cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TH‐E‐BRE‐08: GPU‐Monte Carlo Based Fast IMRT Plan Optimization

Purpose: Intensity-modulated radiation treatment (IMRT) plan optimization needs pre-calculated beamlet dose distribution. Pencil-beam or superposition/convolution type algorithms are typically used because of high computation speed. However, inaccurate beamlet dose distributions, particularly in cases with high levels of inhomogeneity, may mislead optimization, hindering the resulting plan quality. It is desire to use Monte Carlo (MC) methods for beamlet dose calculations. Yet, the long computational time from repeated dose calculations for a number of beamlets prevents this application. It is our objective to integrate a GPU-based MC dose engine in lung IMRT optimization using a novel two-steps workflow. Methods: A GPU-based MC code gDPM is used. Each particle is tagged with an index of a beamlet where the source particle is from. Deposit dose are stored separately for beamlets based on the index. Due to limited GPU memory size, a pyramid space is allocated for each beamlet, and dose outside the space is neglected. A two-steps optimization workflow is proposed for fast MC-based optimization. At first step, rough beamlet dose calculations is conducted with only a small number of particles per beamlet. Plan optimization is followed to get an approximated fluence map. In the second step, more accurate beamlet doses are calculated, where sampled number of particles for a beamlet is proportional to the intensity determined previously. A second-round optimization is conducted, yielding the final Result. Results: For a lung case with 5317 beamlets, 105 particles per beamlet in the first round, and 108 particles per beam in the second round are enough to get a good plan quality. The total simulation time is 96.4 sec. Conclusion: A fast GPU-based MC dose calculation method along with a novel two-step optimization workflow are developed. The high efficiency allows the use of MC for IMRT optimizations.
A compiler-automated array compression scheme for optimizing memory intensive programs

This paper proposes a compiler-automated array compression scheme to reduce the memory bandwidth consumption of programs and thereby to improve their execution speed. Three encoding methods are developed for such compression. Formulas are derived to analyze the cost and benefit of such methods. To ease the programmer's effort for writing and maintaining complex source code that utilizes compression, we implement our technique in a compiler which automatically transforms the program into different versions corresponding to different encoding methods. The compiler also inserts operations to adaptively invoke the preferred version at run time, including the original version which performs no compression. Results show that our compiler-automated adaptive scheme improves the execution speed over the original version by an average of 9% for a set of benchmark programs which perform memory-intensive sparse matrix-vector multiplications (SpMV). These results take into account of overhead to make the adaptive decision. When tested separately, the individual encoding methods speed up program execution by as high as 41%, which compares favorably against previous compression methods manually applied to SpMV.
A tactile stimulation device for measuring two-point and gap discrimination thresholds in humans

A device to measure two-point-discrimination and gap-discrimination thresholds is described. The apparatus is capable of controlled and reliable delivery of forces up to 42.50 g while determining point of skin contact and subsequent depth of skin indentation during threshold determination. Stimulus delivery is controlled by computer software that deactivates a solenoid, allowing a counterbalanced beam with one of two stimulus wheels mounted on its end to rise and stimulate the skin. Depth of skin indentation is recorded by hardware that monitors the output of a photocell reflecting the position of the beam. The apparatus allows complete computer control of all data acquisition and recording.
Association of dry cow therapy with the antimicrobial susceptibility of fecal coliform bacteria in dairy cows

The prophylactic use of intramammary antimicrobial drugs at the end of lactation in dairy cows, known as dry cow therapy (DCT), is widely practiced in US dairy herds. This extremely common use of high-dose, slow-release antimicrobials may influence the ecology of bacterial flora on dairy farms. We investigated the association between the antimicrobial used for intramammary DCT and the relative number of fecal coliform bacteria with reduced susceptibility to three antimicrobial drugs in dairy cattle. Most probable number (MPN) data were estimated from 463 individual fecal samples collected from lactating cows in 15 dairy herds in Ohio, USA. These data were used to calculate the relative number of fecal coliform bacteria with reduced susceptibility to cephalothin, streptomycin, and tetracycline for individual cow samples. The farms included in this project were classified based on DCT, with 8 farms using a cephalosporin-based product and the remaining 7 using a penicillin/streptomycin therapy. Results of a linear mixed model indicate that herds using a cephalosporin DCT had higher (P < 0.01) relative numbers of fecal coliform bacteria with reduced susceptibility to cephalothin and streptomycin compared to those using a penicillin/streptomycin intramammary therapy. Relative numbers of fecal coliform bacteria with reduced susceptibility to tetracycline was not associated with DCT. These results suggest that high-dose slow-release antimicrobials applied locally in the udder to populations of dairy cows might influence the antimicrobial susceptibility of the enteric flora. However, the potential animal and public health implications of this result are not clear.
Kinetic and Structural Analysis of Substrate Specificity in Two Copper Amine Oxidases from Hansenula polymorpha

The structural underpinnings of enzyme substrate specificity are investigated in a pair of copper amine oxidases (CAOs) from Hansenula polymorpha (HPAO-1 and HPAO-2). The X-ray crystal structure (to 2.0 A resolution) and steady state kinetic data of the second copper amine oxidase (HPAO-2) are presented for comparison to those of HPAO-1. Despite 34% sequence identity and superimposable active site residues implicated in catalysis, the enzymes vary considerably in their substrate entry channel. The previously studied CAO, HPAO-1, has a narrow substrate channel. In contrast, HPAO-2 has a wide funnel-shaped substrate channel, which also contains a side chamber. In addition, there are a number of amino acid changes within the channels of HPAO-2 and HPAO-1 that may sterically impact the ability of substrates to form covalent Schiff base catalytic intermediates and to initiate chemistry. These differences can partially explain the greatly different substrate specificities as characterized by k(cat)/K(m) value differences. In HPAO-1, the k(cat)/K(m) for methylamine is 330-fold greater than for benzylamine, whereas in HPAO-2, it is benzylamine that is the better substrate by 750-fold. In HPAO-2, an inflated (D)k(cat)/K(m)(methylamine) in relation to (D)k(cat)/K(m)(benzylamine) indicates that proton abstraction has been impeded more than substrate release. In HPAO-1, (D)k(cat)/K(m)(S) changes little with the slow substrate and indicates a similar increase in the energy barriers that control both substrate binding and subsequent catalysis. In neither case is k(cat)/K(m) for the second substrate, O(2), significantly altered. These results reinforce the modular nature of the active sites of CAOs and show that multiple factors contribute to substrate specificity and catalytic efficiency. In HPAO-1, the enzyme with the smaller substrate binding pocket, both initial substrate binding and proton loss are affected by an increase in substrate size, while in HPAO-2, the enzyme with the larger substrate binding pocket, the rate of proton loss is differentially affected when a phenyl substituent in the substrate is reduced to the size of a methyl group.
Automorphisms and Distinguishing Numbers of Geometric Cliques

A geometric automorphism is an automorphism of a geometric graph that preserves crossings and noncrossings of edges. We prove two theorems constraining the action of a geometric automorphism on the boundary of the convex hull of a geometric clique. First, any geometric automorphism that fixes the boundary of the convex hull fixes the entire clique. Second, if the boundary of the convex hull contains at least four vertices, then it is invariant under every geometric automorphism. We use these results, and the theory of determining sets, to prove that every geometric n-clique in which n≥7 and the boundary of the convex hull contains at least four vertices is 2-distinguishable.
Concerning the dynamics of chromosome replication and degradation in a bacterial population exposed to X-rays.

Abstract Successive radioisotopic labeling of the bacterial chromosome has been employed to determine whether the position of the label at the time of exposure to X-rays influences its pattern of replication subsequently. Following exposure to 5000 R of X-rays the chromosome region in front of the ‘replication-fork’ at the time of exposure is replicated to a greater extent than the region in or immediately behind the growth point. The latter region is prematurely replicated. If after X-ray exposure prevention of new cycles of DNA synthesis is accomplished by incubation of the cells in medium lacking required amino acids then the replication of all regions is markedly depressed. In addition an enhanced, non-selective degradation of chromosome regions is observed when irradiated cells are incubated without amino acids. Thus DNA in the vicinity of the replication-fork is degraded to the same extent as DNA located elsewhere. The data are interpreted as showing that following irradiation there exist two populations of chromosomes, the proportions of which are dose dependent. One population responds normally in regard to replication sequence and results from the resumption of semiconservative replication by the original replication-fork. The other, having lost its integrity, shows an aberrant type of replicative synthesis in which new sites of replication are initiated at random locations.
Reliability and life testing

Foreword Preface Introduction Exponential Failure Model Gamma and Weibull Distributions Normal and Related Distributions Mixture Distributions and Competing Risks Tests of Hypotheses and Confidence Intervals Bayes Estimators Bayesian Approximation and Reliability Estimation Bayesian Intervals for Parameters and Reliability Functions Reliability of Series/Parallel Systems Appendixes References Author Index Subject Index.
Advanced Metering Infrastructure as an enabler of Demand Response

Demand Response (DR) provides major benefits to utilities: increasing T&D capacity utilization, improving system reliability, enabling customer service choices, fostering energy efficiency, reducing carbon footprint, and facilitating energy market participation. This panel explores the benefit opportunities and challenges of DR, and how DR can be built on today's Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMI), establishing a key cornerstone for Smart Grid. The challenges include technology, marketing communication, organization change management, and system deployment and maintenance.
Reactions of carbon monosulphide. An experimental kinetic technique and a study of the reaction of CS with O2

Abstract A flow-tube technique has been developed for studying the kinetics of elementary reactions of gaseous monomeric CS. Carbon monosulphide is generated by means of a low-power electrodeless discharge in a dilute CS 2 /Ar stream, to which reactive gases may be added through a moveable injector. Detection of CS at pressures of less than 2 × 10 −4 torr is achieved using multi-path ultraviolet absorption. The reaction of CS with O 2 has been shown to be very slow in the temperature range 300 K to 670 K.
Differential domain analysis for non-uniform sampling

Sampling is a core component for many graphics applications including rendering, imaging, animation, and geometry processing. The efficacy of these applications often crucially depends upon the distribution quality of the underlying samples. While uniform sampling can be analyzed by using existing spatial and spectral methods, these cannot be easily extended to general non-uniform settings, such as adaptive, anisotropic, or non-Euclidean domains.We present new methods for analyzing non-uniform sample distributions. Our key insight is that standard Fourier analysis, which depends on samples' spatial locations, can be reformulated into an equivalent form that depends only on the distribution of their location differentials. We call this differential domain analysis. The main benefit of this reformulation is that it bridges the fundamental connection between the samples' spatial statistics and their spectral properties. In addition, it allows us to generalize our method with different computation kernels and differential measurements. Using this analysis, we can quantitatively measure the spatial and spectral properties of various non-uniform sample distributions, including adaptive, anisotropic, and non-Euclidean domains.
The effect of cytochalasin B on pigment dispersion and aggregation in perfused Xenopus laevis tailfin melanophores.

A perfusion technique is described for the study of melanosome response in ventral tailfin melanophores of Xenopus laevis tadpoles. The melanosomes remain aggregated (punctate melanophores) in Ringer's. Theophylline (15 mM) and caffeine (30 mM) cause a reversible dispersion (stellate melanophores) of melanosomes which is partly blocked by cytochalasin B (10 μg/ml). When added with theophylline or caffeine to stellate cells, cytochalasin B causes a disrupted distribution of pigment granules, characterized by a melanosome free central region. C-AMP (20 mM) and dibutyryl c-AMP (1 mM) cause a reversible dispersion of melanosomes which is partly inhibited by cytochalasin. When cytochalasin plus a nucleotide are added to stellate cells, some show the disrupted distribution of melanosomes. Colchicine (5 mM) causes irreversible, while griseofulvin (0.2 mM) causes a slight, but reversible dispersion of melanosomes, and cytochalasin has little effect on these reactions. Perfused tailfin melanophores remain capable of responding to reversible reagents for at least 12 hours and are unresponsive to changes in illumination.
Corrosion Casting in the Reproduction of the Microsurface Topography of Fibrillar Collagen.

We have used a two-step casting procedure to create replicas of fibrillar collagen. A negative replica or mold is first created using either Mercox casting resin or a prepolymerized methacrylate resin that was originally described by Murakami. In the second step, a positive replica is made from the first using a solution of polystyrene or polyurethane to coat the methacrylate cast. The resulting replica is removed from the methacrylate cast. Results indicate the highest level of spatial resolution is obtained using a modified Murakami resin for the negative cast and polystyrene for the positive replica. The 29-nm-wide repeat banding structure present on collagen fibrils could be clearly identified in both the methacrylate cast and in the polystyrene positive replica of the methacrylate cast. Thus high-resolution replicas can be obtained. Such replicas may be useful to imprint inplantable devices with biologically relevant textures to improve tissue integration or for the development of textured surfaces for the in vitro expansion of cultured cells.
Photouncaging of Ceramides Promotes Reorganization of Liquid-Ordered Domains in Supported Lipid Bilayers

6-Bromo-7-hydroxycoumarin (Bhc)-caged ceramide (Cer) analogs were incorporated into supported lipid bilayers containing a mixture of coexisting liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (Ld) phases. The release of N-palmitoyl and N-butanoyl-D-erythro-sphingosine (C16- and C4-Cer) by the photolysis of caged Cers using long-wavelength UV light was studied using a combination of atomic force microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. This approach demonstrated the ability to generate Cer with spatial and temporal control, providing an alternative method to the enzymatic generation of Cer. The generation of C16-Cer from Bhc-C16-Cer disrupted the Lo domains, with the incorporation of small fluid-phase regions and the disappearance of some smaller domains. Cer-rich gel-phase domains were not observed, in contrast to results reported by either direct Cer incorporation or enzymatic Cer generation. The photorelease of C4-Cer from Bhc-C4-Cer resulted in qualitatively similar changes in bilayer morphology, with the disappearance of some Lo domains and no evidence of Cer-rich gel domains but with a smaller height difference between the ordered and disordered phases.
Neutropenic fever of undetermined origin (N-FUO) : why not use the naproxen test ?

(1995). Neutropenic Fever of Undetermined Origin (N-FUO): Why Not Use the Naproxen Test? Cancer Investigation: Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 448-450.
Thermal dissociation of ethylene glycol vinyl ether

The pyrolysis of ethylene glycol vinyl ether (EGVE), an initial product of 1,4-dioxane dissociation, was examined in a diaphragmless shock tube (DFST) using laser schlieren densitometry (LS) at 57 ± 2 and 122 ± 3 Torr over 1200–1800 K. DFST/time-of-flight mass spectrometry experiments were also performed to identify reaction products. EGVE was found to dissociate via two channels: (1) a molecular H atom transfer/C–O scission to produce C2H3OH and CH3CHO, and (2) a radical channel involving C–O bond fission generating ˙CH2CH2OH and ˙CH2CHO radicals, with the second channel being strongly dominant over the entire experimental range. A reaction mechanism was constructed for the pyrolysis of EGVE which simulates the LS profiles very well over the full experimental range. The decomposition of EGVE is clearly well into the falloff region for these conditions, and a Gorin model RRKM fit was obtained for the dominant radical channel. The results are in good agreement with the experimental data and suggest the following rate coefficient expressions: k2,∞ = (6.71 ± 2.6) × 1027 × T−3.21exp(−35512/T) s−1; k2(120 Torr) = (1.23 ± 0.5) × 1092 × T−22.87exp(−48 248/T) s−1; k2(60 Torr) = (2.59 ± 1.0) × 1088 × T−21.96exp(−46283/T) s−1.
Aesthetic Components of Management Ethics

Traditionally, the place of ethics in business practices has been to supply a decision procedure or some formal normative orientation. This paper asserts that the role of ethics is much larger than that, going beyond “knowing that” to include “knowing how” as an important epistemological extension to traditional ethical theory. Ethics thus becomes, in part, a form of art, giving added credibility to the commonly heard phrase “the art of managing.”
Propagating Subsurface Uncertainty to the Atmosphere Using Fully Coupled Stochastic Simulations

AbstractFeedbacks between the land surface and the atmosphere, manifested as mass and energy fluxes, are strongly correlated with soil moisture, making soil moisture an important factor in land–atmosphere interactions. It is shown that a reduction of the uncertainty in subsurface properties such as hydraulic conductivity (K) propagates into the atmosphere, resulting in a reduction in uncertainty in land–atmosphere feedbacks that yields more accurate atmospheric predictions. Using the fully coupled groundwater-to-atmosphere model ParFlow-WRF, which couples the hydrologic model ParFlow with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) atmospheric model, responses in land–atmosphere feedbacks and wind patterns due to subsurface heterogeneity are simulated. Ensembles are generated by varying the spatial location of subsurface properties while maintaining the global statistics and correlation structure. This approach is common to the hydrologic sciences but uncommon in atmospheric simulations where ensemble fore...
From Cysteamine to MPTP: Structure-Activity Studies with Duodenal Ulcerogens

Cysteamine is the first chemical identified that induces acute and chronic duodenal ulcers in rodents. Structure-activity studies with cysteamine, propionitrile and their derivatives, as well as with analogues of toluene, revealed numerous alkyl and aryl duodenal ulcerogens. Among these, one of the most interesting from an etiologic and pathogenetic point of view is the dopaminergic neurotoxin MPTP, which shows structural similarities with toluene. The chemically-induced duodenal ulcers are similar and localized on the anterior and posterior wall of the duodenal bulb. Both cysteamine and MPTP affect endogenous dopamine; MPTP is especially potent in depleting central dopamine and inducing lesions in the substantia nigra. MPTP given in high doses induces Parkinson's disease-like syndrome and gastric ulcers. Cysteamine and propionitrile also cause dyskinesia in large and multiple doses. The motility disorders and duodenal ulcers are abolished by dopamine agonists. Cysteamine and MPTP have been known to increase and decrease gastric acid secretion, respectively. However, both compounds induced duodenal dysmotility, decreased bicarbonate production, and reduced its delivery from distal to proximal duodenum. These factors decrease acid neutralization in the duodenal bulb and contribute to duodenal ulceration. Thus, studies with animal models may reveal endogenous mediators and specific receptors which might be involved inmore » the pathogenesis of duodenal ulceration. Specific structure-activity studies in toxicology may lead to new insights in the pathogenesis and pharmacology of a poorly understood human disorder such as duodenal ulceration. 39 references.« less
Comparison of Four Different Methods for the Analysis of Dietary Fiber in Winged Bean Seeds

Two chemical and two enzymatic procedures were evaluated with respect to efficiency of protein removal and consistency in yield and composition of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber from winged bean seeds, (cultivar TPT-2). Considerable variability was observed in the yield and composition of the fiber fractions, but the results became more consistent when contamination of the non-carbohydrate components (protein, ash and lignin) were accounted for in the calculations. The constituent sugars of polysaccharides were found to be similar in all four methods. Results indicated the need to critically optimize conditions to achieve efficient deproteinization and the need to differentiate “inherent” and “contaminating” protein.
Delirium as a predictor of long-term cognitive impairment in survivors of critical illness

Objective:To test the hypothesis that duration of delirium in the intensive care unit is an independent predictor of long-term cognitive impairment after critical illness requiring mechanical ventilation.Design:Prospective cohort study.Setting:Medical intensive care unit in a large community hospita
A 75dB SNDR, 10MHz conversion bandwidth stage-shared 2-2 MASH ΔΣ modulator dissipating 9mW

This paper presents a new stage-sharing technique in a discrete-time 2-2 MASH ΔΣ ADC to reduce the modulator power consumption. The proposed technique shares all active blocks of the modulator second stage with its first stage. The 2-2 MASH modulator utilizes second-order Chain of Integrators with Weighted Feed-forward Summation (CIFF) and Cascade of Integrators with Distributed Feedback Branches (CIFB) architectures for the first and second stages, respectively. Using the proposed technique, the second integrator and the adder op-amps of the modulator first stage are shared with the first and second integrator op-amps of the second stage. Measurement results show that the modulator designed in a 0.13um CMOS technology achieves 75-dB SNDR over a 5MHz signal bandwidth with a clock frequency of 130MHz, while dissipating less than 9mW analog power.
Bioregional Parochialism and Global Activism.

Hunter and Hutchinson (1994) have pointed out that regional and "parochial" approaches to conservation both have beneficial as well as detrimental aspects. I believe that for conservation biology the negative aspects of parochialism tend to outweigh the positive ones. I explore this issue further and expand the discussion to broader cultural and ecological contexts. Bioregionalism is a powerful tool in conservation per se but has significant limitations in its theoretical and practical applications to conservation biology. Bioregionalism manifested in a parochial fashion-narrow in scope with connotations of exclusivity-can interfere with efforts to develop and implement rational global conservation priorities (Hunter & Hutchinson 1994). Bioregional parochialism also places great limitations on our ability to comprehend and communicate the pervasive effects of anthropogenic and ecological phenomena of continental and global significance. Such parochialism would be a less serious concern were it confined to
Immediate and six-month results of the profile of the Amplatzer septal occluder as assessed by transesophageal echocardiography.

Catheter closure of secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) using the Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO) is a potential alternative for open surgical repair. However, the large profile of the device obtained immediately after closure continues to raise some concerns regarding its long-term safety. To evaluate the changes in the profile of the device after being deployed, transesophageal echocardiography was performed in 70 patients (17 men and 53 women) who underwent catheter closure of ASDs immediately after and at 6-month follow-up. The median age at closure was 16 years (range 1.9 to 75) and the median size of the ASD as assessed by transesophageal echocardiography was 14 mm (range 3 to 25). The thickness (profile) of the device was assessed in the 4-chamber, short- and long-axis views of the interatrial septum, and measured at its middle and at the junction of the waist with the disc at its 2 ends. Seventy-three devices were deployed in the 70 patients. The median size of the device was 19 mm (range 8 to 34). Complete closure was achieved in 81.4% and 91.4% immediately after and at 6-months follow-up, respectively. The thickness of the device at its middle decreased from 12.2 ± 4.3, 12.2 ± 3.7, and 12.5 ± 4.3 mm in the 4-chamber, short- and long-axis views to 6.5 ± 2.0, 6.3 ± 1.9, and 6.5 ± 2.2 mm, respectively. The thickness of the device at its superior, inferior, anterior, and posterior edges also decreased by 41.8% ± 14.0% to 43.7% ± 9.8%. The changes in the thickness were related to device size. Larger devices were thicker after being deployed. We conclude that the thickness of the ASO decreases by 42% to 48% within 6 months after deployment, resulting in a lower profile.
A technique for safely teaching major hepatectomy to surgical residents

In this era of combination chemotherapy and biologic treatment, the ability to downsize tumors that were previously unresectable will increase the need for major hepatic resections. This makes teaching consistent surgical approaches to these difficult cases imperative. Herein we outline a standardized surgical approach to right hepatectomy, which allows the procedure to be divided into a series of well- defined technical maneuvers. Preoperative preparation and communication with anesthesia to ensure a low central venous pressure is emphasized. A right hepatectomy is described by dividing the procedure into 5 steps: (1) initial mobilization and intraoperative ultrasound, (2) cholecystectomy and extrahepatic inflow occlusion and, (3) posterior mobilization and extrahepatic venous outflow ligation, (4) parenchymal transection, and (5) hemostasis and closure. Such techniques, once adopted by the surgeon, will allow for controlled parenchymal transection, minimal need for inflow occlusion to the liver remnant, and safe and efficient hepatectomy.
Application of resequencing to rice genomics, functional genomics and evolutionary analysis

Rice is a model system used for crop genomics studies. The completion of the rice genome draft sequences in 2002 not only accelerated functional genome studies, but also initiated a new era of resequencing rice genomes. Based on the reference genome in rice, next-generation sequencing (NGS) using the high-throughput sequencing system can efficiently accomplish whole genome resequencing of various genetic populations and diverse germplasm resources. Resequencing technology has been effectively utilized in evolutionary analysis, rice genomics and functional genomics studies. This technique is beneficial for both bridging the knowledge gap between genotype and phenotype and facilitating molecular breeding via gene design in rice. Here, we also discuss the limitation, application and future prospects of rice resequencing.
Bridging Care Communication and Health Management within Diverse and Underserved Populations

As the US healthcare system becomes further impacted by factors such as the oncoming flood of aging baby boomers, increases in the amount of people uninsured or underinsured, higher occurrences of chronic illnesses (diabetes, hypertension, etc.), and a potentially insufficient pool of incoming healthcare workers, the burden of managing one's own health, therapy, and medical transactions will increasingly fall on the patient, their family and care managers. A multitude of new systems for personal health management are being developed and it will be critical that these systems are responsive to the unique and specific needs of all people and perhaps more importantly those who are the most at-risk. As an initial step toward identifying core system requirements, interviews with care managers and administrators of a personal health information system (PHIS) for use with migrant farm workers was conducted providing preliminary recommendations toward the development of a framework for effective use of PHIS within diverse and underserved populations. Initial findings indicate that PHIS within these types of communities will exist not so much as an isolated tool for health management, but moreover an artifact for bridging health information communication between patients and their healthcare providers.
Disability Following Hip Fracture

Risks for hip fractures are greater for women than for men and increase with age. Individuals who sustain hip fractures exhibit higher mortality than age-matched cohorts, and survivors often demonstrate permanent disability and dependency despite successful surgical repair. This review explores de scriptions of the extent of residual disability following hip fracture and details the multiple variables that account for the discrepancy between surgical and functional outcome. Although outcome has been described traditionally in terms of mortality, ability to perform activities of daily living, and ambulatory status, the need to assess functional disability as a measure of recovery is emphasized. The complexities of the recovery process and the current lack of complete descriptions of disability emphasize the need for national research studies. Research is needed to describe the extent of functional disability present following fracture, to develop a meaningful classification scheme, and to decide the effect of intervention on reducing functional disability.
Adult auditory evoked vertex potentials in sleep.

Slow vertex potentials, evoked by filtered clicks (1200 Hz), were recorded (Cz–M1) from 11 adults while awake, in light sleep or in deep sleep. Sleep was induced by small doses of secobarbital, about 2.5 mg/kg.The familiar waking response pattern, N90–P170, was judged present or absent according to 5 voltage criteria, and the percentage of correct identifications (hit rate) and the percentage of false-positive judgments were related also to the sensation levels of the stimuli. If a 17-percent false-positive rate for a single trial is considered clinically acceptable, the best voltage criterion is about 3.3 μV. This gives a hit rate of about 80% for 20 dB SL clicks.The depth of sleep was estimated by the amount of dealta activity in the EEG, recorded with a 2 to 4-Hz pass-band, a full-wave rectifier and an integrator. Sleep response patterns, later and higher in voltage than the waking response, were clear in deep sleep (stages 3 or 4). The most characteristic and stable component was P200–N330, as describ...
The Metabolic Effects of Antipsychotic Medications

Objectives:To review current evidence for the hypothesis that treatment with antipsychotic medications may be associated with increased risks for weight gain, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to examine the relation of adiposity to medical risk.Methods:We identified relevant publications through a search of MEDLINE from the years 1975 to 2006, using the following primary search parameters: “diabetes or hyperglycemia or glucose or insulin or lipids” and “antipsychotic.” Meeting abstracts and earlier nonindexed articles were also reviewed. We summarized key studies in this emerging literature, including case reports, observational studies, retrospective database analyses, and controlled experimental studies.Results:Treatment with different antipsychotic medications is associated with variable effects on body weight, ranging from modest increases (for example, less than 2 kg) experienced with amisulpride, ziprasidone, and aripiprazole to larger increase...
The Making of the Modern University: Intellectual Transformation and the Marginalization of Morality

What is the purpose of higher education, and how should we pursue it? Debates over these issues were prevalent in the late 19th-century as reformers introduced a new kind of university - one dedicated to free inquiry and the advancement of knowledge. In this study of moral education in American universities, Julie Reuben examines the consequences of these debates for modern intellectual life. Research was conducted at eight universities - Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Chacago, Stanford, Michigan, and California at Berkeley. The author explores the aims of university reformers in the context of 19th-century ideas about truth. She argues that these educators tried to apply new scientific standards to moral education, but their modernization efforts ultimately failed.
A new vertical transition for FR-4 based millimeter-wave MCMs

A new vertical transition is presented that enables the use of epoxy-resin (FR-4) substrates for multi-chip modules (MCM) at millimeter-wave frequencies. A short microstrip trace on an FR-4 motherboard is connected to standard WR-10 waveguide for integration with other system components (e.g. antennas). The microwave transition is accomplished within a small (3 mm by 4 mm) three metal layer miniature PCB that is placed on the FR-4 motherboard. The small size and simplicity allows the transition PCB, called a “transition block” to be fabricated at very low cost. The transition block is attached to the motherboard using a solder reflow process compatible with standard SMT manufacturing lines. Using this technique, less than 2 dB insertion loss with over 10 GHz bandwidth is predicted. Test structures were fabricated resulting in measurements that show good agreement with simulations.
Computing cache vulnerability to transient errors and its implication

Transient errors caused by particle strikes have become a critical challenge for microprocessor design. Being the major consumer of on-chip real estate, cache memories are particularly susceptible to transient errors. However, not all cache soft errors can be propagated to the processor. For instance, soft errors can be corrected by write operations before they are read. In this paper, we define the cache vulnerability factor (CVF) to be the probability that a fault in the cache can be propagated to the processor or other memory hierarchy. We also propose an approach to compute the CVF based on the cache line access patterns. Building upon the CVF we evaluate the reliability for different cache memories. Our results show that 83.5% of soft errors from a write-through data cache can be masked without affecting other components. We also propose two early write-back strategies to improve the reliability (i.e., by reducing the CVF) of write-back data caches without compromising the high performance.
Heart rate variability, sympathetic and vagal balance and EEG arousals in upper airway resistance and mild obstructive sleep apnea syndromes

Abstract Background and purpose We questioned the role of respiratory events in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and of upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) on heart rate (HR) during sleep, paying specific attention to the termination of the abnormal breathing events and examining the presence of arousals or termination with only central nervous system (CNS) activation. Patients and methods Twenty patients, 10 with UARS and 10 with mild OSAS, were studied. A nocturnal polysomnogram was performed including measurement of respiratory variables and pulse transit time (PTT). According to the presence or absence of a PTT event indicative of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activation, 148 events were extracted after having been randomly chosen in each represented sleep stage, with or without an electroencephalogram (EEG) arousal >1.5 s. RR interval (RRI) in electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings, as well as heart rate variability, was calculated during 60 and 120 s, respectively. Period amplitude analysis (PAA) was applied for RR-interval analysis, and fast Fourier transformation (FFT) was applied to perform HR variability analysis. Results Visually scored EEG arousal was significantly associated with an increase in sympathetic index of heart rate, while PTT was associated with a drop in parasympathetic index, after the respiratory events. Patients with mild OSAS presented persistently shorter RRI when compared to patients with UARS. The latter also exhibited a significant decrease in parasympathetic index (High Frequency (HF)) at the termination of a respiratory event. Conclusion The HF component was only significantly decreased in patients with UARS, which indicates a predominant involvement of the parasympathetic tone in patients with UARS in comparison to those with OSAS.
Reply to Lawler: feeding competition, cooperation, and the causes of primate sociality.

This is a reply to Richard Lawler's commentary on our previous work [Lawler, 2011; this issue] in which he develops a set of operational models to test socioecological theories of the evolutionary importance of feeding competition. We strongly agree that we need to critically re-evaluate the basic assumptions of all models of primate sociality, and to verify the explanatory power of alternative models. We also feel Lawler's commentary provides an important opportunity to broaden the debate concerning the fundamental roles of cooperation, competition, and aggression in understanding primate social systems. Lawler provides a number of suggestions as to how models developed in primate socioecology might be tested. We agree with these suggestions, make further suggestions, and call for specific operational definitions so that researchers might begin to develop and test various methodologies. However, we also call for testing alternative theories. Current socioecological theory is based on the assumption that competition and positive selection is always in operation and has driven the evolution of living organisms. We believe that this “explanation of choice” often is treated as an assumed truth to which data are forced to fit, rather than being seen as a theory to be tested. Furthermore, we agree with Weiss and Buchanan [2009. The Mermaids Tale: Four Billion Years of Cooperation in the Making of Living Things] that on ecological and developmental scales, where organisms actually live out their lives, cooperation may play a more fundamental role than competition. Am. J. Primatol. 73:91–95, 2011. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Stepwise Assembly of [(C5H5)4(C5Me5)4Co4Rh4(CN)12]4+, an “Organometallic Box”

A volume of 132 A3 is enclosed by the title compound 1, which thus offers plenty of room for potential guest molecules. The synthesis from 2 [{Cp*RhCl2 }2 ] and 4 [CpCo(CN)3 ]- begins with the construction of a "molecular square" whose corners are alternately occupied by Co and Rh centers. Two squares react with one another to give a "molecular box" without cleavage of any M-C bonds. Cp=C5 H5 , Cp*=C5 Me5 .
Digital Girih, A Digital Interpretation of Islamic Architecture

The relation between texture, pattern and massing is a fundamental question in architecture. Classical architecture, as Leon Battista Alberti states in De Re Aedificatoria, Book VI, Chapter 2, is developed through massing and structure first; texture is added afterwards to give the bold massing and structure beauty [I]. This hierarchy has of course been challenged throughout architecture history. This paper will provide a different thinking of the relationship of massing and texture in Islamic Architecture from a digital point of view. An analysis of Islamic patterns challenged this relationship in Islamic architecture. Digital design and fabrication methods for a series of studies and an installation were used to respond to the findings of the analysis.
A Rule-based Time-consistent Path of Debt Use for Subnational Governments – Debt as a Countercyclical Fiscal Policy Tool

This paper formulates a model of countercyclical use of long-term full faith and credit debt by subnational governments to finance infrastructure. The model incorporates long-term debt into budgetary policy, considering debt capacity, purposes and security of debt, and equity. The proposition is to retire debt in boom years to preserve debt capacity and reduce borrowing costs, and then incur more debt at a lower interest rate in bust years to help maintain service provision and pave the way for recovery. I conduct time series and panel data tests to answer: do subnational governments use debt countercyclically? What determines the cyclical patterns in subnational use of debt? Will countercyclical debt issue and retirement be applicable? Results using US states data show that overall, US states do not tend to use debt against the economic cycle; however, I obtain evidence that at least some states adopted countercyclical debt policies. Finally, I simulate the effects of the proposed optimal debt policy with New York State. Calibration shows that such a policy could have rendered the state a much better situation to encounter the Great Recession. Findings and results of this study provide timely insight into this important issue to scholars and policy makers.
Postuino: Bad Posture Detector using Arduino

Embedded systems have become very popular in recent years, and that field is rapidly advancing especially in health monitoring technology. Therefore, we present in this paper an application for posture correction, utilizing microcontrollers and ultrasonic sensors. When a bad posture is detected, the user is noti?ed. Our system is designed specifically for computer users to prevent them from leaning too close to their computers' monitors.
Abstract 2750: Comparison of Enterprise with Neuroform Stent-Assisted Coiling of Intracranial Aneurysms

INTRODUCTION: The Enterprise (Codman, Raynham, MA) is the first closed-cell stent designed to treat wide-necked intracranial aneurysms. Advantages of the design can include improvement in keeping coils within the aneurysm and the ability of the stent to be partially deployed and recaptured. We compared the technical and clinical complications of the Enterprise with the Neuroform (Stryker, Kalamazoo, MI). METHODS: Between March 2007 and June 2011, Enterprise stent-assisted coil embolization was attempted for 106 aneurysms in 96 patients (mean age 58, 81 female) who were enrolled in a prospective registry. Deployment success and difficulty, stent movement and misplacement, and 30 day symptomatic neurological events were compared with a prospective cohort of patients treated with all generations of the Neuroform using a two-tailed Fisher exact test with p RESULTS: Enterprise stent deployment success was high (107 of 113 attempts, 94.7%) with 101 of the 106 aneurysms receiving a stent. The delivery microcatheter could not be positioned in 5 cases. Two stents were deployed with difficulty (1 guide catheter change and 1 recapture prior to deployment). Six cases required a second stent for misplaced stents (n = 4), stent movement on coiling attempt (n = 1) and down-sizing because a longer stent could not be unsheathed (n = 1). There were 12 periprocedural thromboembolic or hemorrhagic events consisting of 7 transient ischemic attacks (TIA), 3 ischemic strokes and 2 intracranial hemorrhages. One TIA was attributed to non-compliance with antiplatelet therapy. One hemorrhage presented 2 days later, thought to be related to antiplatelet therapy. Results are compared with the Neuroform in the table below. CONCLUSION: The Enterprise is significantly easier to deploy than the Neuroform; however, there are more thromboembolic complications in the form of periprocedural TIA and stroke. Hemorrhagic complication rates were similar.
NEAR-BOTTOM WATER MOTION UNDER OCEAN WAVES

A two-year ocean experiment involving wave-induced forces on a test pipe mounted on the sea floor [Grace and Nicinski (1976)] involved the measurement of various quantities other than the pipe forces per se. A pair of these involved surface wave characteristics and wave-induced water motion at the level of the pipe centerline but off to one end of the pipe. These wave-kinematics data have been combined, and the results of this work make up this paper in which the emphasis is on the deterministic approach to data interpretation. Presented are comparisons of the velocity and acceleration data with the predictions of Airy and stream function theories plus discussion of the dispersion of the field data. The primary intent of the paper is to suggest to designers of bottom-laid structures, such as pipes, how values of the peak velocity and maximum acceleration of the water motion associated with a non-breaking design wave of specified characteristics can be chosen.
Inkjet metrology II: resolved effects of ejection frequency, fluidic pressure, and droplet number on reproducible drop-on-demand dispensing.

We report highly reproducible gravimetric and optical measurements of microdroplets that lend insights into the fundamentals of drop-on-demand (DOD) printing. Baseline fluidic pressure within the DOD dispenser was controlled to within 0.02 hPa, enabling long-term stability in dispensed droplet mass with observed variations near 1% (RSD) for isobutanol. The gravimetric measurements were sensitive enough to detect and avoid unwanted effects from air bubbles within the dispenser. The gravimetric and optical velocity measurements enabled consistent determination of droplet kinetic energy that governed baseline behavior across the operational variables. Mass and velocity were influenced in a nonlinear manner by the frequency of droplet ejection, the fluidic pressure within the dispensing device, and the number of droplets dispensed in a burst. Resolved effects were attributable to several possible mechanisms including acoustic resonances, energy partitioning from systematic orifice refill dynamics, pressure wa...
Anemia of infection. XVIII. Effects of turpentine and colloidal thorium dioxide on rat plasma iron levels.

SummarySingle intravenous injections of colloidal thorium dioxide in the rat produced a marked transient hypoferremia. A more persistent hypoferremia resulted from the administration of this substance daily for 3 days both in intact and in splenectomized rats. The hypoferremia producing effect of turpentine was markedly decreased by the prior administration of colloidal thorium dioxide.