cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Histopathology and enlargement of the pituitary of a teleost exposed to the herbicide trifluralin

. Pituitaries of sheepshead minnows, Cyprinodon uariegatus, exposed for 19 months to 1-5 μg/l trifluralin in the laboratory exhibited enlargement, pseudocysts, congestion of blood vessels and oedema. Most of the fish with an enlarged pituitary also had induced diffuse and/or focal vertebral hyperostosis and other dysplastic vertebral changes. Several speculative mechanistic paths are suggested for the mode of effect of trifluralin on the vertebral and pituitary tissues. Abnormal enlargement or variation in sizes of pituitaries from fish of the same age, along with histopathological findings may be related to the environmental quality of the fish's habitat, and provide indications of stress within individuals resulting from toxicant exposure.
Probing Protein Secondary Structure Using EPR: Investigating a Dynamic Region of Visual Arrestin

One key application of site-directed spin labeling electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is the determination of sequence-specific secondary structure in proteins. Regular secondary structure leads to a periodic variation in both side chain motion and solvent accessibility, two properties easily monitored by EPR techniques. Specifically, saturation recovery (SR) EPR spectroscopy has proven to be useful for making accessibility measurements for multiple protein structure populations by determining individual accessibilities and is, therefore, well suited to study the structure of proteins exhibiting multiple conformations in equilibrium. Here we employ both continuous wave and SR EPR spectroscopy in combination to examine the secondary structure of a short sequence showing conformational heterogeneity in visual rod arrestin. The EPR data presented here clearly distinguish between the unstructured loop and the helical structure formed in the crystallographic tetramer of visual arrestin and show that this region is unstructured in solution.
Controller design of systems with multiplicative noise

General linear continuous stochastic systems are considered with multiplicative noise in the control and state channels and stabilizing optimal inputs are synthesized for both time-varying and time-invariant situations. In the nonstationary case, a set of nonlinear matrix differential equations has to be solved. In the stationary problem, a set of nonlinear matrix algebraic equations provides the solution. The separation principle is not valid and both the state filtering and the control synthesis problem should be treated simultaneously.
Vectoral-scale-based fuzzy-connected image segmentation

This paper presents an extension of previously published theory and algorithms for scale-based fuzzy connected image segmentation. In this approach, a strength of connectedness is assigned to every pair of image elements. This is done by finding the strongest among all possible connecting paths between the two elements in each pair. The strength assigned to a particular path is defined as the weakest affinity between successive pairs of elements along the path. Affinity specifies the degree to which elements hang together locally in the image. A scale is determined at every element in the image that indicates the size of the largest homogeneous region centered at the element. IN determining affinity between any two elements, all elements within their scale regions are considered. This method has been effectively utilized in several medical applications. In this paper, we generalize this scale-based fuzzy connected image segmentation method from scalar images to vectorial images. In a vectorial image, scale is defined as the radius of the largest hyperball contained in the same homogeneous region under a predefined condition of homogeneity of the image vector field. Two different components of affinity, namely homogeneity-based affinity and object-feature-based affinity, are devised in a fully vectorial manner. The original relative fuzzy connectedness algorithm is utilized to delinate a specified object via a competing strategy among multiple objects. We have tested this method in several medical applications, which qualitatively demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. Based on evaluation studies, a precision and accuracy of better than 95% has been achieved in an application involving MR brain image analysis.
Performance of Dispersed Fringe Sensor in the Presence of Segmented Mirror Aberrations: Modeling and Simulation

Dispersed Fringe Sensing (DFS) is an efficient and robust method for coarse phasing of a segmented primary mirror such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). In this paper, modeling and simulations are used to study the effect of segmented mirror aberrations on the fringe image, DFS signals and DFS detection accuracy. The study has shown due to the pixilation spatial filter effect from DFS signal extraction the effect of wavefront error is reduced and DFS algorithm will be more robust against wavefront aberration by using multi-trace DFS approach. We also studied the JWST Dispersed Hartmann Sensor (DHS) performance in presence of wavefront aberrations caused by the gravity sag and we use the scaled gravity sag to explore the JWST DHS performance relationship with the level of the wavefront aberration. This also includes the effect from line-of-sight jitter.
When is a question not answered? The understanding of young children of utterances violating or conforming to the rules of conversational sequencing

Abstract Knowledge of the conventional rules of conversational sequencing enables a speaker or listener to evaluate the pragmatic use of an utterance. This study explored young children's ability to discriminate among utterances that violated or conformed to these rules (Experiment 1), and ability to explain rule violations (Experiment 2). In both experiments children were read short episodes containing utterances that conformed to the rules in that the utterances were used appropriately in the episodic context of utterance, or utterances that violated the conversational rules of contingency, relevance, or informativeness. In Experiment 1, kindergarten, and first- and second-grade children (5, 6, and 7 years of age) were asked to discriminate among the conforming and rule violating utterances by assigning each utterance to one of two female conventional and unconventional speakers. The results showed that the first and second graders, but not the kindergarten children, generally discriminated among the utterances. In Experiment 2, first and third graders (6 and 8 years of age) were asked to explain the rule violations. The results showed that only the third graders consistently generated correct explanations. These results suggest that children can use the rules of conversational sequencing to evaluate the need for an inference to the speaker's intent in deliberately violating a rule by 6 or 7 years of age, but do not correctly infer that intent until they are 8 or 9 years old.
Contact with pharmaceutical representatives: where does prudence lead?

How do prudent people behave when the data available on the consequences of their actions are limited, but a decision as to how to behave must be made? With regard to the controversy over physician...
Selective Deprivatization among American Religious Traditions: The Reversal of the Great Reversal

From the advent of this country, religious traditions and movements have displayed remarkable patterns of both withdrawalfrom and engagement with American public life. We highlight this history, present a theory about selective deprivatization in the past and present, and test for the current presence of religious privatization and deptivatization in the lives ofAmericans. Our results conclude that a significant minority ofAmenicans resist individual-levelprivatization. They want religion to speak to social and political issues, and act accordingly. Among religious traditions, conservative movements such as evangelical Protestantism are the mostpublicly oriented, constituting a reversal ofpastgenerations. Liberal Protestants, once the mostpowerful religious voice in public arenas, are now much more privatized than conservative traditions. Religion's place in American public life is a matter greatly contested in public discourse today. A sociological approach to the history of Christianity in America
Synthesis of Block, Statistical, and Gradient Copolymers from Octadecyl (Meth)acrylates Using Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

The synthesis of well-defined homopolymers and random, block, and gradient copolymers from octadecyl acrylate (OA) and octadecyl methacrylate (OMA) using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is reported. Random copolymers were synthesized by the one-pot copolymerization of either tert-butyl acrylate/octadecyl acrylate (Mn,p(tBA-r-OA) = 13 680; Mw/Mn = 1.13) or tert-butyl methacrylate/octadecyl methacrylate (Mn,p(tBMA-r-OMA) = 24 250; Mw/Mn = 1.14) monomer pairs. Additionally, gradient copolymers were prepared by the simultaneous copolymerization of either tert-butyl acrylate/octadecyl methacrylate (Mn,p(tBA-co-OMA) = 21 790; Mw/Mn = 1.25) or tert-butyl methacrylate/octadecyl acrylate (Mn,p(tBMA-co-OA) = 21 900; Mw/Mn = 1.20) monomer pairs. AB and ABA triblock copolymers containing octadecyl groups were also prepared with controlled molar mass and composition. The sequence of blocking was varied starting from either poly(tert-butyl (meth)acrylate) or poly(octadecyl (meth)acrylate) macroinitiators. T...
Spin chaos in magnetic resonance

The joint action of two readily observed effects in solution magnetic resonance-radiation damping and the dipolar field-are shown to generate spatiotemporal chaos in routine experiments. The extreme sensitivity of the chaotic spin dynamics to experimental conditions during the initial evolution period can be used to construct a spin amplifier to enhance sensitivity and contrast in magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging. Alternatively, amplification of intrinsic spin noise or tiny experimental perturbations such as temperature gradient fluctuations leads to signal interferences and highly irreproducible measurements. Controlling the underlying chaotic evolution provides the crucial link between amplifying weak signals and counteracting unwanted signal fluctuations.
THE LEISURE DIAGNOSTIC BATTERY: MEASURING PERCEIVED FREEDOM IN LEISURE

ABSTRACT This paper describes the conceptualization and development of instrumentation to measure an individual's perceived freedom in leisure. The instrumentation builds on the leisure as «state of mind» view utilizing elements of attribution theory, and work involving playfulness, optimum arousal, and leisure need satisfaction to build a conceptual basis for understanding leisure as a subjective experience. Scales representing five key concepts were developed. These included perceived leisure competence, perceived leisure locus of control, leisure needs, playfulness, and depth of involvement in leisure. Several other scales or tests representing knowledge of leisure opportunities, leisure preferences, and barriers to leisure fulfillment were also developed. Together these instruments compose the Leisure Diagnostic Battery. Testing revealed acceptable levels of alpha reliability. Validity has been tested utilizing a confirmatory factor analysis and correlations of scale scores with other related variable...
Projections from the nucleus parafascicularis prerubralis to medullary raphe nuclei and inferior olive in the rat: A horseradish peroxidase and autoradiography study

Horseradish peroxidase gel implants into either the nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) or inferior olive (IO) led to large numbers of retrogradely labeled cells in the prerubral subthalamic region in a cell group that surrounds the fasciculus retroflexus, which we suggest should be referred to as the nucleus parafascicularis prerubralis (nPfPr) to avoid the confusion of previous terminology. Autoradiographic studies, following injections of tritiated leucine into the nPfPr, confirmed projections to both medullary raphe nuclei (MRN) and IO. This common prerubral projection to IO, a well-established precerebellar nucleus, and MRN, again raises the question of whether the latter are involved in brainstem-mediated reflexes in addition to their well documented role in analgesic mechanisms.
Steric and Electronic Effects on Arylphosphonate Elimination from Organopalladium Complexes

To study the effects of electronic and steric manipulation of metal-bound aryl fragments on arylphosphonate formation, model organopalladium complexes have been prepared and investigated. While no phosphorus−carbon bond formation was observed at 25 °C, all of the arylpalladium phosphonates underwent clean reductive elimination in C6D6 solutions at elevated temperatures. The incorporation of electron-donating groups into the metal-bound aryl fragments accelerated the elimination process, while palladium complexes containing aryl groups with electron-withdrawing or ortho substituents exhibited slower elimination rates. While the rate of arylphosphonate formation was dependent upon the nature of the metal-bound aryl fragment, it was rather insensitive to the identity of the phosphonate moiety. These results demonstrate the results of subtle changes in the electronic and steric composition of the eliminating species in P(O)−C bond-forming reactions.
Cupric Ion Activity in Peat Soil as a Toxicity Indicator for Maize

Copper phytotoxicity in soils is difficult to assess because Cu accumulates at and damages roots, and is not readily transferred to shoots. Soil chemical properties strongly influence Cu speciation, so that total soil Cu alone is not a broadly useful indicator of potential toxicity to plants. The present study measured free Cu2+ activity in Cu-enriched peat soils using the ion selective electrode. The soil Cu2+ activity was related to the severity of phytotoxicity as measured by several indicators in a maize (Zea mays L.) bioassay, including leaf chlorosis, root stunting, and reduced shoot growth and Fe concentration. A soil Cu2+ activity of 10(-7.0) to 10(-7.5), corresponding to total Cu of about 275 mg/kg in the peat soil, caused phytotoxicity in maize seedlings. It is proposed that Cu2+ activity is more directly related to phytotoxic effects than other soil tests, such as extractions with strong acids or chelating agents, because it is the free Cu2+ in soil solution that has the most direct toxic effects on roots. There was very limited uptake of Cu into maize shoots, and even when Cu2+ activity and total soil Cu were raised into the extreme toxicity range of 10(-5) and 4,000 mg/ kg, respectively, shoot Cu remained less than 35 mg/kg. These results indicate the inadequacy of the USEPA risk assessment of potential for Cu toxicity to crops amended with sewage sludge, which assumed a no-effect level of maize shoot Cu of 40 mg/kg.
How much practice makes perfect? A quantitative measure of the experience needed to achieve procedural competence

Based on the general learning curve formula, the authors have devised a method to estimate the experience needed to achieve competence in the performance of medical and surgical procedures. The method quantitates the learning ability of the trainee, the technical diflculty of the procedure, and the expected level of competence. Two retrospective applications demonstrate the ease of use and reliability of the method.
Reflections on a concurrent design methodology: a case study in wearable computer design

At Carnegie Mellon, we have designed and manufactured three generations of wearable, mobile computers. Each new generation of wearable computer has been designed within approximately one semester by an interdisciplinary design class taught at the Engineering Design Research Center (EDRC). Over the semesters that the course has been taught, an interdisciplinary concurrent design methodology has evolved. In this paper, we briefly present the design process for the Navigator, the third generation of wearable computers. We use this process to illustrate the needs of a multidisciplinary design team, to anticipate the needs of a distributed design team using a novel manufacturing process, and to reflect on the interplay between the practice of design and the evolution of our design methods.
Earthworms, Stamps and Butterfly Wings: Encouraging Children's Interests and Collections.

This article examines the importance of encouraging children's interests and the pursuit of collections and hobbies as strategies for developing talent and abilities. The author presents a review of selected research in the field and cites excerpts from eminent people's lives as examples of early interests/collections and eventual success. In addition, American children, ages 11 and 12, write to the author about their collections after an afternoon of sharing, and an American elementary school principal reflects on the role of her collection — nesting dolls.
Carbaryl resistance in a laboratory-selected strain of Aphytis melinus DeBach (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae): Mode of inheritance and implications for implementation in citrus IPM

Abstract A carbaryl-resistant (R) strain of the California red scale parasite Aphytis melinus DeBach reached a plateau in its selection response after 13 laboratory selections with carbaryl (Sevin SOS). Mode of inheritance tests were conducted using R and S (La Couague) colonies. The degree of dominance for the reciprocal F 1 females (RS, SR) was 0.153 and 0.254, respectively, indicating that inheritance was not fully dominant or recessive. A monofactorial mode of inheritance was rejected by χ 2 analysis of the concentration/mortality curves for the F 2 males. Although there was a plateau in the mortality of the male progeny of virgin RS and SR females at 50%, 7 of 17 observed points deviated significantly from the expected curve. Practical aspects of mass rearing and releasing the R strain in California citrus orchards are discussed.
A unified prediction of computer virus spread in connected networks

We derive two models of viral epidemiology on connected networks and compare results to simulations. The differential equation model easily predicts the expected long term behavior by defining a boundary between survival and extinction regions. The discrete Markov model captures the short term behavior dependent on initial conditions, providing extinction probabilities and the fluctuations around the expected behavior. These analysis techniques provide new insight on the persistence of computer viruses and what strategies should be devised for their control.
Regeneration beyond the glial scar

After injury to the adult central nervous system (CNS), injured axons cannot regenerate past the lesion. In this review, we present evidence that this is due to the formation of a glial scar. Chondroitin and keratan sulphate proteoglycans are among the main inhibitory extracellular matrix molecules that are produced by reactive astrocytes in the glial scar, and they are believed to play a crucial part in regeneration failure. We will focus on this role, as well as considering the behaviour of regenerating neurons in the environment of CNS injury.
Focused microarrays as a method to evaluate subtle changes in gene expression.

Abstract Recent studies using microarray technologies for the chicken have reported information regarding the effects of specific experimental treatments on gene expression levels often resulting in large gene lists and limitations on the statistical significance levels detected. In most cases, with these limitations, along with thresholds of ±2-fold differences in expression levels, that are used to create these gene lists, much of the biological information may have been overlooked. In this study, a focused 70-mer oligonucleotide microarray was developed to address the apparent limits of detection and issues with multiple testing resulting from the use of microarrays that include only a single spot (probe) for each gene. Gene expression was assayed across the development of the chicken embryonic heart from d 7 to 20 of incubation. When using a mixed-model approach and ANOVA with Bonferroni correction for multiple testing, including replicates within the focused array significantly increased the sensitivity with which differences could be detected across sample groups, as compared with single-spot data. By incorporating replication into the focused array, 50 genes were detected as being differentially expressed in the embryonic heart across the time points sampled. This compares with only 7 genes detected as being differentially expressed when a more typical, less statistically stringent single-spot analysis is conducted. Based on our observations, the use of focused microarrays allows for the thorough investigation of gene expression patterns, with detection of significant changes in gene expression of ±7%. This limit of detection is far superior to that of real-time PCR, which is able to detect significant changes in expression from ±33 to 55%, depending on the specific application. The ability to detect small differences in expression will allow investigators to identify subtle effects that have perhaps been overlooked in many prior assays, including single-spot arrays. Subtle shifts in gene expression are exactly those that occur during embryonic development, nutritional manipulation, and the initial stages of disease before clinical signs appear.
Mass Spectrometry and Drug Discovery

Combinatorial chemistry and high-throughput screening have become the primary tools of the medicinal chemist in an effort to accelerate the pace of drug discovery. The goal of this new paradigm is to produce in a short time large numbers of synthetic organic compounds representing a great diversity of chemical structures through a process called combinatorial chemistry, and then quickly screen them in vitro against pharmacologically significant targets such as enzymes or receptors. As a result, lead compounds might emerge from such combinatorial chemistry drug discovery programs in a few weeks instead of several years. Although a variety of spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques are being used to support drug discovery in various capacities, only high performance liquid chromotography (HPLC) combined with mass spectrometry (LC-MS and LC-MS-MS) is compatible with virtually all drug-like molecules. In addition to providing a universal means to characterize and distinguish drugs and drug candidates based on both molecular weight and structural features, mass spectrometry provides high throughput. With the development of routine LC-MS interfaces and ionization techniques such as electrospray and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, mass spectrometry has also become an ideal HPLC detector for the analysis of combinatorial libraries. Furthermore, a variety of mass spectrometry–based screening assays have been developed to address the need to screen complex mixtures of combinatorial compounds as well as to screen natural product extracts as a means of expanding the molecular diversity of drug leads. The use of mass spectrometry in support of combinatorial library synthesis and purification is addressed in this chapter, as well as screening applications such as frontal affinity chromatography–mass spectrometry, gel permeation chromatography–LC–MS, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) electrospray mass spectrometry of receptor–ligand complexes, affinity chromatography–mass spectrometry, and pulsed ultrafiltration mass spectrometry. Keywords: mass spectrometry; high throughput screening; combinatorial chemistry; drug discovery; LC-MS and LC-MS-MS; HPLC; frontal affinity chromatography; affinity chromatography; ultrafiltration; pulsed ultrafiltration; gel permeation chromatography
Metabolic evaluation of children with urolithiasis: are adult references for supersaturation appropriate?

ABSTRACTPurpose: We determined the incidence of urinary stone risk factors in pediatric patients with urolithiasis.Materials and Methods: Between 1998 and 2001, 71 children with urolithiasis at 2 pediatric institutions underwent metabolic evaluation. The 24-hour urine samples were analyzed outside central laboratory using adult and known pediatric references. Supersaturation and traditional metabolic parameters were determined and compared.Results: All patients had metabolic abnormalities. Calcium related abnormalities were present in 92% of children, calcium oxalate supersaturation was abnormal in 69%, calcium phosphate supersaturation was elevated in 70% and traditional calcium parameters were abnormal in 80%. While 11% of the patients had abnormal calcium phosphate or oxalate supersaturation with normal traditional calcium parameters, 10% had normal calcium oxalate or phosphate supersaturation with abnormal traditional calcium parameters. Low urinary volume was identified in 75% of the children.Conclus...
Some aspects of dilute suspension theory

A theory proposed by the author as representative of the flow of a general suspension contains three “interaction forces”, f, S and N. For a “quasi-concentrated suspension” and for a “dilute suspension”, N and S, N are omitted, respectively. For the latter special case, we treat diffusion of a fluid through an elastic solid. For a “quasi-concentrated suspension”, we show that F and S depend on the gradient of the motion gradient. We demonstrate the existence of interesting phenomena: non-simple behavior, dissipative effects, generalized lift and drag forces.
Baclofen for chronic hiccups

Chronic hiccups is a rare occurrence but can be debilitating for the patient. Successful intervention is seldom reported. The present case is a young adult who had severe almost continuous hiccups for 3 years after placement of a feeding gastrostomy and Nissen fundoplication. Within weeks of initiation of baclofen treatment, the hiccups ceased. Recurrences of hiccups have responded to increases in baclofen dosage.
Random walk on upper triangular matrices mixes rapidly

We present an upper bound O(n 2 ) for the mixing time of a simple random walk on upper triangular matrices. We show that this bound is sharp up to a constant, and find tight bounds on the eigenvalue gap. We conclude by applying our results to indicate that the asymmetric exclusion process on a circle indeed mixes more rapidly than the corresponding symmetric process.
Nucleation of Dislocations in SIGe Layers

We present an x-ray diffraction study of the variation of the tilt angle between a relaxed Si1-xGex epitaxial layer and the Si (001) substrate. Such measurements provide the basis for a new method to determine the nucleation activation energy of misfit dislocations. We show that the nucleation activation energy for 60° dislocations in the case of the multiplication mechanism observed in graded SiGe layers grown by UHV-CVD at low temperature is 4 eV.
The opisthotonic posture of vertebrate skeletons: postmortem contraction or death throes?

An extreme, dorsally hyperextended posture of the spine (opisthotonus), characterized by the skull and neck recurved over the back, and with strong extension of the tail, is observed in many well-preserved, articulated amniote skeletons (birds and other dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and at least placental mammals). Postmortem water transport may explain some cases of spinal curvature in fossil tetrapods, but we show how these can be distinguished from causes of the opisthotonic posture, which is a biotic syndrome. Traditional biotic explanations nearly all involve postmortem causes, and have included rigor mortis, desiccation, and contraction of tendons and ligaments. However, examination of the process of rigor mortis and experimental observations of drying and salinity in carcasses of extant animals show that these explanations of the “dead bird” (opisthotonic) posture account for few or no cases. Differential contraction of cervical ligaments after death also does not produce the opisthotonic posture. It is not postmortem contraction but perimortem muscle spasms resulting from various afflictions of the central nervous system that cause these extreme postures. That is, the opisthotonic posture is the result of “death throes,” not postmortem processes, and individuals so afflicted assumed the posture before death, not afterward. The clinical literature has long recognized that such afflicted individuals perish from asphyxiation, lack of nourishment or essential nutrients, environmental toxins, or viral infections, among other causes. Accepting the actual causes of the opisthotonic posture as perimortem and not postmortem provides insights into the causes of death of fossilized specimens, and also revises interpretations of paleoenvironmental conditions of many fossil deposits. The opisthotonic posture tells us more about the circumstances surrounding death than about what happened after death. Finally, the opisthotonic posture appears to have a phylogenetic signal: it is so far reported entirely in ornithodiran archosaurs (dinosaurs and pterosaurs) and in crown-group placentals, though the distribution in mammals may expand with further study. It seems important that the opisthotonic posture has been observed extensively only in clades of animals that are known or thought to have high basal metabolic rates: hypoxia and related diseases would be most likely to affect animals with high oxygen use rates.
A Comparative Analysis of Patients With Early-Onset vs Late-Onset Nosocomial Pneumonia in the ICU Setting

Study objective To compare the clinical outcomes of critically ill patients developing early-onset nosocomial pneumonia (NP; ie, within 96 h of ICU admission) and late-onset NP (ie, occurring after 96 h of ICU admission). Design Prospective cohort study. Setting A medical ICU and a surgical ICU from a university-affiliated urban teaching hospital. Patients Between July 1997 and November 1998, 3,668 patients were prospectively evaluated. Intervention Prospective patient surveillance and data collection. Results Four hundred twenty patients (11.5%) developed NP. Early-onset NP was observed in 235 patients (56.0%), whereas 185 patients (44.0%) developed late-onset NP. Among patients with early onset NP, 114 patients (48.5%) spent at least 24 h in the hospital prior to ICU admission, compared to 57 patients (30.8%) with late-onset NP (p = 0.001). One hundred eighty-three patients (77.9%) with early-onset NP received antibiotics prior to the development of NP, as compared to 162 patients (87.6%) with late-onset NP (p = 0.010). The most common pathogens associated with early-onset NP were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (25.1%), oxacillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (OSSA; 17.9%), oxacillin-resistant S aureus (ORSA; 17.9%), and Enterobacter species (10.2%). P aeruginosa (38.4%), ORSA (21.1%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (11.4%), OSSA (10.8%), and Enterobacter species (10.3%) were the most common pathogens associated with late-onset NP. The ICU length of stay was significantly longer for patients with early-onset NP (10.3 ± 8.3 days; p Conclusions Both early-onset and late-onset NP are associated with increased hospital mortality rates and prolonged lengths of stay. The pathogens associated with NP were similar for both groups. This may be due, in part, to the prior hospitalization and use of antibiotics in many patients developing early-onset NP. These data suggest that P aeruginosa and ORSA can be important pathogens associated with early-onset NP in the ICU setting. Additionally, clinicians should be aware of the common microorganisms associated with both early-onset NP and late-onset NP in their hospitals in order to avoid the administration of inadequate antimicrobial treatment.
State Estimation Using Randomly Delayed Measurements

This paper presents a modification of the conventional minimum variance state estimator to accommodate the effects of randomly varying delays in arrival of sensor data at the controller terminal. In this approach, the currently available sensor data is used at each sampling instant to obtain the state estimate which, in turn, can be used to generate the control signal. Recursive relations for the filter dynamics have been derived, and the conditions for uniform asymptotic stability of the filter have been conjectured
Climbing the Microsoft mountain: deploying Microsoft solutions for directory services, email and calendar

In 2010, Ithaca College began making significant changes to the desktop environment. Over the course of three years and four different projects, we moved email, calendar, and directory services to Microsoft. This paper will discuss migrating our users from Novell to Active Directory, moving from a locally hosted email solution to Microsoft Live@edu, moving from Oracle Calendar to Microsoft Live@edu, and finally migrating email and calendar to Microsoft Office 365. Each project was unique in scope, involved a separate timeline and implementation schedule, and presented its own unique challenges. Some of the highlights of these projects include physically touching 4000 Macintosh and Windows computers as part of the Novell to Active Directory migration, determining what email clients to support for the Live email migration, and teaching 1500 users a new way to schedule and manage meetings during final exam week! Once all that was done, we still faced one final migration from Microsoft Live@edu to Microsoft Office 365. This paper will provide a high level overview of these projects, key policy and implementation decisions and lessons learned from a client services perspective.
Nonlinear, Secondary Impacts of Large Urban-Edge Developments as Evidence of Path Dependency in an Integrated Land Use and Transportation Model

The practice of integrated land use and transportation modeling has improved in the past decade. Use of these models has steadily increased among U. S. metropolitan planning organizations and recently among state departments of transportation. This paper examines the secondary growth impacts of large, urban-edge developments in an integrated model to determine the existence and characteristics of induced land development (also called path dependency in the modeled land development process). The Sacramento, California, MEPLAN model is used to simulate the impact of large, urban-edge, basic sector developments on overall and industry-specific employment in the subject zone over a modeled 25-year period. Four types of basic sector development are considered: office and service, industrial and manufacturing, retail, and government. Ten sizes of each type were modeled, and each simulated development shares a common location and year of construction or occupancy. The study found that secondary employment draw w...
Input/output behavior of supercomputing applications

This paper describes the collection and analysis of super- computer I/O traces and their use in a collection of buffering and caching simulations. This serves two purposes. First, it gives a model of how individual applications running on supercomputers request file system I/O, allowing system designers to optimize I/O hardware and file system algorithms to that model. Second, the buffering simulations show what resources are needed to maximize the CPU utilization of a super- computer given a very bursty I/O request rate. By using read-ahead and write-behind in a large solid state disk, one or two applications were sufficient to fully utilize a Cray Y-MP CPU.
Scapular-Stabilization Exercises: Early-Intervention Prescription

Rehabilitation success depends on imple-mentation of a safe and progressive therapeu-tic exercise program. The patient’s medical diagnosis, along with the findings from the physical examination, will dictate the starting point for exercise prescription. The patient’s baseline status will serve as a means to track improvement with selected interventions. This article highlights exercise prescription to enhance scapular stabilization during the initial phase of rehabilitation, with additional tips for subsequent progression to exercises incorporating the kinetic chain.Exercise prescription during the initial phase of a shoulder-rehabilitation program should include flexibility and scapular-stabilization exercises. Flexibility exercises are routinely performed to restore range of motion and allow for the advancement of exercises during the later phases of reha-bilitation. Common areas in which athletes present with inflexibility include the tho-racic spine (lack of thoracic extension), the pectorals (contributing to forward shoulder posture), and the posterior shoulder
Mobile trunked radio system design and simulation

The fundamentals of trunked land mobile radio systems are examined. Many novel resource allocation methods have been examined to meet the unique needs of this service. These assignment algorithms are based on radio unit registration, user group talk zone requirements, and the channel availability. Computer simulation has been used to support this resource allocation method design. In particular, a discrete-event model of a wide area dynamic site assignment based trunked radio system is described. Simulation results are presented for an example comparing the performance of a particular trunking system using the forced vs. dynamic critical assignment method. The example system is to support 7777 radio users across 25 base sites. >
A linear-complexity direct integral equation solver accelerated by a new rank-minimized H 2 -representation for large-scale 3-D interconnect extraction

We develop a new ℌ2-matrix-based representation of the dense system matrix arising from an integral-equation based analysis of large-scale 3D interconnects. The new ℌ2-representation possesses a minimized rank in both nested cluster bases and coupling matrices for a prescribed accuracy. It is applicable to both scalar and vector based integral equation formulations, and real- and complex-valued system matrices. In addition, the new ℌ2-representation is constructed in linear time, and hence the computational overhead is small. Based on the proposed new ℌ2-representation, we develop a linear-complexity direct integral equation solver for 3-D impedance extraction and capacitance extraction of on-chip and package interconnects. The proposed solver is shown to outperform the state-of-the-art linear-complexity direct solver in both memory and CPU consumption. A dense matrix resulting from the capacitance extraction of large-scale 3-D interconnects having 3.71 million unknowns and 576 conductors is inverted in fast CPU time (1.6 hours), modest memory consumption (4.4 GB), and with prescribed accuracy satisfied on a single core running at 3 GHz.
One Piece at a Time: The Role of Timing and Sequencing in Pivotal Politics

To get a person in the majority party to vote against one of their own colleagues, you have to give them good government reasons to do it. —Bill Reardon, Democratic state representative, Kansas
Long-distance of transmission of facial affect signals☆

Abstract This study examined the distance at which certain facial expression can transmit affect messages. A man and a woman assumed—facial expressions that were selected carefully to represent six affects. These expressions were shown in still photographs and in live portrayals to 49 observers who composed four groups which were 30, 35, 40, and 45 meters away from the stimuli. Photographs and live portrayals produced comparable results. Every observer was able to label the expressions accurately although accuracy declined as distance increased. Extrapolation from the data suggested that some messages may be sent far beyond the distances used in this study. These results raise important issues about the transmission of facial signals over distance and suggest that the face is a long-distance transmitter of affect signals.
Mechanistic study of electroosmotic transport across hydrated nail plates: Effects of pH and ionic strength

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of pH and ionic strength on electroosmotic transport in transungual iontophoresis. Transungual iontophoretic transport of model neutral permeants mannitol (MA) and urea (UR) across fully hydrated human nail plates in phosphate‐buffered saline of different pH and ionic strengths were investigated in vitro . Two protocols were involved in the transport experiments with each protocol divided into stages including passive and iontophoresis transport at 0.1 and/or 0.3 mA. Nail plate electrical resistance and water uptake of nail clippings were measured at various pH and ionic strengths. In the pH study, electroosmosis enhanced the anodal transport of MA at pH 9 and cathodal transport at pH 3. The Peclet numbers of MA were more than two times higher than those of UR under these conditions. No significant electroosmosis enhancement was observed for MA and UR at pH 5. In the ionic strength study, a decrease in solution ionic strength from 0.7 to 0.04 M enhanced electroosmotic transport. Nail electrical resistance increased with decreasing the ionic strength of the equilibrating solution, but reached a plateau when the ionic strength was less than approximately 0.07 M. Solution pH and ionic strength had no significant effect on nail hydration. Under the studied pH and ionic strength conditions, the effects of electroosmosis were small compared to the direct‐field effects in transungual iontophoretic transport of small to moderate size permeants. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 97:5186–5197, 2008
Activation of α4β2*/α6β2* nicotinic receptors alleviates anxiety during nicotine withdrawal without upregulating nicotinic receptors.

Although nicotine mediates its effects through several nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes, it remains to be determined which nAChR subtypes directly mediate heightened anxiety during withdrawal. Relative success in abstinence has been found with the nAChR partial agonist varenicline (Chantix; Pfizer, Groton, CT); however, treatment with this drug fails to alleviate anxiety in individuals during nicotine withdrawal. Therefore, it is hypothesized that success can be found by the repurposing of other nAChR partial agonists for cessation therapies that target anxiety. It is noteworthy that the selective partial agonists for α4β2, ABT-089 [2-methyl-3-[2(S)-pyrrolidinylmethoxy]pyridine], and α7, ABT-107 [5-(6-[(3R)-1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-3-yloxy] pyridazin-3-yl)-1H-indole] (AbbVie, North Chicago, IL), have not been evaluated as possible therapeutics for nicotine cessation. Therefore, we examined the effect of ABT-089 and ABT-107 on anxiety during withdrawal from nicotine in the novelty-induced hypophagia (NIH) paradigm. We found that short-term administration of ABT-089 and ABT-107 alleviate anxiety-like behavior during withdrawal from nicotine while long-term administration of ABT-089 but not ABT-107 reduces anxiety-like behavior during withdrawal. After behavioral testing, brains were harvested and β2-containing nAChRs were measured using [3H]epibaditine. ABT-089 and ABT-107 do not upregulate nAChRs, which is in contrast to the upregulation of nAChRs observed after nicotine. Furthermore, ABT-089 is anxiogenic in nicotine naive animals, suggesting that the effects on anxiety are specifically related to the nicotine-dependent state. Together, these studies identify additional nAChR partial agonists that may aid in the rational development of smoking cessation aids.
Strange quantum numbers on solitons in broken symmetry systems

Abstract I would like to discuss two questions which deal with the nature of elementary excitations in well-defined condensedmatter systems. The first question is, ‘Can a system made up of particles each of which have integer charge (± e ) have excitations on fractional charge Q = ± ve without violating quantum echanics?’ The second question is, ‘Can a system of particles interacting with forces which are invariant under space and time inversion have excitations which can move in only a single direction?’ The answer to both of these questions is affirmative. It is interesting to see how these peculiar results come about in specific cases.
Impact of Improving Home Environments on Energy Intake and Physical Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives. We assessed the effectiveness of an intervention targeting home food and activity environments to reduce energy intake and increase physical activity among overweight and obese patients from 3 community health centers in rural Georgia.Methods. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (n = 349) from 2011 to 2013, with follow-up at 6 and 12 months. Health coaches delivered the 16-week intervention by using tailored home environment profiles showing areas in need of improvement and positive aspects of the home environment, behavioral contracts for healthy actions, and mailed support materials.Results. Participants were mostly African American women (84.8%), with a mean age of 50.2 years and a mean body mass index (weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) of 38.3. Daily energy intake decreased more for the intervention than control group at 6 (–274 vs –69 kcal) and 12 months (–195 vs –76 kcal). We observed no change for either objective or self-reported physical activity. A...
Hypertension, use of antihypertensive medications, and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer

Few studies have examined the associations of hypertension and antihypertensive medications with ovarian cancer. In particular, beta-blockers, one of the most commonly prescribed medications to treat hypertension, may reduce ovarian cancer risk by inhibiting beta-adrenergic signaling. We prospectively followed 90,384 women in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) between 1988-2012 and 113,121 NHSII participants between 1989-2011. Hypertension and use of antihypertensive medications were self-reported biennially. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We documented 948 ovarian cancer cases during follow-up. Similar results were observed in the two cohorts. While hypertension was not associated with ovarian cancer risk (Pooled HR = 1.01; 95% CI = 0.88, 1.16), current use of any antihypertensive medication was associated with slightly increased risk compared to never users (Pooled HR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.37). This increased risk was primarily due to use of thiazide diuretics (Pooled HR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.68). No associations were observed for beta-blockers or angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) were associated with suggestively reduced risk (NHS HR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.53, 1.01), after adjusting for all antihypertensive medications. Associations were similar among hypertensive women and stronger for longer use of thiazide diuretics and CCBs. In conclusion, our results provided no evidence that beta-blockers were associated with reduced ovarian cancer risk. In contrast, we observed an increased risk for use of thiazide diuretics that should be confirmed in other studies.
Kinetics of the taste response to chemical stimulation: a theory of acid taste in man.

The capacity of six carboxylic acids to elicit sour taste in man was characterized using salivary flow rate as an index of response. The relation between flow rate and molar concentration obeyed drug-receptor kinetics: maximal response for all six weak acids was similar to that for HC1 and did not alter in the presence of the Na salt which appeared to act as a competitive inhibitor. Although potency followed a general order of declining pK, experiments in which pH was held constant established that the H ion concentration of the external solution was of little consequence in stimulation. Potency was determined by the content of titratable acid to pH 5 to 6, suggesting that stimulation involved dissociation (or association/titration) of acid by proteinlike receptors. By assuming that the energy utilized to effect peripheral response resulted from such a process, an expression was derived which allowed prediction of potency from the pK’s of various acids. The predictive validity of this expression was confirmed on published psychophysical and electrophysiological data. The ease of application and accuracy of this technique provide an unusual opportunity for quantitative studies of taste modalities in man. An extension of this analysis to other chemoreceptive analogues in the gut should lead to better understanding of gastrointestinal hormone release.