cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retinoid-induced hemorrhaging and bone toxicity in rats fed diets deficient in vitamin K.

Abstract The recent increase in the clinical use of synthetic vitamin A compounds has led to concer of possible side effects. Some of these effects are known to be influenced by dietary levels of vitamin K. We therefore compared the toxic effects of 13-cis-retinoic acid (13cisRA), retinyl acetate (ROAc), and N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4HPR) in male Sprague-Dawley rats maintained on diets containing different levels of vitamin K. Animals were fed either an NIH-07 diet supplemented with menadione (3.1 ppm vitamin K3), an NIH-07 diet not supplemented with menadione, or an AIN-076 purified diet devoid of vitamin K. The retinoids had no effect on prothrombin times of animals fed the supplemented diet. When menadione was omitted from the diet, however, 4HPR-dosed animals had elevated prothrombin times. This effect was observed as early as Day 7 and was accompanied by one confirmed hemorrhagic death. 13cisRA-dosed animals showed no change in prothrombin times. In the high-dose ROAc group, there was a twofold increase in prothrombin times but only after prolonged dosing. In animals fed the NIH-07 diets, 13cisRA and ROAc induced multiple bone fractures at all dose levels. In contrast, 4HPR administered at the highest dose induced only one fracture in one animal. Animals fed the purified diet lost weight faster and died sooner than those maintained on the other diets. Bone fractures were not observed in these animals because of early deaths resulting from hemorrhaging. For all retinoid-dosed groups maintained on the purified diet, changes in prothrombin times occurred as early as 1 week. The order of effect was 4HPR > ROAc > 13cisRA, with increases in prothrombin times correlating with increases in hemorrhagic deaths. Hence, the degree of retinoid-induced hemorrhage, but not the incidence of bone fractures, was inversely related to vitamin K levels in the diet. 13cisRA and ROAc, but not 4HPR, caused a dose-dependent reduction in plasma osteocalcin, an effect that correlated with retinoid-induced bone effects. In contrast, serum alkaline phosphatase was elevated in animals dosed with 13cisRA or 4HPR but not in those dosed with ROAc. For this enzyme, the electrophoretic pattern on agarose gel showed a decrease, compared to controls, in the major isozyme in serum of ROAc-dosed animals. Hence, plasma osteocalcin is a better predictor of retinoid-induced bone effects than serum alkaline phosphatase.
13.1 A 1Gb 2GHz embedded DRAM in 22nm tri-gate CMOS technology

CMOS technology scaling continues to drive higher levels of integration in VLSI design, which adds more compute engines on a die. To meet the overall performance-scaling needs, high-speed and high-bandwidth memory is becoming increasingly important. Conventional VLSI systems often rely on on-die SRAMs to address the performance gap between CPU and main memory, DRAM. However, with the rapid growth in capacity needs for high-performance memory, SRAM is not always sufficient to meet the demands of bandwidth-intense applications. Embedded DRAM (eDRAM) has been explored as an alternative to satisfy the high-performance and density needs in memory [1-3]. In this paper, a high-performance eDRAM based on a 22nm tri-gate CMOS technology is introduced. This eDRAM technology enables the integration of an eDRAM cell into the logic technology platform [4]. The design features a well-balanced configuration to achieve both optimal array efficiency and bandwidth. By leveraging the high-performance and low-voltage tri-gate transistor at 22nm generation, the eDRAM achieves a wide range in operating voltage, from 1.1V down to 0.7V, which is essential for low-power logic applications.
Empirical evidence of growth decline related to visible ozone injury.

Differences in radial growth at breast height of yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) and black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) were tested between individual trees with a history of visible foliar ozone injury and those not expressing foliar injury to ozone at three sites in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. No significant differences in growth for black cherry were found although there was a 12% reduction in radial growth over 5 yrs (1990–1994) (p-level 0.4) and 8% over 10 yrs (1985–1994) (p-level 0.6). There was a significant difference in radial growth for yellow-poplar of 43% over 5 yrs (p-level 0.001) and 30% over 10 yrs (p-level 0.005). Even though the trees of both species were selected to balance the diameter distribution of each species between the two groups at each site, it was still possible that the differences were due to some other factors than sensitivity to ozone exposure. Therefore, a series of multiple linear regressions were used to identify the most explanatory model based on principal components derived from the following independent variables: Diameter at breast height, total height, height to the live crown, percent slope, and a number of competition indices based on the diameter and distance to competitors. These regressions were then tested for different intercepts and slopes between the sensitive and nonsensitive trees. Once again, no significant differences occurred for black cherry (p-levels of 0.4 and 0.7 for five-year and ten-year radial growth, respectively) and some differences for yellow-poplar (p-levels of 0.04 and 0.1 for five-year and ten-year radial growth, respectively). Although the conclusions did not change, the importance of proper balancing of the diameter distribution and accounting for the effects of uncontrollable independent variables are discussed.
Near- and far-field observations of transient behavior in pulsed graded barrier quantum well lasers

The pulsed behavior of both gain‐guided and index‐guided graded barrier quantum well lasers has been studied with near‐ and far‐field lateral mode measurements at different pulse widths. Above threshold, gain‐guided devices show a transition to predominantly index‐guided operation as a result of thermally induced waveguiding. Similar devices with built‐in real index guiding exhibit low threshold, stable mode operation, with no observable variations with pulse width.
Child welfare and the challenge of causal inference

Abstract Causal inference refers to the assessment of cause and effect relationships in observational data—i.e., in situations where random assignment is impossible or impractical. Choices involving children in the child welfare system evoke core elements of causal inference—manipulation and the counterfactual. How would a child's circumstances differ if we changed her environment? This article begins with one mathematical approach to framing causal inference, the potential outcomes framework. This methodology is a cornerstone of newer approaches to causal inference. This framework makes clear the identification problem inherent in causal inference and highlights a key assumption often used to identify the model (ignorability or no unobserved confounding). The article then outlines the various approaches to causal inference and organizes them around whether they assume ignorability as well as other key features of each approach. The article then provides guidelines for producing good causal inference. These guidelines emerge from a review of methodological literature as broad ranging as epidemiology, statistics, economics, and policy analysis. These steps will be illustrated using an example from child welfare. The article concludes with suggestions for how the field could apply these newer methods.
Online MBA students' perceptions of online learning: Benefits, challenges, and suggestions

Online MBA programs have seen a rapid rise in student enrollments in recent years and institutions of higher education have keen interests in offering quality online MBA programs to meet the demands. The present study reports the results of a case study in which over 100 students enrolled in a top-ranked online MBA program were interviewed and surveyed to investigate their perceptions of the benefits and challenges in online learning and their suggestions for improving the quality of the online MBA program. It was found that virtual teaming was a major factor that influenced the students' online learning experience; they viewed virtual teaming experiences as valuable for preparing them for the increasingly global business environment; at the same time, it also served as a key challenge to their learning in the online environment. Students' suggestions for improving the quality of online MBA program are discussed as well.
Influence of horizontally curved roadway section characteristics on motorcycle-to-barrier crash frequency

The purpose of this study was to investigate motorcycle-to-barrier crash frequency on horizontally curved roadway sections in Washington State using police-reported crash data linked with roadway data and augmented with barrier presence information. Data included 4915 horizontal curved roadway sections with 252 of these sections experiencing 329 motorcycle-to-barrier crashes between 2002 and 2011. Negative binomial regression was used to predict motorcycle-to-barrier crash frequency using horizontal curvature and other roadway characteristics. Based on the model results, the strongest predictor of crash frequency was found to be curve radius. This supports a motorcycle-to-barrier crash countermeasure placement criterion based, at the very least, on horizontal curve radius. With respect to the existing horizontal curve criterion of 820 feet or less, curves meeting this criterion were found to increase motorcycle-to-barrier crash frequency rate by a factor of 10 compared to curves not meeting this criterion. Other statistically significant predictors were curve length, traffic volume and the location of adjacent curves. Assuming curves of identical radius, the model results suggest that longer curves, those with higher traffic volume, and those that have no adjacent curved sections within 300 feet of either curve end would likely be better candidates for a motorcycle-to-barrier crash countermeasure.
Agent-based modeling of human education data

Agent-based simulation is increasingly used to analyze the performance of complex systems. There are two main ways agent-based models are built --- from equation-based models and directly from data. We are building models in both ways, investigating approaches for creating them and for validating them. In this paper we describe results of our work on one specific agent-based model, showing how it can be validated against the equation-based model from which it was derived, and the extent to which it can be used to derive additional results over and above those that the equation-based model can provide.
"We Have to Tell Our Story": Neo-Griots, Racial Resistance, and Schooling in the Other South.

In cities across the United States, working–class communities of color find themselves struggling against inequities deepened by state disinvestment. Students at the Center—a writing initiative based in several public high schools in New Orleans over the last decade—has been a part of this struggle and embraces a pedagogy rooted in the voices, cultures, and histories of traditionally marginalized youth, their families, schools, and neighborhoods. Through collections of student writing and digital media, young neo–griots have produced counterstories that call into question dominant narratives about race, schooling, and neoliberal policy. This article draws upon student counterstories, teacher interviews, and classroom and community observations as the means for critically analyzing the implementation of racially–inspired neoliberal reforms, such as decentralization, charter schools, market–based educational choice, and targeted disinvestment in pubic infrastructure, in New Orleans—the experimental front fo...
Threshold estimation from the linear dose-response model: Method and radiation data

The linear dose-response model is considered a conservative, nonthreshold relationship. This is based on a confusion between the sufficient condition (that is, zero slope at zero dose) and the necessary condition (that is, response distinguishable from zero). Once the threshold is properly defined, it is shown that the linear model predicts thresholds for radiation data in good agreement with experimental results.
Temperature-induced swelling and small molecule release with hydrogen-bonded multilayers of block copolymer micelles.

We report on reversible temperature-triggered swelling transitions in hydrogen-bonded multilayer films of a polycarboxylic acid and stimuli-responsive block copolymer micelles (BCMs). A neutral hyd...
Impact of internal mammary artery conduits on operative mortality in coronary revascularization

Abstract The long-term advantages of internal mammary artery (IMA) conduits in cotonary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures are widely recognized, but the immediate short-term impact of IMA grafts is not well defined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of IMA conduits on CABG operative mortality (OM). A retrospective study of two groups of patients undergoing isolated CABG was performed. Patients having at least one IMA graft (group 1) were compared with those with only venous conduits (group 2). The patient population was taken from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Cardiac Surgery Database, which contains a broad multiinstitutional experience. A total of 38,578 registered patients undergoing isolated CABG from 1987 through 1991 were studied. Of these, 18,614 patients had at least one IMA conduit (group 1), whereas 19,964 had CABG using entirety venous conduits (group 2). The OM for group 1 was 2.0% ( 365 / 18,614 ), whereas the mortality was 4.5% ( 903 / 19,964 ) for group 2 ( p p p p p
The n-fold convolution of generalized exponential-sum distribution functions

For continuous random variables, their distribution data can be approximated to generalized exponential-sum distribution functions by optimization tools like TOMLAB. Generalized exponential-sum distribution functions have larger representations and wider applications than pure exponential-sum distribution functions. On the bases of the n-fold convolution of pure exponential-sum distribution functions, the n-fold convolution of generalized exponential-sum distribution functions has been developed in this paper. Compared with the n-fold convolution of pure exponential-sum distribution functions, the results presented in this paper for the calculation of the n-fold convolution of generalized exponential-sum distribution functions are more general and applicable. As a matter of fact, the solution for computing the n-fold convolution of pure exponential-sum distribution functions is contained in the solution for the calculation of the n-fold convolution of generalized exponential-sum distribution functions. Limited testing results show that the formulae presented in this paper are correct.
Volatile Components of Calamondin Peel Oil

Calamondin peel oil extract from two composite peel samples with hexane were each analyzed by gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC−MS), and 56 constituents were identified and quantified by GC peak area percent values. All except 5 of these components had been identified previously in citrus juices or oils. Composition of the peel oil components most resembled that reported earlier for kumquat, a member of the Fortunella species believed to be one of the parents of calamondin. Keywords: Citrus; gas chromatography; mass spectrometry; flavor; peel essential oil
The right hemisphere's contribution to emotional word processing in currently depressed, remitted depressed, and never-depressed individuals

Abstract To examine how unipolar depression influences hemispheric processing of emotional stimuli, words with clear affective content were assessed by depressed, remitted depressed, and never depressed participants. Semantic stimuli were selected for both their valence (positive vs. negative) and for their ability to engender affective arousal (high vs. low). After completing a structured clinical interview to determine depression experience, participants were asked to make valence judgements for laterally presented emotional words. Study results suggest that the right hemisphere (RH) is particularly sensitive to the affective semantic content of emotional stimuli, furthermore, two interesting higher order interactions were observed in the RH. First, in a replication of recent findings by Atchley et al. [2003. Hemispheric asymmetry in the processing of emotional content in word meanings: The effect of current and past depression. Brain and Language , 84 , 105–119], individuals who have experienced depression (both currently depressed and remitted depressed groups) show an advantage when processing negatively valent words, while the never depressed individuals show an advantage for positive words. Also in the RH, affective arousal interacted with stimulus valence (but not diagnostic group), such that all participants exhibited an advantage when categorizing highly arousing negative information, while for positive words the low arousing stimuli were identified more accurately. These results are discussed in the context of models of depressive cognition and in regards to general models of hemispheric specialization for emotion processing.
Repeated use of ablation catheters: A prospective study

Abstract Objectives . The objective of this study was to provide insight into the time course of electrical, physical and mechanical changes in ablation catheters after use that may affect the safety and efficacy of the ablation procedure. Background . An increasing number of institutions are reusing deflectable ablation catheters. At present, there are no data concerning the safety of reusing ablation catheters. Methods . Over a period of 1 year, 69 Webster/Mansfield deflectable catheters used in 336 ablation procedures were prospectively studied. An additional 18 new catheters were tested after multiple sterilisations only. The catheters were evaluated for electrical and physical integrity and mechanical capabilities. These include deflection at room temperature and 37 °C, shaft compression and buckling during deflection, tip craters, torquing ability, glue separation and tip attachment using a stereoscope at x30 magnification and electrical resistance for each electrode. After each use, the catheters were gas-sterilized with ethylene oxide. Results . The most common reasons for catheter rejection were tip electrode glue separation after 43 ± 4.3 uses and loss of deflection after 5.0 ± 3.3 uses. Electrical discontinuity between the catheter handle and electrodes was observed after 10.0 ± 3.7 uses. There was no significant decrease in catheter torquing ability with repeated use. In this study the total estimated savings was $128,133, which includes the cost of catheter reprocessing. The reuse of Webster/Mansfield ablation catheters has not resulted in any major catheter failure or any major adverse clinical complications. Conclusions . On the basis of these observations, we believe that the Webster/Mansfield catheter can be reused an average of five times. It is strongly recommended that after each use catheters be carefully examined under appropriate magnification (x30) and that special attention be given to the ablation tip electrode. The catheters should also be tested for deflection and electrical integrity.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TELARANEA NEMATODES

THE GENUS Telaranea, of the family Lepidoziaceae, consists, as far as is known, of only two species, the apparently local, neotropical T. bicruris (Spruce) Howe, and the more widespread T. nematodes (Gottsche) Howe, of essentially oceanic :distribution on both sides of the Atlantic and on some of the Atlantic islands. The latter species is the better known of the two, but has never been studied adequately so that the information regarding it, as well as the genus, is faulty and misleading. Only two illustrations of this plant have been published (Haynes, 1905; Kurz and Little, 1933) and these fail to show its most distinctive features. The present study was undertaken with the aim of gaining a better knowledge of this species in order to clarify the systematic position of the genus Telaranea.
Electron microscopy in tumor diagnosis: Indications for its use in the immunohistochemical Era

The electron microscope reveals much more information on tumor cell structure than can be obtained with the light microscope, and some of the data are useful in diagnostic studies. In this review, major contributions of electron microscopy in the main tumor categories are discussed. To select between immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy, the probable contributions of each in the context of the particular case must be assessed. Usually, electron microscopy will only be requested after a battery of immunostaining procedures has been performed and found to be insufficient, but there are occasions when ulstrastructural study is logically the first choice after routine light microscopy. It is worth taking tissue for possible electron microscopy from any tumor that is known or anticipated to be a diagnostic problem.
A quick test procedure for soil nitrate-nitrogen

Abstract A procedure for extraction and measurement of nitrate‐nitrogen (NO3‐N) in soil is described. Extracting solution [0.025M Al2(SO4)3] and field‐moist soil are measured volumetrically, with NO3‐N concentration measured by nitrate‐sensitive colorometric test strips or nitrate‐selective electrode. Across a range of soil texture, moisture content, and NO3‐N concentration, the procedure was well correlated with conventional laboratory analysis of 2N KC1 soil extracts (r2 = 0.94). This quick test procedure is proposed as an on‐farm monitoring technique to improve N management.
Follow-up study of patients allergic to formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers: Retention of information, compliance, course, and persistence of allergy

Background: It is generally believed that the more patients know about an allergen and where it is found, the better the prognosis is for allergic contact dermatitis. Objective: This study sought to evaluate retention of information and compliance with therapeutic directives and determine whether they correlated with the course of dermatitis in patients allergic to formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasers diagnosed in the preceding 5 months to 212 years. Methods: Twenty-two patients were surveyed by telephone, and each patient was asked to return for repeat patch testing. Results: Seventeen patients (77%) said they had persistent dermatitis, but of these, 15 (88%) believed they were improved. Five patients (23%) could spontaneously recall their allergens, and 12 (55%) could access and read to us the allergen list that we gave them. Fourteen patients (64%) always read labels, 5 (23%) sometimes did, and 3 (13%) never did. The 8 patients who were again patch tested had a total of 24 formaldehyde and formaldehyde releaser reactions; 16 (67%) were maintained and 8 (33%) were lost. No statistical relationship was found between improvement and any of the above variables, yet 91% of these patients were either improved or free of dermatitis. Conclusion: A combination of variables, including knowing the diagnosis, reading labels of products they use, and following our recommendations, explains improvement after contact dermatitis clinic evaluation.
ON TWO‐SOURCE FACTOR PURCHASING

Two-source purchasing at differing factor-unit costs is a common real-world phenomenon. So too are uncertainty and risk aversion which, as this paper demonstrates, provides one explanation for why firms on occasion purchase from high-cost sellers.
Generalized KKM theorems, minimax inequalities, and their applications

This paper extends the well-known KKM theorem and variational inequalities by relaxing the closedness of values of a correspondence and lower semicontinuity of a function. The approach adopted is based on Michael's continuous selection theorem. As applications, we provide theorems for the existence of maximum elements of a binary relation, a price equilibrium, and the complementarity problem. Thus our theorems, which do not require the openness of lower sections of the preference correspondences and the lower semicontinuity of the excess demand functions, generalize many of the existence theorems such as those in Sonnenschein (Ref. 1), Yannelis and Prabhakar (Ref. 2), and Border (Ref. 3).
RAIM AVAILABILITY FOR GPS AUGMENTED WITH BAROMETRIC ALTIMETER AIDING AND CLOCK COASTING.

In late 1991, the FAA formed a group called the Satellite Operational Implementation Team to accelerate the introduction of satellite navigation and communications into the National Airspace System (NAS). Since then, the team has been addressing major technical and operational issues that need to be resolved before GPS is used in instrument flight rules (IFR) operations in the NAS. One of the most critical criteria for the operational approval of near-term use of GPS in the NAS is availability of receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) detection and identification functions. To improve RAIM availability, SOFT members suggested that relatively simple GPS augmentations in the form of barometric altimeter aiding and clock coasting be considered. This paper analyzes GPS RAIM availability with these augmentations and presents the technical analyses used by the team to support its recommendations.
A family of finite De Morgan algebras

The algebra of truth values for fuzzy sets of type-2 consists of all mappings from the unit interval [0, 1] into itself, with operations certain convolutions of these mappings with respect to pointwise max and min. This algebra has been studied rather extensively in the last few years, both from an applications point of view and a theoretical one. Most of the theory goes through when [0, 1] is replaced by any two finite chains, in which case interesting finite algebras arise—De Morgan algebras and Kleene algebras in particular—and a basic question is just where these algebras fit into the world of all such finite algebras. We investigate one particularly interesting family of such De Morgan algebras
The Burger Court and the Rights of the Handicapped: The Case for Starting All Over Again

A S SOCIAL movements go, the disability rights movement is young.' It is rarely possible to date the beginning of any movement with precision, but if one had to choose a year for this one, it could hardly be earlier than 1970, the year of a widely publicized job discrimination suit;2 or, perhaps better, 1972, the year in which Congress passed the first version of a rehabilitation and antidiscrimination law.3 These first ten years have borne out Alexis de Tocqueville's statement that "There is hardly a political question in the United States which does not sooner or later turn into a judicial one" (Tocqueville, 1969: 270). In this case, it happened sooner rather than later. Some of the first victories of the 1970s were won in court, in decisions which not only were favorable in themselves to the disability rights movement, but which gave impetus to the drive for legislation. In 1972, federal judges in Philadephia and Washington, D.C., ruled that excluding handicapped children from public schools was unconstitutional (Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children v. Pennsylvania, 343 F. Supp. 279; Mills v. Board of Education, 348 F. Supp. 866). The same year, a federal court in Wyatt v. Stickney propounded a "bill of rights" for patients in Alabama's mental institutions (344 F. Supp. 373; 325 F. Supp. 781 [1971]). The Supreme Court ruled three years later in O'Connor v. Donaldson that a non-dangerous person could not be held in an institution against his will and without treatment (422 U.S. 563 [1975]). A 1976 district court decision ordered a school board to give a blind applicant for a teaching position an opportunity to prove her fitness for the job. (Gurmankin v. Costanzo, 411 F. Supp. 982 [E.D. Pa.]).
Structural and Energetic Effects in the Molecular Recognition of Protonated Peptidomimetic Bases by 18-Crown-6

Absolute 18-crown-6 (18C6) affinities of nine protonated peptidomimetic bases are determined using guided ion beam tandem mass spectrometry techniques. The bases (B) included in this work are mimics for the n-terminal amino group and the side chains of the basic amino acids, i.e., the favorable sites for binding of 18C6 to peptides and proteins. Isopropylamine is chosen as a mimic for the n-terminal amino group, imidazole and 4-methylimidazole are chosen as mimics for the side chain of histidine (His), 1-methylguanidine is chosen as a mimic for the side chain of arginine (Arg), and several primary amines including methylamine, ethylamine, n-propylamine, n-butylamine, and 1,5-diamino pentane as mimics for the side chain of lysine (Lys). Theoretical electronic structure calculations are performed to determine stable geometries and energetics for neutral and protonated 18C6 and the peptidomimetic bases, as well as the proton bound complexes comprised of these species, (B)H+(18C6). The measured 18C6 binding a...
The effects of stimulus duration and frequency of daily preconditioning stimulus exposures on latent inhibition in Pavlovian conditioning of the rabbit nictitating membrane response

Manipulation of the daily frequency and duration of the preconditioning stimulus exposure in Pavlovian conditioning of the nictitating membrane response of 32 New Zealand white rabbits suggested that the intensity of latent inhibition was related to the absolute frequency of preconditioning stimulus exposure trials, and apparently was a stepwise function of the frequency of daily preconditioning trials. Similarly, the intensity of latent inhibition was related to the absolute duration of the preconditioning stimulus exposure. However, latent inhibition accrued to the cumulative effect of all stimulus durations across days rather than only to the repetitive presentation of one stimulus.
The Cardiac Renin-Angiotensin System Conceptual, or a Regulator of Cardiac Function?

Angiotensin II, the effector peptide of the renin-angiotensin system, regulates cellular growth in response to developmental, physiological, and pathological processes. The identification of renin-angiotensin system components and angiotensin II receptors in cardiac tissue suggests the existence of an autocrine/paracrine system that has effects independent of angiotensin II derived from the circulatory system. To be functional, a local renin-angiotensin system should produce sufficient amounts of the autocrine and/or paracrine factor to elicit biological responses, contain the final effector (angiotensin II receptor), and respond to humoral, neural, and/or mechanical stimuli. In this review, we discuss evidence for a functional cardiac renin-angiotensin system.
Analyzing cognitive errors using a dynamic crew-simulation model

The analysis of human errors in a human reliability analysis requires the consideration of the context for human behavior. By simulating the evolution of the human-machine system, the crew model dynamically treats the behavior of the human operators within the context of an evolving plant response. The implemented model treats the evolution of the system of operating crew and plant in steam generator tube rupture scenarios. The treatment of cognitive errors in this implementation and in a model being developed within this simulation framework is discussed. The work in progress extends the model to generalize the response of the crews and emphasizes modeling the manner in which errors arise generally in cognitive processes rather than simulating situation-specific errors. >
Labelling patterns of carbon-14 in net plankton during a winter-spring bloom

Weekly surface samples were collected in lower Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, during the 1975 winter-spring bloom and fractionated by nets to nannoplankton (<20 μm) and total (< 158 μm) size fractions. Each size fraction was assayed for paniculate carbon, nitrogen, carbohydrate, protein, chlorophyll a, and cell counts. The <20 μm values were subtracted from the <158 μm values to estimate the composition of the 20 μm to 158 μm fraction (termed net plankton). As nutrients (primarily nitrogen) decreased to undetectable levels with the culmination of the diatom bloom, the ratios of protein/carbohydrate, carbohydrate/carbon, and carbon/chlorophyll a in the net plankton indicated the diatom population was increasingly nutrient-limited. Each size fraction was also incubated at a saturating light intensity with carbon-14; following filtration, the cells were extracted with solvents to obtain labelled polysaccharide and protein. The daily rates of polysaccharide and protein synthesis in the net plankton declined as the bloom entered the stationary phase. When the diatom population was at its maximum density the majority of the carbon-14 was found in the ethanol-soluble fraction; this may be due to high light intensities or nutrient effects.
A modular framework for the design of material flow systems

In this paper we propose a framework for the management of the complexity involved in building material flow system models. The object-orientated paradigm is applied as a tool to break down the material flow system model, as well as the design environment, into modules. The designer is provided with a generic material flow system model from which to start with the design process. The model is built, evaluated and improved using a collection of software applications that have been developed to address partial problems in the material flow system design process. The organization of design data and design tools into logical units clearly establishes precedence between software and data. This feature opens up possibilities for computer-assisted design tool sequencing.
National Standards for the Licensure of Nursing Home Administrators: What Should Be Sought?

In recent years a national debate has focused on the licensure of nursing home administrators. Congress mandated licensure goals in 1970, but recently has considered eliminating the requirement that states license nursing home administrators. Data showing trends during 1977-1987 in education, internship, professional examinations, and reciprocity requirements are evaluated in this paper, and three recommendations for national standards are made.
Bioinformatics Approaches to the Study of MicroRNAs

The introduction of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies has opened new avenues, including determination of the relationship of genomic and epigenomic variation and phenotypes to disease. These technologies are particularly well suited for discovery of both small RNAs, around 30–75 base pairs long, and long RNAs, longer than 75 base pairs, because the NGS sequencers can produce millions of short reads in a relatively rapid period of time. However, the large amounts (terabases) of data generated require proper computational resources and analytical methods to translate the rich source of genomic data into meaningful information for biomedical applications. In this chapter, we describe various bioinformatics methods for performing integrative analysis for the identification of miRNAs and their target mRNAs from the NGS sequencers. We describe the most commonly used databases and prediction programs that are available on the World Wide Web and demonstrate the use of some of these programs by an example. We provide a list of these programs along with their Web URLs and suggest guidelines for successful application.
Time-resolved Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of optically pumped carbon monoxide

Abstract The paper discusses measurements of vibration-to-vibration (V–V) energy transfer rates for CO–CO using time-resolved step-scan Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of optically pumped carbon monoxide. In the experiments, time evolution of all vibrational states of carbon monoxide excited by a CO laser and populated by V–V processes (up to v∼40) is monitored simultaneously. The V–V rates are inferred from these data using a kinetic model that incorporates spatial power distribution of the focused laser beam, transport processes, and multi-quantum V–V processes. Although the model predictions agree well with the time-dependent step-scan relaxation data, there is variance between the model predictions and the up-pumping data, however. Comparison of calculations using two different sets of V–V rates with experimental spectra showed that the use of the semi-empirical V–V rates of DeLeon and Rich provides better agreement with experiment. It is also shown that the multi-quantum V–V rates among high vibrational quantum numbers, calculated by Cacciatore and Billing, are substantially overpredicted. The results provide some new insight into nonequilibrium vibrational kinetics, and also demonstrate the capabilities of the step-scan Fourier transform spectroscopy for time-resolved studies of molecular energy transfer processes and validation of theoretical rate models.
Deconvolution and total least squares in finding the impulse response of an electromagnetic system from measured data

Total least squares (TLS) is a method of solving over-determined sets of linear equations AX/spl ap/b when there are errors both in the observation vector b(m/spl times/1) and in the data matrix A(m/spl times/n). This method is particularly useful when the data matrix A is singular or highly ill conditioned. We present the method of finding the TLS by applying the singular value decomposition to the discrete deconvolution problem. Numerical results are presented for finding the impulse response of a transmission line from experimental data. The advantage of this approach is that this method can be automated based on the signal to noise ratio of the measured data. >
Radiation Therapy: Neoadjuvant, Adjuvant, or Not at All

Clinical trial data show that radiation enhances local tumor control of extremity sarcomas with acceptable morbidity when sophisticated radiation techniques are combined with limb-sparing resections performed by oncologic surgeons with sarcoma expertise. Similar controlled data is not available for retroperitoneal sarcomas but some studies suggest a benefit for radiotherapy. Radiation can be delivered by external beam or brachytherapy; it can be given pre-operatively, post-operatively, or intra-operatively. Indications for and advances in radiation therapy are discussed in this article.
Limiting performance of frequency-hop random access

The multiple-access capability of asynchronous frequency-hop packet-radio networks is analyzed. The only interference considered is multiple-access interference, and perfect side information is assumed. Bounds on the probability of error for unslotted systems are developed based on the distributions of the maximum and minimum interference levels over the duration of a given packet, and these are employed to develop corresponding bounds on the throughput. The idealized model makes possible the derivation of asymptotic results showing the convergence of these bounds for high traffic levels. The asymptotic performance of the system is seen to be the same as that of the corresponding slotted system. Results for the maximum asymptotic throughput are also obtained. These results show that the asymptotic sum capacity of the channel can be attained using Reed-Solomon coding. All these results are valid for either fixed or exponentially distributed packet lengths. The results indicate that the performance of frequency-hop networks is insensitive both to the distribution of packet lengths and to whether or not transmissions are slotted. It also demonstrates the efficacy of Reed-Solomon coding in combating multiple-access interference. >
Using bioinformatics to predict the functional impact of SNVs

Motivation: The past decade has seen the introduction of fast and relatively inexpensive methods to detect genetic variation across the genome and exponential growth in the number of known single nucleotide variants (SNVs). There is increasing interest in bioinformatics approaches to identify variants that are functionally important from millions of candidate variants. Here, we describe the essential components of bionformatics tools that predict functional SNVs. Results: Bioinformatics tools have great potential to identify functional SNVs, but the black box nature of many tools can be a pitfall for researchers. Understanding the underlying methods, assumptions and biases of these tools is essential to their intelligent application. Contact: [email protected] Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Computer modeling and simulation of the Optoelectronic Technology Consortium (OETC) optical bus

The Optoelectronic Technology Consortium (OETC) 16 Gbit/s, 32-channel parallel fiber optic bus introduces new requirements for modeling and simulation of an optical bus which were not present for previous single-channel optical link systems. These requirements include the simulation of the statistical variation in component parameters, timing skew, and crosstalk. Due to the required simulation of statistical variation in component parameters, a time efficient simulation approach such as the quasi-analytical simulation methodology is vital. In addition, the adoption of a block-oriented simulation environment facilitates mixed-level simulation which minimizes the computational requirements of the bus simulation while achieving the required accuracy in the simulation of all bus components. Simulation results indicate that while noise is not a limiting factor in the performance of the optical bus, timing skew, and device uniformity across the channels of the bus are the most important factors for satisfactory performance. Experimental measurements confirm these simulation results.
Coevolution in defining the functional specificity.

Covariation between sites can arise due to a common evolutionary history. At the same time, structure and function of proteins play significant role in evolvability of different sites that are not directly connected with the common ancestry. The nature of forces which cause residues to coevolve is still not thoroughly understood, it is especially not clear how coevolutionary processes are related to functional diversification within protein families. We analyzed both functional and structural factors that might cause covariation of specificity determinants and showed that they more often participate in coevolutionary relationships with each other and other sites compared to functional sites and those sites that are not under strong functional constraints. We also found that protein sites with higher number of coevolutionary connections with other sites have a tendency to evolve slower. Our results indicate that in some cases coevolutionary connections exist between specificity sites that are located far away in space but are under similar functional constraints. Such correlated changes and compensations can be realized through the stepwise coevolutionary processes which in turn can shed light on the mechanisms of functional diversification.
Open Reduction and Internal Locked Fixation of Unstable Distal Ulna Fractures With Concomitant Distal Radius Fracture

Purpose To evaluate the results following locking plate fixation of unstable distal ulna fractures with concomitant distal radius fracture. Methods A retrospective review was conducted to identify patients who had been treated with a locking plate for unstable displaced fractures of the distal ulna in which a concomitant ipsilateral distal radius fracture was also treated operatively. Medical records and radiographs were reviewed, and 5 patients were identified with an average age of 52 years (range, 47–61 years) and with follow-up averaging 11.6 months (range, 6–17 months). There were 2 open and 3 closed fractures. Included was 1 simple neck, 1 comminuted neck, 1 head, and 2 head and neck fractures of the distal ulna. All distal radius fracture implants were locked volar plates. Results All distal ulna and distal radius fractures united, and the average motion was: flexion 59°; extension 59°; pronation 67°; and supination 72°. Average grip strength was 97% of the opposite extremity. Final ulnar variance averaged −0.4 mm (ulnar negative), radial inclination was 20°, and volar tilt was 8°. All distal radioulnar joints were stable. Two patients had mild, transient paresthesias of the dorsal sensory branch of the ulnar nerve, and both patients recovered completely within 3 months. There were no subsequent surgeries or hardware failures. There were no infections and no wound problems. Based upon the Sarmiento modification of the Gartland and Werley rating score, there were 4 excellent results and 1 good result. Conclusions Locked plating of unstable distal ulna fractures, in the setting of an associated distal radius fracture, resulted in union, good to excellent alignment and motion, nearly symmetric grip strength, and minimal transient morbidity. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
Utilization of two sample t-test statistics from redundant probe sets to evaluate different probe set algorithms in GeneChip studies.

Background The choice of probe set algorithms for expression summary in a GeneChip study has a great impact on subsequent gene expression data analysis. Spiked-in cRNAs with known concentration are often used to assess the relative performance of probe set algorithms. Given the fact that the spiked-in cRNAs do not represent endogenously expressed genes in experiments, it becomes increasingly important to have methods to study whether a particular probe set algorithm is more appropriate for a specific dataset, without using such external reference data.
CONTINUOUS POSITIVE PRESSURE VENTILATION AND OXYGEN DELIVERY

The effects of intermittent and continuous positive pressure were studied in mechanically ventilated healthy dogs. No statistically significant changes were produced in oxygen tension, carbon dioxide tension, alveolar-arterial gradients or shunts by continuous positive pressure. It did produce a significant reduction in cardiac output and total oxygen delivery which was reversed by the reintroduction of intermittent positive pressure. The decline in cardiac output was not accompanied by hypotension. The application of continuous positive pressure requires careful assessment of systemic effects to determine its usefulness.
Three-level BDDC in two dimensions

Balancing Domain Decomposition by Constraints (BDDC) methods are non-overlapping iterative substructuring domain decomposition methods for the solution of large sparse linear algebraic systems arising from discretization of elliptic boundary value problems. They are similar to the balancing Neumann–Neumann algorithm. However, in BDDC methods, a small number of continuity constraints are enforced across the interface, and these constraints form a new coarse, global component. An important advantage of using such constraints is that the Schur complements that arise in the computation will all be strictly positive definite. The matrix of the coarse problem is generated and factored by direct solvers at the beginning of the computation. However, this problem can ultimately become a bottleneck, if the number of subdomains is very large. In this paper, two three-level BDDC methods are introduced for solving the coarse problem approximately in two-dimensional space, while still maintaining a good convergence rate. Estimates of the condition numbers are provided for the two three-level BDDC methods and numerical experiments are also discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.