cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Short-term synchronization of motor units in human extensor digitorum communis muscle: relation to contractile properties and voluntary control

Synchronous activity was studied in relation to the contractile properties of pairs of motor units (MUs) recorded with independent microelectrodes in the right extensor digitorum communis muscle (EDC) of human subjects during isometric finger extension. MU contrac tile properties were characterized in terms of the rise time and amplitude of twitch tensions extracted by spike-trig gered averages of the extension force. Synchronization of MU discharges appeared in the form of narrow central peaks in the cross-correlograms of 35 of 50 pairs of MUs, suggesting the contribution of common last-order neu rons. Synchronization peaks tended to be briefer and higher among pairs of MUs with slower and smaller twitches than among pairs of MUs with faster and larger twitches. The higher peaks of slow-contracting MUs sug gest a greater effectiveness of the common synaptic in puts. The broader peaks of fast-contracting MUs might reflect an additional synchronization of the inputs to fast MUs at high force levels. The areas of the cross-correlo gram peaks were similar for both groups and suggest that under our conditions, about three motoneurons would discharge synchronously for a given motoneuron spike. To test whether the amount of MU synchronization could be altered voluntarily, four subjects attempted to increase or decrease synchrony, using as feedback clicks triggered by coincident firings of the recorded MUs. In nine of 15 conditioning sessions, the magnitudes of the synchronization peaks showed significant changes in the intended direction. These results imply that supraspinal centers can control the relative amount of inputs that contribute to the synchronization of motoneuron dis charges during voluntary contraction of EDC.
TACHYONIC FLUCTUATIONS ABOUT THE ELECTROWEAK VACUUM

Fifty years ago Schwinger [1] calculated the non-perturbative "vacuum persis­ tence probability" for e+e- pair production by very strong, constant electric fields; since then, many generalizations have been found [2], of which the more recent [3] treat fields which contain both spatial and temporal variations. When the new SLAC/DESY free-electron, high-intensity, X-ray lasers [4] become operational, one expects copious charged-particle production when such laser beams strike matter, and/or in the regions where two or more such beams intersect.[5] The Physics of the Schwinger mechanism for such pair production by an external electromagnetic field is well-understood: Many of the virtual photons that comprise the external field are absorbed by the fluctuating electron-positron pair, and when enough momentum and energy have been absorbed for the pair to become real (that is, to leave their virtual state), they do so, and with energy E(p) > p. If one assumes that the vacuum contains virtual, charged-tachyon modes - and there are two distinct reasons for such an assumption - then the natural question arises as to whether real, charged tachyons could be produced in the Schwinger manner by a sufficiently intense AeJct(x). If so, the analysis would be quite similar, except that p > E(p), with far-reaching astrophysical consequences leading to at least a partial explanation of dark matter, and of gamma-ray bursts and ultra-high-energy cosmic rays coming from galactic distances. Even though we never experience charged tachyons in our v < c world, there are two reasons for raising the question. The first is associated with the well-known Weinberg/Salam electroweak vacuum, in which a tachyonic Lagrangian - one with a negative mass-squared and a self-interacti on term - is used to define the brokensymmetry, "true ground state" of that system. The relevant observation to be made here is that, if those tachyons are electrically charged, and if there exists in some local region an extremely strong electric field, then fluctuations about that ground state could in principle occur, and could in principle produce T and T pairs. The second reason is the prediction of possible electromagnetic "external" fields produced at extremely short distances by a form of QED "bootstrap" fluctuations,[6] with the ability to reproduce our observationally-accelerating Universe, [7] while
Corporate productivity and shared information technology

Abstract Corporations have made large investments in information technology over the past thirty years. The current trend is to continue this investment in shared information technology (SIT), including such tools as electronic mail, distributed databases, teleconferencing, and group decision support systems. However, investment in SIT may not be appropriate for or beneficial to every company. This paper suggests that in order for SIT to be successfully implemented within a firm the corporate culture must be one that supports the sharing of information across traditional organizational boundaries. Further, the particular SIT tool selected must allow the same type of communication to take place as does the traditional communications mechanism that it is intended to replace. General guidelines are given for firms concerning conditions under which high return SIT can be implemented.
Mutual insurance and reputational collateral

A game between two infinitely lived economic agents is analysed. Each player is exposed to uncertainty with respect to individual endowments and maximises expected discounted utility. Contracts between agents are not enforceable. Players have no access to exogenous capital markets. Therefore they have incentives to provide some mutual insurance without contractual agreement. Autarky is always a subgame perfect Nash equilibrium outcome. Generically, with sufficiently high discount factors, there exists a subgame perfect trigger strategy equilibrium which both players prefer to autarky. When endowments are (perfectly) negatively correlated across players, full insurance plans can be implemented. When the individual endowment streams are Bernoulli processes and independent across players, partial insurance plans can be implemented.
Application of warm prestressing effects to fracture mechanics analyses of nuclear reactor vessels during severe thermal shock

Abstract Recent experiments on pressure vessel steels have shown that the fracture toughness can be significantly increased at low temperatures if the material is prestressed at a higher temperature. A conservative method is formulated to use this warm prestressing effect in the fracture mechanics analysis of nuclear pressure vessels under thermal shock. This method uses the basic premise that a crack will not initiate when the stress intensity factor is dropping with time (or constant), whether or not the temperature is dropping. A considerable amount of supportive experimental information is presented and a thorough justification of the method is given. One example is presented to illustrate the beneficial aspects of warm prestressing during a thermal shock. The results show that, when warm prestressing is used, the minimum initiation crack depth can be greater, in some cases, by a factor of ten than that calculated by standard methods.
Rotation of the nucleus of comet p/Arend-Rigaux

Abstract Time-resolved charge-coupled device photometry of Comet p/Arend-Rigaux shows a cyclic variation in cometary brightness consistent with the periods T 1 = 574 ± 5 min (9.58 ± 0.08 hr) and T 2 = 407 ± 5 min (6.78 ± 0.08 hr). The variation has a 30% range and is confined to the inner coma. The relative photometric stability of the outer coma indicates that the variations in the inner coma are associated with the nucleus and probably result from its rotation at, or at a multiple of, one of the above periods.
Interband optical absorption in strained InAs/InxGa1-xSb type-II superlattices.

A detailed theoretical study of interband optical transitions in InAs/${\mathrm{In}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$Sb superlattices (SL's), assumed to be grown on [100] GaSb substrates, is presented. The SL band structure is calculated from a second-order 8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}8 k\ensuremath{\cdot}p model that includes strain to first order in k, as well as strain-induced corrections to the spin-orbit interaction. The eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the SL are evaluated exactly by diagonalizing the SL Hamiltonian within a scheme that does not require treating the second-order k\ensuremath{\cdot}p terms perturbatively, and does not give spurious eigenvalues and eigenvectors. The bulk anisotropies in the band structure, critical in calculating the momentum matrix elements, are fully represented in the SL Hamiltonian. Additional bulk anisotropies arising from the k dependence of the strain are included. The strong anisotropies in the SL momentum matrix element and band structure dictate that the interband linear optical-absorption coefficient cannot be reasonably approximated by simply employing zone-center matrix elements to evaluate the absorption integral. For a strongly type-II SL, this approach would yield spurious peaks in the spectra. A more fundamental numerical approach is, therefore, essential and, to this end, the Lehmann-Taut algorithm is employed. Detailed structures attributable to the joint density of states are revealed in the calculated spectra. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Functional Relapses in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis in children is characterized by more frequent relapses than in adult patients. Diagnosing and treating youth with multiple sclerosis present a number of challenges including differentiating organic relapses from functional symptoms. However, there is no literature describing coexistence of functionality in pediatric multiple sclerosis. Here, we report 2 cases in which inconsistency between clinical history, physical examination, imaging, and atypical disease progression led to suspicion of functional relapses. The purpose of this study is to raise awareness of functional relapses, as prompt recognition can prevent overtreatment and iatrogenic risks in children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis. Underlying psychiatric issues also need to be addressed.
Low-level hyperbaric antagonism of ethanol-induced locomotor depression in C57BL/6J mice: dose response

This study characterized the antagonistic effects of hyperbaric exposure on the dose-response curve for ethanol-induced depression of locomotor activity. Drug-naive, male C57BL/6 mice were injected intraperitoneally with saline, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, or 3.0 g/kg ethanol, and were exposed to 1 atmosphere absolute (ATA) air or 12 ATA helium-oxygen gas mixtures (heliox) at temperatures that offset the hypothermic effects of ethanol and helium. Locomotor activity was measured 10-30 min after injection. In addition, the effects of exposure to 12 ATA heliox on blood ethanol concentrations were tested in a separate group of mice injected with 2.5 g/kg ethanol. Ethanol produced a dose-dependent depression of locomotor activity beginning at 2.0 g/kg. Exposure to 12 ATA heliox completely antagonized the locomotor depressant effects of 2.0 and 2.5 g/kg ethanol and partially blocked the effects of 3.0 g/kg. Activity in mice given 1.5 g/kg ethanol was not significantly affected at 1 ATA air, but was significantly increased at 12 ATA heliox. Low-level hyperbaric exposure shifted the ethanol dose-response curve to the right with a resultant increase in the ED50 of ethanol for locomotor depression from 2.6 to 3.3 g/kg. Exposure to 12 ATA heliox did not alter blood ethanol concentrations in mice injected with 2.5 g/kg ethanol. These findings with 12 ATA heliox present key new evidence for the hypothesis that low-level hyperbaric exposure acts directly, with a pattern analogous to a competitive, mechanistic antagonist of ethanol.
College Students’ Descriptions of Everyday Gender Prejudice

This study examined 104 undergraduate college students (mean age = 19) from the Western United States regarding gender differences in their experiences of gender prejudice. Women (N = 81) and men (N = 22) responded to an online diary for 14 days, resulting in 1008 descriptions of events. Women reported significantly higher levels of negative affect than men during the experiences. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze event descriptions and three main themes emerged including target of the event, perpetrator and setting. Significant differences were found for target and perpetrator based upon the gender of the participant. There were also significant differences in the distribution of the type of event (gender role stereotypes, sexual objectification or demeaning events) based on the setting and target.
Doing FPGA in a former software company

Microsoft has gone through massive changes in the last few years. First, it was the dominant software company. Then, it became a “Devices and Services” company, and now it is “Mobile First, Cloud First”. Of course, deep down in the bones, it is still a software company. In this talk, I will give a personal account on how FPGA acceleration gradually gained traction inside Microsoft, difficulties and lessons learned in getting acceptance, FPGA's apparently imminent deployment inside Microsoft data centers, and finally what may be needed in FPGA programming software tool developments for wider acceptance inside a company like Microsoft.
Collection and transfer of multiple embryos in the mare.

A pituitary extract was used to induce multiple ovulations in mares to determine whether day-7 embryos from multiple ovulators were viable as indicated by their ability to develop when transferred to recipients. There were more ovulations/donor for induced multiple-ovulating mares than for control single-ovulating mares (4.6 ± 0.5 vs 1.0 ± 0.0; n=14). The embryo collection rate per ovulation was similar for multiple ovulators (0.6 ± 0.1 embryos/ovulation) and single ovulators (0.7 ± 0.1). The embryo collection rate per donor, therefore, was higher (P<0.01) for the multiple ovulators (2.9 ± 0.7 vs 0.7 ± 0.1). The transfer success rate per embryo at day 21 was different (P<0.05) among recipients which received an embryo from control single-ovulating donors (78), multiple ovulators from which a single embryo was recovered (22), and multiple ovulators from which multiple embryos were recovered (919). The recipient pregnancy rate/donor at day 21 was 88% (78) for single-ovulating controls and 138% (118) for induced multiple ovulators. Results indicate that the survivability of day-7 embryos from multiple-ovulating donors was reduced. However, despite the reduced survival rate/embryo, the number of pregnant recipients/donor was increased by induction of multiple ovulations because of the increased number of embryos available for transfer.
Prevalence of coronary artery–pulmonary artery collaterals in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

AbstractThis study sought to determine the prevalence of coronary artery–pulmonary artery collaterals in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and to correlate their presence with the degree of clot burden. CTEPH is a treatable cause of severe pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure. Bronchopulmonary collateral vessels have been used as a supplementary diagnostic and prognostic tool for this disease. Coronary artery–pulmonary artery collaterals in this population have not been described. The coronary angiograms of 300 consecutive patients with CTEPH evaluated for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) between January 1, 2007, and May 1, 2014, were examined. Of these patients, 259 (50% male; mean age, 58.3 ± 10.6 years) had cineangiographic images deemed adequate to definitively assess for the presence of coronary artery–pulmonary artery collaterals and were included in the final analyses. Pulmonary angiogram reports were reviewed for extent of pulmonary artery obstructi...
Estimation of the NF bond distance in NF4+ from its general valence force field

Abstract The estimate of the bond length in NF 4 + from the published general valence force field was revised and a value of 1.31 A is suggested.
A Rare Case of Mistaken Identity: Metastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma to the Nose

Hepatocellular carcinoma most often metastasizes to the lungs, abdominal lymph nodes, or bone. The identification of extrahepatic metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma to the sinonasal region has rarely been reported. We report a case of a 49 year-old man with a history of stage IV hepatocellular carcinoma presenting with two adjacent pigmented lesions on the tip of his nose. Initial pathological staining identified the lesion as a primary melanoma. However, upon further examination with the chemical markers CEA, CAM 5.2, and Keratin, it was determined that the lesions were consistent with hepatocellular carcinoma. This case highlights a potentially rare situation of mistaking a liver metastasis for a malignant melanoma.
Negotiation democracy versus consensus democracy: Parallel conclusions and recommendations

In spite of a large number of disagreements concerning methodological and clas- sificatory questions between Klaus Armingeon and myself, our substantive conclusions are very similar. Armingeon concludes that all three aspects of his negotiation democracy (consociationalism, corporatism, and counter-majoritarian institutions) result in superior government performance in selected areas - a finding that I interpret as supportive of my similar claims for the executives-parties dimension of consensus democracy (which consists of consociationalism plus corporatism) as well as for the federal-unitary dimension (which is the same as Armingeon's counter-majoritarian institutions). We are therefore also in broad agreement on the advice we can give to democratic constitutional engineers. Klaus Armingeon's critical re-analysis and further analysis of the performance of different types of democracy is precisely the kind of work that I hoped my book Patterns of Democracy would stimulate, and that I tried to encourage by including many of my basic data in an appendix to my book, as well as by offering to make my entire data set available to other scholars at their request. 1 I was also pleased to read his article because, while we disagree on quite a few details of both substance and methods - I shall respond to Armingeon's list of seven criticisms point by point below - I believe that our main substantive conclusions do not diverge a great deal; they may not coincide completely, but they run largely parallel to each other. This is particularly true of the policy implications and the practical recommendations that flow from his and my findings - a point to which I shall return at the end of my remarks. How does my consensus democracy differ from Armingeon's 'negotiation' democracy? Negotiation democracy consists of three types, which Armingeon calls 'consociational democracy', 'corporatism', and 'regimes with strong veto players' (counter-majoritarian institutions); for simplicity's sake, I shall follow his terminology in the remainder of this discussion. Consensus democracy has two separate and distinct dimensions that I have called the 'executives-parties' and 'federal-unitary' dimensions. Armingeon's veto player type and my federal-unitary dimension coincide completely. Therefore, the only difference between us is that Armingeon prefers to divide my executives-parties dimen- sion into two separate types.
On the theory and numerical simulation of cohesive crack propagation with application to fiber-reinforced composites

The phenomenon of crack propagation is among the predominant modes of failure in many natural and engineering structures, often leading to severe loss of structural integrity and catastrophic failure. Thus, the ability to understand and a priori simulate the evolution of this failure mode has been one of the cornerstones of applied mechanics and structural engineering and is broadly referred to as "fracture mechanics." The work reported herein focuses on extending this understanding, in the context of through-thickness crack propagation in cohesive materials, through the development of a continuum-level multiscale numerical framework, which represents cracks as displacement discontinuities across a surface of zero measure. This report presents the relevant theory, mathematical framework, numerical modeling, and experimental investigations of through-thickness crack propagation in fiber-reinforced composites using the Variational Multiscale Cohesive Method (VMCM) developed by the authors.
Analysis and Optimization of the Numerical Calculation in the Slowly Decaying Imaginary Distance Beam Propagation Method

The detailed analyses of different numerical schemes are presented for solving the governing equation of the slowly decaying imaginary distance beam propagation method (SD-ID-BPM), including their convergence speed and stability. It will be demonstrated that the fully implicit scheme has great advantages over the Crank-Nicholson scheme to obtain the eigenmodes using SD-ID-BPM. The converged solution of the eigenmodes can be obtained tremendously faster using the fully implicit scheme than using the Crank-Nicholson scheme with similarly good accuracy. In addition the fully implicit scheme will be shown to be easier to implement, more reliable and robust than the Crank-Nicholson scheme. The use of the fully implicit scheme in the SD-ID-BPM results in great improvements of the modeling capability of this method. It will also be demonstrated that both the fully implicit and Crank-Nicholson schemes are numerically stable.
Natural and Accelerated Recovery from Brain Damage: Experimental and Theoretical Approaches

The goal of the Caltech group is to gain insight into the processes that occur within the primate nervous system during dexterous reaching and grasping and to see whether natural recovery from local brain damage can be accelerated by artificial means. We will create computational models of the nervous system embodying this insight and explain a variety of clinically observed neurological deficits in human subjects using these models.
A dual voltage-frequency VLSI chip for image watermarking in DCT domain

In this brief, we present a new VLSI architecture that can insert invisible or visible watermarks in images in the discrete cosine transform domain. The proposed architecture incorporates low-power techniques such as dual voltage, dual frequency, and clock gating to reduce the power consumption and exploits pipelining and parallelism extensively in order to achieve high performance. The supply voltage level and the operating frequency are chosen for each module so as to maintain the required bandwidth and throughput match among the different modules. A prototype VLSI chip was designed and verified using various Cadence and Synopsys tools based on TSMC 0.25-/spl mu/m technology with 1.4 M transistors and 0.3 mW of estimated dynamic power.
Different modes of hippocampal plasticity in response to estrogen in young and aged female rats.

Estrogen regulates hippocampal dendritic spine density and synapse number in an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent manner, and these effects may be of particular importance in the context of age-related changes in endocrine status. We investigated estrogen's effects on axospinous synapse density and the synaptic distribution of the NMDA receptor subunit, NR1, within the context of aging. Although estrogen induced an increase in axospinous synapse density in young animals, it did not alter the synaptic representation of NR1, in that the amount of NR1 per synapse was equivalent across groups. Estrogen replacement in aged female rats failed to increase axospinous synapse density; however, estrogen up-regulated synaptic NR1 compared with aged animals with no estrogen. Therefore, the young and aged hippocampi react differently to estrogen replacement, with the aged animals unable to mount a plasticity response generating additional synapses, yet responsive to estrogen with respect to additional NMDA receptor content per synapse. These findings have important implications for estrogen replacement therapy in the context of aging.
Effective, design-independent XML keyword search

Keyword search techniques that take advantage of XML structure make it very easy for ordinary users to query XML databases, but current approaches to processing these queries rely on intuitively appealing heuristics that are ultimately ad hoc. These approaches often retrieve irrelevant answers, overlook relevant answers, and cannot rank answers appropriately. To address these problems for data-centric XML, we propose coherency ranking (CR), a domain- and database design-independent ranking method for XML keyword queries that is based on an extension of the concept of mutual information. With CR, the results of a keyword query are invariant under schema reorganization. We analyze how previous approaches to XML keyword search approximate CR, and present efficient algorithms to perform CR. Our empirical evaluation with 65 user-supplied queries over two real-world XML data sets shows that CR has better precision and recall and provides better ranking than all previous approaches.
Semiconservative replication in the quasispecies model.

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://journals.aps.org/pre/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevE.69.061916.
Parallel rendering of 3D AMR data on the SGI/Cray T3E

This paper describes work-in-progress on developing parallel visualization strategies for 3D Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) data. AMR is a simple and powerful tool for modeling many important scientific and engineering problems. However visualization tools for 3D AMR data are not generally available. Converting AMR data onto a uniform mesh would result in high storage requirements, and rendering the uniform-mesh data on an average graphics workstation can be painfully slow if not impossible. The adaptive nature of the embedded mesh demands sophisticated visualization calculations. In this work, we compare the performance and storage requirements of a parallel volume renderer for regular-mesh data with a new parallel renderer based on adaptive sampling. While both renderers can achieve interactive visualization, the new approach offers significant performance gains, as indicated by our experiments on the SGI/Cray T3E.
Quantifying Correction Curve Uncertainty Through Empirical Methods

The accuracy of a thermal performance test is typically estimated by performing an uncertainty analysis calculation in accordance with ASME PTC 19.1 or equivalent. The resultant test uncertainty estimate is often used as a key factor in the commercial contract, in that many contracts allow a test tolerance and define the test tolerance to be equal to the test uncertainty. As such, the calculated test uncertainty needs to accurately reflect all of the technical factors that contribute to the uncertainty. The test uncertainty is a measure of the test quality, and, in many circumstances, the test setup must be designed such that the uncertainty remains lower than test code limits and/or commercial tolerances.Traditional uncertainty calculations have included an estimate of the measurement uncertainties and the propagation of those uncertainties to the test result. In addition to addressing measurement uncertainties, ASME PTC 19.1 makes reference to other potential errors of method, such as “the assumptions or constants contained in the calculation routines” and “using an empirically derived correlation”. Experience suggests that these errors of method can in some circumstances dominate the overall test uncertainty. Previous studies (POWER2011-55123 and POWER2012-54609) introduced and quantified a number of operational factors and correction curve factors of this type.To facilitate testing over a range of boundary conditions, the industry norm is for the equipment supplier to provide correction curves, typically created using thermodynamic models of the power plant to predict the response of the system to changes in boundary conditions. As noted in various PTC codes (PTC-22, PTC-46, and PTC-6) it is advisable to run the test at conditions as close to the rated conditions as possible to minimize the influence of the correction curves. Experience suggests that large deviations from rated conditions, and the associated influence of the correction curves, can result in decreased accuracy in the final corrected result. A discussion of these types of situations via case studies is discussed, as well as a means by which to reduce the uncertainty contributions from correction curves considerably.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Food Insufficiency and Income Volatility in US Households: The Effects of Imputed Income in the Survey of Income and Program Participation

In this article, we explore how using imputed income data in the Survey of Income and Program Participation affects the observed relationship between household income volatility and food insufficiency. We find that measuring income volatility using imputed income data substantially understates the association between large drops in household income and food insufficiency. After excluding observations with imputed income, large drops in income are associated with a 2.1–percentage point increased probability of food insufficiency, or a 31% higher likelihood of food insufficiency.
Sentinel lymph node mapping in breast cancer

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is a rapidly emerging treatment option for the patient with early stage invasive breast cancer and a clinically negative axilla. In the era of mammographic detection, SLN biopsy has the potential to eliminate axillary dissection for the enlarging cohort of breast cancer patients who are node-negative. With experience, using radioisotope, blue dye, or both, SLN are successfully localized in more than 90% of cases. The effects of isotope and blue dye may be additive. The SLN reliably predicts axillary node status in 98% of all patients, and 95% of those who are node-positive. The operation is best learned under a formalized protocol in which a backup axillary dissection is performed to validate the technique during one’s early experience. Enhanced pathologic analysis, including serial sections and immunohistochemical staining, is an essential element of the procedure. In experienced hands, SLN biopsy has less morbidity and greater accuracy than conventional axillary dissection.
Models for Quantitative Assessment of Video Detection System Impacts on Signalized Intersection Operations

Various models are presented for quantitative assessment of the impacts of video detection system applications at signalized intersections. The models are developed mainly to address the occlusion issue, one of the unavoidable phenomena associated with video detection systems. Two types of occlusion scenarios and their potential impacts on intersection operations are analyzed on the basis of typical parameter values and detection setup. Also addressed are the limitations of video detection systems in providing advance detection. Occlusion in video detection systems can result in missing detections, false detections, and increased detector presence time and thus may affect intersection operations under actuated control. It is found that missing detections due to occlusion to the following vehicles are generally less than 5% when the approach volume is less than 600 vphpl and the proportion of trucks is less than 5%. At this traffic volume level, additional phase extension time caused by occlusion is generally less than 3 s. To minimize false detections due to occlusion to adjacent lanes, the horizontal offset between the camera and the travel lane should be at the minimum, with an ideal mast-arm mounting and positioning to the division line between the lanes. Because of limitations on the achievable camera height and mounting angle, it is found to be difficult to use one camera to satisfy the required advance detection for speeds over 50 mph. The study does not address the impacts of physical limits of video detection systems such as pixel size, grayscale depth, lighting, and shadows.
Liquid compositions from low‐pressure experimental melting of pelitic rock from Morton Pass, Wyoming, USA

Low-pressure crystal-liquid equilibria in pelitic compositions are important in the formation of low-pressure, high-temperature migmatites and in the crystallization of peraluminous leucogranites and S-type granites and their volcanic equivalents. This paper provides data from vapour-present melting of cordierite-bearing pelitic assemblages and augments published data from vapour-present and vapour-absent melting of peraluminous compositions, much of which is at higher pressures. Starting material for the experiments was a pelitic rock from Morton Pass, Wyoming, with the major assemblage quartz-K feldspar-biotite-cordierite, approximately in the system KFMASH. A greater range in starting materials was obtained by addition of quartz and sillimanite to aliquots of this rock. Sixty-one experiments were carried out in cold-seal apparatus at pressures of 1–3.5 kbar (particularly 2 kbar) and temperatures from 700 to 840 °C, with and without the addition of water. In the vapour-present liquidus relations at 2 kbar near the beginning of melting, the sequence of reactions with increasing temperature is: Qtz + Kfs + Crd + Sil + Spl + V = L; Qtz + Kfs + Crd + Spl + Ilm + V = Bt + L; and Qtz + Bt + V = Crd + Opx + Ilm + L. Vapour-absent melting starts at about 800 °C with a reaction of the form Qtz + Bt = Kfs + Crd + Opx + Ilm + L. Between approximately 1–3 kbar the congruent melting reaction is biotite-absent, and biotite is produced by incongruent melting, in contrast to higher-pressure equilibria. Low pressure melts from pelitic compositions are dominated by Qtz-Kfs-Crd. Glasses at 820–840 °C have calculated modes of approximately Qtz42Kfs46Crd12. Granites or granitic leucosomes with more than 10–15% cordierite should be suspected of containing residual cordierite. The low-pressure glasses are quite similar to the higher-pressure glasses from the literature. However, XMg increases from about 0.1–0.3 with increasing pressure from 1 to 10 kbar, and the low-temperature low-pressure glasses are the most Fe-rich of all the experimental glasses from pelitic compositions.
Specialty Referrals Made During Telephone Conversations With Parents: A Study From the Pediatric Research in Office Settings Network

Objectives.—To characterize variation in pediatricians' telephone referral practices, to identify differences in the types of referrals made during telephone versus office visit encounters, and to examine the impact of referring by telephone on coordination and outcomes of the referral as assessed by physicians. Methods.—We conducted a prospective study of a consecutive sample of referrals (N = 1856) made from the offices of 142 pediatricians in a national practice-based research network. During 20 consecutive practice-days, physicians completed questionnaires about patients referred during regular business hours. They used office records 3 months later to complete questionnaires about referral outcomes. Results.—Pediatricians made 1 telephone referral every 5 practice-days, which constituted 27.5% of all referrals they made during office hours. Pediatricians who saw more patients per day, saw more patients in gatekeeping health plans, and referred more during office visits made more telephone referrals than their counterparts. Compared with specialty referrals made during office visits, those occurring during telephone encounters were more frequently at the request of parents or because of insurance administrative guidelines. Office visit referrals were more often made for diagnostic evaluation or a surgical procedure. Referrals made during telephone conversations were less well coordinated: office staff or referring physicians scheduled fewer specialty appointments and were less likely to send information to specialists. Three months after referrals were made, specialist feedback and referring physician satisfaction with specialty care were comparable between the two groups. Conclusions.—Specialty referrals made during telephone conversations with patients are a regular occurrence in pediatric practice. Changes in the health system that lead to greater demands on primary care physician productivity or more patients in gatekeeping health plans will likely increase the number of referrals made during telephone conversations with parents. Pediatricians are less likely to coordinate telephone referrals than office visit referrals. Pediatricians are frequently unaware whether or not referrals are completed.
AnonySense: A system for anonymous opportunistic sensing

We describe AnonySense, a privacy-aware system for realizing pervasive applications based on collaborative, opportunistic sensing by personal mobile devices. AnonySense allows applications to submit sensing tasks to be distributed across participating mobile devices, later receiving verified, yet anonymized, sensor data reports back from the field, thus providing the first secure implementation of this participatory sensing model. We describe our security goals, threat model, and the architecture and protocols of AnonySense. We also describe how AnonySense can support extended security features that can be useful for different applications. We evaluate the security and feasibility of AnonySense through security analysis and prototype implementation. We show the feasibility of our approach through two plausible applications: a Wi-Fi rogue access point detector and a lost-object finder.
Lethal effect of male rat submandibular gland homogenate for rat neonates.

Suckling rats injected subcutaneously with male submandibular gland homogenate (SMGH), but not liver homogenate (L.H), died within 24 h. Weanling and adult rats injected with proportionately greater doses of male SMGH did not die. Suckling rats injected with male SMGH exhibited a I200% increase in scrum trypsin-like activity while the corresponding increase for an adult receiving a proportionately similar dose was 46%. We suggest that pups injected subcutaneously with SMGH absorbed trypsin-like enzymes into their bloodstream, were unable to inactivate the enzyme. and suffered a hypotensive crisis leading to death.
One-point codes using places of higher degree

In IEEE Transactions on Information Theory , vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 535-537, Feb. 2002, Xing and Chen show that there exist algebraic-geometry (AG) codes from the Hermitian function field over F/sub q//sup 2/ constructed using F/sub q//sup 2/-rational divisors which are improvements over the much-studied one-point Hermitian codes. In this correspondence, we construct such codes by using a place P of degree r > 1. This motivates a study of gap numbers and pole numbers at places of higher degree. In fact, the code parameters are estimated using the Weierstrass gap set of the place P and relating it to the gap set of the r-tuple of places of degree one lying over P in a constant field extension of degree r.
A Testing Scheme for the Detection of Mycobacterium Avium subsp. Paratuberculosis in Bovine Feces Utilizing the ESP Para-JEM Liquid Culture System

A testing scheme for the detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) in broth cultures of bovine fecal samples carried out in ESP para-JEM System was evaluated. The scheme included acid-fast staining (on signal-positive and signal-negative samples), and confirmation by PCR for 2 MAP-specific targets and subculture of all acid-fast positive PCR-negative samples. Two hundred and fifty bovine fecal samples were evaluated for the presence of MAP using this scheme. Thirty-seven (15%) of 250 fecal samples had a positive culture result when the proposed testing scheme was used, compared to 14 (6%) positive results when using the standard ESP para-JEM protocol (requiring samples to have a positive signal from the system, a positive acid-fast stain, and a positive IS900 PCR result), and 20 (8%) positives when conventional culture was performed on Herrold egg yolk (HEY) media. A preliminary comparison of real- time and conventional PCR on DNA extracted from 15 MAP-positive broth cultures by 3 different protocols suggested that conventional PCR may be a better choice for the confirmation of the presence of MAP in the liquid cultures than real-time PCR.
Automated Perimetry (Humphrey Field Analyzer)

The Humphrey field analyzer is the dominant automated perimetric device in clinical practice. There are other devices, though, including the Octopus, Topcon, and Dicon perimeters. While the printouts of the reports differ in format, they all measure the same differential light sensitivity threshold, and the principles of analyses are fairly similar and often translate from one device to another.
Correction of Multiple Striated Muscles in Murine Pompe Disease Through Adeno-associated Virus-Mediated Gene Therapy

Glycogen storage disease type II (Pompe disease; MIM 232300) stems from the deficiency of acid α-glucosidase (GAA; acid maltase; EC 3.2.1.20), which primarily involves cardiac and skeletal muscles. An adeno-associated virus 2/8 (AAV2/8) vector containing the muscle creatine kinase (MCK) (CK1) reduced glycogen content by ∼50% in the heart and quadriceps in GAA-knockout (GAA-KO) mice; furthermore, an AAV2/8 vector containing the hybrid α-myosin heavy chain enhancer-/MCK enhancer-promoter (MHCK7) cassette reduced glycogen content by >95% in heart and >75% in the diaphragm and quadriceps. Transduction with an AAV2/8 vector was higher in the quadriceps than in the gastrocnemius. An AAV2/9 vector containing the MHCK7 cassette corrected GAA deficiency in the distal hindlimb, and glycogen accumulations were substantially cleared by human GAA (hGAA) expression therein; however, the analogous AAV2/7 vector achieved much lower efficacy. Administration of the MHCK7-containing vectors significantly increased striated muscle function as assessed by increased Rotarod times at 18 weeks after injection, whereas the CK1-containing vector did not increase Rotarod performance. Importantly, type IIb myofibers in the extensor digitalis longus (EDL) were transduced, thereby correcting a myofiber type that is unresponsive to enzyme replacement therapy. In summary, AAV8 and AAV9-pseudotyped vectors containing the MHCK7 regulatory cassette achieved enhanced efficacy in Pompe disease mice.
Using non-linear mixed effects models to identify patterns of chick growth in House Sparrows Passer domesticus

For many animals, adult size is an important determinant of fitness. Thus, after a period of food restriction, offspring often grow quickly to approach an optimal size. Offspring can approach an optimal size by increasing mass faster than the peak growth of offspring that do not delay development (compensatory growth) or by extending the period of rapid growth to reach an optimal size (catch-up growth). Unfortunately, the most common statistical techniques make it difficult to differentiate alternative growth patterns among developing offspring. Here, I show how random effect estimates can be used to uncover important variation in growth in a short-lived passerine, the House Sparrow Passer domesticus. Specifically, I show that much of the variation in offspring growth can be explained by differences in the timing of peak growth and in final adult size, both within a single population and within treatments of an experimental manipulation. These results suggest that much of the variation in offspring growth may be explained by factors other than growth rate. I also show that offspring that delay development either maintain slow but steady growth across development and reach a small adult size, or extend the period of rapid growth to reach an optimal size, indicative of catch-up growth. This pattern of extending the period of rapid growth may allow offspring to minimize the cellular damage caused by compensatory growth but still maximize size-related fitness benefits (e.g. increased survival and fecundity) prior to fledging.
Genetic Variation and Covariation in Yellow Shank Pigmentation Intensity and 8 Week Body Weight of Chickens

Abstract DEEP yellow skin and shank pigmentation has been attractive to poultry buyers in the U.S.A. and broiler producers are aware of this preference. Environmental factors like hatch date and certain pathological conditions influence shank color in growing chickens. Coccidiosis bleaches shanks, for example, and respiratory diseases have a diluting effect on shank color. The ration per se with its natural pigments is a factor in shank pigmentation intensity. Moreover, several feed additives as well as ingredients are known to modify shank color among these being supplemental xanthophyll, antioxidants (Wilgus, 1954; Elrod et al., 1958; Waldroup et al., 1960; and others) source and level of vitamin D (Hammond and Harshaw, 1941) and vitamin K—active compounds (Griminger and Fisher, 1960). Bateson (1902), Hurst (1905) and Dunn (1925) investigated the genetics of skin color and established that white skin (W) is autosomal and dominant to yellow (w) skin. Lambert and Knox (1927) …
St. George Tucker's Second Amendment: Deconstructing "The True Palladium of Liberty"

The Bill of Rights, according to the above view, is designed to inform ordinary citizens of their rights. Its meaning is not a monopoly of the governmental entities whose powers it was intended to limit. By knowing when one’s rights are violated, the citizen may signify his or her displeasure through mechanisms such as the ballot box and the jury box, and may resort to speech, the press, assembly, and petition to denounce the evil. The Second Amendment “right of the people to keep and bear arms” was intended to serve as the ultimate check which the Founders hoped would dissuade persons at the helm of state from seeking to establish tyranny.
Beyond Race and Ethnicity: Exploring the Effects of Ethnic Identity and Its Implications for Cancer Communication Efforts

Within the health communication literature there has been an increased focus on the use of cultural and identity-based message tailoring to enhance the effectiveness of messages and interventions, particularly among minority and underserved populations. Although this approach may be promising, little is known about the effect of ethnic identity on health behaviors and beliefs or how the effects of ethnic identity differ from those of race or ethnicity. This study is among the first to explore relationships between ethnic identity and cancer-related risk factors, knowledge characteristics, and cognitive and affective appraisals. This study utilized a national online sample of Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics (N = 1,452). Higher ethnic identity was associated with increased physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake and decreased body mass index among Whites (p .05). Hispanics and Blacks with higher ethnic identity had greater cancer worry. Our results suggest that the effect of ethnic identity is often distinct from that of race/ethnicity and that health communication interventions based solely on race/ethnicity may not be as effective as those that also take ethnic identity into account.
Making birth control acceptable : the development of the twentieth century birth control movement.

MAKING BIRTH CONTROL ACCEPTABLE: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY BIRTH CONTROL MOVEMENT Elizabeth Caskey May 12,2007 This thesis is an examination of the tactics used by individuals in the development of the twentieth century birth control movement. It focuses on the creation of a national organization that directed the movement throughout the United States. The twentieth century political and economic environment influenced the birth control movement, but key individuals navigated the environment and developed a program of dissemination and education that furthered the cause of birth control. The intention is to show that Sanger and her cohort expanded upon nineteenth century efforts to provide people reproductive control. The twentieth century political and economic environment influenced the birth control movement, but key individuals navigated the environment and developed a program of dissemination and education that furthered the cause of birth control. The thesis has four chapters including an introduction and conclusion.