cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intentional Vagueness

This paper analyzes communication with a language that is vague in the sense that identical messages do not always result in identical interpretations. It is shown that strategic agents frequently add to this vagueness by being intentionally vague, i.e. they deliberately choose less precise messages than they have to among the ones available to them in equilibrium. Having to communicate with a vague language can be welfare enhancing because it mitigates conflict. In equilibria that satisfy a dynamic stability condition intentional vagueness increases with the degree of conflict between sender and receiver.
Abstract 12697: Omega-3 Fatty Acids Effects on Carotid IMT in Metabolic Syndrome

Background: 37% of Americans are affected by metabolic syndrome (MS), but the effect of Omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA) in MS is largely unexplored. By new guidelines, those with MS may not meet criteria for statin treatment but are still at increased risk of CVD. O3FA supplementation reduced CV events in 2 large trials (Gissi-Prevenzione and JELIS). In a prior abstract we reported the impact of O3FA on lipid levels and inflammatory markers in 101 subjects with MS. Apo B, Apo A1, and triglycerides were significantly reduced, but there was no change in CRP or serum amyloid A. Here we report results on CIMT. Methods: 101 subjects with MS, mean age 55.1 years, 53% women, were randomized to placebo or O3FA (1.8 grams of EPA +DHA) daily vs. matching placebo for 2 years. Common carotid (CCIMT) and internal carotid IMT (ICIMT) were measured at baseline and at 2 years. Results: 80 subjects completed the CIMT protocol. There were no significant differences in any baseline clinical characteristics between groups (supplement (S) vs. placebo (P)), or between baseline mean CCIMT or ICIMT. After two years, there were non-significant increases in the IMT in both S and P but no between group differences (see table and figure). The results were similar whether comparing the average of the maximum of both sides or comparing the sides with the greatest IMT at baseline. Removing the significant outlier in the S group, did not change the results (see figure). Conclusion: In this modest sized sample group, despite favorable effects on lipid levels, treatment with O3FA did not stop progression of carotid IMT although the increase in CIMT in both groups was small and insignificant.
Responses of Planarians and Snails

It is becoming increasingly apparent, especially from studies of biological rhythmicity and animal orientations in space, that living things are sensitively responsive to physical factors of their environment above and beyond those commonly recognized as effective ones. Certain readily demonstrable properties related to the timing and phasing of persistent biological rhythms and to animal homing abilities appear to defy plausible explanation solely in terms of conventional physiological responses and reactions.
Measuring Organizational Learning, Project Learning, and Project Success in IT Organizations

The cost of information technology project failures or poor performance is unacceptably high due, in part, to a lack of knowledge sharing from project to project. Insufficient knowledge sharing leads to intellectual capital loss, rework, skills deterioration, and repeated mistakes that increase project costs leading to failure. Knowledge exists at both the organizational and project levels; environmental factors at either level may enable or impede knowledge sharing among information technology project teams. There is, however, no meaningful means to measure organizational or project level knowledge sharing. Thus, the goal of this study was to develop and validate an instrument to measure organizational learning factors, project learning practices, and project success variables in order to provide the means to examine their interaction.
Inhibition of rat prolactin (PRL) storage by coexpression of human PRL.

GH4C1 cells increase storage of rat PRL and accumulation of dense core secretory granules when they are treated with 300 nM insulin, 1 nM estradiol, and 10 nM epidermal growth factor. In the experiments reported here, intracellular rat PRL increased from 4% of the total amount produced in 24 h in control cultures to 15% in treated cultures. When GH4C1 cells were transfected with DNA sequences so that they coexpressed human PRL, the storage of rat PRL was no longer induced by hormone treatment; transfected clones contained less than 5% of the total produced in 24 h in both control and treated cultures. The sum of rat and human PRL produced by these clones was not more than rat PRL produced by the untransfected cells, so the storage capacity of the cells was not exceeded. The transfected clones made between 1 to 40 times more rat than human PRL. Release of human and rat PRL was stimulated by depolarizing the cells, indicating both still were in a regulated pathway, even though storage could not be induced. ...
Automatic control of aircraft

A method of controlling aircraft through electromagnetic radiations is described here in which the controls are preset and the aircraft is flown and landed on a predetermined course in any kind of weather conditions. The operation is entirely automatic and the presence of a control operator is not needed. The solution of this problem was made possible by the development of two novel aids for fog navigation and fog landing, namely, the aircraft radio compass and the ultrahigh-frequency marker beacon. The problem of remote control of aircraft was initiated at the end of World War I. Due to lack of stability of the airplanes and the primitive status of aircraft radio at that time, the first attempts were not very successful. In the last few years, however, the great advance in both aviation and aircraft radio made the solution of this seemingly difficult problem quite simple. Two methods have been successfully developed. In the first method the control operator sends into space a definite number of electromagnetic impulses using an ordinary telephone dial. It is obvious that if the operator is on the ground the radius of action of such a device is quite limited, because the airplane must remain in full sight of the operator all the time. In order to increase the range of this aerial torpedo, it is necessary for the control operator to follow it in another airplane. It is possible, however, to navigate a pilotless airplane over a predetermined course of considerable span, and to land it safely at the end of its journey. This operation can be rendered entirely automatic; it can be performed in any weather conditions and without the presence of a control operator.
Rotating‐fluid experiments with an atmospheric general circulation model

In order to determine features of rotating fluid flow that are dependent on the geometry, rotating annulus-type experiments are carried out with a numerical model in spherical coordinates. Rather than constructing and testing a model expressly for this purpose, it is found expedient to modify an existing general circulation model of the atmosphere by removing the model physics and replacing the lower boundary with a uniform surface. A regime diagram derived from these model experiments is presented; its major features are interpreted and contrasted with the major features of rotating annulus regime diagrams. Within the wave regime, a narrow region is found where one or two zonal wave numbers are dominant. The results reveal no upper symmetric regime; wave activity at low rotation rates is thought to be maintained by barotropic rather than baroclinic processes.
Pharmacokinetic study of amphetamine elimination in dogs and swine.

Abstract The kinetics of amphetamine elimination were studied in healthy and nephrectomized mongrel dogs and healthy swine. A similar dose of dl-amphetamine sulfate (0.66 mg/kg, free base) was administered intravenously to each animal. The drug concentration in the biological fluids was determined by a sensitive and specific gas Chromatographic method. Amphetamine was extracted from alkaline biologic fluid into cyclohexane. The trichloroacetamide derivative was prepared and detected by electron capture. The biological half-life of the drug (mean ± S.E.M.) was significantly shorter in swine (1.05 ± 0.05 hr) than in dogs (4.50 ± 0.24 hr) (Student's t-test, P
Osmoregulatory role of amino acids in brain of the elasmobranch, Raja erinacea

Abstract 1. 1. Following gradual acclimation of skates (Raja erinacea) to 50% seawater, amino acid content of brain measured as ninhydrin-positive substances decreased 52%, while plasma osmolarity fell 35%. 2. 2. Taurine constituted 50% of the total free amino acids in brain. 3. 3. During sudden transfer to 50% seawater NPS in brain fell 25% within 4 hr, then after a more gradual decrease levels stabilized at 72 hr (52% decrease). 4. 4. In vitro experiments using ouabain and LiCl suggest that the osmoregulatory efflux of amino acids may be associated with lowered Na+ concentrations in extracellular fluid thereby affecting Na+- K+-dependent ATPase activity.
ATPG for heat dissipation minimization during scan testing

An ATPG technique is proposed that reduces heat dissipationduring testing of sequential circuits that have full-scan. The objectiveis to permit safe and inexpensive testing of low power circuitsand bare die that would otherwise require expensive heat removalequipment for testing at high speeds. The proposed ATPG exploitsall don't cares that occur during scan shifting, test application, andresponse capture to minimize switching activity in the circuit undertest. Furthermore, an ATPG that maximizes the number of state inputsthat are assigned don't care values, has been developed. Theproposedtechniquehas beenimplemented and usedto generatetestsfor full scan versions of ISCAS 89 benchmark circuits. These testsdecrease the average number of transitions during test by 19% to89%, when comparedwith those generatedby a simple PODEM implementation.
Dobutamine versus dipyridamole for inducing reversible perfusion defects in chronic multivessel coronary artery stenosis

AbstractObjectives: We hypothesized that, although the effects of dipyridamole and dobutamine on myocardial blood volume (MBV) and mean microbubble velocity (VEL) are different, the magnitude of pe...
Surface particle transport mechanism independent of myosin II in Dictyostelium

Cellular locomotion could be driven by the rearward transport of membrane-bound particles observed on motile fibroblasts, keratinocytes and neuronal growth cones. A force propelling free surface particles backwards could move the cell forwards if the particles were anchored to a rigid substratum. During capping, myosin II ('double-headed' myosin) draws crosslinked membrane proteins to the rear of a cell. The mhcA- mutant of the amoebal stage of the slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum, in which the myosin II gene has been deleted, cannot cap surface particles but can crawl along the substratum. Thus, the mechanism driving capping is not essential for locomotion. We show here that the null mutant is capable of a different type of active rearward transport, independent of myosin II and distinct from capping. The transported particles on mhcA- cells follow parallel paths. In the wild-type Ax2 strain, myosin II causes particles to converge towards a focal point and significantly increases the velocity of transport behind the leading edge of the cell.
Multi-scale Features for Detection and Segmentation of Rocks in Mars Images

Geologists and planetary scientists will benefit from methods for accurate segmentation of rocks in natural scenes. However, rocks are poorly suited for current visual segmentation techniques - they exhibit diverse morphologies and have no uniform property to distinguish them from background soil. We address this challenge with a novel detection and segmentation method incorporating features from multiple scales. These features include local attributes such as texture, object attributes such as shading and two-dimensional shape, and scene attributes such as the direction of illumination. Our method uses a superpixel segmentation followed by region-merging to search for the most probable groups of superpixels. A learned model of rock appearances identifies whole rocks by scoring candidate superpixel groupings. We evaluate our method's performance on representative images from the Mars Exploration Rover catalog.
Design of solar powered adsorption heat pump with ice storage

The design and performance of a solar (and/or natural gas) powered adsorption (desiccant-vapor) heat pump for residential cooling (and heating) is described. The entire system is modeled and analyzed: adsorption heat pump itself, ice thermal storage reservoir, and solar collectors. The adsorption heat pump embodies patent pending improvements to the state-of-the-art which elevate coefficient of performance for cooling from a maximum of 1.2 reported in the literature to a conservatively predicted minimum of 1.5. The adsorption device utilizes economical, robust configurations (shell-and-tube) and components (helical annular finned tubes, multi-lumen tubes) commonly employed in heat exchangers in a manner heretofore untried, as well as other enhancements (metal wool to diffuse heat throughout the adsorbent). The vessel is all aluminum and the adsorbent-refrigerant pair is carbon-ammonia. The ice reservoir provides 24 h cooling. Two types of solar collector are determined to be satisfactory at the selected operating temperature of 170 °C: (1) compound parabolic concentrator with high concentration ratio (10+) and automatic tilt adjustment, and (2) evacuated (0.001 atm) flat panel, similar to atmospheric pressure versions employed for domestic water heating.
Prevalence and patterns of substance use among early adolescents

Prevalence and patterns of substance use are described for a sample of 105 San Francisco East Bay adolescents (age 14). Data are compared with national statistics on substance use among high school seniors. While alcohol use appeared comparable to the national statistics, tobacco use was less prevalent among this younger western sample. Despite the differences in ages, use of marijuana, cocaine, and hallucinogens was similar to national high school prevalence; use of other "harder" drugs was more extensive among the older, national sample. Contrary to typical findings, males and females were not found to differ in frequency or extent of substance use; females appeared somewhat more involved in substance use at this early age. Initiation of substance use occurred at early grade levels, suggesting that intervention efforts should begin prior to junior high, perhaps as early as fourth or fifth grade.
Composition of Raw and Roasted Lamb and Mutton I. Physical and Proximate Composition

SUMMARY Sixty cuts each of raw and roasted rib-loin and of raw and roasted leg of lamb and mutton, obtained from 118 carcasses, were separated into their physical components. Proximate composition was determined on the resulting separable lean, separable fat, and drippings. Correlation coefficients between weight of cut and each physical and proximate component were determined, and the effects of weight of cut and of roasting on the partitioning of nutrients among the separated portions were examined. With increasing weight of cut, percentage of separable fat and of drippings increased, and percentage of separable lean and of evaporation loss decreased. For rib-loins, as weight of cut increased, the proportion of bone and waste, and the percentages of moisture, protein, and ash in all separable portions decreased, but the percentage of lipids increased. Relations were similar in leg cuts, except that percentage of bone and waste, percentage of protein in raw or roasted separable lean, and moisture content of drippings did not change significantly. Separable lean, raw or roasted, contained about 90% of the protein and moisture of the entire cut, but only about a quarter of the total lipids. Lean from raw cuts contained about 90% of the ash of the total cut, but lean from cooked cuts contained only about two-thirds of the ash of the entire cut. As weight of cut increased, the amounts of proximate components in the lean decreased in proportion to those amounts in the total cut.
Evidence for high salinity of Early Cretaceous sea water from the Chesapeake Bay crater

Chemical, isotopic and physical evidence indicate that some of the groundwater in the Chesapeake Bay crater is remnant Early Cretaceous North Atlantic sea water, probably 100–145 million years old, with an average salinity of about 70‰, which is twice that of modern sea water. Geologists and oceanographers generally have to rely on indirect evidence from the analysis of solid materials in deep sediment cores when estimating temperature and salinity levels of the ancient oceans. But now a team from the US Geological Survey has identified a body of underground water that is actually a remnant of a past ocean water, a body of Early Cretaceous North Atlantic sea water. Deep drilling at the site of the Chesapeake Bay impact crater has yielded groundwater with an isotope and chemical composition signature that together with model analysis suggests that it was trapped in the sediments before the impact occurred around 35 million years ago. The water may have lain undisturbed for much longer: it has an average salinity of about 70 parts per thousand, twice that of modern sea water, and is probably 100–145 million years old. High-salinity groundwater more than 1,000 metres deep in the Atlantic coastal plain of the USA has been documented in several locations1,2, most recently within the 35-million-year-old Chesapeake Bay impact crater3,4,5. Suggestions for the origin of increased salinity in the crater have included evaporite dissolution6, osmosis6 and evaporation from heating7 associated with the bolide impact. Here we present chemical, isotopic and physical evidence that together indicate that groundwater in the Chesapeake crater is remnant Early Cretaceous North Atlantic (ECNA) sea water. We find that the sea water is probably 100–145 million years old and that it has an average salinity of about 70 per mil, which is twice that of modern sea water and consistent with the nearly closed ECNA basin8. Previous evidence for temperature and salinity levels of ancient oceans have been estimated indirectly from geochemical, isotopic and palaeontological analyses of solid materials in deep sediment cores. In contrast, our study identifies ancient sea water in situ and provides a direct estimate of its age and salinity. Moreover, we suggest that it is likely that remnants of ECNA sea water persist in deep sediments at many locations along the Atlantic margin.
Cassini-Huygens Maneuver Experience: Second Year of Saturn Tour

This paper documents the maneuver experience during the second year of the Cassini-Huygens mission at Saturn. Since Saturn arrival in July 2004, the Cassini orbiter has made many flybys of Titan and Saturn's icy satellites. From August 2005 to June 2006, there were 39 planned maneuvers designed to target Cassini to aimpoints near Titan, Hyperion, Dione, and Rhea. Highlights of this paper include maneuver designs and strategies, maneuver performance, maneuver cancellation rationales, and a new maneuver execution-error model based on maneuvers executed to date.
Protective effect of divalent cations in the plasmin degradation of fibrinogen

Calcium limits the plasmic proteolysis of fibrinogen fragment D by binding to a specific site on the carboxy-terminal segment of the D gamma chain. Employing sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to visualize plasmic fragments, Sr2+, Ba2+, and Mn2+ were found to have an equivalent capacity to limit the degradation of fibrinogen fragment D (Mr 94,000). Mg2+, Fe2+, Co2+, and Zn2+ did not comparably limit the digestion of fragment D. Equilibrium dialysis demonstrated that Ba2+ competitively inhibited Ca2+ binding to fibrinogen, suggesting that the ions occupied the Ca2+ binding site of fibrinogen and thereby limited the plasmic digestion of fragment D. The results suggest that Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+, and Mn2+ limit plasmin digestion of fragment D by interacting with a Ca2+ binding site in the D domain of the fibrinogen molecule.
Evaluating ethics committees: a view from the outside.

markable growth in the number of health care institutions with ethics committees. These are multidisciplinary committees established to address ethical dilemmas in patient care. The committees often deal with issues regarding the withholding or withdrawal of life­ sustaining treatment from patients who lack decision-making capacity (Cranford and Doudera 1984). Although the number of hospitals with such committees was estimated to be less than 100 in the early 1980s (Youngner et al. 1984), by 1985, according to a survey by the American Hospital Association {1985), more than 60 percent of American hospitals had their own ethics committee. There are no more recent national esti­ mates of the number of hospitals that have established these commit­ tees, but there is reason to believe the numbers have grown in the last eight years. The motivation for establishing these committees has been mainly in­ ternal: nurses, social workers, and physicians initiated the committees as a better way to deal with cases that involved the withholding or with­ drawal of life-sustaining treatment. However, a series of external events undoubtedly influenced their formation as well. Among them was the 1976 New Jersey court case of Karen Ann Quinlan, 1 a young woman
Renal transplantation after prolonged dwell peritoneal dialysis in children

Renal transplantation after prolonged dwell peritoneal dialysis in children. Thirty-three children received a total of 38 renal transplants (18 living related donor, and 20 cadaveric) after being on CAPD and/or CCPD (PDPD). Ten patients (12 transplants) were converted to hemodialysis pre-transplant in order to be free of the risk of peritonitis and off antibiotics, whereas 23 patients (26 transplants) were on PDPD at the time of transplant. The latter group of patients are described in greater detail. Within this group there was one episode of catheter colonization with Flavobacterium, and only three patients developed ascites post-transplant. Of the 26 transplants, catheters were removed at the time of transplant in the 13 LRD allografts but left in situ for a mean of 3.8 weeks in the 13 cadaveric transplant recipients. Peritoneal dialysis was required post-transplant in seven patients (two LRD recipients requiring a new catheter placement) without complications. Our policy of removing PD catheters at the time of transplant in LRD recipients and prior to hospital discharge in cadaveric transplant recipients has resulted in the avoidance of additional hospitalizations in 19 of the 26 transplants and avoided extra surgery in 11 of the 13 LRD transplants. We conclude that children who have been on PDPD are suitable candidates for renal transplantation and that the early removal of PD catheters, including removal at the time of transplantation in LRD recipients, is associated with a significant reduction in operative procedures for the patients.
Warranty Bonds from the Perspective of Surety Companies

The recent economic downturn and an unexpected increase in losses have greatly affected the surety industry. Several top underwriters have left the surety market, and a large number of acquisitions and mergers have recently taken place in the industry. Also, many surety companies have changed their underwriting philosophy and raised their underwriting criteria and standards. Consequently, contractors are currently facing a more comprehensive list of questions in the underwriting process, as well as the reluctance of surety companies to increase bonding capacity Hughes 2002 . However, the concerns in the surety industry are not limited only to the recent unexpected losses. Another source of concern is the requirement for long-term warranty bonds by state departments of transportation DOTs on warranted highway projects. Sureties are mostly worried about the risks involved in issuing these long-duration bonds and the additional effort needed in the underwriting process. The ensuing increase in the premium rates and the limited availability of warranty bonds to small contractors are additional matters of concern Hastak et al. 2003 . In view of these observations, this forum provides valuable up-to-date information on warranty bonds from the perspective of surety companies and presents the results of a survey that was conducted for this purpose. Since the analysis is based on responses from surety companies in the United States that have experience with warranty bonds, the study becomes beneficial for industry practitioners and researchers because it can help them understand the opinions, expectations, and recommendations of warranty bond underwriters in the surety market.
Morphological stability of solder reaction products in flip chip technology

We have studied two kinds of solder reactions between eutectic SnPb and Cu. The first is wetting reaction above the melting point of the solder, and the second is solid state aging below the melting point of the solder. In wetting reaction, the intermetallic compound (IMC) formation has a scallop-type morphology. There are channels between the scallops. In solid state aging, the IMC formation has a layer-type morphology. There are no channels but grain boundaries between the IMC grains. Why scallops are stable in wetting reactions has been an unanswered question of fundamental interest. We have confirmed that the scallop-type morphology is stable in wetting reaction by re-wetting the layer-type IMC by molten eutectic SnPb solder. In less than 1 min, a layer-type Cu6Sn5 is transformed back to scallops by the molten solder at 200 C. In analyzing these reactions, we conclude that the scallop-type morphology is thermodynamically stable in wetting reaction, but the layer-type morphology is thermodynamically stable in solid state aging, due to minimization of interfacial and grain boundary energies.
A procedure for the synthesis of p-fluorosulfonyl[14C]-benzoyl-5′-adenosine with [14C] in the benzoyl moiety

Abstract Carboxy- p -fluorosulfonyl[ 14 C]benzoyl-5′-adenosine has been synthesized with the radiolabel ultimately derived from carboxy- p -amino[ 14 C]benzoic acid by a synthetic route employing four reaction steps. Starting with 1 mmol of p -amino[ 14 C]benzoic acid, p -fluorosulfonyl[ 14 C]benzoyl-5′-adenosine is obtained with an overall yield of 25–30%.
SEASONAL PATTERNS OF LEAF PHOTOSYNTHETIC CAPACITY IN SUCCESSIONAL NORTHERN HARDWOOD TREE SPECIES.

Seasonal patterns of leaf photosynthetic capacity and conductance were determined for deciduous hardwood tree species in natural habitats in northern lower Michigan. Leaves of bigtooth aspen and red oak at the top of the canopy had higher maximum CO/sub 2/ Exchange Rate (CER) (10-15 ..mu..mol m/sup -2/ s/sup -1/) than leaves of sugar maple, red maple, red oak, and beech growing in the understory (4-5 ..mu..mol m/sup -2/ s/sup -1/). In all leaves, CER measured at light-saturation increased to a maximum near the completion of leaf expansion in early June, was constant until mid-September, and then rapidly declined until leaf death. A similar pattern was seen for CER measured in low light (1.5% full sun). Respiration rate in the dark was highest in young leaves and decreased during leaf expansion; a relatively constant rate was then maintained for the rest of leaf lifespan. The seasonal pattern of the initial slope of the light response of CER paralleled the pattern of light-saturated CER. The initial slope in midsummer ranged from values of 37 to 44 ..mu..mol/mol for species in the understory to 51 and 56 ..mu..mol/mol for red oak and bigtooth aspen, respectively, at the top of the canopy. Leaf conductancemore » was constant throughout most of leaf lifespan, with some decline occurring in autumn. Leaves at the top of the canopy had higher conductances for water vapor (2-5 mm/s) than leaves in the understory (1-2 mm/s). All species maintained leaf intercellular CO/sub 2/ mole fractions (c/sub i/) near 200 ..mu..L/L until autumn, when c/sub i/ increased during leaf senescence.« less
Enabling the discovery of recurring anomalies in aerospace problem reports using high-dimensional clustering techniques

This paper describes the results of a significant research and development effort conducted at NASA Ames Research Center to develop new text mining algorithms to discover anomalies in free-text reports regarding system health and safety of two aerospace systems. We discuss two problems of significant import in the aviation industry. The first problem is that of automatic anomaly discovery concerning an aerospace system through the analysis of tens of thousands of free-text problem reports that are written about the system. The second problem that we address is that of automatic discovery of recurring anomalies, i.e., anomalies that may be described in different ways by different authors, at varying times and under varying conditions, but that are truly about the same part of the system. The intent of recurring anomaly identification is to determine project or system weakness or high-risk issues. The discovery of recurring anomalies is a key goal in building safe, reliable, and cost-effective aerospace systems. We address the anomaly discovery problem on thousands of free-text reports using two strategies: (1) as an unsupervised learning problem where an algorithm takes free-text reports as input and automatically groups them into different bins, where each bin corresponds to a different unknown anomaly category; and (2) as a supervised learning problem where the algorithm classifies the free-text reports into one of a number of known anomaly categories. We then discuss the application of these methods to the problem of discovering recurring anomalies. In fact, because recurring anomalies tend to have very small cluster sizes, we explore new methods and measures to enhance the original approach for anomaly detection. We present our results on the identification of recurring anomalies in problem reports concerning two aerospace systems as well as benchmark data sets that are widely used in the field of text mining. The first system is the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) database, which contains several hundred-thousand free text reports filed by commercial pilots concerning safety issues on commercial airlines. The second aerospace system we analyze is the NASA Space Shuttle problem reports as represented in the CARS data set, which consists of 7440 NASA Shuttle problem reports. We show significant classification accuracies on both of these systems as well as compare our results with reports classified into anomaly categories by field experts.
A study of the basis of virulence variation of bovine rotaviruses.

Abstract Rotaviruses are enteric pathogens of cattle but sub-clinical infections are common. Virulence variation has been identified with bovine rotaviruses and some rotaviruses replicated without clinical signs in non-immune calves. The rotavirus genome is composed of eleven segments of double-stranded RNA and the fourth largest segment codes for a non-glycosylated surface protein, VP4, which has been linked with virulence. In the present study the biological basis of rotavirus virulence variation was studied in vivo and compared with the known properties of the fourth gene. Calves were inoculated orally with a virulent rotavirus or a rotavirus of low virulence which multiplied but failed to cause diarrhoea. They were taken for necropsy at intervals of 2 days after inoculation. Clinical signs, virus in faeces and the percentage of infected small intestinal epithelium were determined. Damage to the small intestine was assessed by measurement of villus heights and cryptcell production rates. Virulence was associated with a greater level of colonization of the small intestinal epithelium, greater enterocyte damage and preferential infection of the upper small intestine. The fourth gene determines the ability of rotaviruses to spread in vitro and the finding that virulence was associated with greater colonization in vivo raises the possibility that this gene may have an important role in rotavirus virulence.
Urban Paumgartner's Aristeion Carinthiae Claudiforum: Between Reminiscence and Protest

In 1601, the Latin schoolmaster, Urban Paumgartner, together with thousands of co-religionists, was expelled from Klagenfurt in Inner Austria on account of his Lutheranism. A few years later, he published a Latin poem in which he extols the beauties of his lost patria and seeks to find an explanation for the calamity that has befallen it: Aristeion Carinthiae Claudiforum, ‘Klagenfurt, the Glory of Carinthia.’ Offered here is an English translation of the Latin text along with a introduction to the background, context and genre. It is a unique document of Austrian Reformation history from an exile and highly educated layman who weds Classical and Renaissance motifs and forms to his Reformation commitment. At the same time it is a moving human document.
Effects of Varying Lengths of Double-Stranded RNA on Binding and Activation of 2′-5′-Oligoadenylate Synthetase

We investigated the effects of varying the length of the double-stranded (ds) RNA cofactor on activation of 2'-5'-oligoadenylate [2-5 (A)] synthetase. dsRNA of 40, 55, 67, 85, and 110 bp lengths were generated by in vitro transcription of complementary strands and annealing and trimming of the single-stranded overhangs. The dsRNA molecules were radiolabeled by polynucleotide kinase and purified by gel electrophoresis. Their abilities to bind to recombinant mouse 9-2 2-5 (A) synthetase, as monitored by electrophoretic mobility shift assays, were comparable. When used at a saturating concentration of 25 microg/ml, all dsRNA molecules were equally effective in activating the enzyme. At a subsaturating concentration, however, longer RNAs were better activators. At 100 nM concentration, there was a linear relationship between the length of the dsRNA and its ability to activate 2-5 (A) synthetase.
Automated landslide mapping using spectral analysis and high-resolution topographic data: Puget Sound lowlands, Washington, and Portland Hills, Oregon

Abstract Landslide inventory maps are necessary for assessing landslide hazards and addressing the role slope stability plays in landscape evolution over geologic timescales. However, landslide inventory maps produced with traditional methods — aerial photograph interpretation, topographic map analysis, and field inspection — are often subjective and incomplete. The increasing availability of high-resolution topographic data acquired via airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) over broad swaths of terrain invites new, automated landslide mapping procedures. We present two methods of spectral analysis that utilize LiDAR-derived digital elevation models of the Puget Sound lowlands, Washington, and the Tualatin Mountains, Oregon, to quantify and automatically map the topographic signatures of deep-seated landslides. Power spectra produced using the two-dimensional discrete Fourier transform and the two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform identify the characteristic spatial frequencies of deep-seated landslide morphologic features such as hummocky topography, scarps, and displaced blocks of material. Spatial patterns in the amount of spectral power concentrated in these characteristic frequency bands highlight past slope instabilities and allow the delineation of landslide terrain. When calibrated by comparison with detailed, independently compiled landslide inventory maps, our algorithms correctly classify an average of 82% of the terrain in our five study areas. Spectral analysis also allows the creation of dominant wavelength maps, which prove useful in analyzing meter-scale topographic expressions of landslide mechanics, past landslide activity, and landslide-modifying geomorphic processes. These results suggest that our automated landslide mapping methods can create accurate landslide maps and serve as effective, objective, and efficient tools for digital terrain analysis.
Psychosocial Factors Associated With Use Of Multivitamins By Women Of Childbearing Age

To determine the association between psychosocial factors and use of multivitamins among women (18–40 years; N = 3,438) who were enrolled in Kaiser Permanente Health Plan in southern California. A telephone survey elicited information about multivitamins and psychosocial and demographic characteristics. The outcome variables were any and regular use ( ≥ 4 times per week) of multivitamins. Four psychosocial factors were: perceived need to take multivitamins and perceived benefits, barriers, and locus of control. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and multivariate analyses that adjusted for age, race or ethnicity, marital status, education, and discussion of multivitamin use with a health care provider. Fifty one percent of women reported using multivitamins; of this group, 79% were regular users. After adjusting for several covariates, factors positively associated with any use of multivitamins were perceived need (odds ratio [OR] = 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.15–1.29), perceived benefit (OR = 1.15; CI 1.08–1.22); and perceived barriers had a negative association with any use (OR = 0.64; CI 0.59-0.68). When regular users were compared to irregular users in a multivariate analysis, regular use was positively associated with perceived benefits (OR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.02-1.25) and negatively associated with barriers (OR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.41-0.53). Women who were not advised by their providers about multivitamins were less likely to use them (OR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.36-0.52) or to be regular users (OR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.50-0.91). Results suggest that certain psychosocial factors as well as advice from a health care provider help women to make decisions about multivitamin use.
Analyzing digital vector waveforms of 0–3000 Hz magnetic fields for health studies†

To improve the assessment of magnetic field exposures for occupational health studies, the Multiwave System III (MW3) was developed to capture personal exposures to the three-dimensional magnetic field vector B(t) in the 0-3000 Hz band. To process hundreds of full-shift MW3 measurements from epidemiologic studies, new computer programs were developed to calculate the magnetic field's physical properties and its interaction with biological systems through various mechanisms (magnetic induction, radical pair interactions, ion resonance, etc.). For automated calculations in the frequency domain, the software uses new algorithms that remove artifacts in the magnetic field's Fourier transform due to electronic noise and the person's motion through perturbations in the geomagnetic field from steel objects. These algorithms correctly removed the Fourier transform artifacts in 92% of samples and have improved the accuracy of frequency-dependent metrics by as much as 3300%. The output of the MwBatch software is a matrix of 41 exposure metrics calculated for each 2/15 s sample combined with 8 summary metrics for the person's full-period exposure, giving 294 summary-exposure metrics for each person monitored. In addition, the MwVisualizer software graphically explores the magnetic field's vector trace, its component waveforms, and the metrics over time. The output was validated against spreadsheet calculations with pilot data. This software successfully analyzed full-shift MW3 monitoring with 507 electric utility workers, comprising over 1 million vector waveforms. The software's output can be used to test hypotheses about magnetic field biology and disease with biophysical models and also assess compliance with exposure limits.
Descemet’s membrane detachment after cataract surgery: management and outcome

Abstract Objective To analyze the possible causes of Descemet's membrane detachment (DMD) and the treatment and outcome of patients after cataract surgery. Design Retrospective noncomparative interventional case series. Participants Fifteen eyes of 12 patients. Methods We reviewed clinical data on 15 eyes of 12 patients with nonscrolled DMD after cataract surgery who presented to the Cornea Service at Wills Eye Hospital from 1986 to 2001. Institutional review board/ethics committee approval was obtained. Main outcome measures Visual acuity and reattachment of Descemet's membrane. Results Cataract procedures involved nine clear-corneal eyes, four limbal incisions, one trabeculectomy/combined phacoemulsification, and one extracapsular cataract extraction. From 1986 to 1990, we had 1 patient; from 1991 to 1995, no patients; and from 1996 to 2001, 11 patients (including all clear-corneal eyes). Of the 15 eyes, 8 resolved with medical treatment alone, with a mean time to resolution of 9.8 weeks. One patient was lost to follow-up while improving on medical treatment, and another required a penetrating keratoplasty (PK) after medical treatment failed. Five eyes received anterior-chamber SF 6 gas injection. Of these eyes, three DMDs resolved, one underwent repeated injection (not improving after 10 weeks), and another required a PK. Conclusions Referrals for DMD seem to be increasing. This may be explained by the increase in clear-corneal cataract procedures. Medical treatment seems to be adequate in many cases and may be appropriate initial therapy. When needed, SF 6 gas injection may also be successful, but not in all cases.
Sturmian theory of electron energy distributions in low energy ion–atom collisions

Abstract The energy and angular distributions of electrons ejected from targets and projectiles in the collisions of slow H and H − with He targets has been calculated exactly in a model that treats electron interactions with neutral targets via zero-range interactions. These calculations employ two-center Sturmian functions for collisions at non-zero impact parameters. The computed distributions are compared with recent measurements for He targets. Total ionization cross sections are also computed and compared with experiment over a broad energy range for proton, alpha particle and neutral hydrogen impact on helium atoms. The calculations are in generally good agreement with experiment.
Menu Adjustments Made By School Food Service Directors To Address Usda Nutrient Standards and Dietary Guidelines

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To delineate changes that School Food Service Directors (SFSDs) in Pennsylvania have made in response to the USDA Nutrient Standards and Dietary Guidelines. Based on Federal regulations, SFSDs need to document whether their menus meet nutrient standards. In order to assess the status of changes in menus based on the regulations, a survey was administered to a group of 48 school food service employees who attended a training session on nutrient analysis software. The survey included questions about participant demographics, perception of reaching USDA nutrient standards for school meals, self-reported menu changes, and documentation practices. The majority of the participants in the session were School Food Service Directors (83.33%). Respondents were split in terms of educational level. Twenty had high school diplomas and twenty had Bachelors degrees. Most of the SFSDs reported that they had begun to make menu changes associated with USDA nutrient standards. Twenty-five percent reported they felt they met the standards, forty percent had started the process, and only four percent (two respondents) stated that they had not yet begun making changes. Almost 40% of SFSDs felt that their meals were not less than 30% fat. Seventeen percent felt that their meals averaged less than 30% fat. The remaining 43% felt that their meals were sometimes low in fat. Eighty-five percent of the SFSDs reported increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in their menus as a result of the new USDA regulations, and sixty-two percent felt that their menus were high in fruits and vegetables. Fifty-two percent had not analyzed the nutrient content of their menus; 48% had done so either by computer or manually. Most SFSDs (81%) are currently collecting nutrient information on the foods they are serving and most (73%) are requesting low fat foods from vendors. Most SFSDs in this sample are making changes to meet the USDA standards, and additional data about these changes will be presented along with conclusions.
Effects of photoperiod on plasma corticoid levels in the goldfish, Carassius auratus—role of the pineal

Abstract 1. 1. The effects of photoperiod and pinealectomy on plasma corticoid levels in the goldfish (Carassius auratus) were examined. 2. 2. Plasma corticoid levels differed in goldfish maintained under different photoperiod regimes, but this response varied seasonally. 3. 3. Pinealectomy altered the effects of photoperiod on plasma corticoid levels but this effect varied with season. 4. 4. Plasma corticoid levels were correlated with ovarian activity. The effects of photoperiod on plasma corticoid levels appear to be related to the influence of light on reproduction. 5. 5. The alteration of plasma corticoid levels in pinealectomized fish may be due to the role this organ plays in mediating photoperiod effects on gonadal activity.
Nanoscale conducting oxide plasmonic slot waveguide modulator

We demonstrate an ultra-compact plasmonic slot waveguide field-effect modulator based on a transparent conducting oxide active region. Numerical simulations show that modulation depths upwards of 2.5 and 11 dB in tapered and stub-resonant structures, respectively.
A Study of Natural Electromagnetic Phenomena for Space Navigation

A study has been carried out for the United States Air Force investigating the use of natural electromagnetic radiation in the space environment for navigational purposes. Radiations from the sun, the stars, and interstellar space in both the visible and RF portions of the spectrum and also cosmic rays have been investigated. Emphasis has been placed on the measurement of velocity in space utilizing the Doppler phenomenon. Equipment and techniques useful in deriving velocity information from Doppler shift measurements are described and figures for expected accuracy are derived. Other passive techniques having possible application to space navigation such as the measurement of total solar radiation and solar diameter are briefly discussed.
Physiological Constraints in Taiwan Sign Language Handshape-Change

This paper examines the role of physiology of the hand relevant to particular handshapechange data from Taiwan Sign Language. The physiology of the hand is shown to be completely responsible for one aspect of handshape-change (that fingers must become unspread when closed). In addition, the physiology provides the explanation for two tendencies in handshape-changes (i) that when fingers extend, they tend to spread, and (ii) that when less than all five fingers perform a handshape change, the fingers that do so are the thumb, index, and middle or a subset.
The performance of a variety of density functional and ab initio methods on the structural problem of beryllium borohydride

Abstract The D 2d and D 3d isomers of beryllium borohydride (BeB 2 H 8 ) have been studied with different ab initio and density functional techniques. Optimized geometries were obtained with a polarized split valence basis set and electronic energies were calculated at the optimum geometry with an extended polarized basis set containing f functions. Both MP2 and MP4 calculations with the extended basis set indicate the D 3d conformer to be slightly more stable at the basis set level. The performance of many combinations of local and non-local exchange and correlation density functionals have been tested on this difficult structural problem. Only the non-local functionals approached the accuracy of ab initio MP2 calculations.