cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New method for growing branched polymers and large percolation clusters below p c

We propose a new Monte Carlo method for generating large branched polymers; it is based on enrichment of percolation clusters below ${p}_{c}$. We find that one must take care to distinguish two different ensemble averages: one at constant mass $s$ and the other at constant chemical distance $l$. For constant $s$, we obtain clusters belonging to the universality class of lattice animals, while for constant $l$ we get topologically one-dimensional structures for all $d$.
Raising the Entrance Requirements: The Foreign Language Educator's Role in Implementing Florida's New Model for Teacher Certification.

This article is a report of a three-year project to develop subject area certification examinations in foreign languages for the state of Florida. The project was carried out by foreign language educators at each stage of implementation: research, writing, validation, pilot-testing, editing, and scoring. This teacher-directed project of certification test development can serve as a model to other states engaged in similar efforts.
Ectopic pregnancy in a blunt trauma patient

Trauma during pregnancy is a frequent occurrence, and early pregnancies are likely to be unrecognized in the routine evaluation of female trauma patients. We present the case of a 16-year-old woman injured in a motor vehicle crash who sustained a closed head injury and was found to have a right ectopic tubal pregnancy. Since several physiologic responses and pathologic conditions occur during pregnancy, which complicate the diagnosis and treatment of a pregnant patient, it is important to detect pregnancy early in the patient's evaluation. This case report demonstrates an unusual presentation of ectopic pregnancy and illustrates the merits of routine pregnancy testing of female trauma patients.
HARD DEADLINES IN REAL.TIME CONTROL SYSTEMS

Abstract In a real-time control system where the control input is computed by a controller computer, the transient computer failures caused by an electromagnetic interference may seriously affect system stability. The faulty controller computer causes either a long delay in the feedback loop thus failing to update the control input for one or more sampling intervals, or control input disturbances by updating the control inputincorrectly until the fault is handled properly. If the period of this abnormal behavior exceeds a certain limit called a hard deadline, either the necessary conditions for system stability will be violated or the system willleave the allowed state space. In such a case a dynamic failure is said to occur in the system. We present a method for deriving hard deadlines for linear time-invariant control systems by examining the stability of the state difference equations resulting from the modification of the original state equations with an assumed maximum delay and several random sequences that represent the effects of stationary occurrences of the disturbances to, as well as the random delays of, the control input. Moreover, a one-shot event model, in which a single long-lasting fault causes a dynamic failure, is presented based on the state trajectory and the allowed state space.
A Practical Six-Degree-of-Freedom Solar Sail Dynamics Model for Optimizing Solar Sail Trajectories with Torque Constraints

Controlled flight of a solar sail-propelled spacecraft ('sailcraft') is a six-degree-of-freedom dynamics problem. Current state-of-the-art tools that simulate and optimize the trajectories flown by sailcraft do not treat the full kinetic (i.e. force and torque-constrained) motion, instead treating a discrete history of commanded sail attitudes, and either neglecting the sail attitude motion over an integration timestep, or treating the attitude evolution kinematically with a spline or similar treatment. The present paper discusses an aspect of developing a next generation sailcraf trajectory designing optimization tool JPL, for NASA's Solar Sail Spaceflight Simulation Software (SS). The aspect discussed in an experimental approach to modeling full six-degree-of-freedom kinetic motion of a solar sail in a trajectory propagator. Early results from implementing this approach in a new trajectory propagation tool are given.
Subject descriptions, control groups, and research designs in published studies of language-impaired children

Abstract We reviewed the 1983–1988 issues of six journals that frequently publish papers including specifically language-impaired (LI) subjects. A total of 92 research reports provided data for our review. The research reports included experimental studies, ex post facto studies, and intervention studies. These studies represent a broad spectrum of the theoretical and empirical foundations of knowledge regarding LI children. The analysis of the published research centered in subject descriptions and the use of control groups. A descriptive analysis of the data showed few consistent trends among the studies with respect to subject selection, subject description, and the number and types of control groups. We discuss the importance of more complete subject descriptions in studies of LI children as well as the importance of the choice of matching criteria for control groups in between-subjects designs.
Police Perceptions of Computer Crimes in Two Southeastern Cities: An Examination from the Viewpoint of Patrol Officers

Although scholars and law enforcement administrators have provided input on how local law enforcement is responding to various forms of computer crime and how officers perceive of it, patrol officers have been rarely surveyed to understand their perceptions of computer crime. Examining officer perceptions is vital considering that patrol officers are being asked to be more effective first responders to digital forensic crime scenes as a critical step in combating computer crimes at the local level. This study therefore addressed this gap by surveying patrol officers in two southeastern cities regarding their perceptions of computer crime, specifically regarding its uniqueness, offenders and targets, and seriousness and frequency in comparison to traditional forms of crime. Results indicated that many officers do not have strong opinions on several aspects of computer crime. However, they perceive it to be a serious problem and consider some computer crimes to be as serious as traditional forms of crime.
The effects of differing forms of blank feedback on response repetition in paired-associate learning

The present investigation compared four conditions of blank feedback on response repetition in a paired-associate learning task. In no case was S given feedback of any kind. In one condition S was not told there would be no feedback; in a second condition S was so informed. In a third condition E was out of the room while S performed the task. In a fourth condition S was told there were no correct answers. Consistent with previous findings, Ss showed a very marked tendency to repeat, given blank feedback. However, the effect of the way in which blank was administered did not approach significance. The findings argue against the view that, when Ss repeat following blank feedback, it is because they interpret blank as a confirmation of their response (i.e., the “silence gives consent” hypothesis, Spence, 1970); the findings support Buchwald’s (1969) hypothesis that Ss treat blank as if it were devoid of information value.
Membrane differentiation of cardiac myoblasts induced in vitro by an RNA-enriched fraction from adult heart.

Abstract Young (2.5 day old) embryonic chick myocardial cells in culture do not continue to differentiate. This is true of organ-cultured intact hearts and of spherical reaggregate cultures of trypsin-dispersed cells. These cells exhibit spontaneous slowly-rising (about 15 V/sec) action potentials which are insensitive to tetrodotoxin (TTX); they do not gain TTX-sensitive fast Na + channels in vitro. Incubation with purified adult heart extracts enriched in RNA (AHE-RNA) for 6–14 days caused the appearance of fast Na + channels de novo in such young myocardial cells whose development had been arrested in vitro. These RNA-treated cells fired fast-rising (100 V/sec) TTX-sensitive action potentials from large stable resting potentials when stimulated. The induction was blocked by cycloheximide. suggesting dependence upon protein synthesis. Adult chicken liver extract was not effective, and pretreatment of the AHE-RNA with protease-free ribonuclease destroyed the inductive activity, consistent with identification of the active principal as RNA. Furthermore, the inefficacy of poly-adenylate (poly-A), a poly-anionic oligonucleotide, suggests that the induction was not due to non-specific interaction with the cell surface. Thus, the membrane properties of cardiac myoblasts can be made to further differentiate in vitro by addition of exogenous heart RNA.
On the correlation between P300 amplitude and latency

The relationship between P3(00) amplitude and latency across subjects, trial blocks, and task conditions was examined in two studies. Experiment 1 used a simple auditory discrimination task and obtained P3 values from two independent blocks of target stimulus trials. Experiment 2 employed an auditory discrimination paradigm in which task difficulty was manipulated within the same subjects. P3 amplitude and latency were correlated negatively across trial blocks and as task discrimination difficulty changed. These findings suggest that some variation in P3 amplitude and latency stems from the inherent association of these measures, such that individuals with larger components generally produce earlier peaks and vice versa.
Vaginal paravaginal repair with an AlloDerm graft

Abstract Objective This study was undertaken to describe outcomes of a technique of vaginal paravaginal repair that used AlloDerm graft (LifeCell, Branchburg, NJ) in women with recurrent stage II or with primary or recurrent stage III/IV anterior vaginal wall prolapse. Study design This was an observational study. Thirty-three women underwent a vaginal paravaginal repair using AlloDerm graft. Anterior vaginal wall prolapse was staged using the pelvic organ prolapse quantification system preoperatively and every 6 months after surgery. Recurrence of prolapse, changes in functional status (urinary symptoms, prolapse symptoms, and sexual activity), and complications were recorded. Objective failure was defined as recurrent anterior vaginal wall prolapse, stage II or greater, and subjective failure as symptomatic recurrent anterior vaginal wall prolapse. Life-table analysis evaluated objective and subjective failure. Risk factors for recurrent anterior vaginal wall prolapse were evaluated. Results The mean age was 65.2 years and 93% of the women were white. Preoperatively, 6 women had recurrent stage II, 24 women had stage III, and 3 women had stage IV anterior vaginal wall prolapse. The median length of follow-up was 18 months. Postoperatively, 12 women had asymptomatic stage II anterior vaginal wall prolapse (not beyond the hymen) develop, and 1 woman had symptomatic stage II prolapse develop. Thus, there were 13 (41%) objective failures and 1 (3%) subjective failure. Life-table analysis demonstrated the cumulative probability of an objective failure was 0.24 at 1 year and 0.50 at 2, 3, and 4 years. The cumulative probability of a subjective failure was 0.00 at 1 and 2 years and 0.11 at 3 and 4 years. No risk factors for objective failure were identified. Voiding complaints resolved in 11 of 14 (79%) women (P = .004), incontinence symptoms resolved in 17 of 19 (89%) women (P Conclusion Vaginal paravaginal repair with AlloDerm graft in women with recurrent stage II or stage III/IV anterior vaginal wall prolapse is safe and has good subjective but only fair objective success within the first 2 years.
GRINDING SPRAY-DRIED MILK POWDER NEAR the GLASS TRANSITION TEMPERATURE

The fine grinding of chocolate is typically accomplished on five-roll mills. Chocolate manufacturers consider milk powder, a component of milk chocolate, difficult to grind. Spray-dried milk powder comprise a glassy lactose matrix in which fat globules, air vacuoles and protein are entrapped. The glassy-rubbery transition in commercial milk powders usually lies between 60-70C, depending on the moisture content. A mixture of 60% wt/wt commercial whole milk powder, T g ∼ 60C, and 40% wt/wt cocoa butter was ground in a three-roll refiner at temperatures of 40, 50, 60, 70 and 75C. Below T g the particles exhibited brittle fracture, while above T g plastic deformation was evident and particles became highly asymmetric. The amount of fat liberated from the lactose matrix, so-called free fat, particle density, and mean particle size increased with grinding temperature. However, the Casson yield value and plastic viscosity of finished white chocolate coatings, manufactured to a constant free fat content, increased with grinding temperature, suggesting an influence of particle shape on flow behavior.
Three strategies used by academic health centers to expand primary care capacity.

ABSTRACTThe growth of managed care in the late 1980s and early 1990s severely disadvantaged academic health centers (AHCs). The reliance on primary care gatekeeping and selective contracting by managed care plans were two contributing factors. Because most AHCs had only a modest primary care capacit
A visual-analytic toolkit for dynamic interaction graphs

In this article we describe a visual-analytic tool for the interrogation of evolving interaction network data such as those found in social, bibliometric, WWW and biological applications. The tool we have developed incorporates common visualization paradigms such as zooming, coarsening and filtering while naturally integrating information extracted by a previously described event-driven framework for characterizing the evolution of such networks. The visual front-end provides features that are specifically useful in the analysis of interaction networks, capturing the dynamic nature of both individual entities as well as interactions among them. The tool provides the user with the option of selecting multiple views, designed to capture different aspects of the evolving graph from the perspective of a node, a community or a subset of nodes of interest. Standard visual templates and cues are used to highlight critical changes that have occurred during the evolution of the network. A key challenge we address in this work is that of scalability - handling large graphs both in terms of the efficiency of the back-end, and in terms of the efficiency of the visual layout and rendering. Two case studies based on bibliometric and Wikipedia data are presented to demonstrate the utility of the toolkit for visual knowledge discovery.
SODIUM DEPLETION IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN WITH BILIARY DRAINAGE PROCEDURES (BDP)

Sodium excretion from the biliary tract has not been well studied in children but could lead to hyponatremia and growth impairment in children with BDP. Salt homeostasis was studied in 17 infant outpatients with BDP for biliary atresia (BA). Bile(B) serum (S), and urine (U) were collected simultaneously and analyzed for Na+ and CL− at 1-3 month intervals during the post operative period for 1-12 months; 49 analyses of B,S, and U each were performed. Mean B Na+ remained high (122±15 mEq/1) even though mean S Na+ was low (132±7). Since bile volume was sometimes as high as 1000 ml/day, biliary NA+ losses could easily lead to depletion in spite of maximal renal Na+ conservation. (U Na+ fell to 0 when S Na+ was 132 mEq/1). B Cl− (115±21 mEq/1) consistently exceeded that of S Cl− (95±12). Data from 3 additional patients with BDP who became ill from Na depletion presented below. Symptoms resolved in all with saline supplements and bile refeeding. Conclusion: Children with BDP are at risk for NA+ depletion and should be monitored and treated accordingly.
Interaction between cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Catalytic Subunit and Peptide Inhibitors Analyzed with λ Repressor Fusions

Abstract The λ phage repressor is currently used as a genetic tool to analyze homodimeric interactions in Escherichia coli . We have applied this system to detect the interaction that takes place within an enzyme-protein inhibitor complex. The sequences encoding the catalytic subunit of the cAMP-depen dent protein kinase and the active portion of the natural thermostable protein kinase inhibitor have been fused to the carboxy terminus of the repressor DNA binding domain and introduced into compatible plasmids. Co-expression of the two gene fusions in E. coli lead to the formation of heterodimers that confer a high level of protection from λ phage infection. The level of λ immunity depends specifically upon the amino acid sequence of the interacting proteins, as a single amino acid substitution in the inhibitor peptide (Phe 10 – Ala) restores the sensitivity phenotype.
The importance of temperature in grinding

Abstract The entire field of grinding may be divided into stock removal grinding (SRG) that involves relatively large chips and no need for dressing and form and finish grinding (FFG) that involves small chips and the need for periodic dressing of the grinding wheel. While surface temperature is relatively unimportant in SRG, it is very important in FFG with respect to the integrity of the workpiece surface. This paper reviews some of the more important thermal aspects of grinding in fundamental terms.
DYNAMICAL K EDGE AND LINE VARIATIONS IN THE X-RAY SPECTRUM OF THE ULTRA-COMPACT BINARY 4U 0614+091

We observed the ultra-compact binary candidate 4U 0614+091 for a total of 200 ks with the high-energy transmission gratings on board the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The source is found at various intensity levels with spectral variations present. X-ray luminosities vary between 2.0 × 1036 erg s–1 and 3.5 × 1036 erg s–1. Continuum variations are present at all times and spectra can be fit well with a power-law component, a high kT blackbody component, and a broad line component near oxygen. The spectra require adjustments to the Ne K edge and in some occasions also to the Mg K edge. Once further resolved, the Ne K edge region appears variable in terms of optical depths and morphology. The edge vicinity reveals an average velocity smear of ~3500 km s–1 implying a characteristic radius of the order of <109 cm consistent with an ultra-compact binary nature. The variability proves that the excess is intrinsic to the source. The data seem to indicate excess column densities of up to several 1018 cm–2. However, there are some serious problems with an Ne I interpretation in ultra-compact disks and we need to consider alternative interpretations, which include a variable O VIII ionization edge, as likely candidates. We test such possibilities with existing observations. The prominent soft emission line complex near the O VIII Lyα position appears extremely broad and relativistic effects from near the innermost disk have to be included. Gravitationally broadened line fits also provide nearly edge-on angles of inclination consistent with the observed high dynamics near the Ne K edge. The emissions appear consistent with an ionized disk with ionization parameters of the order of 104 at radii of a few 107 cm. The line wavelengths with respect to O VIII Lyα are found variably blueshifted indicating more complex inner disk dynamics.
The stability of sphene; experimental redetermination and geologic implications

Abstract Hydrothermal experiments on the reaction: rutile + calcite + quartz = sphene + CO 2 , suggest equilibrium at: P fluid = 2 kbar , 500 ± 5° C , X CO 2 = 0.5 ± 0.006; P fluid = 3.45 kbar , 535 ± 10° C , X CO 2 = 0.5 ± 0.006; P fluid = 5 kbar , C , X CO 2 = 0.5 ± 0.006; P fluid = 5 kbar , C , X CO 2 = 0.97 ± 0.035. The resultant stability field of sphene is much larger than that suggested by Schuiling and Vink (1967). Calculation of the reaction in P - T space directly from free energy data indicates a discrepancy in Δ r of about 1.5 kcal/gfw when compared to our experimental data. In addition, P - T extrapolation of the reaction using thermochemical data disagrees with the constraints of the two experimental brackets, indicating possible errors in the entropy of one or more solid phases and/or in CO 2 free energy data. The combination of these experimental results with published data on reactions involving additional minerals allows the recognition of sphene and/or rutile-bearing assemblages which can be used as indicators of P - T - X CO 2 conditions at various grades of metamorphism. In particular, mineral assemblages useful in delimiting P - T - X CO 2 conditions are: muscovite-sphene (H 2 O-rich fluids), diopside-rutile-quartz (high temperatures or a CO 2 -rich fluid at low temperatures), epidote-rutile-quartz (low temperatures, H 2 O-rich conditions), prehnite-rutile (very low temperatures, very H 2 O-rich conditions).
Interaction between Monobactams and Streptomyces R61 dd‐Carboxypeptidase

The monobactams are a novel family of monocyclic β-lactam antibiotics characterized by the 2-oxoazetidine-1-sulfonic acid moiety. A series of monobactams bind covalently to the streptomyces R61 DD-carboxypeptidase in a manner similar to that for bicyclic β-lactams, especially cephalosporins. The similarity of interaction was established by the following criteria: inhibition of binding by diisopropylfluorophosphate and α-dicarbonyls; stoichiometry of binding; similarity of partial proteolysis products of radiolabelled enzyme: rates of release of bound β-lactams; nature of hydrolysis and hydroxylaminolysis products.
Highly nonequilibrium evaporation of moving particles in the transition region of Knudsen number

Abstract Dynamic regimes of a single particle in a gas are listed. The evaporation of a moving particle in a gas in the free molecule regime is reviewed. The highly non-equilibrium evaporation of a moving particle in the transition regime of Knudsen number is discussed.
Detection of electron beam energy variations using a computed radiography system.

A method to evaluate the electron beam energy constancy by employing the computed radiography (CR) system has been developed. In this method, a right triangular plastic wedge is used to produce a curve of the CR storage phosphor plate signal versus the wedge thickness. The curve which resembles the percentage depth ionization curve of the clinical electron beams can be used to derive the energy constancy metric EC50. The sensitivity of the method was tested using polystyrene sheets of variable thicknesses. For electron energies up to 12 MeV energy changes induced by 1.5 mm thick polystyrene can be detected, while a 2.3 mm thick polystyrene sheet is required for higher energies. The measurements were carried out over a two years period. The results showed a good reproducibility with the use of the same CR plate and cassette, and without the requirement of calibration procedures. The overall range of the EC50 was within the 99% confidence intervals, and the standard deviation of the EC50 was measured to be from 0.3 to 0.4 mm for different beam energies. This technique provides an efficient and accurate method to perform the electron beam energy check and could be used by centers equipped with the CR system without requiring additional detection devices.
The Application of Relaxation Training Approaches to Patients With Neurogenic Disorders and Their Caregivers

Abstract Purpose: Because relaxation therapy remains a popular complementary and alternative medicine approach, this review paper was written to (a) introduce speech-language clinicians to relaxati...
An object oriented approach to algorithm management on networked workstations

This paper presents the results from the use of a parallel algorithm manager which automatically configures and manages networked workstations for the solution of optimization problems. The algorithm manager has an object oriented interface, resulting in an easy to use platform to perform parallel computational experiments. Network programming protocols are encapsulated within the algorithm manager to minimize errors associated with misuse. Results from a parallel branch and bound fixed charge problem are presented.
Nicotine and Insulin Resistance: When the Smoke Clears

Although cigarette smoking is associated with insulin resistance and an increased risk for type 2 diabetes (1), few studies have examined the metabolic and molecular effects of smoking cessation in humans. Epidemiological data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study in middle-aged men and women offer several insights into the relationship between smoking cessation and diabetes. This study suggests that individuals who quit smoking are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes and that this risk is highest in the first 2 years after smoking cessation, but that risk declines after this point until no excess risk is observed at 12 years after cessation. The increased risk of type 2 diabetes associated with smoking cessation seems to be partially mediated by weight gain (2,3). In this issue of Diabetes , Bergman et al. (4) examined the metabolic and molecular effects of smoking cessation (for 1–2 weeks) in young, lean, otherwise healthy college students, a population that is increasingly vulnerable to the effects of both cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke exposure. Their results suggest that skeletal muscle insulin resistance in smokers is associated with increased mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/p70S6 K activity and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) Ser636 phosphorylation by nicotine, and these effects are reversible with smoking cessation. Cigarette smoking increases energy expenditure (Fig. 1), and this effect may be mediated in part by the sympathetic nervous system (5). In addition, smoking enhances lipid mobilization. Hellerstein et al. (6) demonstrated that cigarette smoking acutely increased free fatty acid (FFA) and glycerol fluxes as well as circulating FFA concentrations due to …
Blockage of ovulation by an angiotensin antagonist

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is present in high concentrations in preovulatory follicular fluid, and ovarian follicular cells have specific Ang II receptors. To investigate the possible direct involvement of Ang II in ovulation the specific receptor antagonist of Ang II, saralasin, was administered by intraperitoneal injection to immature rats in which follide development and ovulation had been induced with pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), respectively. Saralasin halved the number of oocytes found in the fallopian tubes 17 to 20 hours after administration of hCG. The antiovulatory effect was observed when saralasin was given 1 hour before hCG or 1 or 3 hours after hCG but not when given 5 hours after hCG. Simultaneous administration of Ang II reversed the saralasin blockage of ovulation. These results indicate a direct, obligate role for Ang II in ovulation and raise the possibility of contraceptive and profertility applications for agonists or antagonists of the renin-angiotensin system that are aimed at the ovulatory process.
The Tumor Suppressor p53 Can Reduce Stable Transfection in the Presence of Irradiation

The tumor suppressor p53 is believed to play an essential role in maintaining genome stability. Although it is currently unknown how p53 is involved in this important biological safeguard, several previous publications indicate that p53 can help to maintain genome integrity through the recombination-mediated DNA repair process. The integration of linearized plasmid DNA into the host chromosome utilizes the same repair process, and the frequency can be measured by clonogenic assays in which cells that were stably transfected by plasmid integration can be scored by their colony-forming abilities. To gain insight into whether p53 has a direct role in plasmid integration into the host chromosome, we determined the frequency of stable transfection with CHO cells expressing either wild-type or mutant p53 in the presence and absence of irradiation. We found that low-dose irradiation (∼50 to 100 cGy) increased stable transfection frequencies in CHO cells regardless of their p53 status. However, the increase of transfection frequency was significantly lower in CHO cells expressing wild-type p53. Our data thus suggest that wild-type p53 can suppress plasmid DNA integration into the host genome. This p53 function may play a direct and significant role in maintaining genome stability.
Animal behavior case of the month. A dog's 10-month history of extreme fearful behavior toward male owner, freeze-or-flight response when confronted with unfamiliar people or novel objects, and a reluctance to leave the house.

owner, who worked from home. The dog was walked outside on a flat collar 3 times a day, had access to the living area during the day, and slept in its crate at night. Dry food and water were available ad libitum; intake was normal. Feces were normal in consistency and volume. The dog had had no formal obedience training. The dog was left alone in the apartment a few times a week for a few hours each time and spent that time in its crate. Whenever the owners expected to be gone for more than a few hours, they brought the dog to a day care facility. There, the dog spent its time loose in a large enclosure with other dogs and no human contact; the dog appeared eager to interact with other dogs. The dog always greeted the female owner by wagging its tail and jumping up on her. At the time of initial examination, the dog had been treated with clomipramine (3.2 mg/kg [1.5 mg/lb], PO, q 24 h) for 8 months, and the female owner indicated that she thought the medication might have had some positive effect on the dog. The owners’ goals were for the dog to be more comfortable with the male owner and other people and to learn more commands.
Letter: Math pretreatment of NIR reflectance data: log(1/ R ) vs F(R)

The Kubelka–Munk function, F(R), is not commonly used as a pretreatment of NIR reflectance data. Reasons cited for this in the Handbook of Near Infrared Analysis point to the limitations of the Kubelka–Munk theory in predicting diffuse scattering data, especially for highly absorbing samples. However, the case for this causing a non-linear function of concentration when using F(R) has not been adequately made. A re-examination of data presented shows the non-linearity to be largely explained by the use of methods which could not be expected to produce linear data. Thus, it is as yet uncertain if, when properly applied, the advantages of increased linearity when using the Kubelka–Munk function will outweigh the advantage of relative insensitivity to referenced photometric changes when using log(l/R) followed by a derivative.
Finite Sample Effects in Group-Based Trajectory Models

Two desirable properties of maximum likelihood-based parameter estimates are that the estimates are asymptotically unbiased and asymptotically normally distributed. In this article, the authors tes...
Effect of the bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus on preimplantation bovine embryos: A preliminary study

Five crossbred-Holstein cows, approximately three to seven years of age, were superovulated using pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and prostaglandin F2α (Prostin F2α). At the induced estrus, each cow was artificially inseminated with frozen semen. Seven days after insemination, the lumen of the right uterine horn of each cow was inoculated with BVD virus in Eagle's minimum essential tissue culture medium, and the lumen of the left horn was infused with tissue culture medium only. Three days later, each cow was subjected to midventral laparotomy under general anesthesia and embryos were collected. A total of 22 embryos were recovered; 12 were from infected uterine horns and ten were from non-infected uterine horns. All embryos from the non-infected uterine horns were in the late blastocyst stage without the zona pellucida. Of the embryos collected from the infected uterine horns, eight of 12 (66.6%) still possessed zona pellucida and appeared in a degenerative state. The remaining four embryos were morphologically similar to those from the non-infected uterine horns. Electron microscopic examination of the degenerated embryos from the infected uterine horns demonstrated the presence of a structure which morphologically resembled the BVD virus. The results of this preliminary study indicate that the BVD virus within the uterine horns may interfere with normal development of preimplantation bovine embryos. Therefore, it is proposed that the BVD virus could adversely affect early stages of gestation in the cow, resulting in infertility.
The time-sequenced adaptive filter for linear prediction of the intraventricular electrogram

A time-sequenced adaptive filter has been developed to predict beats of the intracardiac electrogram (i.e. signals recorded within the heart) for purposes of morphological comparison by implantable devices. After adapting to electrogram morphology during normal sinus rhythm, the filter exhibits an abrupt increase in mean-squared error at the onset of ventricular tachycardia, an abnormal and often life-threatening cardiac rhythm. This marked increase in error can be used to identify the abnormal rhythm and may lead to faster medical treatment than that provided by many existing schemes for arrhythmia detection. >
O3: An optimal and opportunistic path planner (with obstacle avoidance) using voronoi polygons

Traditional mobile robot research focuses on a robot navigating its environment to reach a single goal while avoiding obstacles. This paper proposes a new method called O'1 to solve the challenges presented at the intelligent ground vehicle competition (IGVC) where a navigation course includes multiple goals to be found in an optimal order. The O' technique includes improvements on traditional path planning and obstacle avoidance techniques while providing an explicit ability to change course as obstacles are discovered. This method uses modern trajectories such as minimum-weighted Hamiltonian circuits, A* algorithm for obstacle avoidance, and local points of opportunity to update the globally optimal path using Voronoi polygons. Environmental mapping is also used to speed up the search algorithms in static environments. Overall, the O3 technique exploits local points of opportunity while avoiding obstacles and ultimately finding a globally optimal path through an unknown environment. This methodology will be implemented on an autonomous web-based tour guide robot to serve the Internet community reviewing Elizabethtown College. This methodology can be extended to other research areas where multiple locations need to be traversed independent of their order such as city map, trip planners, and distribution networks (power, internet, etc) due to its balance between weighted graphs and obstacle avoidance (objects, traffic, construction, etc).
Trace metal interactions in corn inbreds differing in efficiency of Mg uptake

Abstract The Mg‐efficient corn (Zea mays L.) inbred B57 and the Mg‐inefficient inbred Oh40B were grown in solution culture with moderate levels of some trace metals to test their relative interactions since previous studies had indicated that excess trace metals may be part of the Mg‐inefficient syndrome. At the levels used only Co depressed yields and that for the Mg‐inefficient inbred only. Distribution of minerals in the plants was mostly as reported in the literature. At both a high and low level of Mg, Mg concentration was lower in the shoots of the Mg‐inefficient inbred than in the efficient one. In roots the reverse held especially at the low Mg level. The P concentration was higher in both roots and shoots of the inefficient inbred. The Zn was always higher in the inefficient inbred and this was more pronounced for roots than for shoots. Such effects with Mn were even more pronounced. Where extra Cu was supplied less was associated with roots of the inefficient inbred than with the efficient. When...
Task and reliability analysis of lathe operation

As machine tools have become larger, faster, and more automated, the role of the machinist has changed from a primary operator to a system monitor, who is further removed from the machining process. Estimation of system reliability must still consider the human monitor as an integral component, hut human failure estimates are harder to make as the operator is further removed from direct system control. To illustrate system reliability analysis for specific machining tasks, the reliability of both manual and computer-numerical controlled (CNC) lathe operation tasks were evaluated. A task analysis was initially completed, detailing common failure modes in each subtask. Using the Technique for Human Error Prediction (THERP), human operator reliability was estimated at 0.90 for a 30-element manual task, and 0.95 for an 18-element CNC task. These estimates were considered acceptable for nonproduction work. Further decreases in reliability in the CNC task are expected as the result of operator program changes during machining. THERP was most useful in developing initial estimates of human reliability for the tasks, but additional studies are recommended in the areas of operator scanning strategies and human reliability in performance of more complex machining tasks.
Distribution and abundance of larval parasitoids of European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in the East Central United States

Overwintering Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner) fifth instars were systematically collected at 621 sample sites on a grid interval of 40 km encompassing New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina and were evaluated for parasitoids. The study was focused on the extent of dispersal of Lydella thompsoni Herting from its presumed reestablishment in Delaware during the mid-1970s and the level of parasitism of overwintering O. nubilalis larvae. The bulk of the study was conducted in 1986 and 1987 with some additional samples taken in 1988 and 1989 from outlier locations. L. thompsoni, Macrocentrus grandii Goidanich, and Eriborus terebrans Gravenhorst were the only exotic species recovered. All three of these parasitoids were found in all states surveyed. Parasitism by these three species combined was 5.4% in 1986 and 7.5% in 1987 for the entire areas surveyed. The areas of most abundance for each species were in North Carolina for L. thompsoni , a band from northeastern Pennsylvania to eastern Virginia for M. grandii , and in Ohio for E. terebrans. All three exotic parasitoids species were retrieved at less than 3% of the sample sites. Data suggest that the dispersal rate of L. thompsoni from Delaware was about 50 km per year. An uncommon native Lixophaga sp. was found in Western Ohio and Western North Carolina. The three exotic parasitoid species appear to be well established in their respective foci of abundance.
Fate of Internalized Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptors Monitored with a Timer Fusion Protein

Trafficking of TRH receptors was studied in a stable HEK293 cell line expressing receptor fused to a Timer protein (TRHRTimer) that spontaneously changes from green to red over 10 h. Cells expressing TRHR-Timer responded to TRH with an 11-fold increase in inositol phosphate formation, increased intracellular free calcium, and internalization of 75% of bound [ 3 H][N 3 -methyl-His 2 ]TRH within 10 min. After a 20-min exposure to TRH at 37 C, 75– 80% of surface binding sites disappeared as receptors internalized. When TRH was removed and cells incubated in hormone-free medium, approximately 75% of [ 3 H][N 3 -methyl-His 2 ]TRH binding sites reappeared at the surface over the next 2 h with or without cycloheximide. Trafficking of TRHR-Timer was monitored microscopically after addition and withdrawal of TRH. In untreated cells, both new (green) and old (red) receptors were seen at the plasma membrane, and TRH caused rapid movement of young and old receptors into cytoplasmic vesicles. When TRH was withdrawn, some TRHR-Timer reappeared at the plasma membrane after several hours, but much of the internalized receptor remained intracellular in vesicles that condensed to larger structures in perinuclear regions deeper within the cell. Strikingly, receptors that moved to the plasma membrane were generally younger (more green) than those that underwent endocytosis. There was no change in the red to green ratio over the course of the experiment in cells exposed to vehicle. The results indicate that, after agonist-driven receptor internalization, the plasma membrane is replenished with younger receptors, arising either from an intracellular pool or preferential recycling of younger receptors. (Endocrinology 145: 3095–3100, 2004)
Factors Influencing Dominance Status in American Bison Cows (Bison bison)

and Summary Aggressive interactions were observed among 22 American bison (Bison bison) cows of known age and identity during the summer of 1981 at the National Bison Range, Montana, U.S.A. Only two of the 103 observed interactions were inconsistent with a linear dominance hierarchy. In spring and summer, dominance relations among American bison cows are stable. Challenges to individual status, in the form of reciprocated threats or escalated fights, are rare. This contrasts sharply with the aggressive behavior of bison bulls during the mating season, as described by Lott (1979). Male-male aggression is characterized by serious fighting and frequent reversals of status. It is suggested that these differences occur because the fitness benefits of aggression are much lower to cows than to bulls. In past studies of social dominance in ungulates, rank has been positively correlated with age and body weight. In this study, older cows consistently dominated younger cows, but there was no relationship between cow dominance rank and body weight. These correlations would result if adult cows “taught” immatures to be subordinate, and these pairwise relationships were retained into adult life because of the infrequency with which dominance rank is challenged. Zusammenfassung Die Dominanzverhaltnisse unter weiblichen Bisons sind im Fruhjahr und Sommer stabil, Kampfe um die Rangordnung sind selten. Unter Bullen dagegen sind wahrend der Paarungszeit Kampfe und Status-Anderungen haufig. Das konnte damit zusammenhangen, das fur Kuhe die Fitnesvorteile aus Aggression geringer sind als fur Bullen. Bei anderen Paarhufern war der Rang mit dem Alter und mit dem Korpergewicht positiv korreliert; hier aber hatten altere Kuhe immer einen hoheren Rang als die jungen, und es gab keine Beziehung zwischen Rang und Korpergewicht — vielleicht weil Jungtiere auf Alttiere mit Unterordnung reagierten und den niedrigen Rang aufgrund seltener Kampfe um die Rangordnung bis ins Erwachsenenalter beibehielten.
Porting GENESIS to SIMULINK

This paper describes the porting of the general simulation system (GENESIS) to Matrix Language Laboratory language (MatLab) SIMULINK, based in the cable theory to simulate the behavior of neurons. A graphic programming approach serves as ideal platform for teaching physiological modeling and neuroengineering courses. The ultimate goal of this project is to integrate all of the chemical, electrical, material, mechanical and neural interactions into a single model that can be viewed seamlessly from a molecular model to the large scale model. Integration of all interactions is not possible with GENESIS, but can be accomplished with SIMULINK.
Le projet CASSANDRE ou l’optimisation par diagnostic automatisé des documents cliniques

Abstract. In January 2007, the Hopitaux Universitaires de Geneve (HUG) went from flat rate billing day basis to flat rate billing case basis. The system used until 2012 was the All Patient Diagnosis Related Group (APDRG) system. Since 2012, the system used is the Swiss DRG. Assuming that nowadays the hospital stay billing depends on the DRG used, and that this DRG is made on a short stay resume basis, we have identified three works areas to optimize the output document and therefore the stay billing. Those three works areas, that are part of the Cassandra project, are the improvement of the completeness of the output document, the optimization of the principal diagnosis choice and finally the creation of an essential comorbidities list. For the first area, we have implemented pathology detection algorithms, especially, for the dyskaliemies detection. In this case the potential gain is almost 2’000’000 CHF. For the second area, the principal diagnosis choice has to be done by having considered the diagnosis having concretely monopolized the most resources during the patient stay, in order to have a billing as fair as possible. Finally, for the third area, we have now identified 33 diagnoses that have an impact on the DRG choice and on the medical resources that those pathologies need. For those reasons, we have initiated a meticulous study regarding their clinical documentation and possible detection algorithms. The initial results being encouraging, we believe that those three works areas will help us to create tools, that once implemented in the coding chain will improve the coding quality at the HUG and especially will achieve a more accurate billing for the patients, the insurers and our institution.
Magnetic Recording Drive Dynamics During Seeking And Parking

A novel magnetic characterization technique has been developed to monitor head-disk spacings at high bandwidths during seeking, parking and during operational vibration and shock. This technique relies upon measurements of the magnetic amplitude of a constant frequency pattern written on every second track and on the readout of the graycode and servo bursts during seeking or parking. Magnetic data obtained during the crossing of thousands of magnetic tracks is analyzed with two subsequent envelope calculations. With well designed inductive and magnetoresistive head drives in normal seeking modes, head-disk spacing variations are within /spl plusmn/5 nm. Large head-disk spacing fluctuations are detected when using hard crash stops and parking at velocities in excess of 0.5 m/sec.
Successful Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation for Thoracic Radiculitis Following Brown‐Sequard Syndrome

Objective: The objective of this study is to present a novel approach to the treatment of thoracic radiculitis following Brown-Sequard syndrome with peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS). Furthermore, we endeavor to discuss the role of PNFS in the management of refractory neuropathic pain conditions including post-traumatic and post-surgical neuropathy particularly with regards to the post-surgical spine. Materials and Methods: Presented is a 57-year-old man with history of thoracic microdiscectomy resulting in Brown-Sequard syndrome presented with chronic post-operative thoracic radicular pain radiating to the abdomen, refractory to conservative management. The patient underwent three intercostal nerve blocks from T7 to T9 with transient symptomatic relief. The patient's options were limited to chemomodulation, neuromodulation, or selective intercostal nerve surgical neurectomy. He subsequently underwent a PNFS trial and reported >75% pain reduction. Permanent percutaneous PNFS electrodes were implanted subcutaneously over the right T7 and T9 intercostal nerves and replicated the trial results. Results: Neuromodulation produced pain relief with >90% improvement in pain compared with baseline both during the trial and following permanent implantation of the PNFS system. Conclusion: Chronic radicular pain may be difficult to manage in the post-surgical patient and often requires the use of multiple therapeutic modalities. In this case, we successfully utilized PNFS as it demonstrated greater technical feasibility when compared with dorsal column stimulation and repeat surgery; therefore, it may be considered for the management of post-surgical neuropathy. Further controlled studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of PNFS as a treatment option.