cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Bayesian approach to identification of gaseous effluents in passive LWIR imagery

Typically a regression approach is applied in order to identify the constituents present in a hyperspectral image, and the task of species identification amounts to choosing the best regression model. Common model selection approaches (stepwise and criterion based methods) have well known multiple comparisons problems, and they do not allow the user to control the experimet-wise error rate, or allow the user to include scene-specific knowledge in the inference process. A Bayesian model selection technique called Gibbs Variable Selection (GVS) that better handles these issues is presented and implemented via Markov chain monte carlo (MCMC). GVS can be used to simultaneously conduct inference on the optical path depth and probability of inclusion in a pixel for a each species in a library. This method flexibly accommodates an analyst's prior knowledge of the species present in a scene, as well as mixtures of species of any arbitrary complexity. A series of automated diagnostic measures are developed to monitor convergence of the Markov chains without operator intervention. This method is compared against traditional regression approaches for model selection and results from LWIR data from the Airborne Hyperspectral Imager (AHI) are presented. Finally, the applicability of this identification framework to a variety of scenarios such as persistent surveillance is discussed.
Effects of glucocorticoids on circulating levels and hepatic expression of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding proteins and IGF-I in the adrenalectomized streptozotocin-diabetic rat.

Circulating levels and hepatic expression of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) are increased in insulin-deficient streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. Glucocorticoids stimulate and insulin suppresses hepatocellular expression of IGFBP-1 in vitro. We asked whether increased IGFBP-1 expression in STZ-diabetic animals is due to an effect of insulin deficiency per se or whether insulin deficiency represents a permissive state where glucocorticoids may play an important role in the regulation of IGFBP-1 and other circulating peptides involved in the modulation of IGF bioactivity. Intact female Sprague-Dawley-derived rats and rats undergoing bilateral adrenalectomy (ADNX) were injected with STZ (140 mg/kg) or buffer. Corticosterone acetate (50 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered to diabetic and nondiabetic animals immediately after ADNX and 24 h later. All rats were killed 48 h after surgery and/or STZ administration. Serum [125I]IGF-I-binding activity was increased 4-fold (P < 0.01), and Wes...
Photochemical instability of 1-nitropyrene, 3-nitrofluoranthene, 1,8-dinitropyrene and their parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The environmental contaminants pyrene, 1-nitropyrene, 1,8-dinitropyrene, fluoranthene, and 3-nitrofluoranthene were exposed to light (⩾ 310 nm) either in DMSO, or following coating onto silica. Under all conditions tested the pyrenyl were less stable than the fluoranthenyl compounds. During irradiation in DMSO or on silica, 1-nitropyrene had half-lives of 1.2 and 6 days, while those of 3-nitrofluoranthene were 12.5 and > 20 days, respectively. The photodecomposition of 1,8-dinitropyrene resembled that of 1-nitropyrene with half-lives of 0.7 and 5.7 days. A principle photodecomposition product of 1,8-dinitropyrene was identified as 1-nitropyren-8-ol. It was also found that when the nitroarenes were exposed to light, the loss of compound was associated with a concomitant loss of mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98. The mechanism of nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon decomposition and 1-nitropyren-8-ol formation, and the relevance to the atmospheric disposition of these compounds are discussed.
Comparison of "Rose Questionnaire Angina" to exercise thallium scintigraphy: different findings in males and females.

Abstract Validation of the London School of Hygiene (Rose) Questionnaire with objective measures of myocardial ischemia is incomplete. Therefore, we compared the Rose Questionnaire with exercise thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy in 147 male and 97 female patients with chest pain referred for clinical exercise testing. Of those with “Rose Questionnaire angina”, 26% of the females and 73% of the males had positive thallium-201 scans. Negative results on both the Rose Questionnaire and thallium-201 scintigraphy were observed in 71 % of the females and 47% of the males. The sensitivity of the Rose Questionnaire was similar in females (41 %) and males (44%). The specificity was 77% in males, while in females it was significantly lower at 56%. The specificity values reflect the higher ( p p Our results indicate a generally poor relationship between Rose Questionnaire angina and thallium-201 scintigraphy, an objective measure of myocardial ischemia in patients with chest pain referred to clinical exercise testing. Further, there are gender-specific differences in this relationship between the questionnaire and exercise thallium-201 imaging.
PATTERNS OF ALGAL SUCCESSION IN A PERTURBATED MARINE INTERTIDAL COMMUNITY1

Patterns of algal succession for a sewage-polluted and an unpolluted habitat near Wilson Cove, San Clemente Island, California, were studied from December 1974 to June 1977. Resident populations were analyzed for 56 fully denuded and 34 undisturbed control quadrats during 11 assessment periods. The denuded quadrats in the perturbated (polluted) habitat showed recovery within 1.0 mo as determined by cover, percent similarity and species diversity comparisons with control plots. The short recovery times of the algal populations dominating the perturbated habitat indicate that these species maintain relatively constant overall abundances due to their potential for rapid recruitment and growth. Denuded quadrats in the unpolluted habitat did not show recovery even after 30.0 mo. These quadrats were dominated during the first 1.3 mo by algae characteristic of the perturbated area, including filamentous Ectocarpaceae, colonial diatoms and bluegreen algae. Petalonia fascia (Mull.) Kuntze (1.3–3.0 mo), and Scytosiphon lomentaria (Lyngb.)J. Ag. and Colpomenia sinuosa (Roth) Derb. & Sol. (1.3–5.0 mo) were abundant shortly following plot denudation and provided thick growths that may have excluded other algae. The similarity between the species occupying the sterilized plots during the first few months and those that provide the majority of cover in the perturbated area supports the hypothesis that the dominant algae of the upper and midintertidal regions of this habitat consist largely of early successional or opportunistic species with high capacities for growth and reproduction. Additionally, these experiments suggest that algal populations described for other perturbated epilithic systems also represent resilient subclimax associations.
Experimental evaluation of a misalignment tolerant FSO receiver

In order to track, acquire and maintain a free-space optical link between mobile platforms experiencing misalignment due to movement and atmospheric turbulence requires a different approach than traditional free-space optical transceivers. Recent investigations of alternative receiver configurations found that a lens array performed better than a collimator array as a light collector, and compared methods for summing light collected from different lenses in the array. This paper reports on experimental investigations of receiver performance for a coupling lens array at the front end and an aspheric-lens based summing approach at the back end. The receiver performance is evaluated using two different transmission systems, including a SONET bit-error-rate tester. Key evaluation parameters include the received power and achieved bit-error rate. Measurements are made under perfect alignment and under a variety of misalignment conditions. The investigation finds that size of the lenses used in the array, which dictates the number of collecting fibers used, impacts the effectiveness of the receiver and of the summing approach. Both a single lens and multiple lens solution are evaluated for implementing the summing function. Optimization of the summing optics is required for the receiver to be effective for high data rate communication.
An Empirical Demonstration of the Interactive Influence of Distance and Flatness Information on Size Perception in Pictures

There is abundant evidence that both depth and flatness information influence the perception of size in pictures. In general, as depth information increases in salience, size perception approaches size constancy. Likewise, as flatness information increases in salience, size perception departs from size constancy and is influenced more by the size of the retinal image. There is relatively little empirical evidence, however, of their cumulative effects. With college students as participants, saliencies of depth and flatness information were independently manipulated in a factorial design, using colored photographs and drawings based on those photographs. In addition, two types of instructions were used, those that encouraged size constancy and those that encouraged responses based solely on retinal image size. Results showed that the salience of depth information and the salience of flatness information had a cumulative effect on size perception. For example, the combined effects of higher depth salience an...
Case-control analysis of maternal prenatal analgesic use and cardiovascular malformations: Baltimore-Washington Infant Study.

Objective We sought to assess maternal prenatal use of analgesics and risk of cardiovascular malformations (CVM) in the offspring. Study Design Data from the Baltimore–Washington Infant Study, a population-based case-control investigation of CVM, were used to examine selected isolated CVM diagnoses and maternal analgesic use during the periconceptional period (3 months before and after conception). We compared case and control infants on frequency of maternal use of analgesics and estimated adjusted odds ratios (adjORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) with logistic regression models for specific CVM phenotypes. Results Frequency of periconceptional use of any analgesic was 52% among control mothers and 53% among case mothers. Analyses by CVM diagnoses identified an association of tetralogy of Fallot with maternal acetaminophen use (adjOR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1–2.3) and dextrotransposition of the great arteries with intact ventricular septum with maternal nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use (adjOR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.2–8.7). Conclusion Analgesic use during the periconceptional period was not associated with CVM in the aggregate or with most phenotypes of CVM examined. Associations with 2 phenotypes of CVM may have occurred by chance. These findings warrant corroboration and further study, including further evaluation of the observed associations, the dose of analgesic taken, more specific timing of analgesic use, and indications for use.
A novel nano fischer‐tropsch catalyst for the production of hydrocarbons

A novel silica nanospring (NS) supported cobalt catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) was synthesized and investigated, and the results were compared with those of a conventional cobalt catalyst. The NS catalyst was prepared using deposition of Co followed by thermal assisted reduction and characterized by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, N2 physisorption, X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and H2-temperature programmed reduction. FTS performance was evaluated in a quartz fixed-bed microreactor (230C, H2:CO ratio 2:1), and the products were trapped and analyzed with gas chromatography-thermal conductivity detector (GC-TCD, gases) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS, semivolatiles) to determine the percentage of CO conversion and selectivity. Semivolatile products from both catalysts were C6-C18 hydrocarbons. Even though the NS FTS catalyst was not fully reduced during the activation period it still showed higher FTS activity than the conventional catalyst, which is attributed to the higher accessibility of the gases to the Co on the NS surface. V C 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 00: 000‐000, 2013
The role of knowledge in next-generation product development systems

Information technology has played an increasingly important role in engineering productdevelopment. Its inﬂuence over the past decade has been accelerating and its impact inthe coming decade will undoubtedly be immense. This paper surveys several researchareas relating to knowledge representation, capture and retrieval, which will have agrowing inﬂuence on product development. Each of these areas could, on its own, providesufﬁcient material for an entire survey paper. Unlike traditional survey papers, this paperdoes not attempt to provide a comprehensive review of a ﬁeld of research from its incep-tion to the present. Rather, this paper aims to touch on a representative selection of recentdevelopments in these inﬂuential technical areas. The paper provides perspectives into thekinds of technologies that are emerging from rapidly expanding ﬁelds of research, anddiscusses challenges that must be overcome to enable transition of these technologies intoindustry practice to support the next generation of product development software tools.@DOI: 10.1115/1.1344238#
Context-based multiple bit-stream image transmission over noisy channels

In this paper, we propose a novel combined source and channel coding scheme for image transmission over noisy channels. The main feature of the proposed scheme is a systematic decomposition of image sources so that unequal error protection can be applied according to not only bit error sensitivity but also visual context importance. The wavelet transform is adopted to hierarchically decompose the image. The association between the wavelet coefficients and what they represent spatially in the original image is fully exploited. Such decomposition generates wavelet blocks that can be classified based on their corresponding image context. The classification produces wavelet trees in each class with similar context and statistics and therefore enables high performance source compression using SPIHT. The channel coding assigns unequal error protection to different classes and to different bit planes so that the image transmission scheme is robust in terms of both subjective and objective visual quality. To further improve the quality of the received image, a post-processing method was proposed to restore the degradation due to the channel decoding residual error. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme has a good performance for image transmission over noisy channels. In particular, the reconstructed images consistently illustrate better visual quality.© (2000) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Life and death of a BiP substrate

BiP is the mammalian endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Hsp70 orthologue that plays a major role in all functions of this organelle including the seemingly opposing functions of aiding the maturation of unfolded nascent proteins and identifying and targeting chronically unfolded proteins for degradation. The recent identification of mammalian BiP co-factors combined with delineation of the ER degradation machinery and data suggesting that the ER is subdivided into unique regions helps explain how these different functions can occur in the same organelle and raises some unresolved issues.
GABA in nucleus tractus solitarius participates in electroacupuncture modulation of cardiopulmonary bradycardia reflex

Phenylbiguanide (PBG) stimulates cardiopulmonary receptors and cardiovascular reflex responses, including decreases in blood pressure and heart rate mediated by the brain stem parasympathetic cardi...
Hormone-dependent, aggressive angiomyxoma of the vulva.

Background Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare neoplasm of undetermined etiology that occurs mainly in the female vulva and perineum. It tends to recur but does not metastasize. This case report describes findings suggestive of the possible hormone dependency of this neoplasm. Case A 41-year-old gravid woman developed an aggressive angiomyxoma of the left vulva with growth apparently related to the length of the pregnancy. The neoplasm marked strongly for progesterone receptors by immunohistochemical methods but was estrogen-receptor negative. Conclusion The growth of the neoplasm during pregnancy and the nuclear-positive staining for progesterone receptors suggest a possible hormone (progesterone) dependency for at least some cases of aggressive angiomyxoma.
Dislocation/particle interactions in an oxide dispersion strengthened alloy

Analyse des interactions entre les particules d'oxyde Y 2 O 3 et les dislocations dans le materiau composite a matrice d'alliage d'aluminium renforce par des particules d'oxyde et soumis a des essais de compression entre la temperature ambiante et 1100 C. Par microscopie electronique en transmission, plusieurs types d'interactions sont observes. La formation de boucles d'Orowan a des temperatures inferieures a 700 C, et une attraction entre les dislocations et les particules avec ou sans cœur visible a l'interface pour des plus hautes temperatures. Explication des phenomenes
Measurement of light scattering at 0° by micrometer-size quartz fibers

Measurements of light scattering by a quartz fiber at an angle of 0° have been made by using the 0.5145-μm line from an Ar+ laser. Data have been obtained as a function of fiber radius from 1 to 32 μm, and they are in excellent agreement with theory. This new measurement technique is based on the fanning of a coherent light beam in a photorefractive BaTiO3 crystal.
Likelihood testing populations modeled by autoregressive process subject to the limit of detection in applications to longitudinal biomedical data

Dependent and often incomplete outcomes are commonly found in longitudinal biomedical studies. We develop a likelihood function, which implements the autoregressive process of outcomes, incorporating the limit of detection problem and the probability of drop-out. The proposed approach incorporates the characteristics of the longitudinal data in biomedical research allowing us to carry out powerful tests to detect a difference between study populations in terms of the growth rate and drop-out rate. The formal notation of the likelihood function is developed, making it possible to adapt the proposed method easily for various different scenarios in terms of the number of groups to compare and a variety of growth trend patterns. Useful inferential properties for the proposed method are established, which take advantage of many well-developed theorems regarding the likelihood approach. A broad Monte-Carlo study confirms both the asymptotic results and illustrates good power properties of the proposed method. W...
Src-family kinases: rheostats of immune cell signaling

In immune cells, Src-family kinases have been implicated as critical regulators of a large number of intracellular signaling pathways. Studies of gene knockout mice lacking various family members have both confirmed the requirement for these kinases in some pathways and provided surprising insight into their roles in other pathways. In many cases, loss of a single kinase produces only a modest/moderate defect in the pathway being studied, while combinatorial mutants have more profound defects. In several cases, loss of Src-family kinase activity results in activation of signaling, illuminating the fact that these molecules play important roles in inhibitory signaling. This review will focus on both the positive and negative roles these kinases play in immunoreceptor and integrin signaling pathways. The overall observation that these molecules play such diverse signaling functions leads one to the conclusion that this family of proteins serves as general modulators of immune cell signaling.
Monitoring fish distributions along electrofishing segments

Electrofishing is widely used to monitor fish species composition and relative abundance in streams and lakes. According to standard protocols, multiple segments are selected in a body of water to monitor population relative abundance as the ratio of total catch to total sampling effort. The standard protocol provides an assessment of fish distribution at a macrohabitat scale among segments, but not within segments. An ancillary protocol was developed for assessing fish distribution at a finer scale within electrofishing segments. The ancillary protocol was used to estimate spacing, dispersion, and association of two species along shore segments in two local reservoirs. The added information provided by the ancillary protocol may be useful for assessing fish distribution relative to fish of the same species, to fish of different species, and to environmental or habitat characteristics.
Risk Analysis of Barramundi Perch Lates calcarifer Aquaculture in Florida

Abstract Two Florida state agencies (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission [FWC] and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services) have regulatory and management programs to reduce the potential for escape or release of nonnative fishes from aquaculture facilities. The barramundi perch Lates calcarifer, a large, predatory euryhaline fish native to the Indo-Pacific, is classified as a conditional species by the FWC. Aquaculturists may possess this species only under strict biosecurity requirements. In 2006, a barramundi perch aquaculturist in central Florida initiated fee fishing by the public in outdoor culture ponds. The FWC conducted a risk analysis to assess the probability and potential consequences of barramundi perch population establishment in Florida, specifically considering the increased risk of illegal barramundi perch introduction into state waters to create a sport fishery. Using a generic risk analysis review process, a stakeholder panel determined that the overall ris...
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Response Activities Following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

ABSTRACT In nonfederalized oil spill responses (in which the spillers assume responsibility), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior is responsible for advising the Regional Response Team and the federal on-scene coordinator on the protection of fish and wildlife resources, overseeing the rehabilitation of wildlife resources, and assessing the extent of environmental damage. The Exxon Valdez spill, in March 1989, required a major effort by the service, due to the amount of oil spilled, the large area affected, the environmental sensitivity of the area and its wildlife, and the spill's impacts on National Wildlife Refuge lands. The service's response began within 24 hours of the spill, and continued until fall 1990. Wildlife surveys were conducted by aircraft and boat throughout the spring and summer of 1989, and in the summer of 1990. Live oiled birds and sea otters were rescued and, when possible, rehabilitated and relocated; dead ones were collected for study, and to p...
Turning the tables: making surveys relevant in the classroom

Researchers want to survey students. Instructors have little incentive to allow their class to be surveyed and students have little incentive to be surveyed. This paper suggests a solution to this problem for researchers, students and instructors of statistics classes. Research suggests that active survey announcement and the offering of extra credit increases survey response rates over passive survey announcement and no extra credit. Therefore, a course instructor can have an influential role in the response rate of electronic surveys administered over time. Instructors can offer extra credit in good conscience if the survey offers a class benefit that can be used for discussion and class activity. Students receive extra credit towards their grade as well as experience working with new data sets. Instructors receive an additional teaching opportunity, and researchers receive a high survey response rate. The process of engaging the researcher, the instructor and the students is detailed.
A Dream for the Academy

The article presents a speech by Jean M. Bartunek, president of the Academy of Management, given as the 2002 Presidential Address at Boston College.
Temporally-resolved area-imaged velocimeter system for dynamic materials experiments

Shocks extending across crystals' grain boundaries can nucleate and grow velocity fluctuations on the order of 5-10% when the shock speeds differ in the adjacent grains. Dynamic materials experiments at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Trident Laser Laboratory aim to examine this phenomenon by temporally- and spatially-resolving free surface velocity over a large region of interest. While line-imaged velocimetry can serve as a quantitative method for examining the velocity fluctuations across a single boundary, it is more desirable to resolve the velocity field around an entire embedded grain. We present a novel diagnostic design that utilizes a four-frame gated-optical-imaging interferometric velocimeter in combination with a streaked line-imaging interferometric velocimeter. This diagnostic will provide high-spatial resolution velocigraphs of a shock as it hits a free surface in multigrain crystals.
Association of opioid agonist therapy with lower incidence of hepatitis C virus infection in young adult injection drug users.

Importance Injection drug use is the primary mode of transmission for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Prior studies suggest opioid agonist therapy may reduce the incidence of HCV infection among injection drug users; however, little is known about the effects of this therapy in younger users. Objective To evaluate whether opioid agonist therapy was associated with a lower incidence of HCV infection in a cohort of young adult injection drug users. Design, Setting, and Participants Observational cohort study conducted from January 3, 2000, through August 21, 2013, with quarterly interviews and blood sampling. We recruited young adult (younger than 30 years) injection drug users who were negative for anti-HCV antibody and/or HCV RNA. Exposures Substance use treatment within the past 3 months, including non–opioid agonist forms of treatment, opioid agonist (methadone hydrochloride or buprenorphine hydrochloride) detoxification or maintenance therapy, or no treatment. Main Outcomes and Measures Incident HCV infection documented with a new positive result for HCV RNA and/or HCV antibodies. Cumulative incidence rates (95% CI) of HCV infection were calculated assuming a Poisson distribution. Cox proportional hazards regression models were fit adjusting for age, sex, race, years of injection drug use, homelessness, and incarceration. Results Baseline characteristics of the sample (n = 552) included median age of 23 (interquartile range, 20-26) years; 31.9% female; 73.1% white; 39.7% who did not graduate from high school; and 69.2% who were homeless. During the observation period of 680 person-years, 171 incident cases of HCV infection occurred (incidence rate, 25.1 [95% CI, 21.6-29.2] per 100 person-years). The rate ratio was significantly lower for participants who reported recent maintenance opioid agonist therapy (0.31 [95% CI, 0.14-0.65]; P = .001) but not for those who reported recent non–opioid agonist forms of treatment (0.63 [95% CI, 0.37-1.08]; P = .09) or opioid agonist detoxification (1.45 [95% CI, 0.80-2.69]; P = .23). After adjustment for other covariates, maintenance opioid agonist therapy was associated with lower relative hazards for acquiring HCV infection over time (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.39 [95% CI, 0.18-0.87]; P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort of young adult injection drug users, recent maintenance opioid agonist therapy was associated with a lower incidence of HCV infection. Maintenance treatment with methadone or buprenorphine for opioid use disorders may be an important strategy to prevent the spread of HCV infection among young injection drug users.
Utilization of phosphorus in poultry as influenced by dietary calcium and phosphorus source

78 INTRODUCTION 80 MATERIALS AND METHODS 82 Experiment One 82 Experiment Two 83 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 87 Experiment One 87 Experiment Two 90 REFERENCES ICQ GENERAL SUMMARY 102 LITERATURE CITED 105 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 110 APPENDIX A: PREPARATION OF TISSUE SAMPLES FOR PHOSPHORUS, PHYTATE, AND PHYTATE PHOSPHORUS ANALYSIS 111 APPENDIX B: COLORIMETRIC DETERMINATION OF PHOSPHORUS BY TECHNICON AUTO-ANALYZER TECHNIQUE 112 APPENDIX C: PREPARATION OF EXCRETA AND FEED SAMPLES FOR PHYTATE, AND PHYTATE PHOSPHORUS ANALYSIS 115
Identification of Probable Real Words: An Entropy-based Approach

This paper proposes a method for identifying probable real words among out-of-vocabulary (OOV) words in text. The identification of real words is done based on entropy of probability of character trigrams as well as the morphological rules of English. It also generates possible parts-of-speech (POS) of the identified real words on the basis of lexical formation rules and word endings. The method shows high performance both in precision and in recall. This method is very useful in recognizing domain-specific technical terms, and has successfully been embedded in a glossary extraction system, which identifies single or multi word glossary items and builds a domain-specific dictionary.
Conditional large deviations for density case

Abstract The conditional large deviations theorem of Jing and Robinson (1994) is extended in the following sense. Consider a random sample of pairs of random vectors and the sample means of each of the pairs. For p ⩾ 1, the probability that first falls outside a certain p-dimensional convex set given that the second is fixed is shown to decrease with the sample size at an exponential rate which depends on the Kullback-Leibler distance between two distributions in an associated exponential familiy of distributions. Examples are given which include a method of computing the Bahadur exact slope for tests of certain composite hypotheses in exponential families.
Oxygen consumption and distribution in the Long-Evans rat retina.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the oxygen distribution and consumption in the pigmented Long-Evans rat retina in vivo during dark and light adaptation, and to compare these results to previous work on cat and albino rat. Double-barreled microelectrodes recorded both intraretinal PO 2 depth profiles and the electroretinogram (ERG), which was used to identify the boundaries of the retina. Light adaptation decreased photoreceptor oxygen consumption per unit volume ( Q av ) from 3.0 ± 0.4 ml·100 g −1 min −1 (mean ± SEM) in darkness to 1.8 ± 0.2 ml·100 g −1 min −1 and increased minimum outer retinal PO 2 at the inner segments ( P min ) from 17.4 ± 3.0 to 29.9 ± 5.3 mmHg. The effects of light on outer retinal PO 2 and Q av were similar to those previously observed in cat, monkey, and albino rats; however, dark-adapted P min was higher in rat than cat. The parameters derived from fitting the oxygen diffusion model to the rat data were compared to those from cat. Oxygen consumption of the inner segments ( Q 2 ) and choroidal PO 2 ( P C ) in rat and cat were similar. P min was higher in rat than in cat for two reasons: first, rat photoreceptors have a shorter oxygen consuming region; and second, the retinal circulation supplied a greater fraction of consumed oxygen to rat photoreceptors. The average PO 2 across the inner retina ( P IR ) was not different in dark adaptation (25.4 ± 4.8 mmHg) and light adaptation (28.8 ± 5.4 mmHg) when measured from PO 2 profiles. However, with the microelectrode stationary at 9–18% retinal depth, a small consistent decrease in PO 2 occurred during illumination. Flickering light at 6 Hz decreased inner retinal PO 2 significantly more than an equivalent steady illumination, suggesting that changes in blood flow did not completely compensate for increased metabolism. This study comprehensively characterized rat retinal oxygenation in both light and dark, and determined the similarities and differences between rat and cat retinas.
Enzymatic determination of phosphate in conjunction with high-performance liquid chromatography.

Abstract A selective assay for orthophosphate in complex matrices was developed based on the nucleoside phosphorylase catalyzed conversion of inosine and orthophosphate to hypoxanthine. The enzyme reaction using only 0.28 units/assay was allowed to pro- ceed for 30 min before quenching. Separation of inosine and hypoxanthine was performed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Quantitation of the hypoxanthine peak was found to be linear with orthophosphate up to about 30 μ/g. A detection limit of 0.75 ppm could be otbained after dialysis of the commercial enzyme. Interference studies showed that the enzymatic assay unlike the colorimetric molybdate-blue technique was essentially unaffected by complex matrices such as serum, urine, polyphosphates, and phosphoesters.
A new method for the calculation of the dispersion of nonperiodic photonic crystal waveguides

We present a new method for the calculation of the dispersion diagrams of general nonuniform waveguides. The method is based on the spatial Fourier transform (SFT) of the electromagnetic field distribution along the guiding direction. We demonstrate the validity and robustness of the SFT technique using several test cases. As an application, we apply the method to analyze the dispersion of biperiodic photonic crystal waveguides and show that the guiding bandwidths of these waveguides can be significantly enhanced by a proper choice of the two distinctive spatial periods of the biperiodic waveguides.
Surveillance of Cryptococcosis in Alabama, 1992–1994

Abstract PURPOSE: Although cryptococcosis is a significant opportunistic infection among patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), there is conflicting information on rates of cryptococcosis among HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. Precise state-wide epidemiologic data for cryptococcosis are not available in Alabama. METHODS: We conducted an active laboratory and hospital medical record-based surveillance for cryptococcosis in Alabama from October 1, 1992 to September 30, 1994. A case of cryptococcosis was defined as a patient's initial episode of cryptococcal disease and based on either a positive culture for C. neoformans from any normally sterile site, a positive latex agglutination serologic test for cryptococcal antigen in CSF or serum, or histopathologic findings consistent with C. neoformans . RESULTS: Over the two year period, 153 cases were identified. The diagnosis was based on positive culture (37%), positive antigen (24%), positive autopsy culture (2%), and histopathologic findings (4%). Further, 33% of the total cases were diagnosed from combined positive culture, antigen, or histopathology. Of the total 153 cases, 55% were in HIV-positive patients and 44% were in HIV-negative individuals and one case (1%) had an unknown HIV status. The overall annual incidence rate of cryptococcosis was 1.89 cases per 100,000 population. The incidence was 1638.7 per 100,000 in the HIV-positive population and 0.84 per 100,000 in the HIV-negative population. CONCLUSION: The first Alabama statewide active surveillance system for cryptococcosis confirms previous observations that rates of cryptococcosis are consistently higher in HIV-infected individuals than in their HIV-negative counterparts. In Alabama, cryptococcosis occurs more commonly in urban residents and in men. Cryptococcosis in HIV-positive persons is more likely to occur in the 20 to 44 year age group, whereas cryptococcosis in HIV-negative persons is more likely to occur in those greater than 45 years old.
Methotrexate toxicity treated with continuous venovenous hemofiltration, leucovorin and glucarpidase

High-dose methotrexate (MTX) can produce acute kidney injury, impairing MTX elimination. Continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) may enhance elimination in this setting, although its use is largely unstudied. A 79-year-old man received IV MTX for central nervous system lymphoma, and over a 34-h period his serum creatinine increased from 1.09 to 2.24 mg/dL. His serum MTX concentration (sMTX) at the end of this time period was 59.05 µmol/L. After urinary alkalinization and leucovorin and glucarpidase (CPDG2) treatment, sMTX decreased. Fluid overload ensued and CVVH was initiated. The initial MTX extraction ratio and clearance were 0.22 and 47.0 mL/min, respectively. No MTX extraction occurred at an sMTX of 0.15 µmol/L. Continuous venovenous hemodialysis was initiated, and sMTX further declined. CVVH may help eliminate MTX and provide renal replacement at moderate sMTX.
Polymeric substrate microcrystalline-silicon strain sensor

Metallic foil and semiconductor piezoresistors are frequently used as strain sensors in shape or strain monitoring applications. The sensors are typically connected in a Wheatstone bridge configuration and mounted on the surface or body to be tested. Semiconductor sensors, for example crystalline silicon, can provide good strain sensitivity with significantly reduced sensor area and also reduced bridge power compared to metal resistor bridges. a-Si:H strain sensors fabricated on glass substrates have recently been demonstrated (G. de Cesare et al, Thin Solid Films, vol. 427, p. 191, 2003). We report here the first microcrystalline-silicon (/spl mu/C-Si) strain sensors fabricated directly on flexible polyimide substrates with similar gage factor but very low power and higher yield compared to metallic strain sensor.
Pediatric nuclear medicine, Part II: Common procedures and considerations.

Objective: This paper introduces technologists to pediatric nuclear medicine applications as well as serves as a review of the principles of pediatric imaging for more experienced technologists. After reading this article the nuclear medicine technologist should be able to: (a) identify pediatric populations commonly evaluated with nuclear medicine procedures; (b) state the indications for performing pediatric nuclear medicine procedures; and (c) discuss strategies and tips for performing nuclear medicine procedures on pediatric patients.
Normal telomere length maintenance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires nuclear import of the ever shorter telomeres 1 (Est1) protein via the importin alpha pathway.

The Est1 (ever shorter telomeres 1) protein is an essential component of yeast telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein complex that restores the repetitive sequences at chromosome ends (telomeres) that would otherwise be lost during DNA replication. Previous work has shown that the telomerase RNA component (TLC1) transits through the cytoplasm during telomerase biogenesis, but mechanisms of protein import have not been addressed. Here we identify three nuclear localization sequences (NLSs) in Est1p. Mutation of the most N-terminal NLS in the context of full-length Est1p reduces Est1p nuclear localization and causes telomere shortening—phenotypes that are rescued by fusion with the NLS from the simian virus 40 (SV40) large-T antigen. In contrast to that of the TLC1 RNA, Est1p nuclear import is facilitated by Srp1p, the yeast homolog of importin α. The reduction in telomere length observed at the semipermissive temperature in a srp1 mutant strain is rescued by increased Est1p expression, consistent with a defect in Est1p nuclear import. These studies suggest that at least two nuclear import pathways are required to achieve normal telomere length homeostasis in yeast.
Evaluation of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria for control of Phytophthora blight on squash under greenhouse conditions

Phytophthora blight caused by Phytophthora capsici is a serious threat to vegetable production worldwide. Currently, no single method provides adequate control of P. capsici. Greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate the potential of the use of bacilli plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for control of Phytophthora blight on squash. PGPR strains were applied as a soil drench 1 and 2 weeks after planting (WAP), and P. capsici was applied to squash roots at 3 WAP. PGPR strains SE34 and SE49 applied at 1 10 8 CFU/ml significantly (P < 0.05) reduced disease severity in all three repeated greenhouse trials compared to the nontreated control. Treatments with PGPR strains SE52, SE76, INR7, IN937a, and IN937b demonstrated significantly lower disease in two of three trials when compared with the nontreated control. Certain PGPR strains applied as 2-, 3-, and 4- strain mixtures significantly reduced disease severity. Treatment with T4 + SE56 demonstrated significantly lower levels of disease than any individual PGPR strain, indicating either an additive or synergistic effect on disease reduction achieved by mixing PGPR strains. Others such as INR7 + T4 + SE56 and INR7 + IN937a + T4 + SE56 have a high potential to significantly improve the control efficacy. When applied as seed treatments, only PGPR strain1PC-11 at 1 10 5 CFU/seed resulted in significant reduction in Phytophthora blight disease in all trials, while PGPR strains SE56 at 1 10 5
From the guest editor: Issues affecting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons.

The articles in this issue explore a wide range of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) issues. Dr. Peggy Chinn discusses the stigma of being lesbian or gay in the nursing profession (and academia) and she challenges lesbian and gay nurses to act against the status quo. Dr. Joanne Hall explores the meanings of tomboyism from linguistic, literary, and historical perspectives. Dr. Danny Willis presents his study of gay men's experiences of hate crimes and their aftermath. Drs. Sarah Morgan and Patricia Stevens present their research on the transgender development of female-to-male transgendered adults. Dr. Scott Weber explores policy and nursing implications for parenting, family life, and well-being among sexual minorities. Dr. Maria Pettinato presents her study of mid-life and older lesbians with alcohol problems, and Dr. Carol McDonald explores the common assumption that disclosure of sexual orientation is therapeutic. Finally, Dr. Christopher Blackwell explores conversion therapies and their ethical implications for psychiatric/mental health nursing practice.
Experimental validation of optimization-based integrated controls-structures design methodology for flexible space structures

This paper describes the first experimental verification of the benefits of control-structure integrated design methodology, as part of the efforts of the controls-structures-interaction (CSI) program at NASA Langley in developing and experimentally verifying CSI design methodologies. In this design methodology, the structural and control designs are performed in a unified environment which would allow a complete iteration on all critical (control and structural) design variables in a single integrated computational framework. The phase-0 CSI Evolutionary Model, a laboratory structure at NASA Langley, was used as the candidate flexible structure for this experimental validation. >
Assessing the accessibility of Web 2.0 websites

This study examines the accessibility of Web 2.0 websites to the visually impaired. Web accessibility standards are established to maximize the ability of those with impairments to navigate the web. Various computer tools exist to evaluate web HTML content against existing accessibility standards. Using a weighted metric-based formula called the Web Accessibility Barrier (WAB) score, this study adopted an experimental design and compared 88 randomly selected Web 2.0 websites against 88 randomly selected Web 1.0 websites. The study found that Web 2.0 websites are significantly less accessible than Web 1.0 websites. Details of the analysis, evaluation, discussion, and recommendations are included in the paper.
The Protein-Bound Plasma Iodine in Patients with Thyroid Disease

SINCE THE demonstration by Kendall (1) and by Harrington (2) that iodine is a part of the molecule of the thyroid hormone, many attempts have been made to correlate the level of the blood iodine with the functional state of the thyroid gland. First efforts (3, 4) to study the blood iodine in this light were faced by the difficulty that there may be considerable inorganic iodine in the normal plasma. This inorganic iodine is, of course, inert hormonally and is subject to a good deal of variability, being greatly increased for a considerable time by the ingestion of even small quantities of iodides in any form, or by contact of the unprotected skin with tincture of iodine. Therefore, before the determination of the plasma iodine could be of value in the study of thyroid disease, it was necessary to devise a method to eliminate the interference of the inorganic iodine. There are now several procedures available, the most successful being that of Trevorrow and Fashena (5).
Sociological Research and the American Working Class

Postwar literature reveals that sociologists disagree on the composition of the working class and neglect to specify relationships among its manual, clerical, and service workers. Contrary to Marxi...
Intrauterine Contraception in Adolescents: A Descriptive Study of the Use, Side Effects and Compliance in a Residency Clinic Population

ated for metromenorrhagia and pelvic pain and was subsequently diagnosed with PCOS. Pelvic ultrasound finding showed bilateral enlarged polycystic ovaries and evidence of ovarian torsion. The patient underwent exploratory laparoscopy and detorsion of her left ovary. She was subsequently initiated on metformin. Even though follow-up sonograms revealed a reduction in ovarian volume, our patient still developed subsequent re-torsion of her left ovary. Comments: Metformin treatment reduces the size of the enlarged ovaries in PCOS patients, but failed to prevent ovarian torsion in this case.
Modeling on the table: agent-based modeling in elementary school with NetTango

In this paper we describe NetTango, an agent-based modeling environment designed for elementary school students to use on a multi-touch tabletop surface. We review literature on the use of interactive tabletops for learning and present examples from an exploratory study that we conducted with 28 children (ages 6--10). We also discuss two design challenges that emerged during our study and consider possible solutions.
Anaesthesia for fetal surgery.

*Department of Anesthesia, Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,**Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia and †Department of Anesthesia andCritical Care, The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Schoolof Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
MODELING FIRM SPATIAL INTERDEPENDENCE USING NATIONAL DATA COVERAGES: A REGIONAL APPLICATION TO MANURE MANAGEMENT

A regional modeling framework using national data series is developed to estimate the net cost of land applying manure under new federal guidelines for manure management. The model, applied to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, integrates GIS spatial data within an optimization model to generate manure hauling distances and costs.
Psychosocial Factors and Preterm Birth Among African American and White Women in Central North Carolina

Objectives. We assessed associations between psychosocial factors and preterm birth, stratified by race in a prospective cohort study.Methods. We surveyed 1898 women who used university and public health prenatal clinics regarding various psychosocial factors.Results. African Americans were at higher risk of preterm birth if they used distancing from problems as a coping mechanism or reported racial discrimination. Whites were at higher risk if they had high counts of negative life events or were not living with a partner. The association of pregnancy-related anxiety with preterm birth weakened when medical comorbidities were taken into account. No association with preterm birth was found for depression, general social support, or church attendance.Conclusions. Some associations between psychosocial variables and preterm birth differed by race.