flexible connecting cables from the sensing/stimulating electrode sites to processing circuitries. However, the limitations on the fabrication materials and processes restrict the cables' ability to stretch, resulting in breakage and failure of the implanted cabled device. Thus, a microfabricated and fully implantable 3-D parylene coiled cable for prosthesis application is presented. Compared to traditional flexible cables, this parylene coiled structure is able to be stretched by 100% of its original length and is also long-term biocompatible. In addition, the cable structure can be heat-formed in a mold to match muscle curvature and sharp turns in testing subjects and can also be directly integrated with flexible multi-electrodes arrays and neural probes.
Ion microprobe measurements of 18O/16O ratios of phosphate minerals in the Martian meteorites ALH84001 and Los Angeles

Abstract Oxygen isotope ratios of merrillite and chlorapatite in the Martian meteorites ALH84001 and Los Angeles have been measured by ion microprobe in multicollector mode. δ18O values of phosphate minerals measured in situ range from ∼3 to 6‰, and are similar to Martian meteorite whole-rock values, as well as the δ18O of igneous phosphate on Earth. These results suggest that the primary, abiotic, igneous phosphate reservoir on Mars is similar in oxygen isotopic composition to the basaltic phosphate reservoir on Earth. This is an important first step in the characterization of Martian phosphate reservoirs for the use of δ18O of phosphate minerals as a biomarker for life on Mars. Cumulative textural, major-element, and isotopic evidence presented here suggest a primary, igneous origin for the phosphates in Los Angeles and ALH84001; textural and chemical evidence suggests that phosphates in ALH84001 were subsequently shock-melted in a later event.
A Combined Phonetic-Phonological Approach to Estimating Cross-Language Phoneme Similarity in an ASR Environment

This paper presents a fully automated linguistic approach to measuring distance between phonemes across languages. In this approach, a phoneme is represented by a feature matrix where feature categories are fixed, hierarchically related and binary-valued; feature categorization explicitly addresses allophonic variation and feature values are weighted based on their relative prominence derived from lexical frequency measurements. The relative weight of feature values is factored into phonetic distance calculation. Two phonological distances are statistically derived from lexical frequency measurements. The phonetic distance is combined with the phonological distances to produce a single metric that quantifies cross-language phoneme distance. The performances of target-language phoneme HMMs constructed solely with source language HMMs, first selected by the combined phonetic and phonological metric and then by a data-driven, acoustics distance-based method, are compared in context-independent automatic speech recognition (ASR) experiments. Results show that this approach consistently performs equivalently to the acoustics-based approach, confirming its effectiveness in estimating cross-language similarity between phonemes in an ASR environment.
Factors influencing probability and frequency of participation in merger and partnership activity in agricultural cooperatives

Consolidation and concentration in agriculture continue to be important topics. This paper uses a binomial probit model to assess the motivations for opportunities and participation in mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances in agricultural cooperatives. A Poisson model is also used to investigate the frequency of participation in these activities. Results show that competition, patronage refunds, research and development, and market diversification all affect opportunities and participation. Firm size, placement in the market channel, and research and development activities appear to influence the frequency of participation. [EconLit Categories: Q13, G34.] © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quality in Grandparent/Grandchild Relationships:

Five elements identified from the literature as expressive of quality in grandparent/grandchild relationships were used in this study. Three hundred ninety-one young adults at a midwest university responded to questions concerning the quality of their relationships with their “most close” grandparent. Responses of the students validated the following five elements of quality as being associated with successful grandparent/grandchild relationships: 1) a fairly high degree of closeness, 2) a strong sense of being known by the grandparent, 3) a strong sense of the young adult's knowing the grandparent, 4) a sense of the grandparent being a fairly strong influence in the life of the grandchild, 5) a sense of an authentic or independent grandparent/grandchild relationship not dominated by, but supported by, the middle generation. Analysis of variance identified the impact of seven independent variables on the quality of grandparent/grandchild relationships.
Behavioral interaction of adenosine and methylxanthines on central purinergic systems

Mice implanted with chronic indwelling cannulae were injected in the lateral cerebral ventricle with adenosine (ADO); an adenosine analogue, 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA); a potent adenosine uptake inhibitor, papaverine (PAP); and a methylxanthine, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX). All drugs produced dose-related decreases in spontaneous locomotor activity and the order of potency for locomotor depression was: NECA much greater than IBMX greater than ADO, PAP. Further, the behavioral interaction of i.p. injections of caffeine with drug-induced locomotor depression was examined at a dose of caffeine which had no effect on locomotor activity when given alone. Caffeine antagonized the depressant effects of NECA at all doses. However, doses of IBMX producing only behavioral depression, in combination with caffeine, elicited pronounced behavioral stimulation. At higher doses of ADO and PAP, caffeine antagonized their depressant effects whereas at the lower doses of ADO and PAP in combination with caffeine there was behavioral stimulation. These results suggest there is a complex behavioral interaction between methylxanthines and central purinergic systems.
Testing models of parental investment strategy and offspring size in ants

Parental investment strategies can be fixed or flexible. A fixed strategy predicts making all offspring a single ‘optimal’ size. Dynamic models predict flexible strategies with more than one optimal size of offspring. Patterns in the distribution of offspring sizes may thus reveal the investment strategy. Static strategies should produce normal distributions. Dynamic strategies should often result in non-normal distributions. Furthermore, variance in morphological traits should be positively correlated with the length of developmental time the traits are exposed to environmental influences. Finally, the type of deviation from normality (i.e., skewed left or right, or platykurtic) should be correlated with the average offspring size. To test the latter prediction, we used simulations to detect significant departures from normality and categorize distribution types. Data from three species of ants strongly support the predicted patterns for dynamic parental investment. Offspring size distributions are often significantly non-normal. Traits fixed earlier in development, such as head width, are less variable than final body weight. The type of distribution observed correlates with mean female dry weight. The overall support for a dynamic parental investment model has implications for life history theory. Predicted conflicts over parental effort, sex investment ratios, and reproductive skew in cooperative breeders follow from assumptions of static parental investment strategies and omnipresent resource limitations. By contrast, with flexible investment strategies such conflicts can be either absent or maladaptive.
Determination of glycosphingolipid structures by mass spectrometry.

Abstract Mass spectrometry is useful for the determination of oligosaccharide structures in complex glycosphingolipids. A partial mass spectrum (scanned from m/e 60 to m/e 800) of fully trimethylsilylated intact glycosphingolipid yields information regarding the positions of substitution of monosaccharide units, the nature of sphingolipid bases, and the relative amounts of constituent fatty acids.
Anti-idiotype modulation of the in vitro immune response to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) following remote infection by hepatitis B virus in man

Abstract An antigen-inhibitable Ab-2 that exhibits internal image activity will selectively stimulate the in vitro production of anti-HBs in individuals with remotely established immunity to hepatitis B virus. This response is seen (1) in the absence of a polyconal increase in total IgG, (2) with the F(ab′) 2 component of the Ab-2, (3) in cultures depleted of T-cells, and (4) in the absence of stimulation by antigen. This observation demonstrates that the Ab-2-mediated stimulation of specific IgG production may be an important regulatory function in man.
Chlorine-36 tracing of salinity sources in the Dry Valleys of Victoria Land, Antarctica

Abstract Chlorine-36 was used to trace the origins of salts in six saline lakes in the Dry Valleys of Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Characteristic 36Cl signatures were estimated for the various potential chloride sources, which include atmospheric deposition, rock weathering, seawater, and deep ground water. 36 Cl Cl ratios were measured in natural waters and salts from the Dry Valleys. Dilute lake waters (Cl− 36 Cl Cl ratios in the range 100 × 10−15 to 1,700 × 10−15, whereas saline waters (Cl− > 1000 mg/l) had ratios in the range 9 × 10−15 to 40 × 10−15. Simple mixing models were employed to quantify the relative contributions of the various chloride sources to Lake Vanda and Don Juan Pond. These results show that Lake Vanda has received its chloride from both deep ground water and the Onyx River. Don Juan Pond has received nearly all its chloride from deep ground water, probably ultimately from rock-water interaction. Deep ground water is the principal source of chloride to the lakes of Wright Valley. However, preliminary data suggest that marine-derived salts or relict sea water may be a significant source of chloride to the lakes of Taylor Valley, implying a possible recent marine invasion that did not affect Wright Valley.