cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of diazepam, ketamine, and their combination on intraocular pressure in normal dogs

Ketamine has been implicated as causing increases in intraocular pressure. The purpose of this study is to document the effects of ketamine, diazepam, and their combination on intraocular pressure (IOP) in normal, unpremedicated dogs. Random-source dogs were assigned to one of five groups of 10 dogs each: ketamine 5 mg kg–1 (KET5), ketamine 10 mg kg–1 (KET10), diazepam 0.5 mg kg–1 (VAL), ketamine 10 mg kg–1 with diazepam 0.5 mg kg–1 (KETVAL), saline 0.1 mL kg–1 (SAL), all given intravenously. A baseline IOP was measured before injection, immediately after injection, and at 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes following injection. IOP was increased over baseline immediately after injection in the KET5, KET10, and KETVAL groups; at 5, 10, and 15 minutes in the KET5 group; and at 20 minutes in the KETVAL group. The mean IOP change compared to SAL increased immediately after injection and at 5 minutes in the KET5, KET10, and KETVAL groups; at 10 and 15 minutes in the KET5 group, and at 20 minutes in the KETVAL group. The mean IOP increased up to 5.7, 3.2, and 3.1 mm Hg over mean baseline in the KET5, KET10, and KETVAL groups, respectively. All dogs in the KET5 group and the majority in the KETVAL and KET10 groups had an increase in their IOP over baseline. Ketamine caused a clinically and statistically significant elevation in IOP over baseline and compared to SAL. The concurrent addition of diazepam did not blunt this increase. Ketamine should be avoided in dogs with corneal trauma, glaucoma, or in those undergoing intraocular surgery.
A Study of Ventricular Arrhythmias Associated with Acute Myocardial Infarction in the Canine Heart

A study was designed to correlate changes in bipolar epicardial electrograms recorded from normal and acutely infarcted myocardium with the onset of ventricular arrhythmias. Electrodes were sewn to selected sites on the left ventricle, and after control electrograms and ECG's were recorded, the left anterior descending coronary artery was doubly ligated close to its origin. Electrograms recorded from within the infarct initially manifested diminished amplitude and increased duration of the deflection which reflected depolarization. The appearance of ventricular arrhythmias during phase 1 of Harris was associated with the appearance in electrograms recorded from within the infarct of continuous electrical activity which extended beyond the T wave of the preceding beat and preceded the onset of the arrhythmia. During the continuous electrical activity, it was not possible to delineate which deflections of the electrogram reflected depolarization or repolarization and it was suggested that the continuous ele...
Instantons and (super-) symmetry breaking in (2+1) dimensions

The connection between instantons and the breaking of supersymmetry and ordinary symmetries is studied in a variety of (2+1)-dimensional gauge theories.
Associations Between Epistemological Beliefs and Moral Reasoning: Evidence from Accounting

We investigated associations between moral reasoning and epistemological beliefs in an accounting context using the sample of 140 senior accounting students from a public university in Midwestern U.S. We found no significant correlations between accounting students’ principled reasoning about Thorne’s ethical dilemmas and their beliefs about knowledge measured by administering Schommer epistemological questionnaire. We conducted post-hoc power analysis and present the evidence that the lack of associations should not be attributed to the lack of power. Overall, our results suggest that reflective thinking and moral reasoning represent separate dimensions of cognitive process which develop at a different pace. Thus, a stand-alone course of ethics in accounting education is warranted since higher moral reasoning does not automatically follow from extended technical education and improved critical thinking skills.
Unintended consequences of expense ratio guidelines: The Avon breast cancer walks

Abstract This case study examines how donor and rating agency focus on percentage-based expense ratios exacerbated pressures on the Avon Product Foundation’s breast cancer walks. Beginning in 2002, Avon changed its business and accounting practices in ways that eventually helped it report better compliance with charity monitor guidelines. However, the number of walkers and amounts of funds raised dropped; the new accounting practices are less transparent and of questionable conformity with GAAP.
A simple shaker table for seismometer calibration

A unique and simple shaker table (shake table or shaking table), designed, constructed, and installed at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics, has proven to be a valuable aid in testing and calibrating short period seismometers, as well as ocean bottom and ocean sub-bottom seismometer/tilt meter packages. It consists of a platform suspended in a stairwell by a single elastic cord (10 m extended length) driven by GeoSpace HS-10 geophones. Platform motion is monitored by orthogonal reference geophones and tilt meters. The relatively low natural periods of the platform, about 1.9 sec vertical and 6.5 sec horizontal, provide sufficient isolation from local vibrations that calibration can be made near operational amplitudes. Vertical or horizontal driver geophones can be driven by a commercial signal generator or white noise generator, or from magnetic tape output. The table can also be tilted with respect to the drivers to determine tilt tolerances and to calibrate tilt meters. A Hewlett-Packard 3582-A spectrum analyzer, used to analyze both reference and output signals, provides near real-time system cabibration and is an efficient means for investigating parasitic system resonances. The analyzer can also provide a white noise signal source to the driver geophones.
Comparative immunophenotypic features of EBV‐positive and EBV‐negative atypical lymphocytosis

Background Atypical lymphocytosis is a common peripheral blood abnormality seen not only in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated acute infectious mononucleosis but also in other conditions, including other viral infections, cancer, immune reactions, etc. Despite numerous reports of individual immunophenotypic alterations in EBV-positive infectious mononucleosis, a detailed comparative analysis of the immunophenotypic changes of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in infectious mononucleosis and other forms of atypical lymphocytosis is lacking. Methods Multiparametric flow immunocytometry with 26 monoclonal antibodies was performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes from 97 cases of atypical lymphocytosis and 37 normal controls. Atypical lymphocytosis was defined as absolute lymphocytosis with >10% atypical lymphocytes. Absolute or relative mean values of various lymphocyte subsets from EBV-positive cases, EBV-negative cases, and normal controls were compared with the Student's t-test. Results Highly significant abnormalities detected in atypical lymphocytosis include increases in CD3+/CD8+, CD3−/CD16/56+, CD3+/γδ+, CD8+/CD48−, CD8+/CD57−, CD8+/CD95+, CD4+/CCR5+ CD4+/CD7−, CD4+/CD43−, CD4+/CD48−, and CD4+/CD62L− subsets. In contrast, no change in absolute CD4+ T cell and CD19+ B cell counts is seen. When compared with EBV-negative cases, EBV-positive cases are characterized by younger age, and increased numbers of absolute lymphocytes, atypical lymphocytes, CD8+ cells, NK cells, γδ T cells, CD8+/CD45RO+ cells, CD8+/CD57− cells, and CD8+/CD28+ cells. Conclusions All forms of atypical lymphocytosis are characterized by a marked increase in activated CD8-positive T cells, a moderate increase in NK cells, and no increase in CD4-positive T cells and B cells. Although morphologically indistinguishable, EBV-associated mononucleosis is characterized by several significant differences in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets when compared with EBV-negative atypical lymphocytosis, most notably increased numbers of CD57-negative CD8 T cells and γδ T cells. Cytometry Part B (Clin. Cytometry) 55B:22–28, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effects of residual stresses in fracture toughness testing of hard metals

Abstract Residual tensile stresses resulting from pre-cracking procedures, at the crack tip of cemented carbide specimens can affect the measured fracture toughness values. The nature of such stresses is studied in specimens pre-cracked by indentation methods or by cyclic compression. It is experimentally shown how the residual stress effects are reduced if the pre-crack is grown under tensile fatigue out of the zone of residual tension.
The lung as a target organ of graft-versus-host disease

Despite significant advances in critical care and transplantation medicine, non-infectious lung injury remains a major problem following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) both in the immediate post-transplant period and in the months to years that follow. Historically, approximately 50% of all pneumonias seen after HSCT have been secondary to infection. Although non-infectious lung injury occasionally occurs following autologous transplants, the allogeneic setting greatly exacerbates toxicity acutely and chronically. Pulmonary injury is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and responds poorly to standard therapies. Insights generated using animal models suggest that the immunologic mechanisms contributing to lung inflammation after HSCT may be similar to those responsible for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).
Splenectomy and partial splenectomy improve hematopoietic stem cell engraftment in hypersplenic mice.

Abstract Background Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) engraftment is delayed after transplantation in children with hypersplenism, increasing the morbidity and costs of care. Preliminary clinical data suggest that splenectomy before HSC transplantation may improve HSC engraftment, although this observation has not been tested in an animal model. Methods We performed total splenectomy (n = 22), partial splenectomy (n = 16), or sham laparotomy (n = 21) on erythrocyte protein 4.2 knockout mice, a murine model of hereditary spherocytosis with hypersplenism. After 10 days, we lethally irradiated the mice, transplanted 3 × 10 6 allogeneic bone marrow cells, and then assessed engraftment using serial complete blood counts. Successful engraftmen t was defined as recovery of hemoglobin, neutrophil, or platelet counts. We compared engraftment rate using χ 2 test and time to engraftment using Student's t test analysis, with significance defined as P Results Total splenectomy increased the rate of successful HSC engraftment and decreased the interval to HSC engraftment compared with controls. Similarly, partial splenectomy decreased the interval to HSC engraftment, with a nonsignificant trend toward improved overall rate of successful HSC engraftment. Conclusion Partial or total splenectomy before HSC transplantation improves HSC engraftment in hypersplenic mice. This model supports consideration of splenic resection in hypersplenic children requiring HSC transplantation.
Chromosomal analysis, organ-specific function and appearance of six clonal strains of rat pituitary tumor cells.

Abstract Six clonal strains of rat pituitary tumor cells which secrete growth hormone have been serially propagated for periods up to 4 years without loss of organ-specific function. The cells of these strains do not all have the same morphology. We have examined the specific rates of growth hormone production for each cell strain (6.3–95 μg growth hormone/mg cell nitrogen/24 h) and have correlated this differentiated function of each strain with its own karyotype. All strains were aneuploid with modal numbers of chromosomes which were between 69 and 76 per cell. No clear relationships were noted between chromosome number or morphology, appearance of the cells, and the rate of growth hormone production. We conclude that a markedly abnormal karyotype does not by itself preclude organ-specific function in serially propagated strains of neoplastic mammalian cells in culture. Conversely, differentiated function of cells in culture does not necessarily imply the existence of a normal or even near-normal karyotype nor is it correlated with a characteristic appearance of the cells.
Toxicity and bioaccumulation of soil PCBs in crickets: Comparison of laboratory and field studies

Laboratory and field studies were used to investigate toxicity and bioaccumulation of PCBs in crickets exposed to contaminated soil A 14-d laboratory soil bioassay with the house cricket (Acheta domesticus) yielded an LC50 of 1,200 ppm Aroclor 1254 Mean whole body concentrations of Aro-clor 1254 in exposed crickets were 11, 48, 92, 149, and 144 ppm for soil test concentrations of 100, 250, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 ppm, respectively A whole body concentration of about 150 ppm appears to be a threshold concentration above which acute mortality will be observed House crickets placed in cages on a PCB contaminated landfill accumulated 1 6 and 0 9 ppm of PCBs (whole body concentration) after 3 and 7 d of exposure, respectively Although this represents a rapid uptake of PCBs, whole body concentrations remained considerably below levels expected to cause acute mortality Abundance of another species, the field cricket (Gryllus pennsylvamcus), was investigated using pitfall traps placed at the PCB contaminated landfill and a reference site No adverse effect on abundance was observed at the contaminated site, nor was pitfall trap success correlated to soil PCB concentration These data indicate that PCBs in soil can rapidly move into epigeic fauna but that the likelihood of acquiring sufficient body burdens to cause acute mortality is low
Dissociation of electrophysiologic and pharmacologic stability during an abbreviated oral loading regimen of amiodarone.

Abstract Thirty-three patients treated with an abbreviated oral amiodarone loading regimen for ventricular tachycardia underwent electrophysiologic testing in the control state, after 1 week of high-dose (1170 ± 88 mg/day) inpatient therapy; and after an 8-week intermediate (669 ± 129 mg/day) dosing phase. Serum levels of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone were measured by high-pressure liquid chromatography during follow-up electrophysiologic studies. Although the corrected sinus node recovery time, sinoatrial conduction time, and AH and HV intervals remained unchanged throughout the loading period, the sinus cycle length, Wenckebach cycle length, atrial and ventricular refractory periods, and ventricular tachycardia mean and return cycle lengths lengthened significantly by 1 week. They then remained stable for the remainder of the treatment period (control p p = 0.001) and 0.63 ± 0.29 to 1.29 ± 0.61 μg/ml ( p
Democratization under internationalization: Media reconstructions of gender identity in Shanghai

This article examines theories of democratization proposed for post‐socialist, internationalizing economies with special attention to contemporary China. It finds the field discursively and conceptually truncated into institutionalist, internationalist, and feminist concerns, thereby losing the rich insights that each may bring to the other. This analytical lacuna leaves intact a default agenda that is anti‐democratic, anti‐international, and anti‐female. As an alternative, this article draws on the interstices of domestic institutions, international context, and feminist concerns to formulate a hermeneutic for democratization. It highlights the crucial role of the media in designating the modern, liberal citizen. For a case study, this article refers to the most internationalizing city of the world's most populous economy ‐ Shanghai.
Photoemission studies of interfaces between a tris(thieno)hexaazatriphenylene derivative and metals

Photoemission spectroscopy is used to probe the electronic properties, reactivity and energy level alignment at interfaces of tris{2,5-bis(3,5-bis-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-thieno}[3,4-b,h,n]-1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene (THAP) deposited on both medium and high work function metallic substrates. Crystalline and non-crystalline metal substrates are used in order to investigate the effect of both the work function and molecular orientation on the physical properties of the THAP layer.
Pseudo-tetrahedral complexes of the teritary amine quinuclidine with some transition metal ions

Abstract The direct reaction of the monodentate teritary amine, quinuclidine, N(CH 2 CH 2 ) 3 CH = Q, with the chlorides of Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) in ethanol—diethylether solution yields a series of crystalline complexes of formula [MCl 2 Q 2 ]. On the basis of d--d electronic spectra, vibrational spectra, magnetic properties, and X-ray powder diffraction patterns these complexes are assigned a pseudo-tetrahedral geometry with C 2v symmetry. The ligand field strength of quinuclidine is discussed in comparison to that of sterically hindered substituted pyridines.
Association of higher molecular weight ribonucleoproteins of 7 S particle preparations with multimers of transcription factor IIIA.

Abstract High molecular weight (HMW) fractions of Xenopus laevis 7 S ribonucleoprotein (RNP) particle preparations were analyzed for RNA and protein content. RNA/protein ratios, amino acid analyses and Western blots reveal that the major HMW fraction from a non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel (band b ) contains two molecules of transcription factor protein IIIA (TFIIIA) to one 5 S RNA. Another HMW band appears to contain 4 molecules of TFIIIA to one 5 S RNA. Yet another RNP band (band a ) contains 5 S RNA and a protein unrelated to TFIIIA. Thus, native 7 S particle preparations contain 5 S RNA bound to multimeric forms of TFIIIA as well as to an unrelated protein. The presence of additional TFIIIA molecules associated with 7 S particles may have significance in the sequestering of TFIIIA during transcriptional regulation of the 5 S gene. Protein dimer; Nucleic acid-binding protein; TFIIIA; RNP, 7 S
Circular Dichroism reveals evidence of coupling between immunoglobulin constant and variable region secondary structure.

Antibodies (Ab) are bifunctional molecules with two domains, a constant region (C) that confers effector properties and a variable (V) region responsible of antigen (Ag) binding. Historically the C and V regions were considered to be functionally independent, with Ag specificity being solely determined by the V region. However, recent studies suggest that the C region can affect Ab fine specificity. This has led to the proposal that the CH domain influences the structure of the V region, thus affecting Ab affinity and fine specificity. An inference from this proposal is that V region identical monoclonal Abs (mAbs) differing in C region (eg isotype) would manifest different secondary structures arising from isotype-induced variation in the V–C regions after Ag binding. We hypothesized that such effects could translate into differences in Circular Dichroism (CD) upon Ag–Ab complexes formation. Consequently we studied the interaction of a set of V region identical IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG3 mAbs with glucuronoxylomannan (GXM). The native CD spectra of the pairs IgG1/IgG2a and IgG3/IgG2b were strikingly similar, implying similar secondary structure content. GXM binding by IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG3 produced different CD changes, with the pairs IgG1/IgG2a and IgG3/IgG2b again manifesting qualitatively similar trends in secondary structure changes. The magnitude of the changes differed among the isotypes with IgG2a > IgG3 > IgG2b > IgG1. These differences in CD changes were interpreted to reflect differences in V–C secondary structures. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Immunoglobulin molecules are products of the adaptive immune response that function as antimicrobial proteins. They are heterodimers in which each monomer contains both a heavy (H) and a light (L) chain. The H and L chains each has a V domain (VH and VL, respectively) that forms the Ag binding site. The rest of the chains are composed of C domains (CH and CL). Classically, the structure of the V region is thought to confer Ag specificity directly, while the class of CH domain determines the effector functions of the Ab such as interaction with Fc receptors, half-life and complement actions (Ravetch and Kinet, 1991). Both domains were thought to act separately, with distinct individual roles. Ab isotypes are defined by the CH domain. During the generation of IgG from IgM, through a process known as class switch recombination, the avidity and effector functions of the Ab were thought to change while maintaining the fidelity of Ag specificity (Tonegawa, 1983). Recently, this concept was challenged by reports of V region identical Abs that manifest differences in idiotypic
Assessing the Validity of Kinematically Generated Reach Envelopes for Simulations of Vehicle Operators

Assessments of reach capability using human figure models are commonly performed by exercising each joint of a kinematic chain, terminating in the hand, through the associated ranges of motion. The result is a reach envelope determined entirely by the segment lengths, joint degrees of freedom, and joint ranges of motion. In this paper, the validity of this approach is assessed by comparing the reach envelopes obtained by this method to those obtained in a laboratory study of men and women. Figures were created in the Jack human modeling software to represent the kinematic linkages of participants in the laboratory study. Maximum reach was predicted using the software’s kinematic reach-envelope generation methods and by interactive manipulation. Predictions were compared to maximum reach envelopes obtained experimentally. The findings indicate that several changes to the normal procedures for obtaining maximum reach envelopes for seated tasks are needed. Accurate prediction of maximum seated reach requires consideration of balance and pelvis mobility, neither of which is closely linked to joint range of motion. Sufficient ranges of motion in the shoulder and torso are also needed to represent postures near maximum reach.
The LEP gene and age of menarche: maternal age as a potential cause of hidden stratification in association studies.

Abstract Leptin has a powerful effect on fertility and the initiation of puberty in addition to its effect on obesity. It has been suggested that that in times of fasting, infertility induced by low leptin levels protect the female from the energy demands of pregnancy. Despite this there have been no studies of the potential role of LEP gene variants on the age of onset of menarche. We genotyped 183 non-Hispanic Caucasian adult females at the LEP D7S1875 dinucleotide repeat polymorphism. The alleles were placed into three genotypes, LEP 1875 genotypes and maternal age (age of the mothers at birth of the subject) as independent variables. There was a significant ( P ≤ 0.006) interaction of LEP 1875 × maternal age but neither independent variable was significant by itself. This was due to an “association crossover effect” in which the LEP 1875 by age of menarche effects were in opposite directions for those with a maternal age of
Access scheduling schemes using global information on local area networks

Random access scheduling schemes for broadcast-bus-type local area networks are considered. It is found that a good access scheduling scheme not only has information about the number of packets to be scheduled, but which, more importantly controls the average of this number, which can be achieved by properly choosing the scheduling interval. Furthermore, this scheduling interval is updated in such a way that adjacent intervals overlap, which by correlation gives a better estimate for the number of packets to be scheduled. The scheduling schemes developed using such concepts provide significant performance improvement over schemes using other scheduling approaches previously reported in the literature. >
Dynamic Choice with Constant Source-Dependent Relative Risk Aversion

An axiomatic characterization of recursive utility with source-dependent constant relative risk aversion (CRRA), constant elasticity of intertemporal substitution, constant rate of impatience and subjective beliefs is established. The utility form is a minimal extension of Epstein–Zin–Weil utility that allows the CRRA to depend on the source of risk, a dependence that admits an ambiguity aversion interpretation. Dual representations of the proposed recursive utility are discussed and shown to be useful in tackling the central planner problem and associated asset pricing applications. An appendix presents the continuous-time version of the utility form, which preserves the effect of ambiguity aversion under Brownian/Poisson uncertainty, despite its smoothness.
Calcium-fortified beverage supplementation on body composition in postmenopausal women.

Background: We investigated the effects of a calcium-fortified beverage supplemented over 12 months on body composition in postmenopausal women (n = 37, age = 48–75 y). Methods: Body composition (total-body percent fat, %Fat TB ; abdominal percent fat, %Fat AB ) was measured with dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. After baseline assessments, subjects were randomly assigned to a free-living control group (CTL) or the supplement group (1,125 mg Ca ++ / d, CAL). Dietary intake was assessed with 3-day diet records taken at baseline and 12 months (POST). Physical activity was measured using the Yale Physical Activity Survey. Results: At 12 months, the dietary calcium to protein ratio in the CAL group (32.3 ± 15.6 mg/g) was greater than the CTL group (15.2 ± 7.5 mg/g). There were no differences from baseline to POST between groups for changes in body weight (CAL = 0.1 ± 3.0 kg; CTL = 0.0 ± 2.9 kg), %Fat TB (CAL = 0.0 ± 2.4%; CTL = 0.5 ± 5.4%), %Fat AB (CAL = -0.4 ± 8.7%; CTL = 0.6 ± 8.7%), or fat mass (CAL = 1.3 ± 2.6 kg; CTL = 1.3 ± 2.7 kg). Conclusion: These results indicate that increasing the calcium to protein ratio over two-fold by consuming a calcium-fortified beverage for 12 months did not decrease body weight, body fat, or abdominal fat composition in postmenopausal women.
Control algorithms for active relative motion cancelling for robotic assisted off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Use of intelligent robotic tools promises an alternative and superior way of performing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. In the robotic-assisted surgical paradigm proposed, the conventional surgical tools are replaced with robotic instruments which are under direct control of the surgeon through teleoperation. The robotic tools actively cancel the relative motion between the surgical instruments and the point-of-interest on the beating heart, in contrast to traditional off-pump CABG where the heart is passively constrained to dampen the beating motion. As a result, the surgeon operates on the heart as if it were stationary. We call the proposed algorithm "active relative motion cancelling (ARMC)" to emphasize the active cancellation. In the paper, a model-based intelligent ARMC algorithm is proposed to achieve effective motion cancellation. This is followed by an analysis of local motion of the heart collected using a sonomicrometry system to determine the specifications for ARMC system. Finally, the experimental results of the algorithm implemented on two 1-DOF robotic test-bed systems are reported
Simulation study on covariance component estimation for two binary traits in an underlying continuous scale.

Abstract The usefulness of the variance and covariance component estimation methods based on a threshold model was studied in a multiple-trait situation with two binary traits. Estimation equations that yield marginal maximum likelihood estimates of variance components on the underlying continuous variable scale and point estimates of location parameters with empirical Bayesian properties are described. Methods were tested on simulated data sets that were generated to exhibit three different incidences, 25, 15, and 5%. Results were compared with analyses of the same data sets with a REML method based on normal distribution and a linear model. Heritabilities and residual correlations calculated from discrete observations were transformed to underlying parameters. In estimation of heritabilities, all methods performed equally well at all incidence levels and with no detectable bias. As suggested by threshold theory, the genetic correlation was accurately estimated directly from the observations without any need of correction for incidence. Marginal maximum likelihood estimates of genetic correlations were similar to linear model estimates; discrepancies from the true parameters were consistent with both methods. In estimation of residual correlations, the method with the linear model approach yielded satisfactory estimates only at the highest incidence level, 25%. For 5% incidence, the uncorrected estimate of residual correlation was 50% less than the true value, and after correction for incidence, the parameter was overestimated by 90%. The estimates of residual correlation from the threshold model were regarded fair, except at the lowest level of incidence, where the estimate was 27% higher than the true value. Results indicated that when an accurate estimate of residual correlation is needed, the marginal maximum likelihood estimates are superior to the estimates calculated with the linear model. Using correction for the incidence level for residual correlation did not work well except at the highest incidence level.
Orientation descriptors for localization in urban environments

Accurately determining the position and orientation of an observer (a vehicle or a human) in outdoor urban environments is an important and challenging problem. The standard approach is to use the Global Positioning System (GPS), but this system performs poorly near tall buildings where line of sight to a sufficient number of satellites cannot be obtained. Most previous vision-based approaches for localization register ground imagery to a previously generated ground-level model of the environment. Generating such a model can be difficult and time consuming, and is impractical in some environments. Instead, we propose to perform localization by registering a single omnidirectional ground image to a 2D urban terrain model that is easily generated from aerial imagery. We introduce a novel image descriptor that encodes the position and orientation of a camera relative to buildings in the environment. The descriptor is efficiently generated from edges and vanishing points in an omnidirectional image and is registered to descriptors previously generated for the terrain model. Rather than constructing a local CAD-like model of the environment, which is difficult in cluttered environments, our descriptor measures, at equally spaced intervals over the 360° field of view, the orientation of visible building facades projected onto the ground plane (i.e., the building footprints). We evaluate our approach on an urban data set with significant clutter and demonstrate an accuracy of about 1 m, which is an order of magnitude better than commercial GPS operating in open environments.
Syntheses and Unit‐Cell Determination of Ba3V4O13 and Low‐and High‐Temperature Ba3P4O13

The syntheses and the results of unit-cell determinations ofBa3V4O13 and the two forms (low- and high-temperature) of Ba3P4O13 are presented. Ba3V4O13 crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group Cc or C2/c with unit-cell dimensions a=16.087, b=8.948, c=10.159 (x10nm), β=114.52° Low-Ba3P4O13 crystallizes in the triclinic system, space group P1 or P1 with unit-cell dimensions a=5.757, b=7.243, c=8.104 (x10 nm) α=82.75°, β=73.94°, γ=70.71°. Low-Ba3P4O13 transforms at 870°C into high-Ba3P4O13 which crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group Pbcm (No. 57) (or Pbc2, No. 29) with unit-cell dimensions a =7.107, b=13.883, c=19.219 (x10 nm). No relations have been found between the structures of the tribarium tetravanadate and the tribarium tetraphosphate.
Perinatal oxygen in the developing lung

Lung diseases, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), wheezing, and asthma, remain significant causes of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population, particularly in the setting of premature birth. Pulmonary outcomes in these infants are highly influenced by perinatal exposures including prenatal inflammation, postnatal intensive care unit interventions, and environmental agents. Here, there is strong evidence that perinatal supplemental oxygen administration has significant effects on pulmonary development and health. This is of particular importance in the preterm lung, where premature exposure to room air represents a hyperoxic insult that may cause harm to a lung primed to develop in a hypoxic environment. Preterm infants are also subject to increased episodes of hypoxia, which may also result in pulmonary damage and disease. Here, we summarize the current understanding of the effects of oxygen on the developing lung and how low vs. high oxygen may predispose to pulmonary disease that may e...
Fractional Fourier transform features for speech recognition

In this paper a novel speech signal representation method is presented. The proposed method is based on the fractional Fourier transform (FrFT), which is a generalization of the classical Fourier transform (FT). Even though we use FrFT in feature extraction for speech recognition, it can very well be used in other areas such as enhancement, verification, and synthesis, where parametric representation of speech is needed. Experimental results conducted on the Aurora 2 database show significant improvements over MFCC at high SNR conditions.
An adaptive filtering approach to target tracking

A method is presented for augmenting an extended Kalman filter with an adaptive element. The resulting estimator provides robustness to parameter uncertainty and unmodeled dynamics. The design of the adaptive element employs a linearly parameterized neural network. The network weights are adjusted on line using the filter error residuals. Boundedness of signals is proven using Lyapunov's direct method and a backstepping argument. Simulations illustrate the theoretical results.
Keynote address: Theoretical and practical aspects of risks and vulnerabilities in infancy☆

There is substantial agreement about the basic concepts of vulnerability and at-risk conditions in childhood in the context of what constitutes healthy development. Health is characterized by a progression of maturation and development in mental and emotional as well as in the physical spheres. When there is a failure of developmental progress that is more than transient, the expert observer ideally would detect it before the deviation creates its own complications. If the child and parents start off with the child poorly or incompletely equipped, or with the parents unable to respond with competence and affection to a healthy child, the vulnerability of the child or the at-risk environment created or unrelieved by the parents may set up a deviant or impaired development that has its own momentum and pattern. Thus, vulnerability refers to the weaknesses, deficits or defects of the child, whereas risk refers to the interaction of the environment and the child. Vignettes are presented to illustrate alternate patterns of parent-child interaction and how risk and vulnerability must be viewed together as a dynamic interchange between equipment and environment.
Kinetic Rate Determination via Electrophoresis along a Varying Cross-Section Microchannel

High throughput, efficient, and readily adoptable analytical tools for the validation and selection of reliable antibody reagents would impact the life sciences, clinical chemistry, and clinical medicine. To directly quantify antibody-antigen association and dissociation rate constants, kon and koff, in a single experiment, we introduce a microfluidic free-standing kinetic polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (fsKPAGE) assay. Here, an antibody is immobilized in zones along the length of a single freestanding polyacrylamide gel lane of varying cross-sectional width. Fluorescently labeled antigen is electrophoresed through each immobilized antibody zone, with local cross-sectional area determining the local electric field strength and, thus, the local interaction time between immobilized antibody and electromigrating antigen. Upon crossing, the interaction yields immobilized immunocomplex. The kon is quantified by assessing the amount of immunocomplex formed at each interaction time. To quantify koff, immobilized zones of fluorescently labeled immunocomplex are subjected to a buffer dilution and monitored over time. We determine kon and koff for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and make a comparison to gold-standard values. The fsKPAGE assay determines kon and koff in a single experiment of less than 20 min, using 45 ng of often limited antibody material and standard laboratory equipment. We see the fsKPAGE assay as forming the basis for rapid, quantitative antibody-screening tools.
Predicting workload during physically demanding work using oxygen uptake data

Oxygen uptake measurements during the performance of actual work activities are considered a good measure of the absolute physiologic workload experienced by a worker. Many work physiologists recommend expressing absolute workload as a percentage of maximum oxygen uptake, commonly known as relative workload, since it provides a subject-specific workload. Determining relative workload is arithmetically simple but requires an additional and separate step to determine maximum oxygen uptake through exact or prediction techniques. This paper presents a method for predicating relative workload from in-situ collected sub-maximal oxygen uptake data without the need to determine maximum oxygen uptake. The methodology, developed using twenty subjects and verified on five, was based on modeling the human cellular utilization system as a stochastic system. The standard error in predicting relative workload for the validation subjects was ±3.2%. These initial results are quite promising and establish a starting point ...
Hemithyroidectomy: a meta-analysis of postoperative need for hormone replacement and complications

Background: We sought to determine certain factors predicting postoperative need for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after hemithyroidectomy. Methods: A PubMed search was conducted to identify articles with separate cohorts for total and hemithyroidectomy. Outcomes of interest included hypothyroidism and complications. Results: Of 50,445 patients, 15,412 (30.6%) underwent hemithyroidectomy. The reported incidence rate of postoperative hypothyroidism was 10.9–48.8%. The pooled mean preoperative thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level was 1.06 μIU/l (0.83–1.29) higher in hypothyroid patients. A preoperative TSH level >2.5 μIU/l was associated with a relative risk (RR, 95% CI) of 3.16 (2.03–4.90) for postoperative hypothyroidism. There was a significant pooled RR of 3.52 (2.55–4.86) for thyroid antibodies and 3.30 (2.49–4.36) for thyroiditis on pathology for postoperative HRT. The pooled RR for postoperative complications was 10.67 (5.75–19.31) for temporary hypocalcemia, 3.17 (1.72–5.83) for permanent hypocalcemia, 1.69 (1.30–2.20) for temporary injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), 1.85 (1.28–2.69) for permanent RLN injury and 2.58 (1.69–
Derivatization of Niobium Complexes Bearing Imido and Acetophenone Imine Ligands

The successful isolation and characterization of derivatization reaction products of the niobium imido complex L2NbCl(NAr) (L = ortho-metalated acetophenone imine, Ar = 2,6-iPr2C6H3) with carbon and oxygen donor ligands such as Me, Me3SiCH2, PhCC, Me3SiCC, CF3SO3, and MeO are described. These more reactive σ-donor ligands were readily installed in place of the chloride ligand through salt metathesis reactions. The (trimethylsilyl)methyl complex showed significant α-agostic interactions between the methylene group and the niobium center. Similar strategies to derivatize the chloride complex utilizing lithiated amides (LiNMe2, LiNEt2, LiNiPr2, and LiNC5H10) resulted in the production of a niobium hydride species due to β-hydrogen elimination processes. All of the resulting C1-symmetric complexes were formed as predominantly a single isomer and were fully characterized using a combination of 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, elemental analyses, and X-ray crystallography, when possible.
A Record of Sorex merriami from Northeastern Colorado

The shrew Sorex merriami is so uncommon in the eastern part of its range that the capture of a specimen from northeastern Colorado is of especial interest. On October 15, 1953, Richard G. Van Gelder obtained an adult Sorex merriami at Owl Canyon, Larimer County, Colorado (specimen no. 7661, Univ. Illinois). It was taken on …
Comment 3: Widening the Scope and Moving Beyond Care Chains

This symposium offers a critical discussion of the logics and dynamics behind the new ‘care circulation’ perspective offered by Loretta Baldassar and Laura Merla in their edited volume entitled “Transnational Families, Migration and the Circulation of Care”. This contribution highlights the richness of this new framework, and sets out some key issues that have not yet been fully addressed in the study of caregiving in the age of global migration, such as the need to ‘bring back’ the body and the materiality of care in our conceptualization of transnational practices of care.
Vehicle Tracking Algorithm based on Sequential Monte Carlo Filter

Against the defect of the optimal estimation achieved by models or functions approximation in the nonlinear target tracking,this paper proposes a sequential Monte Carlo filter tracking algorithm based on inter-frame prediction and feature matching.In the algorithm,the state of vehicle tracked is described by the weighted spatiograms in HSV color space,the samples relay is completed by a normal random drift model,the computation of the sample weights is also achieved by the similarity measure between sample and target,and the posterior probability of state vector is computed by the weighted samples.The experiment research shows that this approach is simple and computationally efficient and can track the irregular and nonlinear moving vehicles real time and accurately in a complex environment.In addition,the means can also deal with the situations of partial occlusion and short-term loss as well.
Comparative Physiology of Fatigue

This review attempts to provide insights into factors associated with fatigue in human and nonhuman animals by using the two fundamental approaches of comparative physiology: determining common principles that govern structure and function in animals that are relatively invariant between animals and evaluating animals that have been highly adapted by natural selection to demonstrate extreme performance. In this review, I approach the topic of fatigue by considering factors that are associated with its reciprocal or inverse or duration of sustained performance before fatigue sets in to end the performance. The two general factors that I consider that affect endurance time more than any other are body temperature and body mass. The former affects endurance time because of thermodynamic effects on chemical reaction rates and metabolism; the latter acts through the mechanism of allometry or scaling. The examples of extreme animal performance that I discuss are two examples of bird migration, the diving performance of marine mammals, and the unique relationship that governs energy cost of locomotion in hopping kangaroos.
Popular music from the North African immigrant community : Multiculturalism in contemporary France, 1945-1994

Cette etude de la musique populaire nord-africaine ecoutee et pratiquee par la communaute maghrebine presente en France souligne les rapports que l'on peut trouver entre les productions culturelles d'un groupe et la problematique de son integration dans une culture dominante. Les evolutions de cette musique sont en effet directement liees aux conditions de vie que rencontrent les membres de la communaute maghrebine, et suit strictement leur incorporation graduelle dans la societe francaise, entre desir de se fondre dans la culture francaise et revendication culturelle et politique
Early Post-Settlement Growth in Wild Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica Gemlin 1791) Populations

Management and restoration of wild oyster populations with the ecosystem services they provide require detailed understanding of oyster population dynamics, including temporally and spatially varying growth. Much of the existing literature documenting growth rates for eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) reports growth for large, protected, and/or hatchery-spawned oysters. By following growth of wild oysters set on planted clamshells in Delaware Bay, we document early growth (within the first year) of 21 wild oyster cohorts settling over 8 years and assess the importance of interannual variability in temperature and salinity. In general, oysters follow a linear growth trajectory in the first year of life, interspersed by periods of little to no growth in the colder months. Wild oysters settling in the Delaware Bay mid-salinity region reach a size between 27 and 33 mm in their first year and tend to reach greater shell heights at 1 year of age in higher salinity years and at temperatures averaging 23 °C. Multi-year, population-level estimates of wild growth such as these are important for understanding changes in restored and managed oyster populations, and resulting ecosystem services, under naturally variable conditions.
Myelopathy in Neurocutatneous Melanosis

The neural crest is the common embryonic origin of both the melanotic cells of the skin and the leptomeninges. According to these authors neurocutaneous melanosis (NCM) is a congenital syndrome characterized by the development of congenital melanocytic naevi and benign or malignant melanotic tumors of the CNS. NCM is considered a rare complication of giant congenital meano-cytic-naevus (GCMN).
The Politicization of U.S. History Textbooks: Reinventing Ronald Reagan

This chapter examines popular bias and politicization of history textbook accounts of the life and accomplishments of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. The author analyzed historical accounts of Ronald Reagan’s presidency as presented in three recent U.S. history textbooks, and considered implications of these presentations for history teachers. Through historiographical analysis and comparative content analysis, the author analyzed each of the three textbooks to determine how, individually and collectively, they presented Ronald Reagan as a historical figure, and what role, if any, political perspective or bias played in each one. The author also sought to determine what implications these accounts of Reagan’s presidency had for teachers of U.S. history. The author concluded that each of the textbooks analyzed in this study had a significant political tone. One seemed to promote a sense of American destiny and cultural supremacy, the second seemed to be written in the voice of a more conservative social and political ideology, and the third one clearly fostered a countercultural, anti-establishmentarian voice.
Descriptive Medical Terms: Activities, Actions, and Appearances

This chapter tells stories of medical words that arose because something clinical or scientific looked like something else in everyday life. The collarbone looked like a key, or clavicle in Latin. Bulimia combines two Greek words meaning hungry as an ox. The derivation of the word chorea is a Greek word, khoreia, meaning “dance.” Many of the words in this chapter have evolved in colorful ways, such as how a Greek word meaning “to stupefy” came to be the name of the carotid artery in the neck and why the sacrum has been considered to be a holy bone.
Assessment of trends in the electrochemical CO 2 reduction and H 2 evolution reactions on metal nanoparticles

We used density functional theory to investigate the electrochemical CO2 reduction and competing hydrogen evolution reaction on model Au, Ag, Cu, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt, and Rh nanoparticles. On the coinage metal, the free energy of adsorbed COOH, CO, and H intermediates generally becomes more favorable with decreasing particle size. This pattern was also observed on all transition metals with the binding of the intermediates observed to be stronger on almost all of these metals. Comparative studies of the reaction profile reveal that H2 evolution is the first reaction to be energetically allowed at zero applied bias.