cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An optimal algorithm for the multi-item capacitated production planning problem

Abstract The multi-item capacitated production planning problem consists of scheduling the size and the timing of the production for several items over a finite horizon so as to meet known future demand without incurring backlogs. The objective is to minimize the total cost of production, holding and resource over the horizon subject to a constraint on total production capacity in each period. The special model to be considered in this paper assumes that only two resources (regular time and overtime) are available and the unit production, holding and resource costs are linear and time-invariant. We study some optimal properties and propose an exact polynomial time algorithm based on these properties for this model. An extensive computational experiment is conducted which shows that the proposed algorithm outperforms the general-purpose transportation algorithm by far.
Heme oxygenase induction with attenuation of experimentally induced corneal inflammation

Abstract Heme oxygenase (HO), by catabolizing heme to bile pigments, down-regulates cellular levels of heme and hemeproteins; certain of the latter, i.e. cytochrome P450s, generate pro-inflammatory products from endogenous substrates. Two HO isozymes, the products of distinct genes, have been described; HO-1 is the inducible one, whereas HO-2 is believed to be constitutively expressed. We studied the inducing effects of several metal compounds [CoCl 2 , SnCl 2 , ZnCl 2 , heme, and cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP)]on HO-1 mRNA content and enzyme activity in cultures of rabbit corneal epithelial (RCE) cells; these metal compounds are known to induce HO in other tissues. Additionally, we studied HO-1 expression in an experimental model of ocular inflammation produced in rabbit corneas by extended contact lens wear, and the relation of HO expression to the induced inflammatory process. SnCl 2 added to RCE cells in vitro produced marked time- and concentration-dependent increases in HO-1 mRNA and HO-1 enzyme activity; CoCl 2 , ZnCl 2 , and CoPP were inducers of HO as well, though to a lesser degree than SnCl 2 . Corneas treated for 6 days with contact lenses impregnated with SnCl 2 displayed substantially less corneal inflammation, swelling, and new vessel invasion than did controls; attenuation of ocular inflammation was paralleled by SnCl 2 -induced increases in HO mRNA and HO activity in corneal epithelial cells from treated eyes. It is suggested that amelioration of the inflammatory response produced by extended contact lens wear is due, in part, to the induction of high levels of HO-1 activity by SnCl 2 , which results in diminished production of pro-inflammatory mediators generated through heme-dependent metabolic processes. Regulation of HO activity in this manner may have clinical applications.
Assessing the importance of endometrial biopsy prior to oocyte donation

The importance of performing an endometrial biopsy in women preparing for oocyte donation goes beyond confirming the histologic response to hormone replacement therapy. Additional information related to uterine architecture, ease of embryo transfer, status of the ovaries, and patient compliance is also gained. Finally, the return visit provides an opportunity to discuss plans for the upcoming cycle. Whereas this report does not specifically address the question as to how many pregnancies were contingent upon the satisfactory performance of the mock cycle, we estimate that due to a combination of factors (i.e., lack of endometrial response, patient noncompliance, difficult embryo transfer), the likelihood of pregnancy in many cases would have been substantially reduced had the preliminary cycle not been attempted.
Negative Ion Thermochemistry: The Sulfur Fluorides SFn/SFn- (n = 1−7)

The molecular structures and total energies of SFn and SFn- (n = 1−7) have been predicted using density functional methods. Three significant measures of electron affinity are reported: the adiabatic electron affinity (EAad), the vertical electron affinity (EAvert), and the vertical detachment energy of the anion (VDE). The first S−F ligand dissociation energies D(Fn-1S−F), D(Fn-1S-−F), and D(Fn-1S−F-) are also reported. Self-consistent Kohn−Sham orbitals were obtained using various functional forms and a double-ζ plus polarization (DZP) basis set. The addition of diffuse s- and p-type functions to the basis set lowered the energies of the anions relative to their neutral species and significantly improved the values of the electron affinities. The method (BHLYP) based upon Becke's half-and-half exchange functional and the Lee−Yang−Parr correlation functional predicted molecular geometries and electron affinities in best agreement with experiment, while the other methods tended to produce bond lengths th...
Analysis of Switching Circuits Through Incorporation of a Generalized Diode Reverse Recovery Model Into State Plane Analysis

A new switching circuit analysis technique is proposed in which the reverse recovery and junction capacitance non-idealities of diode-based switches are incorporated into a state plane analysis of the circuit. Accurate state plane modeling of the reverse recovery process is based on the development of new generalizations of the classic charge control model. Using as an example a zero-voltage switching dc transformer possessing high sensitivity to diode characteristics, these generalizations are shown to be necessary to achieve accurate results across all operating modes. The proposed circuit analysis technique produces excellent modeling agreement with results measured on a hardware prototype of the dc transformer circuit.
Adrenoleukodystrophy: A Link Between Adrenal Insufficiency and School Performance

The combination of neurodevelopmental regression and adrenal insufficiency should alert practitioners or emergency room physicians about ALD. Although still unproven, early medical intervention with either gene therapy or bone marrow transplantation may offer more promise to these patients.
International and US standards: error and fraud

Both the international and US auditing Standards provide guidance to the auditor in searching for material misstatements caused by errors and fraud. Auditors, especially those with clients interested in cross‐border securities markets, should comprehend the similarities and differences in the requirements found in the Standards in these significant audit areas. A comparison of the international Standard for error and fraud to the two US Standards for these topics discloses numerous similarities and a few differences. The findings are reassuring to auditors serving clients with cross‐border interests. Whether the auditor is utilizing the international or the US guidance, comparable audit work in searching for misstatements arising from errors and fraud is being performed.
Errors in variables in panel data with a binary dependent variable

Abstract In a conditional logistic regression model for panel data when independent variables are subject to measurement error, the usual estimator, obtained by a regression on the observed independent variables, is asymptotically biased. We introduce a bias-adjusted estimator, which is examined asymptotically under conditions that are appropriate when the measurement error is small but non-negligible.
Alterations in Liver ATP Homeostasis in Human Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis: A Pilot Study

ContextThe mechanisms that drive progression from fatty liver to steatohepatitis and cirrhosis are unknown. In animal models, obese mice with fatty livers are vulnerable to liver adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion and necrosis, suggesting that altered hepatic energy homeostasis may be involved.ObjectiveTo determine if patients with fatty liver disease exhibit impaired recovery from hepatic ATP depletion.DesignLaboratory analysis of liver ATP stores monitored by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy before and after transient hepatic ATP depletion was induced by fructose injection. The study was conducted between July 15 and August 30, 1998.SettingUniversity hospital.PatientsEight consecutive adults with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and 7 healthy age- and sex-matched controls.Main Outcome MeasureLevel of ATP 1 hour after fructose infusion in patients vs controls.ResultsIn patients, serum aminotransferase levels were increased (P = .02 vs controls); albumin and bilirubin values were normal and clinical evidence of portal hypertension was absent in both groups. However, 2 patients had moderate fibrosis and 1 had cirrhosis on liver biopsy. Mean serum glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were similar between groups but patients weighed significantly more than controls (P = .02). Liver ATP levels were similar in the 2 groups before fructose infusion and decreased similarly in both after fructose infusion (P = .01 vs initial ATP levels). However, controls replenished their hepatic ATP stores during the 1-hour follow-up period (P<.02 vs minimum ATP) but patients did not. Hence, patients' hepatic ATP levels were lower than those of controls at the end of the study (P = .04). Body mass index (BMI) correlated inversely with ATP recovery, even in controls (R = −0.768; P = .07). Although BMI was greater in patients than controls (P = .02) and correlated strongly with fatty liver and serum aminotransferase elevations, neither of the latter 2 parameters nor the histologic severity of fibrosis strongly predicted hepatic ATP recovery.ConclusionsThese data suggest that recovery from hepatic ATP depletion becomes progressively less efficient as body mass increases in healthy controls and is severely impaired in patients with obesity-related nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
The van Hove singularity and high-Tc superconductivity: The role of nanoscale disorder and interlayer coupling

Abstract The van Hove singularity (vHs) model provides a unifying picture for understanding many anomalous features of high-temperature superconductors. The vHs is found to occur very close to the calculated Fermi levels in most high-T c cuprates. The large dos peak (the logarithmic singularity is only modestly broadened by interlayer coupling) provides a simple explanation of enhanced superconductivity, but also leads to striking intrinsic disorder, both as the material is doped away from the vHs (potentially nanoscale phase separation), and at the vHs (short-range density wave order).
Understanding the language of thought

To conclude then, our question was, “What determines the content of a thought?” This question gets its punch by being set against the background assumption that thoughts are internal physical occurrences. The answer I have proposed is that thoughts can be classified in four importantly different ways. Introspection yields syntactic categories. These are important for cognitive processing, but they do not correspond to contents. A second way of categorizing thoughts is in terms of narrow content. This is determined by the functional role of the thought in rational architecture together with the way in which that rational architecture is tied to the world through input correlations. Narrow contents are indexical, so to get truth bearers we must augment the narrow contents with the values of the indexical parameters. Propositional content can be taken to consist of pairs of narrow contents and values for indexical parameters. Finally, thoughts can be classified in terms of ‘that’ clauses. This kind of classification does not uniquely determine propositional content, but describes it in a more general way.
How Does University Decision Making Shape the Faculty

The authors discuss important institutional changes that they view as probably permanennt for reasons of cost and that may have far-reaching implications for the future of higher education.
Effects of extrusion process variables on extractable ginsenosides in wheat-ginseng extrudates.

To evaluate effects of extrusion process variables on ginsenosides in wheat−ginseng extrudates, a wheat flour−ginseng powder blend (10% ginseng powder, w/w) was extruded in a twin-screw extruder with full factorial combinations of feed moisture (25, 30, and 35%), screw speed (200 and 300 rpm), and zone 5 barrel temperature (110, 120, 130, and 140 °C). The quantities of ginsenosides (Rb1, Rc, and Rd) extracted from the wheat−ginseng extrudates extruded at a zone 5 barrel temperature of ≥120 °C were significantly higher than those extracted from the nonextruded blend. New ginsenosides (Rg2 and Rg3), which were not present in the nonextruded blend, were found in certain wheat−ginseng extrudates, indicating that high temperature extrusion processing could lead to degradation of acidic malonyl ginsenosides (Rb1, Rc, and Rd) into neutral ginsenosides (Rb1, Rc, and Rd, respectively) as well as modification of protopanaxadiol-type and protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides into Rg3 and Rg2, respectively.
Population dynamics of a commercial sponge in Biscayne Bay, Florida

Abstract The dynamics of glove sponge (Spongia graminea) population in Biscayne Bay, Florida were investigated using a series of matrix population models, a hydrodynamic model, and a GIS data base. Sponges at Billy's Point, on the eastern margin of Biscayne Bay, were sampled between 1993 and 1995 and resampled in 2000 for model calibration and testing. An iterative procedure was used to fit unmeasured fecundity and a growth parameter by minimizing the 1993 to 2000 simulated differences from the observed year 2000 size class distribution. A density dependent model was found to fit the total population size in 2000 better than the density independent matrix model. Systematic sampling of the bay was used to identify four local populations with sponge densities above 50 ha−1. The three western populations experienced salinity below 25, based on hydrodynamic model outputs for 1995, whereas the eastern Billy's Point population had a stable ocean salinity environment. The hydrodynamic model was used to simulate larval transport between local populations as lagrangian drifting particles. These simulations indicated that the Billy's Point population was likely to be demographically closed.
TEMPERATURE‐SENSITIVE MUTANTS OF ASCOBOLUS IMMERSUS

A B S T R A C T As a result of a search for genetic markers to be used in interallelic recombinlation studies. 23 temperature-sensitive mutants of Ascobolus immersus were isolated following UV-irradiation. Three of these failed to grow at 37 C but grew normally or, in one case with a colonial phenotype, at 25 C. Twenty mutants are like the wild type at 25 C but express a colonial phenotype at 37 C. Crosses of the mutants to wild type indicate that all are due to single-gene mutations. Crosses among certain of the mutants indicate that several different loci are affected. STRAINS expressing a mutant phenotype at one
The Raman and infrared spectra of the glasses in the system BaOTiO2B2O3

Abstract Infrared and Raman spectra were measured for various glasses in the system BaO-TiO2-B2O3, and interpreted on the basis of structure. Emphasis was placed on the spectral effects due to changes in coordination for boron along with BaO and TiO2 addition. Various vibrational bands and splitting in the spectra indicated Ti-O bonds and Ti-O-B linkages. The resulting structural model was used to interpret compositional effects upon properties, such as glass transformation temperature, d.c. conductivity and coefficient of thermal expansion.
Changes in the abundance of blue-green algae related to nutrient loadings in the nearshore of Lake Michigan

Nutrient loadings to the nearshore of southeastern Lake Michigan have undergone a remarkable reduction. This reduction can affect the nutrient supply and result in biological changes. Changes in phytoplankton community, particularly the blue-green algae, can be related to nutrient changes. After thermal stratification, sudden increases in the blue-green algae population were significantly correlated to soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations. Phosphorus-stimulated low dissolved silica and phosphorus limitations after stratification appear to be primary factors contributing to the success of these algae.
Opioids and the prostanoid system in the control of cerebral blood flow in hypotensive piglets.

The interaction between opioid and prostanoid mechanisms in the control of cerebral hemodynamics was investigated in the conscious hypotensive piglet. Radiomicrospheres were used to determine regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in piglets pretreated with the opioid receptor antagonist, naloxone, or its vehicle, saline, during normotension, hypotension, and after the administration of indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, during hypotension. Hemorrhage (30 ml/kg) decreased systemic arterial pressure from 68 ± 12 to 40 ± 10 mm Hg but did not decrease blood flow to any brain region. Indomethacin treatment (5 mg/kg) of hypotensive piglets decreased blood flow to all brain regions within 20 min; this decrease in CBF resulted from increases in cerebral vascular resistance of 65 and 281% at 20 and 40 min after treatment, respectively. In hypotensive piglets, cerebral oxygen consumption was reduced from 2.62 ± 0.71 to 0.53 ± 0.27 ml 100g−1 min−1 and to 0.11 ± 0.04 ml 100 g−1 min−1 at 20 and 40 min following i...
GAS ABSORPTION IN A HOLLOW FIBER DEVICE

Abstract The absorption of S02 and NH3 from air and air/CO 2 streams was studied for the first time in a certain novel hollow fiber mass transfer device, for various inlet gas compositions, liquid compositions, gas flow rates, and liquid flow rates. The gas and liquid flows were countercurrent. Analyses of the amounts of S02and NH3 absorbed demonstrate that the hollow fiber unit has a relatively small membrane resistance and is an effective gas scrubbing device. Additionally, it offers a large interfacial area per unit volume, and avoids flooding problems entirely
Neuropsychological Functioning of Recidivist Alcoholics Treated with Disulfiram: A follow-Up Report

Does disulfiram have a deleterious effect on neuropsychological functions? Neuropsychological test performance of 15 chronic alcoholics before and after being placed on disulfiram was compared with a similar group of 9 milieu-treated alcoholics also tested twice. Results indicated that (1) both groups showed a high incidence of significant neuropsychological impairment prior to either disulfiram or milieu treatment; (2) on second testing, both groups showed improved neuropsychological test performance. Disulfiram-treated alcoholics generally did not show increased neuropsychological impairment after being maintained on low dosages of this drug for 2 weeks. Certain results, however, suggest that the effect of disulfiram on short-term memory should be investigated.
Role of human papillomavirus typing in diagnosis and clinical decision making for a giant verrucous genital lesion.

Abstract A 60-year-old man presented with a 12.0 × 10.0-cm exophytic, verrucous genital plaque. Multiple biopsy specimens were evaluated by standard histologic analysis and polymerase chain reaction assays for human papillomavirus (HPV) deoxyribonucleic acid. All biopsy specimens showed histopathologic changes consistent with giant condyloma of Buschke-Lowenstein (GCBL), were uniformly positive for HPV 6/11, and showed a weaker signal for HPV 16. Published reports suggest that the presence of HPV may be useful in differentiating GCBL from verrucous carcinoma (VC), but absence of “high-risk” HPV types in GCBL cannot exclude focally invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Screening for HPV may be a helpful adjunct in differentiating GCBL from VC, but histopathologic criteria for malignancy should take precedence over HPV typing when determining management.
The thin green line: Examining environmental regulation and environmental offending from multiple perspectives

Abstract Regulatory and criminological research has long tried to understand environmental offending from the perspectives of offenders and regulators. Often neglected is how these two parties perceive each other—in other words, how do regulatory actors think about decision-making in the context of their interactions? Building on prior research that finds discrepancies in the perceptions of regulators and the regulated community (e.g., May and Wood, 2003; Mascini and Wijk, 2009), the current study uses a randomized vignette survey to assess how both parties weigh various factors in two hypothetical scenarios. In one scenario, we depict a regulator issuing a citation to a noncompliant corporation. In another, we depict a compliance manager engaging in noncompliance. We find that regulators and the regulated community differ in whether they would engage in such behaviors and why. Examining how regulatory actors understand their roles does much to inform policymaking and theories of corporate environmental offending.
Wavelet and Eigenfrequency spectral analysis of color Doppler optical coherence tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a depth-resolved imaging modality that uses low coherence interferometry to gate the time-of-flight of backreflected sample light. The heterodyne frequency of the interferometric signal can be up- or downshifted by reflection off of a moving particle (e.g. red blood cells in an artery). This Doppler shift can be resolved with a time-frequency decomposition (TFD) and displayed as a color Doppler-OCT image. Here we compare the in virto and in vivo performance of three TFDs: the short-time Fourier transform, the Morlet wavelet transform, and the short-time MUSIC transform (STMT). The STMT is a new TFD that incorporates the MUSIC eigenfrequency estimator in a generalized short-time framework. The Morlet transform excels at identifying blood vessels, while the STMT is the most accurate predictor of Doppler shift frequency.
The Phonetics of Metrics

The purpose of this investigation is to test whether there is a connection between metre and the prosodic structure of a language. If a correspondence exists, the same meter should be realized in a phonetically different way in languages with different prosodic systems, and the differences in the phonetic realization of the metre should be explainable on the basis of the differences between the prosodic systems. The study begins with an examination of the realization of the trochaeic pattern (bisyllabic feet accented on the first syllable) in Finnish, Estonian, Swedish, and Lithuanian. This is followed by a consideration of the relationship between metric feet and poetic lines. Stress-timing is illustrated with reference to Icelandic.
Restoring shapes of noisy curves

We present a quasi-interpolant spline method to reduce noise and preserve shape of closed curves. Quasi-interpolation provides a natural way to construct a compact filter for generating approximate orthogonal projections.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The ability of battery second use strategies to impact plug-in electric vehicle prices and serve utility energy storage applications

The high cost of lithium ion batteries is a major impediment to the increased market share of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and full electric vehicles (EVs). The reuse of PHEV/EV propulsion batteries in second use applications following the end of their automotive service life may have the potential to offset the high initial cost of these batteries today. Accurately assessing the value of such a strategy is exceedingly complex and entails many uncertainties. This paper takes a first step toward such an assessment by estimating the impact of battery second use on the initial cost of PHEV/EV batteries to automotive consumers and exploring the potential for grid-based energy storage applications to serve as a market for used PHEV/EV batteries. It is found that although battery second use is not expected to significantly affect today's PHEV/EV prices, it has the potential to become a common component of future automotive battery life cycles and potentially to transform markets in need of cost-effective energy storage. Based on these findings, the authors advise further investigation focused on forecasting long-term battery degradation and analyzing second-use applications in more detail.
The Revolutionary Process in Mexico: Essays on Political and Social Change, 1880–1940

The Revolutionary Process in Mexico: Essays on Political and Social Change, 1880-1940. Jaime E. Rodriguez (editor). Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center Publications,1990. 331 pp. $37.50 (cloth). ISBN 0-87903-073-9.
Material properties of coal-tar emulsion sealers

Coal-tar emulsion sealers are used to protect hot-mix asphalt pavements from damage due to the spillage of petroleum-based materials. This paper contains the results of a study, which has field tests and laboratory tests, concerning the effect of various amounts of aggregate, temperature variations, a polymer additive, and aging on the material properties of coal-tar emulsion mixtures. The material properties tests included thermal expansion, creep stiffness test, and by measuring tensile strength, the stress-strain relationships. The study results indicate that the thermal expansion of the mixtures increased with increasing amounts of coal-tar emulsion; however, this effect was slightly reduced with the addition of a polymer additive. Creep stiffness values increased with age and increasing amounts of aggregate in the mixture. The results of the stress-strain evaluation were not consistent. Increased amounts of aggregate, lower temperatures, and decreased amounts of polymer generally resulted in greater stress levels being achieved prior to failure.
Mass equidistribution for Hecke eigenforms

In this work, we study the mass equidistribution for holomorphic Hecke eigenforms and establish, by employing incomplete Poincare series and the Petersson formula, sharp equidistribution results when the average is performed over intervals much shorter than before. A key feature is the analysis of the off-diagonal terms that result from this shortening of intervals. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Time-resolved respirometry: Equations for the simultaneous measurement of all respiratory gases and the calibration of oxygen consumption using variable inert gas flow rates

Abstract 1. 1.|Respiratory gas exchange equations for simultaneous time-resolved determination of oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, and evaporative water loss are presented. 2. 2.|The overall accuracy of time-resolved respiratory gas analysis may be tested by using variable rates of injection of an inert gas to simulate a variable rate of oxygen consumption.
A finiteness property of infinite resolutions

In this paper we prove a finiteness result for infinite minimal free resolutions over a Noetherian local ring R :I fM is a module, such as the residue field, that is locally free of constant rank on the punctured spectrumof R, and I ⊂ R is an ideal, then the maps fn : Fn → Fn−1 in the minimal free resolution of M satisfy the uniform Artin–Rees property: I N Fn−1 ∩ Im fn ⊂ I N−q Im fn with Artin–Rees exponent q independent of n. We ask whether the same result holds for any finitely generated module, and we study some related finiteness questions. © 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Analytical drain current models for AlGaAs/GaAs MODFET's including subthreshold conduction

Analytical models for self-aligned-gate AlGaAs/GaAs MODFET's that predict static current-voltage characteristics continuously from below to above threshold are presented. The characteristic equations are derived from fundamental device analysis and contain no nonphysical fitting parameters. They are closed-form and describe device behavior explicitly in terms of terminal voltages. The model equations are amenable to modification for incorporating short-channel effects both in the subthreshold and above-threshold operating regimes. Comparisons of model predictions with data from numerical models are presented. In addition to retaining the physical basis of MODFET operation, the models, due to their relative simplicity, promise digital circuit design, analysis, and simulations with accuracy, ease, and efficiency. >
Thermochemical and chemical kinetic data for fluorinated hydrocarbons

Abstract A comprehensive, detailed chemical kinetic mechanism was developed and is presented for C1 and C2 fluorinated hydrocarbon destruction and flame suppression. Existing fluorinated hydrocarbon thermochemistry and kinetics were compiled from the literature and evaluated. For species where no or incomplete thermochemistry was available, these data were calculated through application of ab initio molecular orbital theory. Group additivity values were determined consistent with experimental and ab initio data. For reactions where no or limited kinetics were available, these data were estimated by analogy to hydrocarbon reactions, by using empirical relationships from other fluorinated hydrocarbon reactions, by ab initio transition state calculations, and by application of RRKM and QRRK methods. The chemistry was modeled considering different transport conditions (plug flow, premixed flame, opposed flow diffusion flame) and using different fuels (methane, ethylene), equivalence ratios, agents (fluoromethanes, fluoroethanes) and agent concentrations. This report provides a compilation and analysis of the thermochemical and chemical kinetic data used in this work.
Counseling Pregnant Women Who May Deliver Extremely Premature Infants: Medical Care Guidelines, Family Choices, and Neonatal Outcomes

OBJECTIVES.The justification of neonatal intensive care for extremely premature infants is contentious and of considerable importance. The goal of this report is to describe our experience implementing consensus medical staff guidelines used for counseling pregnant women threatening extremely premature birth between 22 0 ⁄7 and 26 6 ⁄7 weeks’ postmenstrual age and to give an account of family preferences and the immediate outcome of their infants. METHODS.Retrospective chart review was performed for all women threatening premature birth between 22 0 ⁄7 and 26 6 ⁄7 weeks postmenstrual age who presented to our high-risk obstetric service between June 2003 and December 2006. Women participated in comprehensive periviability counseling, which featured our specific obstetric and neonatology care recommendations for them and their infant at each gestational week. A subset of women were approached to obtain consent for a 2-step interview process beginning 3 days after the initial periviability counseling and
LOCAL SYSTEM ENGINEERING EDUCATION PROGRAM IGNITION AND SUSTENANCE

Academic institutions, industry, and other components of our society are continuing a long standing trend toward fragmenting and specializing the arts and sciences related to the development of complex systems. The absence of an effective countervailing force encouraging generalism poses serious problems for American industry. Several examples exist illustrating how this trend can be turned around.
Description of a gland associated with the foveae dorsales in 2 species of Dermacentor ticks, and its possible role in sex pheromone activity (Metastigmata: Ixodidae).

Histological evidence concerning the existence of a pair of small glands associated with the foveae dorsales in females of Dermacentor variabilis (Say) and Dermacentor andersoni Stiles is described. Each gland comprises several lobes linked to the ducts and pores of the fovea by filamentous protoplasmic connections. In the unfed females, the gland appears to be very small, flattened and compressed in the cuticular recess below each fovea. In partially fed females, however, the gland appears to grow until it has increased to approximately 3 times in depth and 2.5 times in breadth at the end of the 5th day of attachment. Masses of intensely staining granular material were visible in the gland cells and colloid-like substance accumulated in the foveal ducts in hematoxylin-eosin stained sections of partially fed females. Scanning electron microscopy of the foveae dorsales of unfed D. andersoni females revealed the presence of narrow, slit-like openings, oriented approximately in the direction of the anterior-posterior axis. No evidence of foveae dorsales could be found in males of either D. variabilis or D. andersoni . The Possible role of the glands in relation to sex pheromone activity in ticks is reviewed.
The assessment of satisfaction with care in the perinatal period

Patient satisfaction is frequently used to evaluate the quality of medical care and to guide the development of health care services. Improved satisfaction is a goal recommended by the Institute of Medicine and the government of the United Kingdom for health care reform. During the perinatal period, dynamic changes in physical and psychological state impose unique challenges in the assessment of satisfaction. This article reviews the measurement of satisfaction with care, together with factors that may influence satisfaction and its measurement during the perinatal period. Recommendations are also provided for further research and development of satisfaction instruments and potential interventions to improve satisfaction with perinatal care.
Millimeter wave radar scattering from model ice crystal distributions

Dual-polarization radar observables of cloud ice crystals are simulated at 94 and 220 GHz frequencies. Three crystal shapes are considered: hexagonal columns, hexagonal plates, and stellar crystals. A gamma model size distribution and a three dimensional (3D) canting distribution are used. The radar observables are displayed as a function of radar elevation angle. The linear depolarization ratios LDR/sub h/ and LDR/sub v/, the circular depolarization ratio CDR, and the magnitude of the copolarized cross correlation coefficient /spl rho//sub hv/ are found to be useful for differentiating columns from plates and stellar crystals. These radar observables have different trends as a function of elevation angle for the model columns and planar crystals (plates and stellar crystals). Furthermore, at vertical incidence they exhibit significantly different values for the two crystal types.
Improved lsi-based natural language call routing using speech recognition confidence scores

In most natural language call routing applications, the sole purpose of any automatic speech recognizer (ASR) is to transcribe a user's spoken request into text, so that the user can reach their desired destination based upon the analysis of the transcribed text. Given the level of uncertainty in correctly recognizing words with an ASR, calls can be incorrectly transcribed, raising the possibility that a caller is routed to the wrong destination. To reduce the potential for errors in classification, we propose a technique for incorporating confidence scores reported by an ASR to reweigh query vectors in a latent semantic indexing (LSI) classifier. Our results show that this technique is capable of reducing the number of misrouted calls by a significant amount
Giant-Cell Arteritis: Signs and Symptoms

Giant-cell arteritis is a polysymptomatic disease of the elderly. Systemic symptomatology includes headaches, arthralgias, myalgias, tender temporal arteries, jaw claudication, low-grade fever, anemia, anorexia, malaise, and weight loss. Visual loss from anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and diplopia resulting from ischemia of the ocular muscles represents the major ocular manifestations of giant cell arteritis. When the diagnosis is suspected, blood for a sedimentation rate should be drawn, and, if it confirms the clinical impression, high dose prednisone should be started immediately and a temporal artery biopsy performed at a later date. Only by asking the proper questions and suspecting the diagnosis will this preventable form of blindness receive the prompt attention it deserves.
Clinical Histocompatibility Testing in Renal Transplantation

Allograft rejection is due to recipient sensitization to foreign, donor histocompatibility antigens resulting in activation of multiple immunological vectors of tissue destruction (Medawar, 1944; Stiller and Sinclair, 1979; Carpenter and Morris, 1979). Due to the functional reserve of the kidney, signs of rejection are frequently evident only after extensive damage to the allografted tissue. The clinical diagnosis of renal-allograft rejection is based on patient symptoms and signs, namely, fever, weight gain, swelling, pain, or hypertension. Laboratory evidences of reduced renal function include elevated serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, decreased creatinine clearance, increased albumin clearance, and lymphocyturia. Tissue typing and cross-matching procedures attempt to minimize the tissue incompatibility and avert grafting into presensitized hosts. Since the signs, symptoms, and laboratory evidences of rejection are late events, immunological evidences of recipient activation of a primary immune response may alert the clinician, thereby affording the possibility for prompt initiation of immunosuppressive therapy to minimize the extent of tissue damage. However, due to the variety of antibody and cell-mediated components of immune mechanisms documented in rejection (Busch et al., 1976, 1977) recipient immune activation cannot always be documented. Indeed, there is no known test that is immunologically specific, sensitive, predictive, or at least confirmatory, and associated with few false-positive reactions.
Discrepancies in estimates of prevalence and correlates of substance use and disorders between two national surveys

Aim To assess the degree to which methodological differences might influence estimates of prevalence and correlates of substance use and disorders by comparing results from two recent surveys administered to nationally representative US samples. Methods Post-hoc comparison of data from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) with data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) administered in 2001–02. Results Prevalence estimates for all substance use outcomes were higher in the NSDUH than in the NESARC; ratios of NSDUH to NESARC prevalences ranged from 2.1 to 5.7 for illegal drug use outcomes. In the NSDUH, past-year substance use disorder (SUD) prevalence estimates were higher for cocaine and heroin, but were similar to NESARC estimates for alcohol, marijuana and hallucinogens. However, prevalence estimates for past-year SUD conditional on past-year use were substantially lower in the NSDUH for marijuana, hallucinogens and cocaine. Associations among drug and SUD outcomes were substantially higher in the NESARC. Total SUD prevalence did not differ between surveys, but estimates for blacks and Hispanics were higher in the NSDUH. Conclusion A number of methodological variables might have contributed to such discrepancies; among plausible candidates are factors related to privacy and anonymity, which may have resulted in higher use estimates in the NSDUH, and differences in SUD diagnostic instrumentation, which may have resulted in higher SUD prevalence among past-year substance users in the NESARC.
Regression Kriging versus Geographically Weighted Regression for Spatial Interpolation

(This article belongs to the Special Issue "Geospatial Information Sciences: Landscape and Ecosystem Applications") Abstract If spatial dependence and/or spatial heterogeneity are taken into account in the process of spatial interpolation, the prediction process can be named local-spatial prediction. Geographically weighted regression is a type of local-spatial prediction models since methodologically it incorporates spatial heterogeneity into a regression model. From the standpoint of spatial interpolation, regression kriging is presented as another local-spatial prediction model that incorporates local-spatial dependence, association between response and auxiliary variables, and the unbiased estimation with minimized variance into an interpolation process. The methodologies of regression kriging and geographically weighted regression are summarized to indicate how local-spatial correlation, spatial heterogeneity, and non-spatial correlation and are incorporated into interpolation process. This paper points out regression kriging applies the local variation of spatial dependence to regression parameter estimation and combines the estimated regression model with residual kriging considering spatial autocorrelation in residuals as a hybrid local-spatial interpolator. Using a raster data with two types of sampling approaches, this study examines and compares the performance of regression kriging and geographically weighted regression. The empirical examples indicate that both regression kriging and geographically weighted regression are powerful local-spatial prediction models, but regression kriging can be better in capturing the spatial structure of the original data.
Remote magnetic navigation to map and ablate left coronary cusp ventricular tachycardia.

Background: Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) and ventricular tachycardia may arise from the coronary cusps. Navigation, mapping, and ablation in the coronary cusps can be challenging. Remote magnetic navigation may offer an alternative to conventional manually operated catheters. Objective: We report a case of left coronary cusp ventricular tachycardia ablation using remote magnetic navigation. Methods: Right ventricular outflow tract and coronary cusp mapping, and ablation of the left coronary cusp using a remote magnetic navigation and three-dimensional (3-D) mapping system was performed in a 28-year-old male with frequent, symptomatic PVCs and ventricular tachycardia. Results: Successful ablation of left coronary cusp ventricular tachycardia was performed using remote magnetic navigation. Conclusions: Remote magnetic navigation may be used to map and ablate PVCs and ventricular tachycardia originating from the coronary cusps.
Polymerization of acrylamide with persulfate‐metabisulfite initiator

The redox system ammonium persulfate–sodium metabisulfite (I1-I2) was used to initiate polymerization of acrylamide (M) in water. Up to 50 to 70% conversion, the rate equation is: where Rp is the rate of polymerization and the bracketed quantities are concentrations. [Mo] is the monomer concentration at time t = 0. In the range investigated, K (30°C.) = 1.20 1. moles-1 sec.-1. Activation energy is 26 kcal./mole-1 and K depends on ferrous ion concentration, [Fe++] (mole 1.-1): The number-average degree of polymerization, xn is independent of [Fe++], temperature, or [I1]. However: The range of concentrations (mole 1.-1) for which these generalizations hold at 30–50°C. and pH 7.0 are: [Mu] 0.4 bis 2.0; [Il], 0.2 to 3.2 × 10–3; [I2], 0.13 to 2.8 × 10-3; [Fe++], 0 to 19 ×10-6; [Il][I2], 0.16 to 3.2 ×10-6; [Mu]/[M], 1 to 3.5.
Purification, Characterization, and in vitro Differentiation of Cytotrophoblasts from Human Term Placentae*

Highly purified functional cytotrophoblasts have been prepared from human term placentae by adding a Percoll gradient centrifugation step to a standard trypsin-DNase dispersion method. The isolated mononuclear trophoblasts averaged 10 microns in diameter, with occasional cells measuring up to 20-30 microns. Viability was greater than 90%. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the cells had fine structural features typical of trophoblasts. In contrast to syncytial trophoblasts of intact term placentae, these cells did not stain for hCG, human placental lactogen, pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein or low mol wt cytokeratins by immunoperoxidase methods. Endothelial cells, fibroblasts, or macrophages did not contaminate the purified cytotrophoblasts, as evidenced by the lack of immunoperoxidase staining with antibodies against vimentin or alpha 1-antichymotrypsin. The cells produced progesterone (1 ng/10(6) cells . 4 h), and progesterone synthesis was stimulated up to 8-fold in the presence of 25-hydroxycholesterol (20 micrograms/ml). They also produced estrogens (1360 pg/10(6) cells . 4 h) when supplied with androstenedione (1 ng/ml) as a precursor. When placed in culture, the cytotrophoblasts consistently formed aggregates, which subsequently transformed into syncytia within 24-48 h after plating. Time lapse cinematography revealed that this process occurred by cell fusion. The presumptive syncytial groups were proven to be true syncytia by microinjection of fluorescently labeled alpha-actinin, which diffused completely throughout the syncytial cytoplasm within 30 min. Immunoperoxidase staining of cultured trophoblasts between 3.5 and 72 h after plating revealed a progressive increase in cytoplasmic pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein, hCG, and human placental lactogen concomitant with increasing numbers of aggregates and syncytia. At all time points examined, occasional single cells positive for these markers were identified. RIA of the spent culture media for hCG revealed a significant increase in secreted hCG, paralleling the increase in hCG-positive cells and syncytia identified by immunoperoxidase methods. We conclude that human cytotrophoblasts differentiate in culture and fuse to form functional syncytiotrophoblasts.
Institutional Viability and High Courts: A Comparative Analysis of Post- Communist States

The development of judicial viability involves a process by which constitutional courts attain institutional stability and value as an end in itself. Institutional stability denotes the courts' capacity to withstand environmental shocks, and value involves entities acquiring a distinctive mission and identity in the newly democratized governmental system. More precisely, we argue that constitutional courts attain functional (substantive) viability when they attain high levels of three features: differentiation (unique character and mission); autonomy (functional insularity); and durability (institutional resilience and adaptability). The emergence of judicial viability, therefore, lies in the interplay of these features over time. Using factor analytic methods, we derive a single score that accurately measures these institutional features in post-communist states.
Sympatry of Polygyne and Monogyne Colonies of the Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The polygyne form of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, is thought to occur primarily in discrete populations embedded within areas composed of monogyne colonies. This distribution implies that polygyne colonies compete with monogyne colonies and subsequently create a population homogenous in social form. Because polygyne colonies produce mostly sterile males, opportunities for insemination of female alates might be minimal at the centers of large polygyne areas. To test for homogeneity in social form, a large polygyne population described in northcentral Florida was examined for the presence of single queen colonies. Forty-six to 51 colonies were sampled from each of six sites located along an east-west transect through the middle of the polygyne area in Marion County and a site at the northernmost limit of the polygyne area, Gainesville, FL. Several hundred workers from each nest were collected along with nest material. The social form of each sample was determined by an aggression test of workers to the introduction of non-nestmates and by the dissection of males for sterility. Both social forms of S. invicta were present at all collection sites and 103 of 333 (30.93%) colonies sampled were determined to be monogyne colonies. Among the collection sites, the percentage of colonies that were monogyne ranged from 3.9 to 57.4%. The polygyne region in northcentral Florida is more accurately described as an area where relatively high frequencies of polygyne colonies are interdispersed with single queen colonies.