cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of mucoid property on antibiotic susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Clinical isolates ofPseudomonas aeruginosa from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) were examined for susceptibility to the antibiotics carbenicillin, ticarcillin, tobramycin, gentamicin, and tetracycline. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of the antibiotics were determined for mucoid and nonmucoid isolates from the same patient by a single-colony replica plating method. This method allows the rapid determination of antibiotic susceptibility of a single cell’s progeny and the individual screening of each colony against all antibiotics. Twenty of 34 (58%) cystic fibrosis patients had a mucoid isolate which was more susceptible to antibiotics than their nonmucoid isolate of the same serotype. Nonmucoid revertant segregants of mucoid strains isolated from 50% of the patients demonstrated greater resistance to at least one antibiotic than the original mucoid strain. Multiple isolates from 25 patients were serotyped by Difco (Liu) or Homma antiserum; only 2 patients harbored multiple strains with no common serotyping antigens. Serotypes of the nonmucoid revertants were the same as the original mucoid isolate even if the susceptibilities of the two strains were not similar.
The Archaic Belief in Dream Visitations as it Relates to “Seeing Ghosts,” “Meeting the Lord,” as Well as “Encountering Extraterrestrials”:

The current study was designed to determine whether archaic belief in the external origins of dream visitations survives and whether it accounts for the paranormal experience of seeing ghosts, the fundamentalist religious experience of “meeting the Lord,” and the sci-fi experience of encountering extraterrestrials. Over half of the study's 163 subjects professed belief that the deceased can actually visit us in dreams; nearly half professed belief that God can actually visit us in dreams; and one-fifth professed belief that extraterrestrials can actually visit us in dreams. In addition, over one-fourth of the subjects affirmed that they “have seen a ghost or apparition“; almost one-fourth affirmed that they “have had the religious experience of meeting the Lord”; and nearly one-tenth affirmed that they “have experienced or met an extraterrestrial.” In the first of three step-wise multiple regressions, 14% of the variance in reportedly “seeing a ghost” was predicted by archaic belief in the external origin...
Improving Artificial Neural Networks Using Texture Analysis and Decision Trees for the Classification of Land Cover

The purpose of this research was to improve artificial neural network (ANN) classification of land cover using texture analysis and decision trees. Three variants on ANN-based classifiers were applied to Landsat-7 data of southwestern Ohio for an Anderson Level-II land-cover classification: (1) the use of a customized architecture for each land-cover class; (2) the use of texture analysis for urban classes; and (3) the use of a decision tree (DT) classifier to refine the ANN output. An accuracy assessment was performed on the final ANN classification and compared to the USGS National Land Cover Data (NLCD). Overall accuracy of the ANN was 85%, compared to 69% for the NLCD. Producer accuracies for the ANN ranged from 64% to 96% compared to 29 to 86% for the NLCD. User accuracies for the ANN ranged from 71 to 99% compared to 36-87% for the NLCD. The ANN methodology will be used to classify the state of Ohio and could potentially be used on a national scale.
Further explorations of post-crisis communication: Effects of media and response strategies on perceptions and intentions

Abstract Crisis communication represents a rapidly growing body of research and is seeing an increased use of experimental methods. However, the experiments have relied exclusively on print stimuli resulting in little knowledge of channel effects on crisis communication. This study evaluates the effects of different response strategies and media channels on respondents exposed to a crisis. The study used a 2 (crisis response: sympathy and compassion) × 2 (media: print and video) design. We selected two similar response strategies that could differ in terms of the additional cues provided by video. Results revealed virtually no meaningful difference between the use of video versus print or sympathy versus compensation.
Regulation of the levels of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (GTP) mRNA in rat liver by insulin and glucagon

As can be seen from the data presented in this chapter, glucagon, epinephrine and Bt2cAMP can act directly on isolated rat hepatocytes to markedly increase the concentration of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA. The effects of these hormones on enzyme mRNa are rapid, causing a 2–3-fold increase in 90 min of incubation. Insulin acts directly on the liver to decrease the concentration of P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA. Previous reports indicating that glucose would be required for the depressive effects of insulin on the enzyme in the livers of diabetic rats may be explained by the fact that the administration of glucose together with insulin prevents the transient hypoglycemia which accompanies our insulin administration, thereby preventing a release of glucagon. This suggestion was supported by our observation that the administration of insulin plus somatostatin resulted in a rapid decrease in P-enolpyruvate carboxykinase in diabetic rats, in the absence of glucose feeding.
Myofilament Kinetics in Isometric Twitch Dynamics

To better understand the relationship between kinetic processes of contraction and the dynamic features of an isometric twitch, studies were conducted using a mathematical model that included: (1) kinetics of cross bridge (XB) cycling; (2) kinetics of thin filament regulatory processes; (3) serial and feedback interactions between these two kinetic processes; and (4) time course of calcium activation. Isometric twitch wave forms were predicted, morphometric features of the predicted twitch wave form were evaluated, and sensitivities of wave form morphometric features to model kinetic parameters were assessed. Initially, the impulse response of the XB cycle alone was analyzed with the findings that dynamic constants of the twitch transient were much faster than turnover number of steady-state XB cycling, and, although speed and duration of the twitch wave form were sensitive to XB cycle kinetic constants, parameters of wave shape were not. When thin filament regulatory unit (RU) kinetics were added to XB cycle kinetics, the system impulse response was slowed with only little effect on wave shape. When cooperative neighbor interactions between RU and XB were added, twitch wave shape (as well as amplitude, speed and duration) proved to be sensitive to variation in cooperativity. Importantly, persistence and shape of the falling phase could be strongly modified. When kinetic coefficients of XB attachment were made to depend on sarcomere length, changes in wave shape occurred that did not occur when only sliding filament mechanisms were operative. Indeed, the force–length relationship proved to be highly sensitive to length-dependent XB attachment in combination with cooperative interactions. These model findings are the basis of hypotheses for the role of specific kinetic events of contraction in generating twitch wave form features. © 2001 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC01: 8715La, 8719Rr, 8719Ff, 8710+e, 8717Aa, 8717-d, 8716Ka, 8715By
Relationship of body mass index and psychosocial factors on physical activity in underserved adolescent boys and girls.

Objective Previous research indicates that body mass index (BMI) and sex are important factors in understanding physical activity (PA) levels. The present study examined the influence of BMI on psychosocial variables (self-efficacy, social support) and PA in underserved (ethnic minority, low income) boys in comparison with girls. Methods Participants (N = 669; 56% girls; 74% African American) were recruited from the "Active by Choice Today" trial. Main outcome measures BMI ʐ score was calculated from objectively collected height and weight data, and PA was assessed with 7-day accelerometry estimates. Self-report questionnaires were used to measure self-efficacy and social support (family, peers) for PA. Results A 3-way interaction between BMI z score, sex, and family support on PA was shown such that family support was positively associated with PA in normal-weight but not overweight or obese boys, and was not associated with PA in girls. Self-efficacy had the largest effect size related to PA in comparison with the other psychosocial variables studied. Conclusions Self-efficacy was found to be an important variable related to PA in underserved youth. Future studies should evaluate possible barriers to PA in girls, and overweight youth, to provide more effective family support strategies for underserved adolescents' PA.
ReCLIP (reversible cross-link immuno-precipitation): an efficient method for interrogation of labile protein complexes.

The difficulty of maintaining intact protein complexes while minimizing non-specific background remains a significant limitation in proteomic studies. Labile interactions, such as the interaction between p120-catenin and the E-cadherin complex, are particularly challenging. Using the cadherin complex as a model-system, we have developed a procedure for efficient recovery of otherwise labile protein-protein interactions. We have named the procedure “ReCLIP” (Reversible Cross-Link Immuno-Precipitation) to reflect the primary elements of the method. Using cell-permeable, thiol-cleavable crosslinkers, normally labile interactions (i.e. p120 and E-cadherin) are stabilized in situ prior to isolation. After immunoprecipitation, crosslinked binding partners are selectively released and all other components of the procedure (i.e. beads, antibody, and p120 itself) are discarded. The end result is extremely efficient recovery with exceptionally low background. ReCLIP therefore appears to provide an excellent alternative to currently available affinity-purification approaches, particularly for studies of labile complexes.
Selective detection of Cr(VI) in aqueous media by carbazole-based fluorescent organic microcrystals

Taking advantage of its high luminescence as an aggregate, 1-cyano-trans-1,2-bis-(4-carbazolyl)-phenylethylene (CN-CPE) was evaluated as an electron-transfer probe for sensing of Cr(VI) in aqueous media. A remarkable Cr(VI)-sensitivity and selectivity over common aqueous interferents was found.
Politics and the Superintendency in the USA: restructuring in-service education

Abstract A recent national survey in 2001 of superintendents in the United States found that, although they recognised the increasing political nature of their work, these chief executive officers prefer to serve as professional advisors and decision makers. These roles often do not coincide with dominant political configurations of their boards of education. These findings mirror those of McCarty & Ramsey (1971) and are cause for concern in view of growing cultural and ideological polarisation in the United States. The study also uncovered a need for field-based application of knowledge in superintendent preparation and in-service programmes. After briefly reviewing central concepts derived from theories of practice and research on situated learning, the article recommends pedagogical approaches for enhancing superintendents'; political acumen and skills. The in-service model presented is characterised by reiterative cycles of learning and is described as, In-Service Education for Superintendents equals ...
Semiconductor Electrodes. 44. Photoelectrochemistry at Polycrystalline p‐Type WSe2 Films

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells based on layered semiconductors are particularly attractive for solar energy conversion for a number of reasons. The preparation of polycrystalline p-WSe/sub 2/ electrodes which show better than 1% red light efficiencies in photovoltaic (regenerative) PEC cells is described. The PEC behavior of these electrodes was investigated in cells containing a number of redox couples. It is difficult to account for the success of these polycrystalline films as photoelectrodes compared to earlier preparations. The method of surface pretreatment of the substrate appears to be important. 27 refs.
Interlaboratory analysis of high molecular weight organochlorines in ambient air

High volume air samples were collected in Boston, MA, and Columbia, SC using a glass fiber filter — polyurethane foam trap, and the pooled sample extracts from each location were distributed among nine laboratories for organochlorine analysis. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were reported by all laboratories, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranging from 26–39 % for total PCB. The total PCB concentration in Boston was 7.1 ng m−3, compared to 4.4 ng m−3 in Columbia. Other organochlorines identified by three or more laboratories included hexachlorobenzene and the pesticides DDT, DDE, chlordane, dieldrin, endrin, hexachlorocyclohexane, and polychloroterpenes. RSDs for most pesticides ranged from 35–75% and as high as 116% for polychloroterpenes (quantified as toxaphene). In general, pesticide levels were an order of magnitude higher in Columbia than in Boston.
Nanoimprint Materials Systems

In UV cure nanoimprint lithography the interfaces as well as the resist composition play an important role in determining the characteristics of the resulting patterned material, which can be used for subsequent pattern transfer, or be functional. It is important for applications that there be only rare defects, and that template release always be a clean process. In this paper fundamental physical and chemical aspects of the resist template interface are discussed, with a particular focus on how they influence the process of template removal.
Chemistry of Some 3-Benzoylpiperidines

Syntheses of 3-chloro-3-benzoylpiperidine and the corresponding diastereoisomeric (+)-10-camphorsulfonamides have been described. Although neither 3-chloronor 3-hydroxy-3-benzoylpiperidine could be resolved, von Braun demethylation of the corresponding easily resolvable N -methyl α -chloro and N -methyl α -acetoxy ketones was successful. Both α - and β -(+)-1-(10-camphorsulfonyl)-3-chloro-3-benzoylpiperidine represent models for the study of the scope of epoxy ether cleavage and formation from α -halo ketones. The von Braun demethylation of 1-methyl-3-benzoyl-3-acetoxypiperidine is the method of choice for the synthesis of racemic and optically active potential local anesthetic N -alkyl-3-benzoyl-3-acyloxypiperidines. The combined sequences afford a pathway for relating the configurations of (+)-1-methyl-3-benzoyl-3-hydroxypiperidine and (–)-1-methyl-3-benzoyl-3-chloropiperidine. The development of the synthetic scheme and of the design of the model sulfonamides and the implications of the configurational studies are discussed.
Colorizing a Masterpiece [Applications Corner]

The purpose of this article is to discuss the process of colorizing a historical arti fact-a black and white archival photo of Bathers by a River, 1909-1917, by Henri Matisse (Art Institute of Chicago 1953.158), taken in November 1913, when the art ist was still working on the painting and showing it in a significantly differ ent state compared to the one seen today. Historical accounts describe a painting that was originally a more nat uralistic, pastoral image; but over the course of several years, and under the influence of Cubism and the circum stances of World War I, Matisse radical ly revised his monumental canvas (measuring 260 X 392 cm). Matisse later considered Bathers by a River to be one of the five most pivotal works of his career [1]. Historical photographs unearthed by archival research depict the painting at various stages. The painting, along with these historical photographs, our colorized image, and other works documenting the experi mental nature of the artist's output during a period that has been studied very little until now, have been the cen terpiece of a recent exhibit, Matisse: Radical Invention 1913-1917, that was at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in March-October 2010.
Strategies to prevent and control hepatitis B and C virus infections: a global perspective

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are major causes of acute and chronic liver disease worldwide. Chronic infection with these viruses often leads to chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis or primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Both HBV and HCV are bloodborne viruses; however, HBV is transmitted efficiently by both percutaneous and mucosal exposures, and HCV is transmitted predominantly by percutaneous exposures. Because the relative importance of various modes of transmission of these viruses differs by country, the choice of specific prevention and control strategies depends primarily on the epidemiology of infection in a particular country. Comprehensive hepatitis B prevention strategies should include (1) prevention of perinatal HBV transmission, (2) hepatitis B vaccination at critical ages to interrupt transmission and (3) prevention of nosocomial HBV transmission. The prevention of hepatitis C is problematic because a vaccine to prevent HCV infection is not expected to be developed in the foreseeable future. From a global perspective, the greatest impact on the disease burden associated with HCV infection will most likely be achieved by focusing efforts on primary prevention strategies to reduce or eliminate the risk for transmission from nosocomial exposures (e.g. blood transfusion, unsafe injection practices) and high-risk practices (e.g. injecting drug use).
Creep and recovery of nonlinear viscoelastic materials of the differential type

Abstract In this work, the creep and recovery properties of rubberlike viscoelastic materials in simple shear are studied by two special constitutive equations for isotropic, nonlinear incompressible viscoelastic material of the differential type. The creep and recovery processes are of significant importance to both the mechanics analysis and engineering applications. The constitutive equations introduced in this work generalize the Voigt-Kelvin solid and the 3-parameter model of classical linear viscoelasticity. They describe the uncoupled non-Newtonian viscous and nonlinear elastic response of an isotropic, incompressible material. The creep and recovery processes are treated for simple shear deformation superimposed on a longitudinal static stretch. Closed form solutions are provided and both processes are described effectively by the exponential function.
Effect of dairy and non-dairy calcium on fecal fat excretion in lactose digester and maldigester obese adults

The effect of dietary calcium (Ca) on fecal fat excretion in lactose maldigestion is not known. To investigate the effect of dairy and non-dairy dietary Ca on fecal fat excretion in lactose digesters and maldigesters during moderate energy restriction. A randomized cross-over trial comparing the effect of 500 mg versus 1500 mg dairy and non-dairy Ca on fecal fat excretion in 34 healthy adults during moderate (−30%) energy restriction induced weight loss for 12 weeks. The participants were classified as lactose digester or maldigester on the basis of breath hydrogen test. Anthropometric parameters and body composition, resting energy expenditure, energy and nutrient intake, fecal fat, physical activity, blood pressure, blood and urine sampling for pertinent measurements. Fecal fat loss expressed as percent of fat intake was significantly higher with 1500 mg (high Ca) as compared with 500 mg (low Ca) Ca intake per day (mean: 3.0%; 95% CI: 2.3 to 3.7%; P<0.001) independent of Ca source and lactose digestion status. During a moderate energy restriction induced weight loss, a high-Ca diet causes an increase in fecal fat excretion independent of Ca source. Ca intake related fecal fat loss is also independent of the ability to digest lactose and it is not diminished over time (US Clinical Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00808275)
Evaluating the Effects of Automation on the Human Operator

This study was designed to evaluate the symbiosis of human-machine systems with varying levels of automation. This paper focuses on the protocol methodology employed in the study. The approach required the use of both qualitative and quantitative techniques to derive a comprehensive evaluation of the human-machine system. Protocol Analysis supported by ethnographic software was used to evaluate the verbal transcripts. A qualitative process of code mapping and analysis was developed. The Modified Cooper-Harper scale was used to evaluate mental workload and objective measures of performance provided quantitative data of the system. The results confirmed the usefulness of a proposed classification scheme for human-machine systems. Using the methodology, human capabilities could be assessed against system demands for various configurations of a human-machine system. The importance of understanding the human's role in increasingly automated systems was again demonstrated.
Wavelets, blur, and the sources of variability in the amplitude spectra of natural scenes

A number of recent efforts have been made to account for the response properties of the cells in the visual pathway by considering the statistical structure of the natural environment. Previously, it has been suggested that the wavelet-like properties of cells in primary visual cortex have been proposed to provide an efficient representation of the structure in natural scenes captured by the phase spectrum. In this paper, we take a closer look at the amplitude spectra of natural scenes and its role in understanding visual coding. We propose that one of the principle insights one gains from the amplitude spectra is in understanding the relative sensitivity of cells tuned to different frequencies. It is suggested that response magnitude of cells tuned to different frequencies increases with frequency out to about 20 cycles/deg. The result is a code in which the response to natural scenes with a 1/f falloff is approximately flat out to 20 cycles/deg. The variability in the amplitude spectra of natural scenes is also investigated. Using a measure called the 'thresholded contrast spectrum' (TCS), it is demonstrated that a good proportion of the variability in the spectra is due to the relative sparseness of structure at different frequencies. The slope of the TCS was found to provide a reasonable prediction of blur across a variety of scenes in spite of the variability in their amplitude spectra.
Linking search tasks with low-level eye movement patterns

Motivation -- On-the-task detection of the task type and task attributes can benefit personalization and adaptation of information systems. Research approach -- A web-based information search experiment was conducted with 32 participants using a multi-stream logging system. The realistic tasks were related directly to the backgrounds of the participants and were of distinct task types. Findings/Design -- We report on a relationship between task and individual reading behaviour. Specifically we show that transitions between scanning and reading behaviour in eye movement patterns are an implicit indicator of the current task. Research limitations/Implications -- This work suggests it is plausible to infer the type of information task from eye movement patterns. One limitation is a lack of knowledge about the general reading model differences across different types of tasks in the population. Although this is an experimental study we argue it can be generalized to real world text-oriented information search tasks. Originality/Value -- This research presents a new methodology to model user information search task behaviour. It suggests promise for detection of information task type based on patterns of eye movements. Take away message -- With increasingly complex computer interaction, knowledge about the type of information task can be valuable for system personalization. Modelling the reading/scanning patterns of eye movements can allow inference about the task type and task attributes.
Determining the Effects of Storage on Cotton and Soybean Leaf Samples for Hyperspectral Analysis

This paper studies the effect of storage techniques for transporting collected plant leaves from the field to the laboratory for hyperspectral analysis. The strategy of collecting leaf samples in the field for laboratory analysis is typically used when ground truthing is needed in remote sensing studies. Results indicate that the accuracy of hyperspectral measurements depends on a combination of storage technique (in a cooler or outside a cooler), time elapsed between collecting leaf samples in the field and measuring in the laboratory, and the plant species. A nonlinear model fitting method is proposed to estimate the spectrum of decaying plant leaves. This revealed that the reflectance of soybean leaves remained within the normal range for 45 min when the leaves were stored in a cooler, while soybean leaves stored outside a cooler remained within the normal range for 30 min. However, cotton leaves stored in a cooler decayed faster initially. Regardless of storage technique, results indicate that up to a maximum of 30 min can elapse between plant leaf sampling in the field and hyperspectral measurements in the laboratory. This study focused on cotton and soybean leaves, but the implication that time elapsing between sampling leaves and measuring their spectrum should be limited as much as possible can be applied to any study on other crop leaves. Results of the study also provide a guideline for crop storage limits when analyzing by laboratory hyperspectral sensing setting to improve the quality and reliability of data for precision agriculture.
Differential determination of arsenic(III) and total arsenic using flow injection on-line separation and preconcentration for graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Abstract Arsenic(III) can be quantitatively extracted using sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (NaDDTC) as the complexing agent and C18 reversed phase packing as the column material for solid phase extraction. Arsenic(V) must be reduced to its trivalent oxidation state prior to extraction. A mixture of sodium sulphite, hydrochloric acid, sodium thiosulphate and potassium iodide was found to be optimum for on-line reduction. When the sorbent extraction is carried out without and with the addition of the reduction mixture, arsenic(III) and total arsenic can be determined sequentially by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with detection limits (3 σ) of 0.32 ng for As(III) and 0.43 ng for total arsenic. A 7.6-fold enhancement in peak area compared to direct injection of 40 μl samples was obtained after 60 s preconcentration. Results obtained for sea water standard reference materials, using aqueous standards for calibration, agree well with certified values. A precision of 5.5% RSD was obtained for total arsenic in a sea water sample (1.65 solμg l As). Results obtained for synthetic mixtures of trivalent and pentavalent arsenic agreed well with expected values.
Effect of ageing on reactivation of the human X-linked HPRT locus.

In mammals, X-chromosome dosage compensation is achieved by inactivating one X chromosome in female cells1. To test the hypothesis2 that genes on the silent X chromosome reactivate as a consequence of ageing, we examined the X-linked hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) locus in 41 women who are heterozygous for mutations at this locus, leading to severe deficiency of the enzyme (Lesch-Nyhan syndrome3). We find that heterozygotes who are more than 10 yr old have an excess of HPRT+ skin fibroblast clones (59% rather than the 50% expected as a consequence of random X inactivation) but this excess does not increase with age. Further studies of eight of these heterozygotes show that the silent locus does not detectably reactivate spontaneously in culture, but only in response to treatment with 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine, a potent inhibitor of methylation. There is no age difference in the frequency of this reactivation as assayed by HATr clones, and a more sensitive autoradiographic assay shows only a twofold difference between young and old heterozy-gotes. Thus, age-related reactivation is not a feature of all X-linked loci, and may have species, tissue and locus-specific determinants.
Encounter efficiency of coliphage-bacterium interaction

Abstract A collision theory treatment for the adsorption of virus by host bacteria has been combined with an extension of the Smoluchoswki diffusion limited coagulation equation. From these considerations, the conclusion that the collision efficiency may approach unity is not found warranted. The effects of various types of mixing on the adsorption rate constant are discussed. Under conditions of diffusion limitation the effects of Brownian motion and sedimentation in the earth's gravitational field are considered and shown to be small though significant. More vigorous mixing is produced by laboratory aeration procedures and results in an increase in the diffusion limited rate.
The Dominant Segment of the British Business Elite

Defining the business elite to consist of the directors of approximately one thousand of the largest British companies, it is proposed that those who serve simultaneously on two or more of these boards constitute a distinct class segment. Because the interlocking-directorship network that is the foundation of this segment overarches nearly all large firms, and because its members have an exceptional span of experience and influence in corporate matters, it is anticipated that the dominant segment plays a leading role in carrying the collective needs of large enterprise to both government and the non-profit sector. This thesis is examined using information collected from a variety of sources on 1,972 directors of 196 large companies. It is found that dominant segment members are far more likely than other company directors to serve on advisory and governing bodies associated with a variety of government and non-profit organizations. It is also found that dominant segment members disproportionately enter th...
Clinical, intravascular ultrasound, and quantitative angiographic determinants of the coronary flow reserve before and after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty ☆

This study evaluated the clinical, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), and angiographic determinants of the coronary flow reserve (CFR) as measured by guidewire Doppler velocimetry. Using standard methodology, 86 consecutive patients were studied before intervention (n = 73 patients, including the assessment of intermediate stenoses) and/or after intervention (n = 39 patients, including after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in 27 and post-Palmaz-Schatz stent placement + high-pressure adjunct PTCA in 12). Only 5 patients were studied before intervention, post-PTCA, and poststent. Univariate and multivariate clinical, quantitative coronary angiography (QCA), and IVUS correlates of the CFR were evaluated. There was a linear relation between CFR and IVUS minimum lumen cross-sectional area (CSA): r = 0.771, p or = 4.0 mm2 had a diagnostic accuracy of 89% in identifying a CFR of > or = 2.0. This diagnostic accuracy increased slightly to 92% when only the preintervention observations were considered. Using multivariate linear regression analysis, the independent determinants of the CFR in the overall cohort of 112 observations were IVUS minimum lumen CSA (p or = 4.0 mm2 has a high diagnostic accuracy in predicting a CFR > or = 2.0, especially before intervention.
Positive events and quality of life

Abstract Research evidence that might either support or deny the substantive contribution of positive life experiences on health and well-being would be of great value. Regrettably clinical research has been concerned primarily with the disruption in well-being and adjustment associated with stressful or otherwise aversive events. While positive events and their effects have not been ignored altogether, investigators traditionally have given them short shrift in developing and testing models of mental health and psychopathology. This paper evaluates some of these beginning efforts at testing the positive events on psychological functioning, and suggests some new directions for future work in this area.
Analysis of Existing Work-Zone Sign Supports Using Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware Safety Performance Criteria

Over the years, numerous work-zone, portable sign support systems have been successfully crash tested according to the Test Level 3 safety performance guidelines provided in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 350 and accepted for use along our nation's highways. For this study, several crashworthy sign support systems were analyzed to predict their safety performance according to the new evaluation criteria provided in the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). More specifically, this analysis was conducted to determine which hardware parameters negatively affect a system's safety performance. To verify the accuracy of the analysis, eight systems, four with the 2270P pickup truck and four with the 1100C small car, were evaluated according to the MASH criteria. Five out of the eight tested systems failed the MASH criteria, and the other three systems performed in an acceptable manner. As a result of the analysis and verification, several hardware parameters were deemed critical for contributing to system failure under MASH and included sign panel material, top mast height, presence of flags, sign-locking mechanism type, base layout, and system orientation. Flowcharts were developed to assist manufacturers with the design of new sign support systems.
A hardware generator for factor graph applications

A Factor Graph (FG-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factor_graph) is a structure used to And solutions to problems that can be represented as a Probabilistic Graphical Model (PGM). They consist of interconnected variable nodes and factor nodes, which iteratively compute and pass messages to each other. FG's can be applied to solve decoding of forward error correcting codes, Markov chains and Markov Random Fields, Kaiman Filtering, Fourier Transforms, and even some games such as Sudoku. In this paper, a framework is presented for rapid prototyping of hardware implementations of FG-based applications. The FG developer specifies aspects of the application, and the framework returns a design. A system of Python scripts and Verilog Hardware Description Language templates together are used to generate the HDL source code for the application. The generated designs are vendor/platform agnostic, but currently target the Xilinx Virtex-6-based ML605. The framework has so far been primarily applied to construct Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) decoders. The characteristics of a large basket of generated LDPC decoders, including contemporary 802.11η decoders, have been examined as a verification of the system and as a demonstration of its capabilities. As a further demonstration, the framework has been applied to construct a Sudoku solver.
Bidirectional dynamic node low voltage swing domino logic

A new low voltage swing technique is presented in this paper for simultaneously reducing the active and standby mode power consumption and enhancing the noise immunity in domino logic circuits. The proposed circuit technique modifies both the upper and lower boundaries of the voltage swing at the dynamic node. Meanwhile, full voltage swing signals are maintained at the inputs and the outputs for high speed operation. The power supply and ground voltages are simultaneously optimized to minimize the power-delay product (PDP). The proposed technique reduces the PDP by up to 28% as compared to the standard full-swing circuits in a 45nm CMOS technology. The active mode power consumption is reduced by up to 32% due to the lower switching power required to charge/discharge the dynamic node. Furthermore, the noise immunity is enhanced by up to 59% as compared to the standard full-swing circuits. The bidirectional dynamic node low voltage swing technique also reduces the idle mode leakage power by up to 20% in the high fan-in domino gates. Furthermore, approximately a 3.9 times reduction in leakage power consumption is offered as compared to a previously published low swing domino logic circuit technique in a 45nm CMOS technology
High Wind and Power Density Over Global Oceans

Spacebased scatterometer measures ocean surface roughness, which is in equilibrium with surface stress (momentum flux). Under general conditions, the variation of stress is reflected in the variation of winds. Eight years of QuikSCAT data are used to give a good representation of the probability distribution and power density of wind speed over global oceans and to provide useful applications. For hurricane-scale winds (> 35 m/s), present scatterometer measurements are not sensitive to increase in winds. Although strong efforts have been made to adjust the model functions for retrieving winds under moderate wind to the strong wind conditions and to improve the sensor design to retrieve strong winds, such effort is likely to be limited by the natural process of turbulent transport. Surface stress does not increase with wind in hurricane-scale winds due to flow separation.
Compressed Air and Gas Purification and Fractionation for High Purity Applications by Improved PSA Processes

An objective of this paper is to review the purity requirements for clean air and gases used in industrial and laboratory applications. Also described are the principles applied in the design of regenerative pressure swing adsorption systems to meet the most recent process requirements. Methods developed to reduce the energy consumption of the pressure swing process are described.
Dysfunctional filtering blebs

Guarded filtration surgery, is commonly used to control the intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucomatous patients. Filtration surgery lowers the IOP by creating a fistula between the inner compartments of the eye and the subconjunctival space (i.e., filtering bleb). There are several options to improve the function of filtering blebs and to prevent their failure. However, improvement of IOP control after guarded filtration procedures is associated with a higher frequency of bleb-related complications. Early (e.g., bleb leak, excessive filtration, flat anterior chamber, filtration failure) and late (e.g., bleb leak, excessive filtration and hypotony, symptomatic blebs, bleb encapsulation, filtration failure, bleb infection) complications associated with filtering procedures should be managed adequately to prevent further problems. Techniques to improve the function of filtering blebs and to treat postoperative complications have progressed over the past decade.
Early Lung Cancer Action Project

BACKGROUND The Early Lung Cancer Action Project (ELCAP) was designed to evaluate the usefulness of annual computed tomography (CT) screening for lung carcinoma. With the baseline results having been reported previously, the focus of the current study was on the early results of the repeat screenings. METHODS A cohort of 1000 high-risk individuals was recruited for baseline and annual repeat CT screening. At last follow-up, a total of 1184 annual repeat screenings had been performed. A positive result from the screening test was defined as newly detected, one to six noncalcified pulmonary nodules with interim growth. The diagnostic workup of the individuals was guided by recommendations supplied by the ELCAP investigators to the collaborating clinicians. RESULTS Of the 1184 repeat CT screenings, the test result was positive in 30 (2.5%). In 2 of these 30 cases, the individual died (of an unrelated cause) before diagnostic workup and the nodule(s) resolved in another 12 individuals. In the remaining 16 individuals, the absence of further growth was documented by repeat CT in 8 individuals and further growth was documented in the remaining 8 individuals. All eight individuals with further nodular growth underwent biopsy and malignancy was diagnosed in seven. Six of these seven malignancies were nonsmall cell carcinomas (five of which were Stage IA and one of which was Stage IIIA) and the one small cell carcinoma was found to be of limited stage. The median size dimension of these malignancies was 8 mm. In another two subjects, symptoms prompted the interim diagnosis of lung carcinoma. Neither of these malignancies was nodule-associated but rather were endobronchial; one was a Stage IIB nonsmall cell carcinoma and the other was a small cell carcinoma of limited stage. CONCLUSIONS False-positive screening test results are uncommon and usually manageable without biopsy; compared with no screening, such screenings permit diagnosis at substantially earlier and thus more curable stages. Annual repetition of CT screening is sufficient to minimize symptom-prompted interim diagnoses of nodule-associated malignancies. Cancer 2001;92:153–9. © 2001 American Cancer Society.
HST Imaging of Quasar Host Galaxies Selected by Quasar Radio and Optical Properties

The Planetary Camera on the WFPC2 instrument of the Hubble Space Telescope was used to image 16 quasars selected from the Large Bright Quasar Survey in the redshift range 0.4 < z < 0.5. Host galaxy luminosity is positively correlated with the luminosity of the quasar nuclear component. The measured axial ratios of many of the host galaxies in the sample are small, which may indicate that they are inclined disk systems. Alternatively, bars or other distinctive morphological features, which are visible while the bulk of the underlying lower surface brightness components of the host galaxy are not, may account for the elongated appearance.
Activation of sterol ester hydrolase of bovine corpus luteum by N6,O2′-dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3′∶5′-phosphate

The direct activation of sterol ester hydrolase (E.C. 3.1.1.13) in homogenates of bovine corpus luteum by N6O2′·dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3′∶5′-phosphate, (dibutyryl cAMP), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and Mg2+ has been demonstrated. Variability in the extent of activation by the additions was minimized by homogenization of the tissue in 5 mM Mg2+. Baseline sterol ester hydrolase activity was primarily associated with the 105,000 × g soluble fraction, and significant activation of the enzyme preparation preincubated with dibutyryl cAMP, ATP and Mg2+ occurred within the first 15 min, prior to addition of substrate. A requirement for protein kinase in the system was demonstrated by blocking the cofactor-dependent enzyme activation with commercial protein kinase inhibitor.
High-risk acute coronary syndrome patient and cardiac biomarkers in the emergency department: where do we stand?

Each year, more than five million patients are seen in emergency department (ED) for evaluation of symptoms of myocardial ischaemia. The use of cardiac markers is a standard practice to risk-stratify these patients. The interaction between duration of symptoms, timing of testing, and clearance kinetics of biomarkers determines whether a marker will be positive. Current guidelines of the ACC/ESC recommend serial measurements of CK-MB and/or cardiac troponins. Cardiac troponins are regulatory proteins with cytosolic and structural pools. They are released upon myocardial necrosis. Troponin levels at admission provide much needed information for the evaluation and prognostication of patients who present with myocardial necrosis.1,2 Troponin data is additive to ECG data and superior to CK-MB results.3,4 Further, troponin elevation has been shown to correlate with the severity of coronary disease and long-term mortality in patients presenting to ED with chest pain.5 Patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are different from those with unstable angina (UA) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in that they do not need biomarker measurements before institution of reperfusion therapy. However, STEMI patients presenting with elevated troponin on arrival have a lower rate of coronary recanalization, both with thrombolysis and direct percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)6 and have adverse short- and long-term prognosis. … *Corresponding author. Tel: +1 501 296 1401; fax: +1 501 686 6180. E-mail address : mehtajl{at}uams.edu
Bayesian approach for three-dimensional aquifer characterization at the Hanford 300 Area

Abstract. This study presents a stochastic, three-dimensional characterization of a heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity field within the Hanford 300 Area, Washington, USA, by assimilating large-scale, constant-rate injection test data with small-scale, three-dimensional electromagnetic borehole flowmeter (EBF) measurement data. We first inverted the injection test data to estimate the transmissivity field, using zeroth-order temporal moments of pressure buildup curves. We applied a newly developed Bayesian geostatistical inversion framework, the method of anchored distributions (MAD), to obtain a joint posterior distribution of geostatistical parameters and local log-transmissivities at multiple locations. The unique aspects of MAD that make it suitable for this purpose are its ability to integrate multi-scale, multi-type data within a Bayesian framework and to compute a nonparametric posterior distribution. After we combined the distribution of transmissivities with depth-discrete relative-conductivity profile from the EBF data, we inferred the three-dimensional geostatistical parameters of the log-conductivity field, using the Bayesian model-based geostatistics. Such consistent use of the Bayesian approach throughout the procedure enabled us to systematically incorporate data uncertainty into the final posterior distribution. The method was tested in a synthetic study and validated using the actual data that was not part of the estimation. Results showed broader and skewed posterior distributions of geostatistical parameters except for the mean, which suggests the importance of inferring the entire distribution to quantify the parameter uncertainty.
TRaX: A Multicore Hardware Architecture for Real-Time Ray Tracing

Threaded Ray eXecution (TRaX) is a highly parallel multithreaded multicore processor architecture designed for real-time ray tracing. The TRaX architecture consists of a set of thread processors that include commonly used functional units (FUs) for each thread and that share larger FUs through a programmable interconnect. The memory system takes advantage of the application's read-only access to the scene database and write-only access to the frame buffer output to provide efficient data delivery with a relatively simple memory system. One specific motivation behind TRaX is to accelerate single-ray performance instead of relying on ray packets in single-instruction-multiple-data mode to boost throughput, which can fail as packets become incoherent with respect to the objects in the scene database. In this paper, we describe the TRaX architecture and our performance results compared to other architectures used for ray tracing. Simulated results indicate that a multicore version of the TRaX architecture running at a modest speed of 500 MHz provides real-time ray-traced images for scenes of a complexity found in video games. We also measure performance as secondary rays become less coherent and find that TRaX exhibits only minor slowdown in this case while packet-based ray tracers show more significant slowdown.
Thermovote: participatory sensing for efficient building HVAC conditioning

Thermal comfort has traditionally been measured solely by temperature. While other methods such as Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) are available for measuring thermal comfort, the parameters required for an accurate value are overly complicated to obtain and require a great deal of sensory input. This paper proposes to bypass overly cumbersome or simplistic measures thermal comfort by bringing humans in the loop. By using humans as sensors, we can accurately adjust temperatures to improve occupant comfort. We show that occupants are more comfortable with a system that continually adjusts to thermal preference than a system that attempts to predict user comfort based on environmental factors. In addition, we also show that such a system is able to save 10.1% energy while improving the quality of service.