cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Late Breaking Abstract - Identifying and phenotyping COVID-19 patients using machine learning on chest x-rays

Background: CT scans give highly detailed lung images, but patient transport, machine preparation, and scanning time are limiting factors. Chest x-rays are more widely available, but images are non-specific and often difficult to interpret. Aims and Objectives: To develop a machine-learned early detection system, using conventional chest x-rays, to identify COVID-19 and differentiate its phenotypes. Methods: We extracted features of chest x-rays using a DenseNet-121 neural network. We then sorted the images according to similarity using the UMAP clustering algorithm (Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection). Both algorithms were unsupervised, in the sense that data labels for presence or absence of disease were known but only provided afterward for visualization; they were not seen or used by the algorithms. Results: Our method achieved a 95.19% accuracy in the COVIDx dataset (Wang et al. arXiv 2020). Its performance for detecting normal, pneumonia, and COVID-19 cases is summarized in Table 1. UMAP clustering for the x-ray images is shown in Fig. 1. Location in the UMAP space gives a quantitative severity scale for COVID-19. Conclusions: Feature extraction can identify unique signatures of COVID-19 chest x-rays. A nonlinear clustering algorithm reveals two types of COVID-19 response: one resembling pneumonia and one with a more normal presentation.
EM Critical Care

Critical care simulation is a promising and effective means for practicing resuscitation, procedures, and ICU-level patient management. In addition to providing a safe environment for the clinician to manage critical disease states, it also allows for innovative training in teamwork, leadership, patient safety, and quality improvement. Critical care simulation can play a vital role in the education of students, residents, nurses, and ancillary staff, as well as provide opportunities for continuing education. In addition, techniques such as in-situ simulation allow for instruction to take place within the ICU environment. This provides increased flexibility for learners to access critical educational exercises while increasing environmental fidelity and overcoming some operational barriers such as the need for a dedicated simulation center.
Sound Waves, Acoustic Energy, and the Perception of Loudness

In the preceding chapter we studied simple sound vibrations and their subjective effects, without investigating how they actually reach the ear. We referred to experiments in which the sound source (headphone) was placed very close to the eardrum. In this chapter we shall discuss the process of sound energy propagation from a distant source to the listener and analyze how this acoustical energy flux determines the sensation of loudness.
Tactical oceanography in mine countermeasures

A successful power projection campaign may require operations through littoral defenses, including mines. Mines are the most prolific weapons available to other nations intent on inhibiting US Naval forces' ability to project power from the sea. Therefore, mine countermeasures (MCM) is integral to the overall power projection campaign. Countering the mine threat is critical to naval forces ability to effectively shape and dominate the battlespace. Future operations will require rapid transit through the littoral regions. The success and effectiveness of any naval operation depends on the capabilities of the equipment, the environment, and detailed knowledge of the threat. New capabilities need to be developed to use the environment to a tactical advantage. This paper describes how the environment is being used and should be used in support of MCM in the littoral regions.
Interactions among Sites Responsible for Trehalose 6-Phosphate and Trehalose-activated Glucose 6-Phosphate Hydrolysis on Trehalose Phosphatase Isolated from Phormia regina

An enzyme capable of carrying out a trehalose-activated hydrolysis of glucose 6-phosphate has been purified 86-fold from whole body extracts of Phormia regina. By means of a number of criteria, it has been shown that the same enzyme is capable of activity against trehalose-6-P, although hydrolysis of the latter substrate is not activated by trehalose. It appears that the hydrolytic sites are overlapping but not identical, the overlap occurring at the phosphate-binding site, the sugar-binding sites being independent. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 25,000 to 26,000 and requires Mg2+ for hydrolysis of either substrate. The pH optimum for hydrolysis of glucose-6-P in the absence of trehalose is 7.0, in its presence, 6.0; the pH optimum for hydrolysis of trehalose-6-P is 6.0 to 6.5. The kinetics of activation of the glucose 6-phosphate site by trehalose indicates some active site interaction at low substrate concentration. The activation site cannot be destroyed by urea or heat denaturation without similarly injuring the hydrolytic sites. No other sugars tested have been found capable of replacing or interfering with trehalose activation. The net effect of trehalose appears to be an increase in the rate of product formation (increased kcat), thus an increase in the apparent Km.
Aware Computing [Guest editors' introduction]

Computing has entered an age when devices are increasingly aware of the world in which they are used, and aware software is ever smarter about extrapolating and transforming simple sensor data into nuanced information about the environment in which the devices exist.
From solicitation to search: a study of monitoring costs as a driver of donor giving behavior in online portal websites

This study focuses on market contexts, in particular online giving portals, where donors are able to search and select organizations to contribute to instead of responding to solicitations. To understand donor behavior in this context, we construct and test a two-stage donor search model. A relationship between the behavior of the donor and that of the charitable organization is sought along two dimensions: how organizational behavior involving the reduction of monitoring costs affects the amount that a donor gives and the likelihood that donors will make a subsequent contribution. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HIV-1 Tat-Mediated Apoptosis in Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells

The integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is critical for normal brain function. Neuropathological abnormalities in AIDS patients have been associated with perivascular HIV-infected macrophages, gliosis, and abnormalities in the permeability of the BBB. The processes by which HIV causes these pathological conditions are not well understood. To characterize the mechanism by which HIV-1 Tat protein modulates human brain microvascular endothelial cell (HBMEC) functions, we studied the effects of HIV-1 Tat in modulating HBMEC apoptosis and permeability. Treatment of HBMEC with HIV-1 Tat led to Flk-1/KDR and Flt-4 receptor activation and the release of NO. The protein levels of endothelial NO synthase (NOS) and inducible NOS were increased by HIV-1 Tat stimulation. Importantly, HIV-1 Tat caused apoptosis of HBMEC, as evidenced by changes in the cleavage of poly(A)DP-ribose polymerase, DNA laddering, and incorporation of fluorescein into the nicked chromosomal DNA (TUNEL assay). HIV-1 Tat-mediated apoptosis in HBMEC was significantly inhibited in the presence of N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (an inhibitor of NOS) and wortmannin (a phosphoinositol 3-kinase inhibitor). Furthermore, HIV-1 Tat treatment significantly increased HBMEC permeability, and pretreatment with both N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and wortmannin inhibited the Tat-induced permeability. Taken together, these results indicate that dysregulated production of NO by HIV-1 Tat plays a pivotal role in brain endothelial injury, resulting in the irreversible loss of BBB integrity, which may lead to enhanced infiltration of virus-carrying cells across the BBB.
The Effects of Fasting and Feeding on Preproinsulin Messenger RNA in Rats

The purpose of these experiments was to determine whether alterations in preproinsulin messenger (m)RNA activity could account for changes in insulin biosynthesis during fasting and refeeding. Rats were fasted 4 d and then fed for 6, 8, 24, or 48 h. With fasting, body weight decreased 25%, plasma glucose decreased from 6.1 to 2.2 mM, and pancreatic insulin content fell to 40% that of fed animals. Islet RNA decreased to 50% and protein to 55% that of control animals, while islet DNA content remained unchanged. After 6 h of refeeding, islet RNA content increased and was not significantly different from controls. Total islet and preproinsulin mRNA activity was estimated with an mRNA-dependent wheat germ cell-free protein synthesizing system. Preproinsulin and total protein synthesis was linearly dependent upon added RNA at concentrations up to 3 μg. Preproinsulin was identified by its mobility on SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by hybrid arrested translation of preproinsulin mRNA. After an 18-h fast, islet mRNA activity decreased 33%; after 4 d mRNA activity decreased to 66% below that of control fed animals. Preproinsulin mRNA activity was decreased, but to a lesser extent, accounting for 20% of total islet protein in fed animals and 46% in the 4-d fasted animals. Total mRNA activity returned to control values after 8 h of refeeding and increased to 150% of controls at 24 and 48 h. Preproinsulin mRNA activity increased more rapidly on refeeding. By 8 h it was 160% of controls. To determine whether changes in preproinsulin mRNA activity were associated with changes in the amount of preproinsulin mRNA, nucleic acid hybridization analysis was performed. Pancreatic RNA from fed and fasted animals was electrophoresed on agarose gels, transferred to diazophenylthio paper, and hybridized to 32P-labeled preproinsulin complementary (c)-DNA. This analysis demonstrated that changes in mRNA activity were associated with changes in the amount of hybridizable mRNA present. These studies are the first to demonstrate alterations of preproinsulin mRNA under any conditions, and the changes correlate with alterations in rates of insulin biosynthesis.
Fischer−Tropsch Synthesis: Comparison of Performances of Iron and Cobalt Catalysts

Biomass represents a source of syngas that can be further processed to hydrocarbon fuels. This paper examines the Fischer−Tropsch technology for the biomass-to-clean fuels scenario. A comparison of the activities, selectivities, and lifetimes of iron and cobalt catalysts for Fischer−Tropsch synthesis is made. For the more severe conditions, iron is the more active catalyst, whereas a cobalt catalyst may be more active at low-severity conditions. In spite of many reports, there are still considerable differences in defining catalyst activity. The selectivity for methane likewise shows a wide range of reported results. Under the proper conditions, both catalysts are capable of operating for 6 months or more.
Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease: a rare but important cause of lymphadenopathy

UNLABELLED Cervical lymphadenopathy is a common problem in children. Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis) is a rare condition that causes persistent lymphadenopathy and has a characteristic histological appearance. Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease is well recognized in Japan, where it was first described, but descriptions in the paediatric literature are sparse. Paediatricians may therefore be unaware of this rare but important condition. The case is described of a 14-y-old girl suffering from fatigue, weight loss, night sweats and lymphadenopathy. The predominance of systemic symptoms prompted an extensive investigation. The diagnosis of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease was made after direct histological examination of a lymph node biopsy. The case illustrates the clinical features of this little-known condition and highlights the potential confusion with other diagnoses. The pathological features are discussed and the literature reviewed. CONCLUSION Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease should be considered in cases of persistent lymphadenopathy. An early biopsy can be instrumental in preventing unnecessary investigations and potentially harmful treatments.
Directly Observed Care: Can Unannounced Standardized Patients Address a Gap in Performance Measurement?

To The Editor:Weiner and Schwartz have done an outstanding job in framing both the potential of and challenges associated with the use of unannounced standardized patients (USPs) for assessing quality of care.1 We strongly believe that health care systems and medical educators are just beginning to unlock the potential of USPs and that the barriers can and are already being addressed through creative and collaborative problem-solving. With AHRQ funding focused on simulation and outpatient safety, and in partnership with a large, urban hospital, we have been able to design and implement a USP program (totaling more than 300 USP visits) that provides hospital leadership with ongoing data on clinic functioning.2 In addition, we are exploring the relationship between Objective Structured Clinical Exams and USP-assessed performances among internal medicine residents to better understand what each can tell us about resident competence and professionalism as well as the influence of clinic variables on provider behavior or quality of care. Through chart review of USP visit notes (that are based on standardized clinical portrayals), we have been able to assess the quality of residents’ documentation, measure variation in treatment, and identify critical safety issues.3 We encourage others to find new ways to harness this versatile tool for improving the quality of care and enhancing the impact of education.
Quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence and primary photochemistry in chloroplasts by dibromothymoquinone.

The quenching action of dibromothymoquinone on fluorescence and on primary photochemistry was examined in chloroplasts at −196 °C. Both the initial (F0) and final (FM) levels of fluorescence as well as the fluorescence of variable yield (Fv = FM − F0) were quenched at −196 °C to a degree which depended on the concentration of dibromothymoquinone added prior to freezing. The initial rate of photoreduction of C-550 at — 196 °C, which was assumed to be proportional to maximum yield for primary photochemistry, ϕPo, was also decreased in the presence of dibromothymoquinone. Simple theory predicts that the ratio FVFM should equal ϕPo. Excellent agreement was found in a comparison of relative values of ϕPo with relative values of FVFM at various degrees of quenching by dibromothymoquinone. These results are taken to indicate that F0 and FV are the same type of fluorescence, both emanating from the bulk chlorophyll of Photosystem II. Dibromothymoquinone appears to create quenching centers in the bulk chlorophyll of Photosystem II which compete with the reaction centers for excitation energy. The rate constant for the quenching of excitation energy by dibromothymoquinone is directly proportional to the concentration of the quencher. Rate constants for the de-excitation of excited chlorophyll molecules by fluorescence, kF, by nonradiative decay processes, kD, by photochemistry, kP, and by the specific quenching of dibromothymoquinone, kQ, were calculated assuming the absolute yield of fluorescence at F0 to be either 0.02 or 0.05.
A metadata catalog for organization and systemization of fusion simulation data

Abstract Careful management of data and associated metadata is a critical part of any scientific enterprise. Unfortunately, most current fusion simulation efforts lack systematic, project-wide organization of their data. This paper describes an approach to managing simulation data through creation of a comprehensive metadata catalog, currently under development. The catalog is intended to document all past and current simulation activities (including data provenance); to enable global data location and to facilitate data access, analysis and visualization through uniform provision of metadata. The catalog will capture workflow, holding entries for each simulation activity including, at least, data importing and staging, data pre-processing and input preparation, code execution, data storage, post-processing and exporting. The overall aim is that between the catalog and the main data archive, the system would hold a complete and accessible description of the data, all of its attributes and the processes used to generate the data. The catalog will describe data collections, including those representing simulation workflows as well as any other useful groupings. Finally it would be populated with user supplied comments to explain the motivation and results of any activity documented by the catalog.
Diffusional limitations on the kinetics of dehydration reactions of hydrated barium chloride

Abstract The dehydration kinetics of BaCl2·2H2O powders were examined as a function of water vapor pressure, sample bed depth, particle diameter and temperature. The conversion behavior was modeled in both the kinetic and the combined diffusion and kinetic limited regimes with modified forms of the Avrami-Erofe'ev equation. Kinetic data were obtained by thermogravimetric techniques and by calorimetry. Structural data for intermediates and products were obtained by X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy. Dehydrations were conducted isothermally between 317 and 335 K either under vacuum or in controlled pure water vapor atmospheres ranging from 40 to 6.67 × 102 Pa. The dehydration rate decreased as the water vapor pressure, sample bed depth and particle diameter increased. The estimated effective bed diffusivity is 1.0×10−6 cm2 s−1. After a critical pressure was exceeded, severe reductions in rate were observed. The dehydration of BaCl2·2H2O proceeded stepwise via the crystalline monohydrate above about 80 Pa at 317 K; below this pressure the crystalline monohydrate was not observed. Transient increases in water vapor pressure in the sample bed caused crystallization of the monohydrate under conditions where it did not otherwise form.
Classification and specification of flat cluster methods

Abstract Jardine and Sibson's flat cluster methods exhibit mathematical properties that make them particularly appropriate for use in taxonomy. But since the number of flat cluster methods increases at least exponentially with the number of objects to be classified, it seems desirable to classify flat cluster methods, so as to isolate subclasses appropriate to the construction of taxonomic systems, and to develop an effective mechanism for specifying flat cluster methods. In this paper a classification scheme is developed that is based on characteristics of confinement, consistency, stability, and authenticity. A type of graph-theoretic property, the normal property, is described, and it is shown by means of simple transformations that every normal property specifies a flat cluster method and that each flat cluster method is specified by at least one normal property. To illustrate these results, ten clustering properties described by Hubert are used to construct normal properties, and the corresponding flat cluster methods are classified and compared with known methods. The ten normal properties specify three distinct sequences of flat cluster methods based on the graph-theoretic concepts of k -minimum-degree, k -line-connectivity, and k -point-connectivity.
Further reduction of hospital stay for laparoscopic colon resection by modifications of the fast-track care plan

Abstract Background Fast-track surgery has been described as a plan to facilitate early recovery. We present one surgeon's modifications to fast-track surgery for laparoscopic colectomy patients. Methods We performed a retrospective review of 48 consecutive patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colectomy treated by a modified fast-track plan between 2004 and 2008. Elements included preoperative education, pre-anesthesia dexamethasone, immediate postoperative general diet, no urinary catheter, no epidural anesthesia, and no flatus or bowel movement as a discharge requirement. Data collected included the following: age, sex, body mass index, resection indications, surgical time, blood loss, pain score, time to ambulation, time to bowel function, length of stay, complications, and mortality. Results The mean length of stay was 37 hours (1.5 d), with 29 of 48 patients discharged without passage of flatus or stool. Only 1 patient required readmission. Conclusions Our modified fast-track plan achieved significant improvement in length of stay for laparoscopic colectomy compared with previous results.
ASSAY OF THE EXOPHTHALMOS-PRODUCING SUBSTANCE IN THE SERUM OF PATIENTS WITH PROGRESSIVE EXOPHTHALMOS

Assays of the exophthalmos-producing substance (EPS) in the serum of patients with progressive exophthalmos were performed using Fundulus hetroclitus, an Atlantic minnow. The assay consists of measurement of the exophthalmic response in fish after injection of the patient's serum. A variety of factors affecting the responsiveness of the fish were partly controlled by the use of standard pituitary extract. The serum of certain patients produced pronounced exophthalmos in the fish. There was no strict correlation between the degree of response in the fish and the severity of clinical progressive exophthalmos. A better correlation was observed in patients early in the development of the disease. Several impressive responses were elicited by the scrum of patients with Graves' disease preceding the onset of severe exophthalmos. Late in the course of progressive exophthalmos no high assay values were found. Mild degrees of response were occasionally elicited by the serum of normal subjects. Pituitary stalk sect...
Attentional demands on motor-respiratory coordination.

Athletic performance requires the pacing of breathing with exercise, known as motor-respiratory coordination (MRC). In this study, we added cognitive and physical constraints while participants intentionally controlled their breathing locations during rhythmic arm movement. This is the first study to examine a cognitive constraint on MRC. Cognitive constraints included either instruction (Experiments 1 and 2) or signal detection (Experiment 1). Physical constraints were nonoptimal movement frequencies (Experiment 2). Instruction shifted breathing locations and both shifted and increased variability in the number of movements produced per breath (frequency ratio). Signal detection had no effect on MRC. Fast movement frequency resulted in higher, more variable frequency ratios. Cognitive and physical constraints can generate unnatural and variable breathing during athletic performance.
Magnetic tunnel junctions: Spin-torque measured up

The 'spin-transfer torque effect' could provide a powerful means of controlling the orientation of spins with electric currents rather than magnetic fields in future spintronic devices. Quantitative measurements of this effect represent an important next step.
Diffusion maps-based image clustering

In the clustering of large number of images using low-level features, one of the problems encountered is the high dimensional feature space. The high dimensionality of feature spaces leads to unnecessary cost in feature selection and also in the distance measurement during the clustering process. In this paper, we propose an approach to reduce the dimensionality of the feature space based on diffusion maps. In the proposed approach, each image is represented by a set of tiles. A visual keyword-image matrix is derived from classifying these tiles into a set of clusters and counting the occurrence of each cluster in each image of our database. The visual keyword-image matrix is similar to the term-document matrix in information retrieval. We use diffusion maps to reduce the dimensionality of visual keyword matrix. By reducing the dimensionality of the image representation, we can save computation cost significantly. We compare the performance between the proposed approach and the approach that uses the global MPEG-7 color descriptors. The results demonstrate the improvements.
The cockroach Leucophaea maderae needs more than juvenile hormone, vitellogenin and reserves to make a yolky egg

Abstract For the cockroach Leucophaea maderae the developmental profile of lipophorin (Lp) concentrations in the hemolymph was determined through the entire vitellogenic period. At mid-vitellogenesis the concentrations of Lp had risen to 6 times the level at emergence and then declined to 2/3 of such high values at ovulation. The racemic 10R,10S-JH-III bound to Lp with an affinity of K d = 5.76 nM and the natural enantiomer 10R-JH-III with a K d = 1.60 nM . Injections of anti-Lp into mated females caused a significantly reduced rate of oocyte growth and a substantial degree of oosorption. Injections of γ -globulin did not significantly reduce oocyte growth and caused only a small number of oocytes to resorb. Starvation after mating had similar effects as treatment with anti-Lp. Because of the high affinity of JH to Lp and since Lp occurs in micromolar concentrations during vitellogenesis one can assume that practically all JH is bound and not available for hydrolysis by the JH esterases. Lp appears to function as an inhibitor of JH metabolism by the JHEs through substrate depletion. One may conclude that a normal rate of egg growth is only achieved when titers of Lp exceed those of JH and remove major portions of this substrate from degradation by the JHEs.
Magnetic field measurements of the BLAST spectrometer

Abstract The Bates Large Acceptance Spectrometer Toroid has been built to study nuclear physics reactions using a stored, polarized electron beam and a variety of polarized targets internal to the storage ring. The spectrometer consists of eight coils surrounding the target cell. There is a requirement of nominally zero field along the centerline of the spectrometer for proper electron beam storage. In addition, the polarized internal targets require a low field gradient in the target region. Magnetic field measurements were made near the beam centerline to guide the alignment of the coils and satisfy the field magnitude and gradient requirements. After the coils were aligned, the magnetic field was measured in the detector regions to provide information for particle tracking.
Ecology of the brontosaurs.

A reconsideration of brontosaur remains suggests that the largest dinosaurs were not semi aquatic but terrestrial, in spite of their high external nares.
Molecular Imaging using Time Domain Fluorescence

Time domain fluorescence offers powerful advantages for molecular imaging through lifetime multiplexing and early photon detection. This talk will focus on methods for whole-body time domain imaging and its application to pre-clinical disease models.
Parental perceptions of sleep problems among co-sleeping and solitary sleeping children.

To explore whether parental report of frequency of problematic sleep behaviours overestimates the subjective experience of sleep problems among co-sleepers, and whether classification as reactive or intentional co-sleeping is related to parental judgments about children's sleep, 139 parents of young children were recruited from urban paediatric offices. The Child Sleep Behaviour Survey asked about potentially problematic sleep behaviours, and yielded a simple frequency score (frequency of all items) and a weighted frequency score (only behaviours considered problematic by the parent). Parents described sleeping arrangements and demographic characteristics. Simple frequency of behaviours was higher among co-sleepers than among solitary sleepers. Weighted frequencies were lower in all groups, but highest among reactive co-sleepers. Parents of intentional co-sleepers notice children's sleep behaviours that they do not consider problematic. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Periodicity, quasiperiodicity, and chaos in coupled cardiac pacemaker cells

We investigate the dynamics of a pair of electrically coupled pacemaking sino-atrial node cells based on a physiologically detailed model. Each cell has distinguished oscillation properties. It is found that at low, yet still physiologically reasonable coupling conductance values, complex dynamics including chaos can arise. Occurrence of these complex dynamics in coupled pacemaker cells may provide an explanation for the origin of certain cardiac arrhythmias.
The preparation of functional alkylidynetricobalt nonacarbonyl complexes from dicobalt octacarbonyl

Abstract Various functionally-substituted methylidynetricobalt nonacarbonyl derivatives, RCCo3(CO)9, where R is D, Me3Si, PhMe2Si, (MeO)2P(O), (EtO)2P(O), Me3COC(O), Me3SiOC(O), Et2NC(O), CH3C(O), C2H5C(O), n-C3H7C(O), Me2-CHC(O), n-C4H9C(O), Me3C(O), PhC(O), p-CH3C6H4C(O), p-BrC6H4C(O), HOCH2, HC(O), CH3O and Me2N, have been prepared by reaction of dicobalt octacarbonyl with the appropriate RCX3 or RCHX2 (XCl or Br) compound.
Simulation of thermodynamic mixing properties of actinide-containing zircon solid solutions

Solid solutions among zircon (ZrSiO 4 , I 4 1 / amd ) and zircon-structured orthosilicates ASiO 4 (A = Hf, Th, U, Pu, or Ce) are important to a wide variety of applications: nuclear materials, geochronology, and even electronic materials. The thermodynamic mixing properties of the following seven binary solid solutions were simulated using density functional theory followed by Monte Carlo modeling and thermodynamic integration: (Zr,Hf)SiO 4 , (Zr,Th)SiO 4 , (Zr,U)SiO 4 , (Zr,Pu)SiO 4 , (Zr,Ce)SiO 4 , (Hf,Pu)SiO 4 , and (Th,U)SiO 4 . ZrSiO 4 and HfSiO 4 were found to form a nearly ideal solid solution, but the miscibility of the other solid solutions was limited to no more than 12 mol% of the substituting cation. The binaries were ranked by extent of miscibility: (Zr,Hf)SiO 4 > (Th,U)SiO 4 > (Zr,Pu)SiO 4 > (Zr,Ce)SiO 4 > (Hf,Pu)SiO 4 > (Zr,U)SiO 4 > (Zr,Th)SiO 4 . The extent of solid solution has been estimated for each binary. The end-members PuSiO 4 , CeSiO 4 , and USiO 4 were determined to be unstable relative to a mixture of SiO 2(quartz) and crystalline PuO 2 , CeO 2(cerianite) , or UO 2(uraninite) . Isostructural thorite (ThSiO 4 ) is calculated to be marginally stable, but its monoclinic polymorph, huttonite, which has the structure of monazite, is marginally unstable relative to SiO 2(quartz) and ThO 2(thorianite) at 0 K. If thermodynamic equilibrium could be reached at low temperatures, exsolution textures would appear in most zircon solid solutions perpendicular to [001], but perpendicular to a linear combination of [100] and [010] in (Hf,Pu)SiO 4 .
The impact of a support group programme for care-givers on the institutionalisation of demented patients

Abstract Support group programmes have been proposed to alleviate the care-givers' burden and postpone institutionalisation of demented patients. Experimental studies on these programmes failed to detect any impact on care-givers' burden, but none have examined the effect on institutionalisation. The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of a support group programme for care-givers on the institutionalisation of demented patients. Forty-five care-givers of community-dwelling demented patients were allocated randomly to the study group (n = 24) and the control group (n = 21). Subjects in the study group attended a structured programme of 8 weekly sessions of 3 h each. Subjects assigned to the control group were referred to the informal monthly meetings of the Alzheimer's Society. Using survival analysis, the median length of time until institutionalisation was 30 months from the time of the entry into the study. At 24 months, the probability of being institutionalised was 0.33 in the study group and 0.45 in the control group. This difference was not statistically significant (log-rank test: ν2 = 1.02; P = 0.31). These results emphasize the lack of scientific evidence about efficacy of such programmes and the need for a large multi-centre study on this topic.
Dispersant Corexit 9500A and chemically dispersed crude oil decreases the growth rates of meroplanktonic barnacle nauplii (Amphibalanus improvisus) and tornaria larvae (Schizocardium sp.)

Our knowledge of the lethal and sublethal effects of dispersants and dispersed crude oil on meroplanktonic larvae is limited despite the importance of planktonic larval stages in the life cycle of benthic invertebrates. We determined the effects of Light Louisiana Sweet crude oil, dispersant Corexit 9500A, and dispersant-treated crude oil on the survival and growth rates of nauplii of the barnacle Amphibalanus improvisus and tornaria larvae of the enteropneust Schizocardium sp. Growth rates of barnacle nauplii and tornaria larvae were significantly reduced after exposure to chemically dispersed crude oil and dispersant Corexit 9500A at concentrations commonly found in the water column after dispersant application in crude oil spills. We also found that barnacle nauplii ingested dispersed crude oil, which may have important consequences for the biotransfer of petroleum hydrocarbons through coastal pelagic food webs after a crude oil spill. Therefore, application of chemical dispersants increases the impact of crude oil spills on meroplanktonic larvae, which may affect recruitment and population dynamics of marine benthic invertebrates.
Needs assessment and child care staff training

A model enhancing child care worker training links needs assessment and training into six steps: data collection, data analysis and presentation, staff training design, training, evaluation, and needs reassessment. Applying the model in a day care center resulted in improved worker knowledge, attitudes, and performance, and in a continuing forum for subsequent program changes.
Photorespiration and nitrate assimilation: a major intersection between plant carbon and nitrogen

C3 carbon fixation has a bad reputation, primarily because it is associated with photorespiration, a biochemical pathway thought to waste a substantial amount of the carbohydrate produced in a plant. This review presents evidence collected over nearly a century that (1) Rubisco when associated with Mn2+ generates additional reductant during photorespiration, (2) this reductant participates in the assimilation of nitrate into protein, and (3) this nitrate assimilation facilitates the use of a nitrogen source that other organisms tend to avoid. This phenomenon explains the continued dominance of C3 plants during the past 23 million years of low CO2 atmospheres as well as the decline in plant protein concentrations as atmospheric CO2 rises.
President Ramos, the Church, and Population Policy in the Philippines

(1998). President Ramos, the Church, and Population Policy in the Philippines. Asian Affairs: An American Review: Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 3-19.
Online Gaze Disparity via Bioncular Eye Tracking on Stereoscopic Displays

We report on progress in the development of an online system to allow the estimation of eye tracked 3D gaze depth in a stereoscopic environment. The efficacy of our method is demonstrated in two distinctly different configurations: a custom Wheatstone stereoscope, and a commodity active stereo graphics display. We employ a 3D calibration process that determines the parameters of an affine mapping from a depth estimate, based on triangulation using onscreen horizontal disparity, to a refined depth estimate. Triangulation accounts for most of the non-linearity in the transform, and our calibration accounts for individual differences in eye separation and vergence behavior. We demonstrate that, although different binocular eye trackers are used with each display, our approach to online estimation of gaze depth performs similarly on both systems. Importantly, results show that depth estimation error is biased toward the display screen, underestimating target distance from the screen both behind and in front of the screen.
Incidence and risk factors for lung injury after lung cancer resection.

Background Lung injury, defined as acute hypoxemia accompanied by radiographic pulmonary infiltrates without a clearly identifiable cause, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after major anatomic pulmonary resection. Our objective was to identify the incidence and risk factors for the development of postoperative lung injury. Methods A retrospective case-control study of consecutive patients undergoing resection for lung cancer at a single institution was performed. The severity of lung injury was defined using the American European Consensus Conference on ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) criteria and the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0 (http://ctep.cancer.gov/reporting/ctc.html). Patients with lung injury were compared with matched control patients, based on age, sex, and extent of resection, for examination of a priori defined risk factors. Results From January 2001 to June 2004, 1,428 patients underwent attempted curative lung cancer resection. Postoperative lung injury occurred in 76 (5.3%) cases, 44 (3.1%) of which met criteria for acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome. After matching, there were no differences between cases and control patients with respect to use of induction therapy, perioperative transfusions, or tumor laterality. After univariate and multivariate analysis, increasing perioperative fluid administration and decreasing postoperative predicted lung function were significant risk factors for the development of lung injury. The overall mortality for patients with lung injury was 25%, compared with 2.6% for the control group. Conclusions Lung injury after lung resection has a high mortality. Lower predicted postoperative lung function, especially diffusion capacity, in combination with greater perioperative fluid administration were significant predictors of postoperative lung injury.
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Two- Period, Crossover, Pilot Trial of Lamotrigine in Patients with Central Pain Due to Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract Background: Approximately 30% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have central pain (CP). The anticonvulsant lamotrigine has been shown to be efficacious in some types of CP, but its efficacy in MS-related CP has not been confirmed. Objective: The aim of this pilot trial was to provide preliminary data for a planned larger trial. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2-period, crossover pilot study was conducted in a sample of patients aged ≥18 years with CP due to MS. The 2 treatment periods began with an 8-week, double-blind titration period, during which the number of pills of study drug was increased until either total pain relief was achieved, 1 or more unmanageable adverse events were reported, or a maximum of 16 pills (400 mg of lamotrigine) were used daily. A 3-week maintenance period at the final prescribed amount was followed by a 2-week tapering period; there was a 2-week washout between the 2 treatment periods, after which patients were administered the alternate drug. Outcomes before, during, and after each study period were assessed using validated measures of pain and quality of life (the Brief Pain Inventory [BH], the Neuropathic Pain Scale [NPS], and the 54-item MS Quality of Life [MSQOL-54] questionnaire). Throughout the trial, patients completed a daily diary consisting of questions from the BPI-Short Form, as well as questions about the use of other analgesic drugs, changes in health, and the occurrence of adverse events. The BPI and NPS were completed weekly during telephone calls with the research coordinator, and the MSQOL-54 was administered during clinic visits (ie, visits at screening, baseline, end of period 1, and termination). The primary outcome measure was the mean pain intensity score during the final maintenance week of each of the 2 study periods. Results: A total of 12 patients were enrolled and completed at least the first period of the study. Ten patients were women. The mean (SD) age was 49.3 (11.7) years, and the mean (SD) weight was 76.5 (19.9) kg. The analysis revealed no significant differences between the lamotrigine and placebo periods in any of the study outcomes related to pain or quality of life. Regarding adverse events, 1 patient developed a moderate rash during the study, but the physician attributed this lesion to herpes zoster; this patient completed the study. While other adverse events were mild, 2 patients were withdrawn from the study after experiencing adverse events during the first study period; 1 had been receiving lamotrigine and the other placebo. Conclusion: The results from this pilot trial did not support either the use of lamotrigine in patients with MS-related CP or the need for a larger trial.
What appears to be cancer

We describe a case of multiple hepatic pyogenic abscesses with an unusual presentation. The typical signs and symptoms of fever and pain in the right upper quadrant were absent. Instead, the chief complaint was muscle weakness and myalgias accompanied by weight loss. Findings from an ultrasonogram of the abdomen revealed multiple hepatic lesions consistent with metastases. Hence, the initial presumptive diagnosis was metastatic malignancy with unknown primary tumor. It was only when purulent material was unexpectedly encountered when a needle biopsy was performed that the true diagnosis of pyogenic liver abscess was recognized. While liver abscess is rare, it should not be forgotten in the differential diagnosis for multiple hepatic lesions seen on imaging studies.
Agent models I: frequency-based designs for terminating simulations: a peace-enforcement example

In recent years, the U.S. Marine Corps has begun developing an infrastructure for applying agent-based models and simulation, computing power, and data analysis and visualization technologies to help answer complex questions in military operations. Factor screening approaches are of particular interest, since even relatively simple agent-based models may have hundreds (or even thousands) of inputs that can be varied. We describe a new experimental design, called a frequency-based design, that can be used for exploring the behavior of terminating simulations. We apply this to a model of a peace-enforcement operation. We examine the behavior of four performance measures (including two attrition ratios) and discuss how the results confirm and complement earlier findings. We conclude with a brief discussion of issues that merit further investigation.
Aeroacoustic effects of reduced aft tip speed at constant thrust for a model counterrotation turboprop at takeoff conditions

A model high-speed, advanced counterrotation propeller, F7/A7, was tested in the anechoic wind tunnel at simulated takeoff and approach conditions of Mach 0.2. The propeller was operated in a baseline configuration with the forward and aft rotor blade setting angles and forward and aft rotational speeds essentially equal. Two additional configurations were tested with the aft rotor at increased blade setting angles and the rotational speed reduced to achieve overall performance similar to that of the baseline configuration. Acoustic data were taken with an axially translating microphone probe that was attached to the tunnel floor. Concurrent aerodynamic data were taken to define propeller operating conditions.
Diametral Clearance Effect on Friction and Wear Characteristics of a Metal-on-Metal Total Hip Arthroplasty

Tribological performance of a metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty was evaluated as a function of the diametral clearance between the femoral head and acetabular cup. Frictional torque results, measured by a pendulum apparatus, suggested that a threshold clearance existed. Below the threshold clearance, frictional torque increased nearly linearly as the clearance decreased. Beyond the threshold, the clearance effect was minimal. The wear results, measured using a hip simulator, showed that a running-in wear was present in the first million cycles. The subsequent steady-state wear rate was very low in all tested clearances. The highest running-in wear was associated with the largest clearance. These results demonstrated the usefulness of combining a pendulum test and a simulator wear test to fully characterize the clearance effect.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Constructing event representations: Building on a foundation of variation and enabling relations

Abstract Similarities in the patterns of recall of events by 1- to 2-year-olds and 3- to 8- year-olds suggest continuity in the organization of event representations across an impressively wide developmental span. However, two abilities of older children have heretofore not been assessed in children under 3: the ability to recall long, temporally complex events, and the ability to generalize knowledge of an event over different instantiations. In the present study, 30-month-olds' ability to remember long event sequences, and their ability to incorporate novel props into their recall, was tested. Children enacted the same four event sequences in each of sessions. Each of the sequences was a complex mixture of enabling and arbitrary temporal relations. Additionally, at each session, some of the props used to enact some of the sequences were changed. The children accurately remembered substantial portions of the events after only a single experience; they had better recall for the enabling-relation portions of the events. By the third testing session they showed clear evidence of generalization: They spontaneously incorporated the novel props into their recall. The results suggest that like older children, children under 3 rapidly form generalized representations of temporally complex events.
BRAT1 deficiency causes increased glucose metabolism and mitochondrial malfunction

BRAT1 (BRCA1-associated ATM activator 1) interacts with both BRCA1, ATM and DNA-PKcs, and has been implicated in DNA damage responses. However, based on our previous results, it has been shown that BRAT1 may be involved in cell growth and apoptosis, besides DNA damage responses, implying that there are undiscovered functions for BRAT1. Using RNA interference against human BRAT1, we generated stable BRAT1 knockdown cancer cell lines of U2OS, Hela, and MDA-MA-231. We tested cell growth properties and in vitro/in vivo tumorigenic potentials of BRAT1 knockdown cells compared to control cells. To test if loss of BRAT1 induces metabolic abnormalities, we examined the rate of glycolysis, ATP production, and PDH activity in both BRAT1 knockdown and control cells. The role of BRAT1 in growth signaling was determined by the activation of Akt/Erk, and SC79, Akt activator was used for validation. By taking advantage of BRAT1 knockdown cancer cell lines, we found that loss of BRAT1 expression significantly decreases cell proliferation and tumorigenecity both in vitro and in vivo. Cell migration was also remarkably lowered when BRAT1 was depleted. Interestingly, glucose uptake and production of mitochondrial ROS (reactive oxygen species) are highly increased in BRAT1 knockdown HeLa cells. Furthermore, both basal and induced activity of Akt and Erk kinases were suppressed in these cells, implicating abnormality in signaling cascades for cellular growth. Consequently, treatment of BRAT1 knockdown cells with Akt activator can improve their proliferation and reduces mitochondrial ROS concentration. These findings suggest novel roles of BRAT1 in cell proliferation and mitochondrial functions.
Using the Graded Response Model to Control Spurious Interactions in Moderated Multiple Regression

Recent simulation research has demonstrated that using simple raw score to operationalize a latent construct can result in inflated Type I error rates for the interaction term of a moderated statis...