cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Description and Simulation of Gust Front Wind Field

An efficient model for simulating gust front wind field is proposed based on the time-frequency description of the wind field. Traditionally, transient or non-stationary random processes are simulated to account for amplitude modulations invoking envelop processes to shape these modulations. In this study, a time-frequency based scheme is introduced to account for both modulations in amplitude and frequency. This scheme involves stationary wavelet and Hilbert transforms in tandem and relies on the property that the discrete wavelet decomposition of a non-stationary process can be treated as mono-component processes that permit their Hilbert transform in terms of instantaneous amplitude and frequency. The instantaneous frequency at each frequency band is modeled as a Gaussian process. Example simulations based on the measured array of data during a thunderstorm downdraft outflow experiment in Texas are presented. The results demonstrate that simulated time histories exhibit time-frequency characteristics that are consistent with the measured sample time histories. These time histories are critical for structural response analysis under these rare extreme events due to limited available data.
The Pathophysiology of Peptic Ulcer

This chapter discusses the pathophysiology of peptic ulcer. Erosion or ulceration of gastric or duodenal mucosa can be considered to be the result of an increase of ulcerogenic factors, a decrease in mucoprotective factors, or both. The lesions are termed peptic ulcers or erosions if they appear in mucosa exposed to acid-peptic secretions. The important feature about pain in patients with peptic ulcer—and this appears to be true whether the ulcer is located in the stomach or the duodenum because the two cannot be distinguished on symptomatic grounds alone—is that the primary discomfort appears in the upper abdomen rather than being confined to the epigastrium, and the pain does indeed tend to be intermittent and it commonly wakes the patient from sleep. Moreover, it is usually relieved temporarily by the ingestion of antacids but not necessarily by meals. Bleeding, perforation, and gastric retention are the major complications of peptic ulcer. Significant complications occur in about 30 to 40% of all patients. The previous therapeutic approaches for peptic ulcer include the use of diet, rest, and antacids. In evaluating the results of ulcer therapy today, it is of the utmost importance to recognize the indispensability of having parallel data on a simultaneously studied control population matched as nearly as possible in age, sex, race, social status, and stage of disease with the patients being evaluated. The need for surgery in peptic ulcer therapy varies inversely with the efficacy of nonsurgical modalities. It is still too early to say how greatly the widening use of cimetidine will forestall the need for surgery, but it is probably safe to say that about 15% of patients with chronic peptic ulcer will eventually require an operation.
Production and Optimality

In the last two chapters we focussed on models of exchange. In those models, the quantities of the various goods are fixed; nothing is produced. In this chapter, we will focus on a model of production. This model has firms, goods that are used as inputs in the production process, and goods that are produced as outputs. But it has no consumers. If the exchange model was half the story, the production model is the other half. Near the end of the chapter we will indicate how the two models might be merged.
Water Quality Modelling in Sewer Networks

This contribution first describes the routing of flows and pollutant loads through a sewer network, following the simplified techniques used in the TRANSPORT block of SWMM. The inflows and loads are generated by the RUNOFF block or by some other program. Then the advanced flow routing procedures are described. These are used in the EXTRAN block of SWMM, in the form of the complete one-dimensional unsteady flow equations. This block can also be adopted for constituent transport. A short presentation of MOUSE ST follows a review of recent investigations concerning the transport of sediments in sewers. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the prediction of suspended solids using stochastic transfer functions.
TOXICOLOGY OF POLYBROMINATED BIPHENYLS

ABSTRACT Methods have been developed to purify individual congeners of polybrominated biphenyls (PBB). The chemical properties of the pure congener were studied and related to their toxicological properties. Congeners with two or more ortho bromines cause a proliferation of the endoplasmic reticulum in rat liver and induce microsomal enzymes usually induced of phenobarbital. These congeners do not seem to cause any toxicity usually associated with toxic polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons typified by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Congeners with no ortho bromines have a toxicity similar to that associated with TCDD and induce liver microsomal enzymes typically induced by 3-methylcholanthrene. Some congeners with only one ortho bromine induce both types of microsomal enzymes and are moderately toxic. Their TCDD-like toxicity can be related to their ability to exist in a planar configuration, which is probably a prerequisite for binding by the TCDD receptor. The degree of planarity can be assessed by the intensity of a K-band in their absorption spectra.
Hierarchical Bayesian MCMC Estimation of Airport Operations Counts

Accurate counts of aircraft operations at unmonitored or partially-monitored general aviation airports are important due to their role in the allocation of funds for airport development and improvement. While the Federal Aviation Administration annually invests approximately $1B in small commercial and general aviation airports in the United States, fewer than 270 of these 2,950 airports have either full- or part-time air traffic personnel available to register operations counts. Aircraft operations at airports with limited personnel may be counted using temporary acoustic, pneumatic, or video devices, and observations from contract staff. The related sample sizes are inherently small, leading to inaccuracies in the extrapolation of long-term totals. The authors have developed an estimation procedure for use with small sample sizes that employs a Bayesian hierarchical model with a Poisson likelihood function. This procedure is used in conjunction with a counting device that registers operations counts based on aircraft transponder signals (also developed by the authors), and is shown to achieve an accuracy of 2.88% at a general aviation airport staffed with an FAA control tower over a one-month period.
The Problem of Overstretch

Lake identifies a fundamental problem facing the American military today, its vulnerability to overstretch. This chapter includes a discussion of overstretch suffered by all the armed services, with an extended explanation of the Army’s problems during the height of its commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq. By connecting the disparate experiences of the armed services together, Lake demonstrates that this is a widespread problem with a common cause—the American military is too small. Previewing the argument presented in the book, Lake argues that this is the result of a long-term pattern of sacrificing quantity for quality when procuring new equipment, and that this is ultimately a manifestation of an American cultural predisposition favoring technology.
Microstructural Evolution and Related Kinetics During Pulsed Electric Current Sintering of Tungsten

Tungsten powders with average powder sizes of 90 nm, 260 nm, and 471 nm were consolidated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) or pulsed electric current sintering (PECS) at heating rates that ranged from 20 to 100 K/min and applied stresses (20–80 MPa). PECS is found to create a much fine microstructure. However, achieving a density greater than 97% theoretically proved to be difficult to attain due to the limitations in the mechanical strength of the graphite dies. Subsequently, hot isostatic pressing (HIP) was pursued as a post-processing technique to achieve further densification and successfully demonstrated its ability to complete the densification process while not increasing the average grain size over that of the PECS-only method. Dynamic kinetic analyses showed that overall consolidation mechanisms of PECS were quite similar to traditional sintering methods and are based on diffusion and dislocation-based forms of creep. The study confirms that PECS is capable of producing fine-grain tungsten microstructures, which could be advantageous for applications where enhanced mechanical properties are required.
Depression across the Early Life Span

This chapter is concerned with depression throughout the early life span; that is, the infancy, preschool, grade school, and adolescent age ranges. Among the issues to be discussed are the following: the differentiation between depressive symptoms; a depressive syndrome and a depressive disorder; the clinical picture and subtypes of depressive disorders across the early life span; developmental issues of the assessment of the depressive syndrome from infancy through adolescence; etiologic theories of depression; and links between depression in infancy, preschool, grade school, and adult life. Finally, the chapter will conclude with some directions for future research in this area.
Quantitative analysis of the impact of flue gas recirculation on the efficiency of oxy-coal power plants

Abstract Oxy-combustion typically consists of burning coal with a combination of oxygen and a large amount of recycled flue gas (60–70%) to obtain a similar heat flux profile to that of air-fired systems. As the cost of electricity from first-generation oxy-combustion is relatively high, several new oxy-combustion process concepts have been proposed in recent years, and within these, the proposed amount of flue gas recycle (FGR) has varied from near-zero to 80%. To better understand the fundamental impact of FGR on the efficiency of oxy-combustion systems, a thermodynamic approach is used herein. Second-law losses associated with flue gas recycle are found to be significant and highly non-linear with recycle ratio. A difference in efficiency of up to 10 %-points can be realized, with a maximum efficiency occurring at zero FGR. Furthermore, due to the non-linear relation of plant efficiency with recycle ratio, processes with low recycle ( Due to the recent interest in developing pressurized oxy-combustion (POC) for efficient, low-cost carbon capture, the impact of flue gas recycle on POC systems is also presented, with a discussion on the valorization strategies for the latent heat of flue gas moisture recovery.
Medicare Shared Savings Program and Readmission Rate Among Patients with Ischemic Stroke

Objective: Hospitals participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) share with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) the savings generated by reduced cost of care. Our aim was to determine whether MSSP is associated with changes in readmissions and mortality for Medicare patients hospitalized with ischemic stroke, and whether MSSP has a different impact on safety-net hospitals (SNHs) compared to non-SNHs. Methods: This study was based on the CMS Hospital Compare data for risk-standardized 30-day readmission and mortality rates for Medicare patients hospitalized with ischemic strokes between 2010 and 2017. With propensity score matched sample, hospital-level difference-in-difference (DID) analysis was used to determine whether MSSP was associated with changes in hospital readmission and mortality as well as to examine the impact of MSSP on SNHs compared to non-SNHs. Results: MSSP-participating hospitals had slightly greater reductions in readmission rates compared to matched non-participating hospitals (difference, 0.25 percentage points; 95% CI: -0.42, -0.08). Mortality rates decreased among all hospitals, but mortality reduction was not significantly different between MSSP-participating hospitals and matched hospitals (difference, 0.06 percentage points; 95% CI: -0.28, 0.17). Prior to MSSP, readmission rates in SNHs were higher compared to non-SNH, but MSSP did not have significantly different impacts on hospital readmission and mortality rates for SNH and non-SNHs. Conclusion: MSSP led to slightly fewer readmissions without increases in mortality for Medicare patients hospitalized with ischemic stroke. Similar reductions in readmission rates were observed in SNHs and non-SNHs participating in MSSP, indicating persistent gaps between SNHs and non-SNHs.
Novel variant of hepatic and foregut vasculature

Abstract Purpose The organs of the foregut are supplied by the celiac trunk, which branches into the common hepatic artery, splenic artery, and left gastric artery. The common hepatic artery further divides into the proper hepatic and the gastroduodenal arteries. The superior mesenteric artery usually supplies midgut components. Here we document a novel variation of the vascular supply of the liver that involves branches of both the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery. Methods Routine cadaveric dissection of a 63-year-old white male. Results In this case, the proper hepatic artery emerged from the superior mesenteric artery, and gastroduodenal artery branched directly off of the celiac trunk. At the hilum, the proper hepatic artery bifurcated to left and right hepatic arteries. Additionally, an accessory left hepatic artery was present branching from the left gastric artery. Conclusions This combination of variants in the hepatic foregut vasculature has not been previously reported in the literature. Knowledge of published anatomical variations reinforces the benefit for pre-surgical imaging utilizing computed tomography angiography to improve surgical outcomes and enhance patient safety.
Whose Need Matters?: The Local Welfare State, Poverty, and Variation in US Counties’ Social Service Provisioning

Sociologists have long studied poverty across localities. Yet, little research focuses on local governments and the social services they directly provide to those in-need. Researchers concerned wit...
Herpes Zoster Virus (HZV) Infections among Multiple Sclerosis Patients Treated with Various Disease Modifying Therapies (4954)

Objective: To stratify the frequency of HZV infections by disease modifying therapy (DMT), age, and gender in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Background: DMTs may increase the risk for opportunistic infections, including herpes zoster. The relative frequency of HZV infection in this population is unknown. Furthermore, the relative distribution of cases per age group and gender is unreported. Design/Methods: We queried the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for adverse events (“herpes zoster” and “varicella”) reported in MS patients between January 1999 and June 2019 receiving interferon beta (IFB), glatiramer acetate (GA), natalizumab (NAT), fingolimod (FIN), teriflunomide (TER), dimethyl fumarate (DMF), alemtuzumab (ALE), and ocrelizumab (OCR). We excluded reports where the “suspect drug” included two or more DMTs. We stratified the reports for each DMT, by year of report, age and gender. Results: 3352 reports met our inclusion criteria. Annual report rates [mean (SD)] were highest for patients treated with NAT 81.9(91.9), and lowest for GA 2.1(2.5). Other DMTs: FIN 70.3(27.3); DMF 66(21); OCR 55.3(27.8); ALE 22.8(15); INF 22.6(18); TER 10.4(4.7). Reports were 4.7x more in females (ranging from 2.3x for ALE to 8.2x for IFB). The highest percentage of reports was in the sixth decade of life for all DMTs except ALE (fourth decade). Several reports were in individuals younger than 40 (25.0%). Conclusions: HZV infections are variable based on DMT used, age, and gender. HZV reports were nearly 5x more frequent in females than males, and incidence among patients younger than 40 was higher than expected. Database limitations precluded calculations of incidence. We encourage further research into incidence and risk mitigation strategies of HZV in MS patients on DMTs. Disclosure: Dr. Carlisle has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hooshmand has nothing to disclose. Dr. Maynard has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hoffman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Obeidat has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Biogen, Sanofi/Genzyme, Genentech, Celgene, Alexion, Novartis.
Hepatic Transplantation and Portal Hypertension

Liver transplantation has developed into a well-accepted therapeutic modality for patients with end-stage liver pathology resulting from a wide variety of different liver diseases and having quite different pathophysiologic mechanisms and highly variable natural histories [1,2]. The specific indications for liver transplantation in a given case vary widely but in general, include a pathophysiologic consequence of advanced liver disease among which the complications and consequences of portal hypertension figure prominantly. For example, advanced portal hypertension is often associated with recurrent variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, ascites formation, muscle wasting, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and progressive hepatic atrophy with a subsequent obligate further loss of synthetic function and the ability to regulate intermediary metabolism. Each consequence of portal hypertension can be, and often is, an immediate indication for liver transplantation. This is because each of these potential complications of portal hypertension has a profound effect upon long-term survival, quality of life, and the frequency and duration of the recurrent hospitalizations experienced by cirrhotic individuals.
Parametric Quantum Resonances for Bose–Einstein Condensates

We generalize recent work on parametric resonances for nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) type equations to the case of three dimensional Bose–Einstein condensates at zero temperatures. We show the possibility of such resonances in the three-dimensional case, using a moment method and numerical simulations.
Terminal duct lobular units are scarce in the nipple: implications for prophylactic nipple-sparing mastectomy: terminal duct lobular units in the nipple.

Background The use of nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) for both breast cancer treatment and risk reduction is increasing. There is no randomized data comparing nipple-sparing mastectomy with standard mastectomy techniques. There is evidence to suggest that ductal and lobular breast cancer arises in the terminal duct/lobular unit (TDLU). This study was undertaken to determine whether TDLUs exist in the nipple and if so, to what extent.
Perinatal Cocaine Effects on Neonatal Stress Behavior and Performance on the Brazelton Scale

Fifty-two newborns were assessed for the effects of maternal cocaine use on their performance on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale and on their stress behaviors during the Brazelton as tapped by the Neonatal Stress Scale. The cocaine-exposed newborns experienced more obstetric complications, had smaller head circumferences, showed more limited habituation abilities on the Brazelton Scale, and exhibited more stress behaviors than control newborns.
Mitochondrial Cytochrome P450 A COMPONENT OF CHICK KIDNEY 25-HYDROXYCHOLECALCIFEROL-1α-HYDROXYLASE

Abstract A novel method employing the direct reduction of cytochrome oxidase in the presence of antimycin A has provided the means to reveal the presence of cytochrome P450 in chick kidney mitochondria as characterized by the carbon monoxide difference spectrum. This mitochondrial pigment has been found to have properties distinctly different from that of the kidney microsomal cytochrome P450. The mitochondrial content of cytochrome P450 has been found to be about 0.20 nmole per mg of protein. Reconstitution studies with the solubilized cytochrome have indicated that this carbon monoxide-binding hemoprotein is involved in the activity of the renal 25-hydroxycholecalciferol-1α-hydroxylase. The reconstitution required an added flavoprotein and iron-sulfur protein, as well as NADPH and the solubilized hemoprotein. Kinetic experiments on the competitive inhibition of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol-1α-hydroxylase activity of intact mitochondria by metyrapone and aminoglutethimide have shown that the inhibition constants, Ki, for the drugs are 1.6 x 10-4 m and 1.1 x 10-3 m, respectively. The spectral dissociation constants, Ks, for metyrapone and aminoglutethimide as determined from difference spectra are 1.4 x 10-4 m and 4.5 x 10-4 m, respectively. The microsomal spectral dissociation constant for metyrapone is 3.3 x 10-5 m. The similarity between the mitochondrial Ki and Ks values for metyrapone clearly indicates that the extent of the observed mitochondrial 1α-hydroxylase inhibition is a function of the amount of metyrapone bound to cytochrome P450. The kinetic data and the reconstitution studies have substantiated the role of the kidney mitochondrial cytochrome P450 as a terminal oxidase in the 1α hydroxylation of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol.
Intermediate frequency atmospheric disturbances: A dynamical bridge connecting western U.S. extreme precipitation with East Asian cold surges

In this study, an atmospheric river (AR) detection algorithm is developed to investigate the downstream modulation of the eastern North Pacific ARs by another weather extreme, known as the East Asian cold surge (EACS), in both reanalysis data and high-resolution global model simulations. It is shown that following the peak of an EACS, atmospheric disturbances of intermediate frequency (IF; 10–30 day period) are excited downstream. This leads to the formation of a persistent cyclonic circulation anomaly over the eastern North Pacific that dramatically enhances the AR occurrence probability and the surface precipitation over the western U.S. between 30°N and 50°N. A diagnosis of the local geopotential height tendency further confirms the essential role of IF disturbances in establishing the observed persistent anomaly. This downstream modulation effect is then examined in the two simulations of the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model version 4 with different horizontal resolutions (T85 and T341) for the same period (1979–2005). The connection between EACS and AR is much better captured by the T341 version of the model, mainly due to a better representation of the scale interaction and the characteristics of IF atmospheric disturbances in the higher-resolution model. The findings here suggest that faithful representations of scale interaction in a global model are critical for modeling and predicting the occurrences of hydrological extremes in the western U.S. and for understanding their potential future changes.
Permutation codes for the state assignment of fault tolerant sequential machines

A fault-tolerant state assignment method is suggested for synchronous sequential machines. It is assumed that the inputs are fault free and that for no input it is possible to reach all or most of the states, whose number may be fairly large. Error correcting codes for the state assignment are generated by permutations of a chosen linear code. A state assignment algorithm is developed and its computational complexity is estimated. Examples are given. >
A simple model of burst nucleation

We introduce a comprehensive quantitative treatment for burst nucleation (BN)—a kinetic pathway toward self-assembly or crystallization defined by an extended post-supersaturation induction period, followed by a burst of nucleation, and finally the growth of existing stable assemblages absent the formation of new ones—based on a hybrid mean field rate equation model incorporating thermodynamic treatment of the saturated solvent from classical nucleation theory. A key element is the inclusion of a concentration-dependent critical nucleus size, determined self-consistently along with the subcritical cluster population density. The model is applied to an example experimental study of crystallization in tetracene films prepared by organic vapor–liquid–solid deposition, where good agreement is observed with several aspects of the experiment using a single, physically well-defined adjustable parameter. The model predicts many important features of the experiment, and can be generalized to describe other self-organizing systems exhibiting BN kinetics.
Prevalence of the fibromyalgia phenotype in patients with spine pain presenting to a tertiary care pain clinic and the potential treatment implications.

Objective Injections for spinal pain have high failure rates, emphasizing the importance of patient selection. It is possible that detecting the presence of a fibromyalgia (FM)–like phenotype could aid in prediction, because in these individuals a peripheral injection would not address pain due to alterations in central neurotransmission. We undertook this study to test the hypothesis that patients who have spine pain meeting survey criteria for FM would be phenotypically distinct from those who do not. Methods We studied 548 patients diagnosed as having primary spine pain. All patients completed validated self-report questionnaires, including the Brief Pain Inventory, the PainDETECT questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, measures of physical function, and the FM criteria and severity scales. Results Forty-two percent of the patients were FM positive according to the FM criteria and severity scales. Compared with FM-negative patients, FM-positive patients were more likely to be younger, unemployed, and receiving compensation for pain and to have greater pain severity and pain interference and more neuropathic pain descriptors as well as higher levels of depression and anxiety and a lower level of physical function (P < 0.002 for each comparison). Female sex, neuropathic pain, pain interference, and anxiety were independently predictive of FM status in a multivariate analysis (P < 0.01 for all variables). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed a strength of association of 0.80 as measured by the cross-validated C statistic. Conclusion Using the FM criteria and severity scales, we demonstrated profound phenotypic differences in a population of patients with spine pain. Although centralized pain cannot be confirmed with a self-report instrument alone, the pathophysiology of FM may help explain a portion of the variability of responses to spine interventions.
A High Performance 1μm CMOS Process for VLSI Applications

Feature sizes on circuits for logic and memory applications are rapidly approaching the one micron level. We have developed a lμm CMOS process that uses only seven photolithography steps (including protective overcoat) and has sheet resistivities of less than 1 ohm/sq. for both moat and gate interconnects.
Coloured loop-erased random walk on the complete graph

Starting from a sequence regarded as a walk through some set of values, we consider the associated loop-erased walk as a sequence of directed edges, with an edge from i to j if the loop-erased walk makes a step from i to j. We introduce a colouring of these edges by painting edges with a fixed colour as long as the walk does not loop back on itself, then switching to a new colour whenever a loop is erased, with each new colour distinct from all previous colours. The pattern of colours along the edges of the loop-erased walk then displays stretches of consecutive steps of the walk left untouched by the loop-erasure process. Assuming that the underlying sequence generating the loop-erased walk is a sequence of independent random variables, each uniform on [N] := {1, 2,. . ., N}, we condition the walk to start at N and stop the walk when it first reaches the subset [k], for some 1 ≤ k ≤ N − 1. We relate the distribution of the random length of this loop-erased walk to the distribution of the length of the first loop of the walk, via Cayley's enumerations of trees, and via Wilson's algorithm. For fixed N and k, and i = 1, 2,. . ., let Bi denote the events that the loop-erased walk from N to [k] has i + 1 or more edges, and the ith and (i + 1)th of these edges are coloured differently. We show that, given that the loop-erased random walk has j edges for some 1 ≤ j ≤ N − k, the events Bi for 1 ≤ i ≤ j − 1 are independent, with the probability of Bi equal to 1/(k + i + 1). This determines the distribution of the sequence of random lengths of differently coloured segments of the loop-erased walk, and yields asymptotic descriptions of these random lengths as N → ∞.
Functional morphology of the neck organ in Artemia salina nauplii

Fine structure of the ion transporting epithelium of the neck organ in the brine shrimp (Artemia salina) nauplius is described. The neck organ is a dome-like gland situated atop the cephalothorax of the larva and is composed of 50 to 60 cuboidal epithelial cells. These cells possess many of the characteristics of salt-secretory cells from other tissues. They contain many mitochondria and exhibit a high degree of plasma membrane elaboration. This membrane amplification takes two forms; the apical plasmalemma is infolded into irregular loops, while the basal and lateral membranes penetrate the cytoplasm in the form of branching sinusoids. The labyrinth of tubular reticulum thus formed fills most of the cell volume. Mitochondria in the labyrinth are often in intimate contact with these tubular membranes and regular arrays of parallel mitochondria with constricted intervening sinusoids are often observed. Other organelles including Golgi complexes, multivesicular bodies, and rough endoplasmic reticulum are also numerous, particularly in the narrow rim of cytoplasm which lies between the apical infolds and the labyrinth. Yolk platelets and glycogen fields are conspicuous in the basal perinuclear regions of the cells.
23 Prevalence and risk factors of pediatric asthma in west texas

PURPOSE: To measure prevalence and identify risk factors of asthma and wheezing among children aged 16 years and younger in the 40 Texas counties comprising the Panhandle and South Plains regions of Texas. METHODS: 1500 households with children under 16 were interviewed in Fall 2001. Having been diagnosed with asthma and report of a wheezing in the last 12 months were dependent variables in multivariate logistic regressions with age, gender, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), farm or ranch residence, household pets, household smoker, household income, household size, and physician utilization as predictors. RESULTS: Asthma prevalence was 13.8% and wheezing attacks were reported by 17.5%. The mean BMI was 20.3 kg/m2 (SD = 6.7, 1st quartile 2.8–16.0, 2nd quartile 16.1–18.8, 3rd quartile 18.9–22.4, 4th quartile 22.5–58.6). Characteristics significantly associated (p < 0.05) with having been diagnosed with asthma included: older children aged 6-10 years (OR = 2.1)(reference is under 6 years) and 11–15 years (OR = 3.4), African-Americans (OR = 2.3) (reference is non-Hispanic white), Hispanics (OR = 0.6), children with higher BMI (3rd quartile OR=1.7, 4th quartile OR = 2.1) (reference is 2nd quartile children), children with 2–3 physician visits (OR = 1.6), and children with 4 or more visits (OR = 3.3). Characteristics associated with a wheezing in the last 12 months (p < 0.05) were: Hispanic ethnicity (OR = 0.6), underweight or overweight BMI (1st quartile OR = 2.1, 3rd quartile OR = 1.9, 4th quartile OR = 2.5), 2–3 physician visits (OR = 1.6), and 4 or more physician visits (OR = 4.0). CONCLUSION: Children belonging to groups at higher risk for asthma or wheezing attacks can be prospectively identified and targeted for receipt of preventive or diagnostic services to control asthma and improve quality of life for children in this region. Furthermore, children suffering from asthma or wheezing attacks are high users of physician services indicating that prevention and control of these conditions has financial implications for the health systems serving this area.
FEDERAL ASSISTANCE TO LIBRARIES: CURRENT GRANT PROGRAMS AND ISSUES

A variety of federal programs have provided financial assistance to public and college libraries since enactment of the original Library Services Act in 1956, or even the initiation of the federal depository library system in 1859. Although continued federal funding for most of these programs has been questioned, the programs have continued, and some of the smaller ones have experienced a modest expansion in appropriation levels and authorized activities. This article provides background information on these programs, including brief information on their structure, authorized activities, funding levels, available program evaluations, and issues.
Variation of lithium isotope composition in the marine environment: A preliminary report

The Li isotopic compositions of ocean waters, lake water, hydrothermal solutions, altered and unaltered basalts have been determined using the technique of thermal ionization mass spectrometry of lithium tetraborate. Seawater appears to be homogeneous in Li isotopic composition. The mean {delta}{sup 6}Li value is {minus}32.3 {plus minus} 0.5{per thousand}, relative to an isotopic standard. Three lakes studied (Lake Tanganyika, Caspian Sea and Dead Sea) yield {delta}{sup 6}Li similar to the seawater isotopic composition. A fresh basalt glass from 21{degree}N, East Pacific Rise displays a {delta}{sup 6}Li value of {minus}4.7{per thousand}. A hydrothermal solution from a 21{degree}N vent field has {delta}{sup 6}Li of {minus}10{per thousand}, indicating incomplete extraction of Li from the igneous minerals or partial retention in secondary phases. The alteration margin of a basalt from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge has {delta}{sup 6}Li of {minus}8.4{per thousand}. The isotope data of submarine basalts suggest preferential removal of {sup 6}Li from seawater into alteration minerals during low temperature weathering. The {delta}{sup 6}Li values of two hydrothermal solutions from Guaymas Basin were found to be {minus}5{per thousand} and {minus}10{per thousand}. The results can be interpreted as the net effect of Li addition from basalt and sediments and incorporation in hydrothermal precipitates as the hydrothermalmore » fluids interact with basin sediments. The observed enrichment of {sup 7}Li in seawater relative to submarine hydrothermal solutions, its principal Li input, is tentatively attributed to isotopic fractionation associated with low temperature alteration of sea floor basalt and incorporation in authigenic sediments. It appears that the Li isotope system may have characteristics that can resolve the mass balance of Li in the ocean.« less
Never-dried cotton fibers. III. Crystallinity and crystallite size

X-Ray diffraction patterns were obtained for never-dried cotton in water and compared to those for cotton dried once, rewetted, dried a second time, and rewetted again. In addition, cotton reacted with formaldehyde or acrylamide to “fix” the never-dried fibers were examined in the never-dried and rewetted states. Relative crystallinities were found to be indentical for all wet cottons and somewhat lower for dry cotton samples. Half-widths for the equatorial reflections decreased in the order: first-dried, second-dried, never-dried, first-rewetted-second-rewetted for all cottons. Somewhat broader reflections were observed in the rewetted state for the “fixed” samples than for untreated samples. The results are consistent with a buildup of stress in the cotton fiber on drying and a relaxation of stress on rewetting with some reorganization of cellulose chains in the first rewetting to form larger or more perfect crystallites than in never-dried cotton. Such reorganization is inhibited, but not prevented, in the “fixed” samples.
Financial incentives to encourage demand response participation by plug-in hybrid electric vehicle owners

Demand response has the potential to increase the flexibility and reliability of the bulk electric system. Although the majority of demand response is currently provided by the industrial and commercial sectors, the residential sector has the potential to ultimately provide more demand response than any other sector. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) further increase the ability of residential customers to participate in demand response programs and help to offset any negative impacts that may stem from PHEV charging. This paper will explore the financial incentives necessary to encourage PHEV owners to participate in demand response programs using a case study based on existing time-of-use rates in the Madison Gas & Electric service territory.
Upregulation and spatial shift in the localization of the mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor during radiation enteropathy development in the rat.

Abstract Background and purpose : Transforming growth factor β 1 (TGF- β 1) appears to play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic radiation-induced fibrosis in the intestine and several other organs. TGF- β 1 is secreted as a non-biologically active complex and its function depends on activation. In vitro data suggest that the mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor- β (M6P/IGF-II) receptor is involved in the mechanism of TGF- β 1 activation. Thus, we used a rat model of radiation enteropathy to examine the potential role of the M6P/IGF-II receptor in the in vivo regulation of TGF- β 1 activity and localization. Materials and methods : A scrotal hernia containing a loop of small intestine was created in male rats. The intestine in the scrotum was exposed to 0, 12, or 21 Gy single dose X-radiation. Groups of rats were euthanized 1 day and 2, 6 and 26 weeks after irradiation. Histopathologic injury was assessed with a radiation injury score (RIS). Computerized image analysis was used to identify M6P/IGF-II receptor-positive cells and to quantify extracellular matrix-associated TGF- β 1 immunoreactivity. Changes in urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), tissue-like plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) immunoreactivity were also assessed. Results : In normal (sham-irradiated) intestine, M6P/IGF-II immunoreactivity was confined to relatively weak, but specific epithelial staining. Irradiated intestine exhibited a highly significant time- and dose-dependent increase in the number of M6P/IGF-II receptor-positive cells ( P β 1 in areas of histopathologic injury. There were highly significant associations between the number of M6P/IGF-II receptor-positive stromal cells and TGF- β 1 immunoreactivity ( P P P P Conclusions : M6P/IGF-II receptor upregulation may be a key factor in the in vivo control of TGF- β 1 activity and responsible for the tissue specificity of TGF- β 1 action after irradiation.
Annual Summary of Vital Statistics—1973

National data for this article, as in previous reports,1 are drawn principally from the Monthly Vital Statistics Report,2,3 published by the National Center for Health Statistics. The international data come chiefly from the United Nations Demographic Yearbook4 and the quarterly, Population and Vital Statistics,5 both published by the Statistical Office of the United Nations. These are official government reports, but the provisional data sometimes omit significant factors related to the World Health Organization definition of a live birth and an infant death. In such instances, data from World Health Organization Reports6 or direct communications from ministries of health7 have been substituted.
GIS-based analysis of foundation repairs and soil conditions in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, Texas

The Dallas-Fort Worth region is subject to a severe expansive soils hazard, resulting in costly damage to many thousands of residential foundations each year. A GIS is used to examine relationships between a sample of approximately 10,000 foundation repair addresses and geologic and soil conditions. The study results show that foundation repairs are concentrated in areas underlain by bedrock, surficial deposits and soils that promote high shrink–swell potentials. A linear extensibility index, designed as an index of overall shrink–swell potential explains about 48% of the variation in the prevalence of repairs. Repairs are concentrated on soils that underlay many areas of new urban growth in the DFW region, suggesting that the incidence of foundation repairs in these areas will probably increase in the future.
In vivo 5-HIAA release from the anterior hypothalamus in the ovariectomized and estradiol treated rat following perfusion with progesterone.

In the present study the frequency and magnitude of the release of 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid (5-HIAA) was measured from the anterior hypothalamus of ovariectomized (OVX) and OVX rats treated with estradiol (E2). Female, Holtzman strain rats were maintained on a photoperiod of 14 H light from 0100 to 1500 H and experiments performed from 0900 to 1700 H. Animals exhibiting four-day estrous cycles (250–300 gms) were OVX (20 days recovery) and a push-pull-cannula (PPC) implanted and stereotaxically aimed at the SCN region in the anterior hypothalamus. Following a 7–10 day recovery push-pull-perfusion (PPP) experiments were performed on either OVX females or on OVX females in which a silastic E2 implant (150 μg E2/ml. sesame oil), was placed sc 48 H prior to PPP. In other experiments progesterone (P4) was perfused in a pulsatile manner over the SCN region of the anterior hypothalamus. The overall average 5-HIAA release in the OVX treated rats (548±358 pg/10 min.) was similar to that in the OVX E2 group (694±148 pg/10 min). The average period of 5-HIAA release was (48.2±5.5 min) in the OVX group and (56.0±9.8 min) in the OVX E2 group. These results indicate that exposure of long term OVX rats (20 days) to E2 has no effect on the release or period of 5-HIAA release from serotonergic terminals concentrated in the SCN of the anterior hypothalamus. Pulsatile perfusions of P4 over the SCN region in the OVX E2 treated rat significantly decreased 5-HIAA release but had no effect on the frequency of 5-HIAA release. This suggests that the pulsatile perfusion of P4 can modulate serotonergic activity and potentially affect serotonergic dependent neuroendocrine systems.
STOMATA OF ALETHOPTERIS SULLIVANTI: A NEW STOMATAL TYPE AMONG SEED FERNS AND VASCULAR PLANTS

Observations based on new preparations confirm the presence of four cells in parallel alignment in A. sullivanti stomata but not with two flanking subsidiary cells as in paracytic stomata. Rather, each guard cell contains in its interior a smaller inner cell. The stomatal pore is formed by walls of the larger cells and it is not known what role, if any, the interior cells may have played in opening and closing the pore. This cell-within-a-cell arrangement is unknown among stomata elsewhere in the plant kingdom. The inner cells have the appearance of guard cells, especially when the poral walls of the larger cells are removed, and were so designated by Oestry Stidd and Stidd (1976). Cuticle preparations (Reihman and Schabilion, 1985) leave most of the cell structure of the stomatal apparatus intact among other leaf tissues (are not removed with the cuticle) and therefore do not reveal essential features.
Big effects of small interventions: The informational role of intervention in exchange rate policy

Abstract In this paper we demonstrate how an infintesimal unsterilized foreign exchange intervention may cause a very large discrete change in the exchange rate. We analyze an example in which there is a target-zone policy in place but the actual width of the target zone is not known by participants in the foreign exchange market. In this case, intervention both affects fundamentals and conveys information about policy. The exchange rate jumps in response to intervention with the size of the jump related to the uncertainty about the true band width. Also in this model the relationship between the exchange rate and the fundamental depends upon both the history of the path of the exchange rate and whether or not intervention has occured.
Velocity and attenuation of sound in arterial tissues

The velocity and attenuation of sound has been determined for freshly excised human and canine arterial tissues using a time delay spectrometer (TDS) technique. Frequency was swept from 0 to 10 MHz with data being taken in the range from 2 to 10 MHz. The velocity was determined using a comparison of the time delay for the received signal between a water path and a sample tissue of measured thickness. The velocity of sound was measured for various pathologies and related to biochemical assays of tissue. It was found to increase with increasing ultrasound attenuation of the tissue. The velocity was shown to increase with increased collagen, C, expressed as a percentage of wet weight of the tissue, [V = 17.8*C+1561 m/s at 37 °C, r = 0.77] but was not strongly dependent on tissue cholesterol or low levels of calcium. For highly calcified lesions, the velocity of sound was found to be approximately 2000 m/s at 37 °C.
Out in the outback: Queering nationalism in Australian film comedy

ABSTRACTThe ‘ocker film’ was one of the defining subgenres of the revitalized Australian cinema of the 1970s. Characterized by bawdy humor and roguish escapades, these picaresque films satirically perpetuated an image of folksy Australian masculinity that countered and antagonized a queered image of British masculinity. To this end, these popular comedies rebuked the lingering British cultural influence in Australia while underscoring its distinctive humor and cultural identity, albeit one that was often sexist, anti-intellectual, and homophobic. In the 1990s, a series of Australian film comedies took up (and took on) the ocker tradition to revise this problematic image of Australian masculinity. In this essay, I argue that The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (Elliott, 1994) re-appropriates and revises the ocker tradition, especially its pervasive heteronormativity. Though it falters in its treatment of women and ethnic minorities, Priscilla promotes a message of diversity that queers what I ...
THE TERMINATION SHOCK MAY HAVE A BOW-SHAPED OPEN GEOMETRY

The global termination shock has been calculated by many authors. All show that the shock has a closed geometry for which the termination shock encompasses the Sun. This research points out that there exists another possibility: that the termination shock may have an open geometry in which the shock on the upwind side flares out along the sides, so that the supersonic solar wind remains shock free on the downwind side in the heliotail. Interaction of the solar wind with the interstellar medium leads to the formation of the heliosphere and termination shock. The interaction causes substantial disturbances on both sides of the heliopause. On the heliosphere side, the magnetic field and plasma flow are significantly compressed as the heliopause blocks the forward motion of the supersonic solar wind; this mechanism is responsible for the formation of the termination shock on the upwind side. However, on the downwind side the motion of supersonic solar wind is unobstructed. There is no repeat of the kind of intense solar wind interstellar interaction like that which occurs on the upwind side. The mechanism for shock formation is not present on the downwind side; thus, the global termination shock likely has an open geometry. An example is obtained to demonstrate global characteristics of the termination shock with a bow-shaped open geometry. The shock is a normal shock at the nose point. The shock weakens along the shock surface from the nose to its flanks; eventually, the shock asymptotically reduces to a Mach wave.