cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Normalization of multi-annual global AVHRR reflectance data over land surfaces to common sun-target-sensor geometry

Abstract Time series of the NOAA Global Vegetation Index data set for the period 1985–1991 were analyzed. The Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) cloud-free reflectance data were recalibrated to remove the trends due to the sensor sensitivity change and then normalized to nadir at 45° solar zenith angle using anisotropic top-of-the-atmosphere reflectance models. The results of such a normalization procedure show a substantial reduction in week-to-week variability of the spatial means. The present results demonstrate that relatively stable time series can be obtained by applying empirically derived regional anisotropic models. Thus, the improved data set is potentially more useful for monitoring biosphere-hydrology interactions and for use in numerical climate models.
ROBNAV: A Range-Based Robot Navigation and Obstacle Avoidance Algorithm

An algorithm has been developed that efficiently solves a large class of robot navigation and obstacle avoidance problems using range information as its sole input from the environment. The system resides in a minicomputer and requires very small memory (1500 words) and computing time (1.35 s) allocations while solving simulated problems of broadly ranging spatial complexity and operational intricacy. It is thus a prime candidate for use in mobile robots or manipulators where real-time operation is desired.
Sublingual nitroglycerin versus placebo as a tocolytic for external cephalic version: a randomized controlled trial in parous women.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of sublingual nitroglycerin as a tocolytic agent for external cephalic version in parous women. Study design A double-blinded randomized controlled trial was performed. Patients with parity of ≥1 at 36 to 40 weeks of gestation who were eligible for external cephalic version were included. Patients were randomized to receive either two sublingual sprays of 400 μg of nitroglycerin or two sprays of placebo 3 minutes before the trial of external cephalic version. Rates of successful external cephalic version and side effects were compared between groups. Results Of 99 patients in the study, 50 patients received sublingual nitroglycerin, and 49 patients received placebo. There were no differences in maternal age, gestational age, estimated fetal weight, amniotic fluid index, and placental location between the two groups. The success rate of external cephalic version was 48% in the nitroglycerin group compared with 63% in the placebo group ( P =.13). There was a higher incidence of headaches in the nitroglycerin group (42% vs 4%, P Conclusion Sublingual nitroglycerin was associated with a higher rate of headache and did not improve the rate of successful external cephalic version.
Quantitative assessment of enzyme induction by peroxisome proliferators and application to determination of effects on triglyceride biosynthesis in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes.

Abstract Potencies for the induction of peroxisomal fatty acyl-CoA oxidase (FACO) and microsomal laurate hydroxylase (LH) were determined for clofibric acid (CPIB), ciprofibrate (Cipro) and gemfibrozil (Gem) in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes based on complete concentration-response analysis and determination of theoretical maximum inductive responses for Cipro. CPIB and Cipro each induced FACO and LH in a concentration-dependent manner. Scatchard analysis of the data allowed calculation of ec 50 values (mM) of 0.82 and 0.028 (for FACO) and 0.22 and 0.0081 (for LH) for CPIB and Cipro respectively. The ec 50 ratios (CPIB/Cipro) were identical (29-fold) for induction of FACO and LH, supporting the concept that these enzymes are induced by CPIB and Cipro through a common mechanism. By comparison, Gem was relatively ineffective as an inducer of FACO and LH. Furthermore, Gem did not antagonize Cipro-mediated enzyme inductions, suggesting that Gem is a peroxisome proliferator of low potency rather than a partial agonist. Based on the potency and time-course profiles observed for induction of FACO and LH, the effects of CPIB, Cipro and Gem on triglyceride (TG) biosynthesis were determined in the cultured rat hepatocytes. Conditions of maximal FACO and LH induction by the drugs did not result in inhibition of TG biosynthesis in the cells. These results support the in vivo evidence which indicates that FACO and LH induction are not causally linked to the hypotriglyceridemic actions of peroxisome proliferating drugs.
Necessary and sufficient conditions for chemotactic bands

Abstract Traveling band solutions of the differential equations for chemotactic bacteria are exhibited for arbitrary motility μ( s ), chemotactic sensitivity χ( s ), and substrate consumption rate k ( s ). The requirements that the total number of bacteria in the band be finite, and that these bands behave appropriately at ± ∞, impose stringent constraints on the functions μ, χ, and k . These constraints are exhibited, and constitute the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of travelling bands of chemotactic bacteria.
Theoretical Study of Cation/Ether Complexes: Alkali Metal Cations with 1,2-Dimethoxyethane and 12-Crown-4

Hartree−Fock and second-order perturbation theory methods were used to determine structures and binding enthalpies of complexes formed from a single alkali metal cation (Li+ through Cs+) and one or two 1,2-dimethoxyethane ligands or 12-crown-4. These calculations employed multiple basis sets in order to determine the sensitivity of the results to the completeness in the one-particle basis. The results are compared with recently reported collision-induced dissociation experimental findings. In general, good agreement was found between the experimental and theoretical bond dissociation enthalpies, although for the heavier cations discrepancies of as much as 14 kcal/mol or more were uncovered. Possible reasons for these anomalies are discussed.
Advances in the treatment of acute type A dissection: an integrated approach.

Abstract Background Acute type A dissections require surgery to prevent death from proximal aortic rupture or malperfusion. Most series over the past decade have reported a death rate in the range of 15% to 30%. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of an integrated surgical approach on the treatment of acute type A dissections. Methods From January 1994 to April 2002, 163 consecutive patients underwent repair of acute type A dissection. All had an integrated operative management as follows: intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography; hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) with retrograde cerebral perfusion to replace the aortic arch; HCA established after 3 minutes of electroencephalographic silence in neuromonitored patients (60%) or after 45 minutes of cooling in patients who were not neuromonitored (40%); reinforcement of the residual arch tissue with a Teflon felt "neo-media;" cannulation of the arch graft to reestablish cardiopulmonary bypass at the completion of HCA (antegrade graft perfusion); and remodeling of the sinus of Valsalva segments with Teflon felt "neo-media" and aortic valve resuspension or replacement with a biological or mechanical valved conduit. When HCA times were greater than 50 minutes, antegrade cerebral perfusion is used. Since Februay 1999, BioGlue has been used as an anastomotic adjunct in the repair of type A dissections. Results Mean age was 62 ± 14 years, with 68% men and 15% with previous cardiac surgery. Seven percent of patients presented with a preoperative neurologic deficit, and 3% developed a new cerebrovascular accident after dissection repair. The in-hospital death rate was 9.8%. Excluding the patients with preoperative strokes (7%) and those with postoperative stroke (3%), the in-hospital death rate was 6.6%. In 6 patients, prompt changes in circulatory management consisting of switching cannulation sites or cross-clamp release with direct temporary aortic arch fenestration occurred when there were sudden changes in electroencephalogram during cooling. Conclusions A standardized approach to the treatment of acute type A dissections has improved outcomes. Our 55% mortality in patients with preoperative cerebral vascular accident (CVA) suggests that this group may be candidates for medical or delayed surgical treatment. Conversely, our 6.6% mortality rate for neurologically intact patients warrants aggressive and expeditious surgical intervention.
Post-traumatic stress disorder in children: controversies and unresolved issues.

TOPIC. Questions regarding hozu severely traumatized children may meet diagnostic criteria for an accurate diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the comorbidity of PTSD zuith many other psychiatric illnesses, and the possibility that PTSD is not a valid diagnostic formulation as it has been applied to children and adolescents demonstrate that the currently held concept of PTSD may not be operationally sound. PURPOSE. To explore recent empirical studies to demonstrate the current state of controversy and postulate future direction of the conceptual framework. SOURCES. Selected published literature. CONCLUSIONS. PTSD in children and adolescents, as it is popularly understood as a conceptual framework, is found to be undergoing a conceptual metamorphosis.
Effect of Corticosteroid Treatment and Enucleation on the Visual Prognosis of Sympathetic Ophthalmia

A retrospective clinicopathologic study, conducted to determine the course of disease in 30 cases of sympathetic ophthalmia with clinical follow-up of at least six months (average, 12.7 years), showed that 21 of 30 patients retained visual acuities of 20/50 or better in the sympathizing eye. The severity of inflammation graded histologically in the exciting eye did not correlate with the clinical course of final visual acuity in the sympathizing eye. Enucleation of the exciting eye within two weeks of the onset of symptoms was associated with a relatively benign clinical course (P = .008). Corticosteroid treatment in patients who underwent enucleation more than two weeks after the onset of symptoms was associated with a good visual outcome (P = .009). Early enucleation of a blind exciting eye and corticosteroid treatment appear to be important variables that influence the visual prognosis in the sympathizing eye.
Length of stay after vaginal delivery

Objective: Insurance must pay for 48-hour postpartum stay. We sought to determine 1) the percentage of women staying more than 24 hours postpartum, 2) the reasons that women make use of the 48-hour stay, and 3) the reasons that women seek early discharge (<48 hours). Methods: Women at two hospitals were surveyed at discharge. They filled out an anonymous multiple-choice questionnaire indicating their length of stay postpartum and their perception of the most important reason for the length of their stay. Data were analyzed by EIP Info 6 (CDC, Atlanta, GA). Results: The 435 surveys revealed that 61% of the patients (266/435) stayed longer than 24 hours. The length of stay was not affected by the number of children or adults at home, race, or age (P = NS). Bottle-feeding was associated with a shorter stay (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.35, 0.80). The most common reasons for a stay longer than 24 hours: the patient perceived that she needed more medical attention (81/266) or that she was too tired to go home (66/266). The most common reason for early discharge was that there was ‘no reason to stay longer‘ (126/168). Conclusion: Most women stay longer than 24 hours after an uncomplicated vaginal delivery; they do so because they perceive a medical indication or they are too tired to go home. Bottle-feeding mothers are more likely to seek early discharge than breastfeeding mothers. For women who are ‘too tired‘ to go home, alternate-care (ie, comfort-care) facilities may be more economical and appropriate for postpartum mothers during the second 24 hours of their postpartum stay.
What Hotel Sales and Marketing Executives Should Know Before Investing Dollars in Sales Technology

Abstract Today's hotel salesperson has many technological tools. They are intended to make his/her job easier and more effective with customer relationships and produce better results. This study compares members of a professional organization with a major company's sales force on where they stand relative to technology. It also compares where they place the tools available to them to build relationships with meeting professionals. Using importance-performance analysis, 20 technological tools were analyzed to determine if there were differences between the groups. Both groups had similar feelings on most technology tools. Both considered technology tools to be doing their job. However, it was determined that hotel sales and marketing operations need to concentrate more on investments. These investments include software and/or training in property management, database management, and sales force automation. A low priority was given to investment in meeting room diagramming software by both groups. This is ...
Design of Carbon Nanotube‐Based Gas‐Diffusion Cathode for O2 Reduction by Multicopper Oxidases

Abstract : Multicopper oxidases, such as laccase or bilirubin oxidase, are known to reduce molecular oxygen at very high redox potentials, which makes them attractive biocatalysts for enzymatic cathodes in biological fuel cells. By designing an enzymatic gas-diffusion electrode, molecular oxygen can be supplied through the gaseous phase, avoiding solubility and diffusion limitations typically associated with liquid electrolytes. In doing so, the current density of enzymatic cathodes can theoretically be enhanced. This publication presents a material study of carbon/Teflon composites that aim to optimize the functionality of the gas-diffusion and catalytic layers for application in enzymatic systems. The modifi cation of the catalytic layer with multiwalled carbon nanotubes, for example, creates the basis for stronger pi - pi stacking interactions through tethered enzymatic linkers, such as pyrenes or perylene derivates. Cyclic voltammograms show the effective direct electron contact of laccase with carbon nanotube-modifi ed electrodes via tethered crosslinking molecules as a model system. The polarization behavior of laccase-modified gas-diffusion electrodes reveals open-circuit potentials of + 550 mV (versus Ag/AgCl) and current densities approaching 0.5 mA cm 2 (at zero potential) in air-breathing mode.
Reduction of inner sulfonium salts, thioethers, and sulfones derived from closo-[B12H12]2- by lithium in methylamine: a new route to mercaptododecaborates.

Anions [Me2SB12H11]- (2) and [MeSB12H11]2- (3) can be reduced by excess lithium in methylamine at −15 °C to yield [HSB12H11]2- (1) after workup. Such behavior toward this reducing system is similar to that of alkyl aryl sulfides. The sulfone [MeSO2B12H11]2- (12) also yields 1 as a major boron product upon reduction, while alkyl aryl sulfones produce the corresponding arenes under the same conditions. Similarly, isomers of (Me2S)2B12H10 (4−6) are reduced by lithium in methylamine yielding dithiols [(HS)2B12H10]2- (7−9). The tetrabutylammonium salts of 1 and 7−9 are obtained in 80−90% yields and characterized by multinuclear NMR and mass spectrometry, the latter three compounds being isolated and characterized for the first time. The reduction reaction provides access to dithiols 7−9 for biological evaluation and use in synthesis. Thus, 2 and 4−6 can be easily converted to [R2SB12H11]- and (R2S)2B12H10 in a two-step reduction−alkylation procedure. 1,2-(Bn2S)2B12H10 (13) obtained by alkylation of the reducti...
Efficacy of manual removal and ivermectin gavage for control of Salmincola californiensis (Wilson) infestation of chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum), captive broodstocks

Captive broodstocks of spring chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, were initiated from collections of naturally produced parr from the Lemhi River, a tributary of the Salmon River, ID, USA. These fish were subsequently demonstrated to be infested with the copepod parasite Salmincola californiensis. The initial prevalence of visible adult parasites for 4 years of observations made shortly after collection varied from 19.7 to 71.6%. Both the prevalence and intensity of the infestation increased in the freshwater culture of these fish. Manual removal was initiated as a means of control and practiced at monthly intervals. The number of Salmincola removed decreased in the ensuing 5 months, but the prevalence was not greatly affected. Ivermectin (22,23 dihydroavermectin), was diluted with saline and delivered by gavage at the rate of 0.20 mg kg−1 body weight when the groups were being handled for the manual removal of parasites. Either two or three ivermectin treatments were given to four broodstocks of chinook salmon depending on the severity of the infestation and on the extent of gill pathology. The combination of manual removal and ivermectin gavage eliminated live Salmincola and resolved all associated necrosis of the gill tissues. There was no trend to indicate that individual chinook salmon possessed a natural resistance to reinfestation.
Metacarpophalangeal pattern profile analysis in Brachmann‐de Lange syndrome

We analyzed the metacarpophalangeal pattern profile (MCPP) of 19 individuals with Brachmann-de Lange syndrome (BDLS) and calculated a mean syndrome profile. Fourteen of 19 individuals with BDLS had significant positive correlations which indicated clinical homogeneity. Discriminant analysis of individuals with BDLS compared with a sample of normal individuals produced a correct classification rate of 100% based on a function of 2 MCPP variables that may provide a useful tool for assisting in the diagnosis of BDLS. An average pattern variability index calculated for the BDLS patients was 1.9 indicating an abnormal hand pattern in this syndrome.
Harmonization and Standardization of Thyroid Function Tests

This issue of Clinical Chemistry contains 3 reports from the IFCC Working Group for Standardization of Thyroid Function Tests. The first report relates to thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)1 (1), the second addresses free thyroxine (FT4) and free triiodothyronine (FT3) (2), and the third discusses total thyroxine (T4) and total triiodothyronine (T3) (3). Each of these reports is authored by a group of experts who relate not only their own experience but also the experience of various professional organizations. This broad representation is important for the potential harmonization role that the authors hope to promote with these reports. The chair of this group, Linda Thienpont, was also project leader for the measurements of the total and free thyroid hormones in the prior groundwork project initiated by the European Commission, “Feasibility Studies for the Development of Reference Measurement Systems for Thyrotropin (TSH) and for Free Thyroxine (FT4), and Validation of Reference Measurement Systems (Procedure and Material) for Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3) in Human Serum (2001–2005)” (4). This working group also included Catherine Ronin (Laboratories de Neurobiologic, Marseille, France), who was the project leader for the TSH measurements in this European Commission project. International leaders in standardization from both academia and industry participated in this undertaking. The major goal for standardization of thyroid function tests is the harmonization of patient test results. Standardization and harmonization are 2 separate but closely …
High-dose carboplatin chemotherapy with gmcsf and peripheral blood progenitor cell support: a model for delivering repeated cycles of dose-intensive therapy

High-dose chemotherapy regimens can cure a number of otherwise incurable diseases, such as Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, neuroblastoma, acute leukemia (in remission), and breast cancer. Trials of high-dose chemotherapy have generally used autologous bone marrow transplant or peripheral blood stem cell support to ensure hematologic recovery after intensive chemotherapy and/or radiation. This report describes an approach in which high-dose carboplatin chemotherapy was followed initially by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF; Escherichia coli. Sandoz-Schering, East Hanover and Kenilworth, NJ) and in subsequent patients, by both GM-CSF and repeated cycles of peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) collection and administration. The addition of PBPC to this regimen led to significant reductions in the duration of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, the requirement for erythrocyte and platelet transfusions, the length of hospital stay, and the use of intravenous antibiotics in this group relative to those patients who received GM-CSF alone. In addition, laboratory studies are presented that show a direct correlation between the number of progenitor cells reinfused and the duration of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. The report also reviews data indicating that circulating progenitor cells are depleted by this approach. This suggests that the number of progenitor cells available for mobilization is finite. Finally, the magnitude of these effects, and their implications for future trials with repetitive cycles of dose-intensive therapy, are discussed.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the Southeastern United States: Location, Race, and Social Context

Heterosexual transmission of HIV in the United States appears to be following the epidemiologic pattern of bacterial sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as syphilis and gonorrhea, disproportionately affecting blacks in the Southeastern region. Nationwide, rates of syphilis and gonorrhea are nearly 30 times higher in blacks than in whites, and this racial disparity underlies most of the regional and county-level differences in rates. The racial disparity cannot be explained by traditional measures of socioeconomic differences, and it cannot be explained by individual-level determinants of sexual behavior, but rather reflects deeper group-level social and environmental factors for which race is a marker. A theoretical model based on previous ecologic studies is proposed to explain the relationship between racial discrimination and elevated rates of STDs in blacks. Key factors in the model include: 1) chronic joblessness, 2) drug and alcohol marketing, 3) social disorganization (or social capital), and 4) male incarceration.
Bilateral Vocal Fold Posterior Glottic/Subglottic Stenotic Web Resected with Contact Tip Nd-YAG Laser

The standard treatment for respiratory failure remains endotracheal intubation, with periods of 22 or more days being commonplace. Posterior glottic stenotic web formation, from scarring in the posterior interarytenoid area, may occur after endotracheal intubation, thermal, corrosive, or direct surgical injury. A commonly used classification system for posterior glottic stenosis divides the occurrence into four types. Type I involves an interarytenoid scar band between the vocal folds that is anterior and separate from the posterior interarytenoid mucosa. Type II stenosis involves scarring of the mucosa or musculature of the posterior interarytenoid area. Types III and IV involve unilateral and bilateral cricoarytenoid joint fixation, respectively. Strobovideolaryngoscopy (SVL), rigid and flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy, electromyography (EMG), radiologic imaging of the neck, larynx, and trachea as well as pulmonary function tests, including flow volume loops, provide important objective measurements of upper airway obstruction. A representative case of a professional voice user who suffered a Type II posterior glottic stenosis is presented. The treatment utilized a specific contact-tip neodymium-yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd-YAG) laser delivery system to achieve precise cutting, vaporization, and coagulation simultaneously, returning tactile touch technique to the airway/voice surgeon. Completely successful restoration of voice and airway have been maintained for 2 1/2 years postoperatively.
Suicidality and Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression among College Students: A Prospective Study.

Using a behavioral high-risk two-site prospective design, we tested the cognitive vulnerability hypotheses about suicidality. Consistent with prediction, the high cognitive risk (HR) participants were more likely than the low cognitive risk (LR) participants to exhibit suicidality, measured by both structured diagnostic interview and questionnaire self-report, during the 2 1/2 year prospective follow-up period. Moreover, when the prospective period was examined as a whole, the mediation hypothesis derived from the cognitive theories was strongly supported. Hopelessness appeared to mediate the obtained relationship between cognitive vulnerability and suicidality. Finally, the obtained relationship between cognitive vulnerability and suicidality was not mediated by other hypothesized risk factors for suicidality not specified in the cognitive theories, such as past suicidality, personal history of depressive disorders, borderline and antisocial personality dysfunction, and parental history of depression.
Social play in juvenile rats prenatally exposed to alcohol

Offspring of rat dams that consumed isocaloric liquid diets containing either 35% or 0% ethanol-derived calories (EDC) from gestation days 6–20 were tested for play-fighting behavior as juveniles. Offspring from a group of dams maintained on standard lab chow and water throughout gestation were also included. Animals were tested in pairs, with offspring from each of the three prenatal treatment conditions (35% EDC, 0% EDC, and lab chow) being paired with another same-sex animal from one of these three prenatal treatment groups. Although play-fighting in juveniles is normally sexually dimorphic, this normal pattern was absent in juveniles prenatally exposed to alcohol. Male alcohol-exposed offspring displayed feminized behavior while female alcohol-exposed offspring showed masculinized behavior. This reversal of the normal sexually dimorphic aspects of play suggests that some of the behavioral disturbances associated with prenatal alcohol exposure may result, in part, from an alcohol-induced disruption of the hormonal environment in which the fetus develops.
Canine and feline pregnancy loss due to viral and non-infectious causes: A review

Among the causes for pregnancy loss, viruses and non-infectious factors are among the most important. In both dogs and cats, research and clinical evidence provide proof that there is an increasing incidence of pregnancy loss associated with infectious diseases like herpesvirus, as well as the presence of toxicants or chemicals in the animal's diet and environment. Endocrine causes must be taken into consideration when dealing with pregnancy loss. This review will cover the most recent knowledge regarding viral and non-infectious of pregnancy losses in the dog and cat.
Cooling the APS storage ring radio-frequency accelerating cavities: thermal/stress/fatigue analysis and cavity cooling configuration

Heat transfer studies, including finite-element analysis and test results, of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) storage ring 352-MHz radio-frequency (RF) accelerating cavities are described. Stress and fatigue life of the copper are discussed. Configuration of water cooling is presented.
Regulation by voltage and adenine nucleotides of a Ca2+-activated cation channel from hamster vomeronasal sensory neurons

Bipolar sensory neurons within the vomeronasal organ (VNO) are thought to mediate the detection of pheromones in vertebrates. In the mouse, VNO neurons respond to pheromones with a rise in intracellular Ca2+ that accompanies a depolarization of the cell. Transduction of the pheromone appears to occur through the activation of a phosphatidylinositol signalling pathway, but the ion channels that respond to this signalling pathway have not been identified. In this report patch-clamp recording from hamster vomeronasal sensory neurons was used to identify second-messenger-gated channels that might play a role in transduction. The results demonstrate that VNO neurons show abundant expression of a Ca2+-activated non-selective (CaNS) cation channel. The CaNS channel does not discriminate between Na+ and K+ and has a slope conductance of 22 pS. Half-activation of the channel occurs at a Ca2+ concentration of 0.5 mM (at -80 mV). The probability of opening (Po) of the channel is further augmented at positive potentials, and shows an e-fold voltage dependence per 37 mV. The channel exhibits rapid rundown following patch excision with Po decreasing from near 1.0 to near 0. The adenine nucleotides ATP and cAMP block the channel with an apparent affinity of 3 and 42 microM, respectively (-80 mV). Both the activation of the channel by Ca2+ and the block of the channel by adenine nucleotides show a mild voltage dependence, which can be accounted for by the voltage dependence of Po. The properties of this channel make it a candidate to either directly mediate vomeronasal sensory transduction, or to amplify the primary sensory response.
A monitoring system for detecting aberrations in public health surveillance reports.

Routine analysis of public health surveillance data to detect departures from historical patterns of disease frequency is required to enable timely public health responses to decrease unnecessary morbidity and mortality. We describe a monitoring system incorporating statistical 'flags' identifying unusually large increases (or decreases) in disease reports compared to the number of cases expected. The two-stage monitoring system consists of univariate Box-Jenkins models and subsequent tracking signals from several statistical process control charts. The analyses are illustrated on 1980-1995 national notifiable disease data reported weekly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by state health departments and published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Published in 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the United States.
Stability and performance comparison of the force reflecting haptic manipulator

The stability and the theoretical performance limits of feedback controlled force reflecting haptic manipulator have been discussed. All the virtual environment which interact physically with the haptic system have its own stable performance limit. Three different realization of the interfaces have been compared using the driving point admittance. The haptic system which is separated from the human hand or finger is superior to its stable interaction provided that there is a means to apply a direct damping between the haptic manipulator and the human finger. Electromagnetic force is used for its digital implementation of the simple separated type haptic device. The stable limits of a virtual wall is calculated and experimental results show that there is performance limits in this implementation.
Super-Intelligent Machines

Preface. 1. Gotterdammerung. Part I: Humans Will Create Super-Intelligent Machines. 2. The Basics of Machine Intelligence. 3. Computers as Tools. 4. Arguments Against the Possibility of Machine Intelligence. 5. The Current State of the Art in Machine Intelligence. 6. Neuroscience. 7. Dawn of the Gods. Part II: Super-Intelligent Machines Must Love All Humans. 8. Good God, Bad God. 9. Brain Engineering. 10. Current Public Policy for Information Technology. 11. Public Education and Control. 12. Visions of Machine Intelligence. 13. Endings. Part III: Should Humans Become Super-Intelligent Machines? 14. Current Connections Between Brains and Machines. 15. Human Minds in Machine Brains. 16. Humans Will Want to Become Super-Intelligent Machines. 17. Super-Intelligent Humans Must Love All Humans. Part IV: Conclusion. 18. The Ultimate Engineering Challenge. 19. Inventing God. 20. Messages to the Future. Bibliography. Index.
Analysis and Measurements of Tapered Microstrip Patch Antennas for Mobile Communication Systems

This paper presents the analysis and measurement of tapered microstrip patch antennas. The study considers several important structural parameters such as patch length, width, position, height, and feeding-point. The properties of a slotted and tapered patch antenna are investigated, as well. The proposed antenna is suitable for applications in mobile communication systems
PROTEIN COAGULATION AND ITS REVERSAL : THE PREPARATION OF INSOLUBLE GLOBIN, SOLUBLE GLOBIN AND HEME.

1. By a procedure involving the use of acid acetone hemoglobin may be rapidly separated into a precipitate of denatured globin and an acetone solution of heme. 2. By neutralization procedures the denatured globin may be largely converted into a soluble, apparently native form which can combine with heme to form hemoglobin. 3. The heme may be obtained in acetone-free, slightly alkaline solution without the use of strong alkali which may modify the heme.
Minimizing the RMS Surface Distortions from Gravity Loadings of the 34-m HA-DEC Antenna for Deep Space Missions

The computer analysis of the 34-m HA-DEC antenna by the IDEAS program provided the rms distortions of the surface panels support points for full gravity loadings in the three directions of the basic coordinate system of the computer model. The rms distortions for the gravity vector not in line with any of the three basic directions were solved and contour plotted starting from three surface panels setting declination angle. By inspections of the plots, it was concluded that the setting or rigging angle of -15 degrees declination minimized the rms distortions for sky coverage of plus or minus 22 declination angles to 10 degrees of ground mask.
Oxidation kinetics of soybean oil/anhydrous milk fat blends: A differential scanning calorimetry study

The oxidation kinetics of soybean oil (SBO)/anhydrous milk fat (AMF) blends was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Lipid blends containing 0–100% of SBO in AMF at 10% intervals were analyzed. Samples were heated in the DSC at different heating rates (2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 and 12.5 � C/min) and oxidation kinetics parameters from the Arrhenius equation (activation energy, preexponential factor and oxidation rate constant) were calculated using the Ozawa–Flynn–Wall method. Results show a significant increase in the oxidation rate (k) with temperatures for 60–90% SBO blends. The increase in k with SBO addition was only significant for 240 and 250 � C. A significant correlation between the rate constant and the chemical composition of the samples was not observed. This behavior suggests possible interactions among fatty acids present in the blends. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Advancing Evidence in Preterm Neonatal Medicine.

Few interventions and treatments for premature infants have undergone the rigors of a randomized controlled trial (RCT), the cornerstone of evidence-based healthcare. Multiple barriers in establishing a quality evidence base for the care of preterm infants are examined including the systematic exclusion of children from drug trials, vulnerability of the infants, burden to families of the consent process for RCTs, and the lack of standard measurements and subgroup definitions that impede systematic reviews. Delays in getting evidence into practice are highlighted, including clinician knowledge of existing evidence, attitudes about the evidence, and behavior. Landmark trials are used as examples. Finally, a call for the research community to develop guidance on good clinical research practice for preterm infants is offered that will allow the synthesis of the totality of evidence. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Disabil Res Rev 2010;16:289–295.
uPA is upregulated by high dose celecoxib in women at increased risk of developing breast cancer

Background While increased urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) expression in breast cancer tissue is directly associated with poor prognosis, recent evidence suggests that uPA overexpression may suppress tumor growth and prolong survival. Celecoxib has been shown to have antiangiogenic and antiproliferative properties. We sought to determine if uPA, PA inhibitor (PAI)-1 and prostaglandin (PG)E2 expression in nipple aspirate fluid (NAF) and uPA and PGE2 expression in plasma were altered by celecoxib dose and concentration in women at increased breast cancer risk.
Context-dependent associations of the ACE I/D polymorphism with blood pressure

The objective of the present study was to assess whether the influences of gender, age, or measures of body size on blood pressure are homogeneous among genotypes of the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the gene that codes for angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). We studied a sample of 1875 non-Hispanic white individuals (988 female and 887 male subjects) between 5 and 90 years of age from the general population of Rochester, Minn. When statistical interactions between effects associated with the I/D polymorphism and age, height, and weight were not considered, there was no evidence of a significant relationship between variation in blood pressure level or diagnostic category (hypertension versus normotension) and variation in ACE genotype in either gender. However, in females 5 to 29.9 years of age, the linear regression relationships of systolic blood pressure level with age and weight and of diastolic blood pressure level with age were significantly heterogeneous among ACE genotypes. For these concomitant traits, the rank order of expected blood pressure levels associated with each genotype reversed from low values of the concomitant, in which blood pressure was lower for I/D heterozygotes than for II or DD homozygous, to high levels of the concomitant, in which blood pressure was higher for I/D heterozygotes than for II or DD homozygotes. In male subjects 50 to 90 years of age, the logistic regression relationship of the probability of having hypertension with height was also heterogeneous among ACE genotypes; it was statistically significant in II homozygotes but not statistically significant in either I/D heterozygotes or DD homozygotes. Findings of this study are consistent with the conclusion that the influence of variation in the ACE gene on interindividual variation in blood pressure is dependent on contexts that are indexed by gender, age, and measures of body size.
APT/LEDA tunnel floor random vibration measurements

Mechanical vibration spectra have been measured periodically on the tunnel floor below the APT/LEDA RFQ since installation in May of 1998. Facility vibration levels are of concern because if excessive, they will degrade the performance of vibration sensitive components and thus overall accelerator performance. The measured spectra accurately quantify the accelerator's mechanical vibration environment, permitting reasonably accurate finite element calculations of the hardware dynamic response. Identification of the various vibration sources, as well as detection of anomalous vibration sources, is also readily performed. The vibratory environment is largely due to nearby operating mechanical equipment such as coolant pumps, vacuum pumps, compressors and blowers. Input from external natural sources such as wind and flowing water as well as man-made sources such as traffic are also present.
The distribution and incidence of white pine blister rust in central and southeastern Wyoming and northern Colorado

A survey of limber pine (Pinus flexilis James) to determine the geographic distribution, incidence, and severity of white pine blister rust (WPBR) throughout 13 study areas in central and southeastern Wyoming and northern Colorado was conducted from 2002 to 2004. The majority (81.1%) of the 18 719 surveyed limber pines >1.37 m tall were classified as healthy, 13.5% were declining or dying from various causes, and 5.4% were dead. WPBR was present on 278 (55%) of the 504 survey plots. Incidence of the disease ranged from 0% to 100% and averaged 15.5% over all the plots and 28.0% on the infested plots. Likelihood of infection by WPBR was significantly greater for limber pines in larger diameter classes. Incidence was negatively correlated with elevation and positively correlated with geographic position, with more northerly and easterly plots having higher incidences of WPBR. Incidence varied by slope position and did not vary by aspect, slope configuration, or degree of canopy closure. The current level of ...
Content Provision Strategies in the Presence of Content Piracy

We consider a publisher that earns advertising revenue while providing content to serve a heterogeneous population of consumers. The consumers derive benefit from consuming content but suffer from delivery delays. A publisher's content provision strategy comprises two decisions: (a) the content quality (affecting consumption benefit) and (b) the content distribution delay (affecting consumption cost). The focus here is on how a publisher should choose the content provision strategy in the presence of a content pirate such as a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. Our study sheds light on how a publisher could leverage a pirate's presence to increase profits, even though the pirate essentially encroaches on the demand for the publisher's content. We find that a publisher should sometimes decrease the delivery speed but increase quality in the presence of a pirate (a quality focused strategy). At other times, a distribution focused strategy is better; namely, increase delivery speed, but lower quality. In most cases, however, we show that the publisher should improve at least one dimension of content provision (quality or delay) in the presence of a pirate.
Association Between Cell Phone Restrictions and Teens' Self-Reported Cell Phone Use While Driving

The purpose of this study was to describe the association between a range of cell phone restrictions and self-reported cell phone use while driving among teen drivers. Methods: U.S. high school students (N=780) from 14 states completed questionnaires, including items on cell phone use while driving. Cell phone restrictions for each state were identified using the Public Health Law Research Distracted Driving Law database and divided into five categories. Associations between cell phone restrictions and self-reported cell phone use while driving were estimated as odds ratios, adjusting for driving exposure. Results: In states with cell phone restrictions, teens were less likely to report talking or texting while driving, relative to teens in states with no restrictions. Talking and texting while driving were significantly less likely in states with texting restrictions for all drivers. All driver texting restrictions combined with teen hand-held phone restrictions were significantly associated with lower texting but not talking while driving. Conclusions: The presence of restrictions appears to be better than no restrictions with respect to self-reported teen cell phone use. Further research is needed to determine whether restrictions applying exclusively to teen drivers or restrictions for all drivers provide the greatest safety benefit.
Tensor-matrix products with a compressed sparse tensor

The Canonical Polyadic Decomposition (CPD) of tensors is a powerful tool for analyzing multi-way data and is used extensively to analyze very large and extremely sparse datasets. The bottleneck of computing the CPD is multiplying a sparse tensor by several dense matrices. Algorithms for tensor-matrix products fall into two classes. The first class saves floating point operations by storing a compressed tensor for each dimension of the data. These methods are fast but suffer high memory costs. The second class uses a single uncompressed tensor at the cost of additional floating point operations. In this work, we bridge the gap between the two approaches and introduce the compressed sparse fiber (CSF) a data structure for sparse tensors along with a novel parallel algorithm for tensor-matrix multiplication. CSF offers similar operation reductions as existing compressed methods while using only a single tensor structure. We validate our contributions with experiments comparing against state-of-the-art methods on a diverse set of datasets. Our work uses 58% less memory than the state-of-the-art while achieving 81% of the parallel performance on 16 threads.
Avoiding Extraterrestrial Claim Jumping: Economic Development Policy for Space Exploration and Exploitation

Any frontier exploration effort transitions eventually to an exploitation phase. Exploitation can be research or economic in nature. In either case, a regulatory framework is required to coordinate and govern any activity in the new realm. The Earth orbital regime has entered the exploitation phase with the advent of a permanent research facility in the form of the International Space Station (ISS) and increasing activity in the private sector. The lunar regime and perhaps near-Earth asteroids will be potentially entering the exploitation phase within the next two decades. A regulatory structure in the form of an international agreement using elements similar to the Antarctic Treaty and the Intergovernmental Agreement for the ISS may be used as an example of a potential regulatory structure for the exploitation of the extraterrestrial environment. Inevitably, economic development will follow the research phase if not specifically prohibited in any future treaties or agreements. To manage these activities, an organization similar to the World Trade Organization could form the basis of a management body for economic activities.
In vitro synaptic transmission in sympathetic neuron-vascular smooth muscle co-cultures.

It is well established that nerves can have a direct and dramatic influence over the phenotypic expression and behavior of target tissues. This has been most thoroughly documented in the skeletal muscles, where denervation results in a reduction of resting membrane potential, appearance of tetrodotoxin-insensitive Na+ channels, and development of supersensitivity associated with the spread of acetylcholine (ACh) -receptors to extrajunctional membranes (Patrick et al., 1978; Fambrough, 1979). Furthermore, the type of innervation and pattern of stimulation on the skeletal muscle fibers can change the phenotype of the muscle, i.e. from a fast to slow type (Eisenberg et al., 1984).