cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prognostic significance of contrast-enhancing anaplastic astrocytomas in adults

Object Patients harboring anaplastic astrocytomas (AAs) typically have a poor prognosis, with median survival times of approximately 3 years following resection. However, a significant variability in individual outcomes remains, with some patients surviving for a few months and others for several years. The ability to predict patient outcomes based on preoperative variables would help prognosticate survival and may also guide treatment strategies. The prognostic implications of a preoperative contrast-enhancing AA remain poorly understood. Methods The medical records of all patients who underwent a craniotomy for a hemispheric AA from 1996 to 2006 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Multivariate proportional hazards regression analysis was used to identify independent associations with recurrence and survival. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank analysis were used to plot and compare outcomes for patients with and without preoperative contrast enhancement. Results One hundred sixty-fiv...
A Program to Increase Health Care for Children: The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program, by Henry K. Silver, MD, Loretta C. Ford, EdD, and Susan G. Stearly, MS, Pediatrics, 1967;39:756–760

The increase in population of the United States is occurring at a much more rapid rate than the increase in medical and nursing personnel available to maintain health services at an optimum level. Unless the pattern of furnishing health care, particularly to lower socioeconomic groups in both urban and rural areas, is drastically improved, these groups will suffer from increasingly inadequate health supervision. This paper describes an educational and training program in pediatrics for professional nurses (the “pediatric nurse practitioner” program), which prepares them to assume an expanded role in providing increased health care for children in areas where there are limited facilities for such care.
Two components of an action language

Some of the recent work on representing action makes use of highdlevel action languages. In this paper we show that an action language can be represented as the sum of two distinct parts: an “action description language” and an “action query language.” A set of propositions in an action description language describes the effects of actions on states. Mathematically, it defines a transition system of the kind familiar from the theory of finite automata. An action query language serves for expressing properties of paths in a given transition system. We define the general concepts of a transition system, of an action description language and of an action query language, give a series of examples of languages of both kinds, and show how to combine a description language and a query language into one. This construction makes it possible to design the two components of an action language independently, which leads to the simplification and clarification of the theory of actions.
Death as a rite of passage: The iconography of the Moche Burial Theme

The application of van Gennep's Rites of Passage structure to iconography and mortuary contexts in the Late Moche period of Peru offers an original means of exploring prehistoric concepts of death.
Outside-in signaling - A brief review of GPCR signaling with a focus on the Drosophila GPCR family

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of receptors in many organisms, including worms, mice and humans. GPCRs are seven-transmembrane pass proteins that are activated by binding a stimulus (or ligand) in the extracellular space and then transduce that information to the inside of the cell through conformational changes. The conformational changes activate heterotrimeric G-proteins, which execute the downstream signaling pathways through the recruitment and activation of cellular enzymes. The highly specific ligand-GPCR interaction prompts an efficient cellular response, which is vital for the health of the cell and organism. In this Commentary, we review general features of GPCR signaling and then focus on the Drosophila GPCRs, which are not as well-characterized as their worm and mammalian counterparts. We discuss findings that the Drosophila odorant and gustatory receptors are not bona fide GPCRs as is the case for their mammalian counterparts. We also present here a phylogenetic analysis of the bona fide Drosophila GPCRs that suggest potential roles for several family members. Finally, we discuss recently discovered roles of GPCRs in Drosophila embryogenesis, a field we expect will uncover many previously unappreciated functions for GPCRs.
Laser Therapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity-Reply

In reply We were pleased to see the letter by Goggin et al, regarding their 1-year follow-up showing that the diode laser was as effective as cryotherapy in treating threshold disease. 1 Regrettably, they were not referenced in our article. 2 At this point, we cannot comment on the other aspect of their letter regarding their report at the International Conference of Retinopathy of Prematurity, 3 indicating that myopia was encountered less often with the use of the diode laser than with cryotherapy. We have a similar impression, but that has not yet been documented scientifically.
Costs and functional consequences of U.S. roadway crashes

The comprehensive cost of U.S. motor vehicle crashes was almost $333 billion in 1988. Comprehensive costs add the value of lost quality of life to monetary costs. This paper estimates costs by injury severity for three severity classification systems. It also estimates the functional capacity loss and probability of permanent work-related disability resulting from nonfatal injury. Using only monetary costs in safety decision making inappropriately favors mobility over safety. Comprehensive costs are one appropriate choice. Another acceptable choice is to use years of functional capacity loss plus direct costs to perform cost-effectiveness analysis.
The Role of Greed in the Ongoing Global Financial Crisis

The author posits that greed and insensitivity to the needs of others are corrosive values that have engendered the global economic crisis. Examples are cited to support the thesis that it is primarily an ethics crisis that has resulted in the distortion of the US economy, such that the middle class is sliding into poverty while the wealthiest 1 per cent is ever more powerful and wealthy. The irony of the predatory capitalism (as distinct from stakeholderbased capitalism) being practised is that it is ultimately self-destructive to the practitioners. The unsustainability of the present system is discussed along with solutions, including stakeholder management, corporate and personal altruism and spiritual awakening.
Race, Caste and Status: Indians in Colonial Spanish America

How and with what effect were notions of race and status applied to indigenous peoples in colonial Spanish America? To answer that question, Jackson compares the legal and social distinctions created by Spanish officials to separate the colonizers from the colonized in northwestern Mexico, an area on the periphery of Spain's empire, and in Bolivia, a so-called core region with a large sedentary native population. In both regions Spanish elites imposed on native peoples a hierarchical social order based on skin color, language, dress, residence, and access to land. As fixed as these definitions may have seemed in parish registers, censuses, and tribute records, the actual circumstances of people's lives--whether Indian or mestizo--show that racial classifications were imprecise and subjective. While identity categories had definite importance, particularly for defining who made tribute payments, they were also mutable. Jackson shows that indigenous peoples routinely moved upward to take advantage of opportunities to improve their lives. This book offers students the first new synthesis in over thirty years of what race meant in colonial Spanish America, and it raises important issues about caste, or how and why people knew their relative place in society. "Provides an important corrective of our understanding of ethnicity and caste society in Latin America."--Erick D. Langer, Georgetown University
β-Funaltrexamine (β-FNA) and the regulation of body and brain development in rats

Abstract The effects of β-FNA, a highly selective and irreversible μ opioid receptor antagonist, in altering body and brain development in preweaning rats were determined. Animals given β-FNA did not differ from controls in body weights, brain and cerebellar weights, macroscopic dimensions of the brain, the area of the cerebellum, or in organ weight. The dosage of β-FNA utilized (5 mg/kg) blocked morphine-induced analgesia (2 mg/kg morphine sulfate, SC) for each injection period (i.e., 48 hr). In contrast to β-FNA treatment, rats given naltrexone (50 mg/kg SC) in a regimen which completely blocked the opioid receptor throughout ontogeny exhibited marked increases in somatic and neurobiological growth. These results suggest that, in and by themselves, μ receptors selectively antagonized by β-FNA do not play an important role in regulating development.
Energetic ballistic deposition of volatile gases into ice

Gases are trapped in ice when they adsorb to the surface and are subsequently buried by further adsorption of water. Low surface temperatures, where the surface residence time of the gas is long, are needed to permit burial. Here, we demonstrate a new mechanism, energetic ballistic deposition, which has not been previously reported. Translationally energetic xenon atoms penetrate the ice surface and become stably embedded within the ice well above the xenon desorption temperature. This new mechanism for gaseous incorporation warrants consideration in models that seek to accurately describe the trapping and concentration of volatile gases in molecular solids.
The role of social desirability negative affectivity and female reproductive system symptoms in differences in reporting symptoms by men and women.

52 women and 38 men completed the Inventory of Health Status, Version 2, a measure of somatic health, and the Cornell Medical Index which provided separate scores for somatic and emotional health. The Personal Style Inventory was given, from which measures of Social Desirability and Negative Affectivity were utilized. Multiple regressions were done separately with scores on the Inventory of Health Status and the Cornell Emotional component, and scores on Social Desirability, Negative Affectivity, and sex as predictors. Scores on Social Desirability and Negative Affectivity were forced into the equation first. For the Inventory of Health Status, sex alone contributed significantly to the final equation. For scores on the Cornell Index's emotional component both sex and scores on negative affectivity had significant beta weights. Analysis of items from the Inventory of Health Status was done to examine the role of symptoms pertaining to women's reproductive system, and almost all the items that differed by sex were either clearly or possibly specific female reproductive items, e.g., "Abnormal menstruation." Similar analyses were not possible for the organic component of the Cornell Index, which has different items for reproductive systems of men and women. The complexity of the female reproductive system may play a central role in sex differences in symptom reporting and perhaps of emotional distress, but other interpretations are discussed.
EFFECT OF LIGHT INTENSITY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC MECHANISM.

Lubimenko (13) was the first to observe differences in assimilatory activity between trees which ordinarily thrive only in the shade and those which thrive only in sunny places. He found that the shade species had a higher rate of photosynthesis than the sun species at low light intensities. At high intensities, however, the photosynthesis of the sun species was accelerated until it surpassed that of the shade species. He also observed that chloroplasts of the sun species, although as numerous as those of shade species, were less green and hence, he concluded, contained less chlorophyll. Boysen-Jensen (2) and Lundeg?rdh (14), using herbaceous plants, confirmed Lubimenko's observations on rates of photosynthesis at high and low light intensities. Johannson (12) reported in the case of a fern, and Montfort (15) in Cladophora that the assimilation of shade species was partially suppressed in direct sunlight. That these differences were not due in all cases to genetic factors was shown by the work of Boysen-Jensen and M?ller (3), who found that leaves from the sunny and shady sides of a beech tree exhibited the same differences in rates of assimilation that Lubimenko observed. Similar phenomena, according to Harder (11), occur in ivy leaves. In all these cases, many external factors besides light intensity varied systematically with the environment. In order to exclude such factors, the experiments reported in this paper were carried out with the unicellular green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa, which can be grown in pure culture under uniform conditions of temperature, carbon dioxide pressure, and concentration of nutrients, in light of which the wave-length distribution is maintained constant while intensity is varied at will. Using this single species of plant, grown under two selected intensities of illumination, measurements were made of (1) the maximum rate of assimilation, (2) the variation of rate of assimilation with light intensity, and (3) chlorophyll content. These measurements make it possible to revaluate the observations of earlier workers and to clarify certain characteristics of the photosynthetic mechanism which have not been emphasized in recent discussions.
Estimating the Economic Impacts of Elderly Migration: An Input-Output Analysis

This paper quantifies for the first time the economic impacts of elderly in-migration on the output, earnings, and employment of a receiving state's economy. Data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey and estimates of the total redistribution of income to Florida resulting from elderly in-migration are used to calculate the direct effects by industry. A model for the state of Florida based on the Regional Input-Output Modeling System (RIMS II) is used to estimate the total impacts. The large migration flows and the considerable economic resources of the elderly lead to large, positive total impacts on the Florida economy.
Stuy on Microwave-Assisted Grinding of Low-Grade Ludwigite

The low-grade ludwigite is one of the complex and refractory ores. Based on the high energy consumption and inefficient in the grinding process and according to the microwave-assisted grinding principle, this paper studied the microwave absorption property of ludwigite and researched the effect of microwave heating on the grinding efficiency of it. The non-microwaved and microwaved samples were characterized with regard to the chemical components, mineral compositions, macroscopic structure and microstructure, grinding efficiency by methods of the chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and grain size analysis, etc. The results indicated that ludwigite, with good microwave absorption property, was suitable for microwave processing. The grindability of microwaved ludwigite was related to the microwave power and microwave heating temperature. By the microwave heating temperature attained 500~650°C, many macro-cracks and micro-cracks were produced by thermal stress between different mineral interfaces, which resulted in the decrease of strength of ludwigite and easy levigation, but the mineral compositions had no obviously changed, which would not affect the subsequent magnetic separation. It was concluded that short, high-power treatments were most effective but over-exposure of the sample led to reductions in efficiency. Under the same conditions, the grinding efficiency of ludwigite was improved 24.54% higher than untreated ore, which significantly improved the grinding efficiency and reduced energy consumption.
Variation in ethylene production by sorghum

Ethylene production by drought-resistant and drought-sensitive genotypes of elite sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] was measured to determine if genotypes varying in susceptibility to drought produced different amounts of ethylene. In addition, ethylene production by non-elite sorghums and landraces was analyzed. Leaves of 7-day-old seedlings were cut and weighed. Water-stressed leaves were allowed to lose 10% of their fresh weight before being placed in test tubes for analysis of ethylene evolution with a gas chromatograph. Well-watered leaves were not allowed to lose fresh weight. The four groups of sorghum (drought-resistant; drought-sensitive; non-elite; landraces) varied in ethylene production, but no one group always produced more (or less) ethylene compared to the other groups. In particular, the drought-sensitive sorghums did not consistently produce more (or less) ethylene than did the drought-resistant sorghums. Each genotype of sorghum produced more ethylene under water-stressed conditions than under well-watered conditions. But some genotypes produced more ethylene under well-watered conditions than others did under water-stressed conditions. The results showed that the variation of stress-ethylene production among genotypes was not related to drought sensitivity or drought resistance.
Weakly connected neural nets

A new neural network architecture is proposed based upon effects of non-Lipschitzian dynamics. The network is fully connected, but these connections are active only during vanishingly short time periods. The advantages of this architecture are discussed.
Experimental pulmonary edema. III. Hypoglycemia, a cause of pulmonary edema.

SummaryAlbino rats of the Slonaker Strain when kept in a state of hypoglycemia by insulin injections for a period of some hours invariably develop a fatal pulmonary edema. Adrenalectomy and adrenal demedullation reduce the degree of edema but fail to prevent it. Adequate doses of the adrenergic blocking agent, N-(9-fluorenyl)-N-ethyl-β-chlorethylamine-HC1, prevent this hypoglycemia lung edema entirely. It is suggested that this type of pulmonary edema is neurogenic in origin due to the influence of glucose lack on the nerve centers where the vasomotor fibers to the lungs and heart originate.
Klitzke's reaction

1. The article might have been better t i t led"Tourism's Human Conflicts: Towards a more Humanistic Psychological Appraoch" or something to this effect. I was impressed that the author was writing from the context of a Gestalt and Humanistic viewpoint-qualitative analysis of s o m e human conflicts in tourism. I would judge that Dr. Pearce's biases are toward quantitative analysis and thus has serious difficulties with accepting non-quantitative terminology as legitimate psychology. Thus his theme regarding Farrell's "meandering path through a veritable jungle of difficult subject a r e a s . . . "
Sequelae of Systemic Hypertension in Alcohol Abstainers, Light Drinkers, and Heavy Drinkers

A link exists between alcohol intake and increased blood pressure (BP), with many studies showing increased hypertension prevalence in heavy drinkers. The harmful and beneficial effects of alcohol can confound the study of the long-term risks of alcohol-related hypertension. We therefore studied cardiovascular sequelae separately in heavy drinkers, light drinkers, and abstainers among 127,212 subjects with BP and alcohol intake ascertained at 1978 to 1985 health examinations. Subsequent cardiovascular end points included mortality risk, hospitalization risk, and outpatient diagnosis of hypertension. Analyses were performed for all subjects and stratified by 5 alcohol-drinking categories (from never drinkers to ≥3 drinks/day). With
Geophysical Monitoring of Foam Used to Deliver Remediation Treatments within the Vadose Zone

Geophysical Monitoring of Foam used to Deliver Remediation Treatments within the Vadose Zone Yuxin Wu 1 , Susan Hubbard 1 , Dawn Wellman 2 Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley, CA 94720 Environmental Systems Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PO Box 999 Richland, WA 99352 Abstract Foam is a promising vehicle for delivering amendments into the vadose zone for in situ remediation; it is an approach being considered for in situ treatment and stabilization of metals and radionuclides located within the deep vadose zone of the Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford site, WA. A central aspect of evaluating the effectiveness of this approach is the ability to monitor foam distribution, its transformation, and the reactions that it induces in the subsurface, ideally in a non-invasive manner. In this study, we performed laboratory experiments to evaluate the potential of geophysical methods (complex resistivity and time domain reflectometry, TDR) as tools for monitoring foam assisted amendment delivery in the deep vadose zone. Our results indicated great sensitivity of electrical methods to foam transportation and evolution in unsaturated porous media that were related to foam bubble coalescence and drainage processes. Specifically, we observed (1) a decrease of electrical resistivity (increase of electrical conductivity) by over an order of magnitude in both silica sand and natural sediment matrices during foam transportation; (2) an increase of resistivity (decrease of conductivity) by over two fold during foam coalescence and drainage; (3) a distinct phase and imaginary conductivity signature related to the evolution of water films on sediment grains during foam injection and evolution processes. To assist with the interpretation of these data, TDR measurements were used to monitor moisture content, which provided complementary information about foam distribution and drainage. Our results clearly demonstrated the sensitivity of electrical and TDR signals to foam transportation and
The Structure of the Ordinals and the Interpretation of ZF in Double Extension Set Theory

Andrzej Kisielewicz has proposed three systems of “double extension set theory” of which we have shown two to be inconsistent in an earlier paper. Kisielewicz presented an argument that the remaining system interprets ZF, which is defective: it actually shows that the surviving possibly consistent system of double extension set theory interprets ZF with Separation and Comprehension restricted to Δ0 formulas. We show that this system does interpret ZF, using an analysis of the structure of the ordinals.
Bounds on entangled imaging

We present a detailed theoretical analysis of quantum imaging intended to reveal under what conditions it is superior to imaging with non-entangled photons in order to determine practical bounds on quantum imaging systems. Our analysis includes a description of the propagation and detection of entangled light signals taking into account attenuation, diffraction, and event statistics. Each of these three are significant roadblocks on the path towards practical quantum imaging and we rate how severe each of these is in three imaging regimes (exo-atmospheric, short distance endo-atmospheric, and long distance endo-atmospheric) and three detection regimes (high signal-to-background, low signal-to-background, and saturated). In an attempt to overcome these roadblocks we briefly speculate about the possible role of nonlinear propagation phenomena which may enable entangled light propagation without diffraction, and of X-waves, which may provide for the possibility of overcoming all of the above mentioned roadblocks.
Axiomatizing a Fragment of PAFAS

Abstract In previous work, we have presented a CCS-like process algebra PAFAS for comparing the efficiency of asynchronous systems. Here, we give a complete axiomatization for a fragment of PAFAS; the advantage of this axiomatization is that it does (almost) not need an extension to the algebra.
Photon-Modulated Wettability Changes on Spiropyran-Coated Surfaces

A coating of photoresponsive spiropyran molecules covalently bound to a glass surface along with a mixture of organosilanes to control the surface environment was prepared. The relatively nonpolar spiropyran can be reversibly switched to a polar, zwitterionic merocyanine isomer that has a much larger dipole moment by UV light, and back again by visible light. The contact angle was 11°−14° lower for dry, spiropyran-coated surfaces after irradiation with UV than that for dry, spiropyran-coated surfaces after irradiation with visible light. The light-induced changes observed in the surface energy were correlated to the switching of the surface-bound spiropyran molecule between polar and nonpolar forms by means of fluorescence spectroscopy and epifluorescence microscopy. Water in capillary tubes coated with the photosensitive layer was observed to rise when the wavelength of incident light was switched from visible to UV. The UV-induced rise was of the order of 2.8 mm for a 500 μm diameter capillary. This mic...
Positioning sensor by combining photogrammetry, optical projection and a virtual camera model

A novel, low cost, non-contact measurement technique is proposed to realize an optical positioning sensor that enables real-time measurement of a small lightweight module's location. The technique is based on a combination of photogrammetry, optical projection and a virtual camera model. The module generates an optical pattern that is observable on the surrounding walls, photogrammetry is used to track the motion of the projected optical pattern, and this indirectly allows the motion of the module to be tracked. This is done by treating the module as a virtual pinhole camera, generating a virtual image that carries the angular characteristics of the optical pattern. Images of the projected optical pattern on the walls taken by cameras around the room, together with the virtual image, are then processed through a photogrammetry-based bundle adjustment. This results in a position and orientation estimate of all cameras, including the virtual pinhole camera. The position and orientation of the virtual camera is therefore also the position and orientation of the module. Both experiment and optical ray-trace simulations are performed to validate the proposed technique. Experimental agreement of 3 parts in 104?was obtained by translating the module over 0.9?m. The incorporation of the virtual camera model is innovative, leads to a simple solution, and is more robust than the previously published approach.
Collapse of a null fluid

An exact cylindrically symmetric solution of Einstein's gravitational field equations is given for a null fluid imploding radially along an infinite axis. This solution plays an important role in the late stages of collapse of a long cylinder of matter. One might expect that self-gravitational effects due to the increasingly relativistic mass of the collapsing matter would create arbitrarily large gravitational fields. It is shown, however, that in the null-fluid approximation the metric is everywhere regular.
Cloning of mouse Dab2ip gene, a novel member of the RasGTPase-activating protein family and characterization of its regulatory region in ptostate

Disabled homolog 2 (Drosophila) interacting protein (DAB2IP/Dab2IP) is a member of the GTPase-activating protein for downregulating the Ras-mediated signal pathway and TNF-mediated apoptosis. The downregulation of human DAB2IP mRNA levels was detected in prostate cancer cells due to the epigenetic regulation. Here, we isolated a mouse Dab2ip gene with a highly homologous sequence to that of the human and rat gene and mapped it at chromosome 2B. The mDab2ip gene contains 14 exons and 13 introns and spans approximately 65 kb. Exon1 contains at least three splicing variants (Ia, Ib, and Ic). The deduced amino acid sequence of mouse Dab2IP encompasses 1065 residues containing several unique protein interaction motifs as well as a Ras-like GAP-related domain, which shares a high homology with both humans and rats. Data from real-time RT-PCR analysis revealed a diverse expression pattern of the mDab2ip gene in various organs, implying differential regulation of this gene from various tissues. We have mapped a 1.3-kb segment containing a 5'-upstream region from exon Ia as a promoter region (-147/+545) in prostatic epithelial cell lines (TRAMP-C); this region is highly GC-rich, and mDab2ip appears to be a TATA-less promoter. It appears that epigenetic regulation, particularly histone acetylation of the Dab2ip gene promoter, plays an important role in modulating its gene expression in the mouse prostate cancer cell.
The effects of per-lot and per-item pacing on inspection performance

Abstract Inspection is a necessary activity in manufacturing to ensure process and quality control. Since some type of pacing is generally incorporated into the manufacturing setting, discovering how the speed and rigidity of pacing affect inspection accuracy is essential. In the context of this study, the level of rigidity is defined by either a maximum inspection time per item or a maximum time per lot of items (equivalent to the product of the number of items and the maximum per-item time). This study was conducted using 10 subjects on a simulated visual inspection task under varying degrees of pacing speed and rigidity. Although pacing speed was found to affect accuracy, rigidity did not. Overall, per-item inspection was found to be the most applicable to the majority of industrial inspection tasks. Relevance to industry The research conducted here is applicable to inspection tasks in manufacturing for both paced and unpaced inspection. The results obtained reveal the relative effectiveness of per-item and per-lot pacing on inspection quality. These results can be used by practitioners to enhance inspection performance and ultimately inspection quality.
Some thoughts about the use of predicted values of the state of phytochrome in plant photomorphogenesis research

Predicted values of photoequilibrium ratios and rates of photoconversion and cycling, calculated from known optical parameters of purified phytochrome and the spectral photon flux distribution of the light sources used, arc often applied in the evaluation of the relationships between the state of phytochrome and the expression of phytochrome-mediated responses. This is commonly done when the state of phytochrome in vivo cannot be determined experimentally. The ‘predicted’ states of phytochrome may be quite different from the actual ones in vivo for several reasons: the particular set of optical parameters of purified phytochrome used in the calculations and the difficulties encountered in correcting the predicted values for the contribution of the non-photochemical reactions (dark reversion, destruction, synthesis), the effects of the optical properties of the tissue (light attenuation, scattering, trapping) on the rate of phytochrome photo-conversion, and the geometrical relationships between irradiated sample and the light source. At present, in many studies, it is not possible to avoid using predicted values of the state of phytochrome. The limitations imposed by the use of ‘predicted’ values in the interpretation of results obtained in plant photomorphogenesis research should be always clearly stated.
Dynamical approaches and multi-quadratic integer programming for seizure prediction

In this article, we present dynamical approaches and multi-quadratic integer programming techniques to study the problem of seizure prediction. The data used in our studies consist of continuous intracranial electroencephalograms (EEGs) from patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. The results of this study can be used as a criterion to pre-select the critical electrode sites that can be used to predict epileptic seizures.
Na+/K+/2Cl− cotransport in medullary thick ascending limb cells: kinetics and bumetanide binding

Abstract We examined the properties of Na + /K + /2Cl − cotransport in cultured mouse mTAL cells with respect to its kinetics, the contribution of K/K exchange to K fluxes mediated by the cotransporter, and [ 3 H]bumetanide binding and turnover numbers in media with varying osmolality. The addition of bumetanide, the replacement of external Na + or the replacement of external Cl − resulted in an almost identical (approx. 50%) decrease in K + influx, suggesting that Na + -dependent, Cl − -dependent, BS K + influx was a measure of Na + /K + /2Cl − cotransport. The kinetics of the BS K + influx revealed a high affinity for external Na + ( apparent K m 7 mM ) and external K + ( apparent K m 1.3 mM ), but a very low affinity for external Cl − apparent K m 67 mM with a two-site model ). Of interest was the finding that none of the K + ( 86 RB + ) efflux was sensitive to bumetanide, suggesting the absence of cotransport mediated K/K exchange in this cell type. Specific [ 3 H]bumetanide binding was a saturable function of free bumetanide concentration with a K d of 0.20 μ M and maximum binding ( B max ) of 0.63 pmol/mg, or about 53 000 sites per cell. Simultaneous transport and bumetanide binding assays yielded a turnover number of 255 min −1 . The omission of external Na + , K + or Cl − reduced specific [ 3 H]bumetanide binding to values indistinguishable from zero. Changing medium osmolarity resulted in a co-ordinate change in BS K + influx and bumetanide binding, with a monotonic increase in both transport and bumetanide binding with increase in osmolality from 200 to 400 mosmol/kg. About 85% of the cotransporter sites were located on the apical side, as in the intact mTAL tubule. The simultaneous measurement of BS ion transport and [ 3 H]bumetanide binding in the mTAL cell may provide valuable insights into the regulation of Na + / K + /2Cl − cotransport in this nephron segment.
Fissidens saülensis (Fissidentaceae), a new species from central French Guiana

Fissidens saulensis Pursell & Buck is described from central French Guiana. It is most closely related toF. subulatus Mitt. but differs in the broader leaves, smaller laminal cells, and larger stature.
Transport properties of strange matter

Abstract Calculations of thermal and electric conductivity, and of shear and bulk viscosity of degenerate strange matter are reviewed and their results compared with those for normal neutron star matter. Neutrino opacities and emissivities of hot strange matter under various astrophysical conditions are discussed, and compared with corresponding quantities for hot neutron star matter.
Creating knowledge through theater: A case study with developmentally disabled adults

In this case study, the author describes a participatory research project in which he assisted a group of developmentally disabled adults with the creation of two musical theater productions and an interview project. The article begins with a discussion of the ideas of Paulo Freire and the feminist consciousness-raising movement. The two theater productions are then described and analyzed using Habermas’s notions of instrumental, relational and critical knowledge as a way of understanding what kinds of knowledge had been produced. The analysis shows how three kinds of educational activities were taking place: outsiders educating insiders, us educating each other, and us educating others. The analysis also shows how outsiders educating insiders did not occur in the relational and critical categories, suggesting that if relational and critical knowledge are sought, the researcher cannot remain an outsider, but must become co-learner and co-researcher with group members.
Shan Calendrical Systems: The Everyday Use of Esoteric Knowledge

In this paper I examine the Shan calendrical system as an aspect of exoteric knowledge. To do this I first place the communities I lived in and the experts I consulted in the context of Shan communities and Shan experts. Next I provide a brief account of the Shan calendrical system as I learned it from local experts. I then discuss what everyday people know about the system and age and gender variation in the extent of knowledge. In order to understand this variation. I briefly describe Shan conception of knowledge and power and the place of Buddhism in this system. I go on to explore how one acquires expert status, how experts use calendrical knowledge, and why people consult experts.
Thought-stopping and flooding in a case of hallucinations, obsessions, and homicidal-suicidal behavior

Abstract A 42-yr-old woman with multiple manifestations of severe behavioral disturbances that had not responded to traditional psychotherapy and drug therapy was successfully treated by 10 sessions of behavior therapy. Thought stopping was used to overcome auditory and visual hallucinations; and flooding to extinguish chronic fear-producing thoughts, depressive behavior and homocidal-suicidal attempts. There was finally training in reciprocal reinforcement for the shaping of family interpersonal relationships. A 20-month follow-up showed no relapse.
Combustion Characteristics of the GE LM2500 Combustor With Hydrogen-Carbon Monoxide-Based Low Btu Fuels

An experimental test program was conducted with the objective of evaluating the combustion performance of fuel gases comprised of mixtures of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and nitrogen. These gases were intended to be representative of alternate fuels that might be produced by air blown coal or biomass gasifiers. The purpose of this test program was to identify if the LM2500 combustion system would burn fuels at heating values (150 Btu/SCF -250 Btu/SCF) typical of those produced by gasifier processes. Two combustor configurations were tested and two representative gas compositions were evaluated. The objectives of this test were to determine the flammability or burning limits for the two combustor designs and the impact of the low heating value gas on combustor exit temperature performance. Both designs exhibited burning limits substantially below the target caloric level. The exit temperature measurement showed the exit temperature distribution quality was adversely affected due to the high volumetric gas flows. However, this exit temperature distribution degradation is not severe enough to make the burning of a low heating value fuel prohibitive in the LM2500 engine.
Spectrum generating algebra for string-like hadrons. Mass formula for mesons

Abstract We explore implications on meson properties of the spectrum generating algebra U(4)⊗SU s (2)⊗SU f ( n )⊗SU c (3) with U(4) ⊃ SO(4) dynamic symmetry. We suggest a semi-empirical mass formula consistent with this algebra. We find that this mass formula describes the mass squared of 65 relatively well-established meson states with an average deviation of 5.2%, to be compared with the semi-relativistic quark model approach (QM) which has an average deviation of 6.6%.
Emission of complex nuclei in 12C induced reactions at EA = 15 and 30 MeV

Abstract Cross sections for emission of complex nuclei (Z ≈ 3–20) with energies close to the exit channel Coulomb barrier increase by more than one order of magnitude for 12C induced reactions on Au between the incident energies of E A = 15 and 30 MeV. For reactions on Ag at E A = 30 MeV , the element yields exhibit a characteristic power law dependence. Simple statistical calculations reproduce the qualitative trends of the element yields.
Determinants of irritant; termination behavior.

Abstract Mice will respond to escape from airborne chemical irritants. Irritant concentration is a major determinant of this performance. Behavioral variables also affect both the acquisition and sensitivity of this behavior. Mice will rapidly learn to poke their nose into a conical sensor if the poke terminates the delivery of 0.1% ammonia and produces a facial shower of clean humidified air from the sensor. Without a response-contingent facial shower, mice learned more slowly to escape from ammonia, and did not acquire comparable levels of performance. Subsequent access to a facial shower improved their performance within a few sessions. Discontinuing the facial shower for mice who learned the task with it resulted in a moderate disruption of performance. Requiring five responses rather than a single response for irritant termination resulted in a steeper concentration-effect curve which is more useful for the evaluation of the relative aversive potency of airborne chemical irritants. A comparison of two prototypical irritants demonstrated that the aversive concentration of ammonia at which 50% of the irritant deliveries are terminated (AC50) is 334 ppm; the AC50 for acetic acid is 43 ppm. Therefore, acetic acid is approximately eight times more aversive than ammonia.
Penny-shaped crack in an elastic layer bonded to dissimilar half spaces

Abstract Two axially symmetric mixed boundary value problems in an elastic dissimilar layered medium are considered. It is assumed that an elastic layer is bonded to two semi-infinite half spaces along its plane surfaces, and contains a penny-shaped crack parallel to the interfaces. In the first problem the two half spaces are assumed to have the same elastic properties and the crack is located in the mid-plane of the layer. In the second problem we consider the case of three different materials and arbitrary crack location in the layer. The numerical examples are given for a constant pressure on the crack surface. The stress intensity factors are evaluated and are plotted as functions of the layer thickness-to-crack radius ratio or the relative distance of the crack from an interface.
Quantifying household energy performance using annual community baselines

Purpose – This paper seeks to describe a protocol to estimate annual community energy consumption baselines for single‐family detached homes in the Gainesville Regional Utility service area of Alachua County, Florida, USA. Further, it details methods using these baselines to make direct comparisons of individual households' energy consumption and evaluate the energy impacts of three prescriptive demand side management (DSM) programs.Design/methodology/approach – To improve estimates of energy savings, the paper proposes using a “micro” scale multivariate regression methodology based on a census of utility and property appraiser household data.Findings – Results suggest that traditional analysis approaches are likely to overestimate savings significantly and that the annual community baseline technique provides more consistent estimates of energy savings than most commonly used methods.Practical implications – This type of analysis could provide a tool that utilities can use to more accurately and cost eff...
Differential Measurement of the Meson Lifetime

Measurements of the meson lifetime were made by comparing the lead absorption curves of the cosmic radiation at two different elevations, and by compensating the air column at the higher level by a layer of graphite placed on top of the counter telescope. The method does not require any knowledge of the energy distribution or of the height of the producing layer of the mesons. All systematic errors are greatly reduced by the differential method used and can be shown to be insignificant. The value of the lifetime comes out to be appreciably shorter than in previous determinations, viz. $(1.25\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}(\frac{\ensuremath{\mu}{c}^{2}}{{10}^{8} \mathrm{ev}})$ sec.
Properties and performance of fire resistant eco-composites using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) fire retardants

Fire retardants are combined with polymer resins to reduce their flammability, decrease production of volatiles and inhibit pyrolysis. The goal of this work is to develop environmentally friendly fire retardant vinyl ester resin composites by blending fatty acid vinyl ester (FAVE) resins with environmentally friendly particulate fire retardants: polyhedral oligomeric silesquioxanes (POSS), while comparing them to similar composites with talc, a standard inorganic filler. Various concentrations of POSS or talc filler were blended into commercial and FAVE brominated vinyl ester resins, Derakane 510A-40 and FAVE-Br, respectively, and commercial and FAVE non-brominated vinyl ester resins, Derakane 441-400 and FAVE-L, respectively. Thermo-mechanical characterization of the new eco-composites was conducted using dynamic mechanical analysis and thermo-gravimetric analysis. Most POSS additives performed no better than talc in improving the composite performance relative to that of the neat resin. Yet, composites reinforced with methacryl POSS (MA0735) slightly outperformed the other POSS additives and talc. This POSS additive maintained resin viscosity, improved Tg, increased cross-link density, and increased flame retardance. However, the flame retardance of even this relatively high performing POSS-filled composite was very poor compared to that of brominated resins and the thermo-mechanical improvements relative to talc were small.
Representable reference density matrices induced by information theory

A class of reference full density matrices and their reduced density matrices is presented. These density matrices are designed to be of value as references from which to describe and measure the effects of electron correlation in atoms, molecules, and solids. A given reference full density matrix is constructed to contain the least possible information consistent with having the (recognized) symmetry properties of—and reducing to the 1-matrix of—a given “true” full density matrix (which in a typical application is constructed from a correlated variational wave function). Therefore, the reduced density matrices derived from are representable and depend only upon the 1-matrix of and the (recognized) symmetry properties of for their construction. Furthermore, the property of containing the least possible information consistent with the given constraints makes these reference density matrices ideally suitable as references from which to describe the electron correlation contained in the “true” full density matrix .
Comment on “Exact Bayesian variable sampling plans for the exponential distribution with progressive hybrid censoring”

Lin et al. [Exact Bayesian variable sampling plans for the exponential distribution with progressive hybrid censoring, J. Stat. Comput. Simul. 81 (2011), pp. 873–882] claimed to have derived exact Bayesian sampling plans for exponential distributions with progressive hybrid censoring. We comment on the accuracy of the design parameters of their proposed sampling plans and the associated Bayes risks given in tables of Lin et al. [Exact Bayesian variable sampling plans for the exponential distribution with progressive hybrid censoring, J. Stat. Comput. Simul. 81 (2011), pp. 873–882]. Counter-examples to their claim are provided.
Lake Michigan offshore ecosystem structure and food web changes from 1987 to 2008

Ecosystems undergo dynamic changes owing to species invasions, fisheries management decisions, landscape modifications, and nutrient inputs. At Lake Michigan, new invaders (e.g., dreissenid mussels...
Evolution of Molecular Interactions in the Interlayer of Na-Montmorillonite Swelling Clay with Increasing Hydration

AbstractIn this work, the swelling behavior of sodium (Na)-montmorillonite clay with increasing amounts of hydration is studied using molecular dynamics. The molecular models of the dry clay and the hydrated clays, consisting of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 monolayers of water in the interlayer, are used in this study. This work captures the evolution of interaction energies in the interlayer of Na-montmorillonite swelling clay with increasing hydration and provides insight into swelling mechanisms. This work shows the important role of bound water and clay-Na interactions during swelling to stabilize clay structure during hydration. Changes to water molecule conformations in the interlayer during swelling are also reported. The results and insight provided by this work will help in modeling and predicting exfoliation and resulting particle breakdown in swelling clays, in addition to expounding the key role of interlayer interactions on swelling in smectite clays.