cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intraspecific trail following by the mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta

In the laboratory the mud snail llyanassa obsoleta follows the mucous trails of conspecifics away from the trail's origin in the absence of any cue other than some parameter of the mucous trail. Cues guiding directionally polarized trail following persist after trails have been immersed in seawater for at least four hours. Individual snails can distinguish their own from a conspecific's trail as evidenced by the preference of mud snails to pursue a con • specific's trail rather than their own. The responses of llyanassa to trails of the closely related gastropod Nassarius vibex are similar to its responses to conspecific's trails, but N. vibex exhibits species‐specific trail following. The data suggest that chemoreception is involved in trail following behavior and the results are discussed in reference to aspects of the ecology of llyanassa.
A step in synthesis.

The extraordinarily high strength and stiffness of single-walled carbon nanotubes promises a myriad of unique applications, but many of these are reliant on the growth of ultralong, continuous nanotubes. A new synthetic procedure takes us a step closer to this goal.
Conservative treatment of perforation and bile peritonitis after peroral jejunal biopsy. Report of a case.

A case is reported of perforation of the distal jejunum following biopsy with the Bolt hydraulic instrument. It is probable that perforation was due to the biopsy's being performed twice at the same site. The patient responded to nonoperative management.
Inhibition of an equilibrative nucleoside transporter by cannabidiol: A mechanism of cannabinoid immunosuppression

The plant-derived cannabinoids delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) both have immunosuppressive effects; although some effects of THC are mediated by the CB2 receptor, CB2 binds CBD weakly. In examining the effects of THC and CBD on microglial proliferation, we found that these compounds potently inhibit [3H]thymidine incorporation into a murine microglial cell line with no effect on cell cycle. Treatment with THC and CBD decreased [3H]thymidine uptake into microglia, with IC50 values that match inhibition of [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA. CBD and, less potently, THC decreased uptake of [3H]adenosine to a similar extent as [3H]thymidine in both murine microglia and RAW264.7 macrophages. Binding studies confirm that CBD binds to the equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 with a Ki < 250 nM. Because adenosine agonists have antiinflammatory effects, and because uptake of adenosine is a primary mechanism of terminating adenosine signaling, we tested the hypothesis that CBD is immunosuppressive because it enhances endogenous adenosine signaling. In vivo treatment with a low dose of CBD decreases TNFalpha production in lipopolysaccharide-treated mice; this effect is reversed with an A2A adenosine receptor antagonist and abolished in A2A receptor knockout mice. These studies demonstrate that CBD has the ability to enhance adenosine signaling through inhibition of uptake and provide a non-cannabinoid receptor mechanism by which CBD can decrease inflammation.
Cold Electronics Development for the LBNE LAr TPC

Abstract The LBNE Project is developing a design for multiple 20 kiloton liquid argon (LAr) time projection chambers to be used as the far detector for the Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment. An essential component of this design is a complete electronic readout system designed to operate in LAr (at 90K). This system is being implemented as a CMOS ASIC, in 180 nm commercial technology, that will provide low-noise readout of the signals induced on the TPC wires, digitization of those signals at 2 MS/s, zero-suppression, buffering and output multiplexing to a small number of cryostat feed-throughs. A resolution better than 1000 rms electrons at 200 pF input capacitance for an input range of 300 fC is required, along with low power (
Diffractive effects and general boundary conditions in Casimir energy

The effect of edges and apertures on the Casimir energy of an arrangement of plates and boundaries can be calculated in terms of an effective nonlocal lower-dimensional field theory that lives on the boundary. This formalism has been developed in a number of previous papers and applied to specific examples with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Here we generalize the formalism to arbitrary boundary conditions. As a specific example, the geometry of a flat plate and a half-plate placed parallel to it is considered for a number of different boundary conditions, and the area-dependent and edge-dependent contributions to the Casimir energy are evaluated. While our results agree with known results for those special cases (such as the Dirichlet and Neumann limits) for which other methods of calculation have been used, our formalism is suitable for general boundary conditions, especially for the diffractive effects.
Diffusion of Civil Service Reform: the Federal and State Governments

Concepts and strategies for improving public personnel management emanate from all levels of government and diffuse from one jurisdiction to another. Rarely is the diffusion random. This study iden...
The Other Hawthorne

With their fluent colloquial prose and curiosity about life's spectacle, Hawthorne's voluminous notebooks belie the common notion that temperament and talent led him to write works of allegorical romance rather than realism. The essay argues that Hawthorne cultivated romance not because he believed in its idealizing vision but rather because, extrapolating from his experience of “the real,” he didn't.
Beasts of the Field

An anthropological linguist leaves home on December 28, 1985, for three months of field work in Barrio Guadalupe, a hillside community on the outskirts of a bustling Mexican town in Chiapas, near the Guatemalan border. Motozintla is home to the handful of Mocho speakers who, in spite of a nearly total transition to the cultural milieu of rural Mexico, still retain their Mayan language. It is Mocho she has come to document, and she intends to do so while living in the household of don Juan Mendez Matias, premier speaker of Mocho. Into a compound of two adobe houses, the Mendez family welcomes dona Laura, whose fluent Spanish and general familiarity with rural Central American lifeways disguise her genuinely alien views about people, animals, and life. Over the several weeks that follow, we discover and rediscover the extent of the resulting conflicts of perception and response. For the linguist, it is the events involving animals that produce an unanticipated epiphany on fieldwork itself.
Card-Sorting Usability Tests of the WMU Libraries’ Web Site

ABSTRACT This article describes the card-sorting techniques used by several academic libraries, reports and discusses the results of card-sorting usability tests of the Western Michigan University Libraries’ Web site, and reveals how the WMU libraries incorporated the findings into a new Web site redesign, setting the design direction early on. The article briefly describes open and closed card-sorting techniques and quantitative and qualitative methods of analyzing data commonly used in computer and library science fields. Findings from this study allowed the library design team to vastly improve its initial redesign decisions for a new Web site tabbed navigation system. Card sorting not only helped the design team validate its redesign decisions, but it also opened the WMU libraries to outside innovation, inviting Web site visitors to redesign the Web site free from the libraries’ influence. The simple and inexpensive techniques used here may be useful to any Web librarian or design team embarking upon ...
Dual isotope thallium and indium antimyosin SPECT imaging to identify acute infarct patients at further ischemic risk

Forty-two patients (28 men and 14 women) with acute myocardial infarction (35 Q, seven non-Q wave) were injected with 2.0 mCi indium 111-labeled antimyosin (AM) monoclonal antibody (111In AM) within 48 hours of the onset of chest pain. Forty-eight hours later (72-96 hours after onset of chest pain), patients were injected with 2.2 mCi thallium 201, and two sets of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images were obtained simultaneously using dual energy windows set for the 247 keV indium photopeak and the 70 keV thallium peak. Seventeen patients had repeat scans at 4 hours. 111In AM uptake and 201Tl defects were localized to one or more of 24 coronal and sagittal segments. Scans with only 201Tl defects and corresponding 111In AM uptake were classified as matches; scans with unmatched 201Tl defects in addition to matching regions corresponding to electrocardiographic infarct location were classified as mismatches; and scans with 201Tl and 111In AM uptake in the same segments were classified as overlap. Scan patterns were correlated with clinical evidence for residual ischemia occurring within 6 weeks of infarct and including infarct extension, recurrent angina, and positive predischarge low-level or 6-week symptom-limited stress tests and with coronary anatomy. Fourteen patients had only matching patterns (group 1), 23 had mismatches (group 2), and five had 201Tl-111In overlap as the predominant pattern. None of the patients in group 1 had previous myocardial infarction; in each, the matched area corresponded to the Q wave location on electrocardiogram, and none had further in-hospital ischemic events or positive stress tests.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Der Aufbau der Nervenplexus in der Hornhaut des Schafsauges

Fur die Existenz eines terminalen Nervennetzes, in dem alle Faserqualitaten verschmolzen sein sollen und das die alleinige Endigung aller Hornhautnerven darstellen soll, fand sich histologisch in der normalen Hornhaut des Schafes kein Hinweis.
Properties of the delta operator model of dynamic physical systems

For control system analysis and design, and high-speed real-time computation, the computational formulation, properties and applications of the delta operator model of dynamic physical systems are highlighted. Doubling algorithms for reliable computation are formulated, and the transfer function matrix of the delta operator model is illustrated. In the fast sampling limit, the delta operator model tends to the dynamic system model. This intrinsic property of the delta operator model unifies continuous and discrete time control engineering and paves the way for the design of robust computational algorithms. >
Assessing the value of routine upper gastrointestinal contrast studies following bariatric surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Understanding both the efficacy of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) contrast studies and the factors that impact their accuracy is necessary to optimize postoperative imaging protocols. However, a consensus as to the value of UGI performed after bariatric surgery remains elusive. The objective was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of UGI conducted routinely within 2 days after bariatric surgery for detecting anastomotic leaks. Methods We conducted an electronic search of MEDLINE for all English language articles published between 2003 and 2013 concerning diagnostic imaging after bariatric surgery. Nineteen studies evaluating a total of 10,139 patients met the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of each included study was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 procedure. Results UGI has an overall sensitivity of .54 and a specificity of 1.00. The standard deviation of the reported sensitivities was .36. Positive and negative predictive values were .67 and .98, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity were negatively correlated. Conclusions The sensitivity of UGI for detecting the presence of anastomotic leaks within 2 days of bariatric surgery is moderate overall but fluctuates substantially. The negative correlation between sensitivity and specificity could indicate that the threshold used to distinguish between positive and negative test results varies between institutions. Accordingly, clinicians may consider shifting the threshold for declaring a UGI positive; treating marginal radiological evidence of leakage as presumptively positive may be a simple way to lower specificity, increase sensitivity, and in turn maximize UGI's clinical value.
A direct assay of female choice in cichlids: all the eggs in one basket

A novel testing apparatus is presented which affords the researcher maximum control over the testing environment, but allows for the scoring of actual spawning events. Female Metriaclima zebra and Metriaclima benetos chose the appropriate conspecific mate in every mating trial performed. This apparatus provides support for a critical assumption of many cichlid speciation models: that female cichlids use visual cues to recognize conspecifics. These results demonstrate that females are able to identify conspecific mates using only visual cues, and provide further support for the importance of sexual selection in the speciation of these fishes.
Preferential Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Swine-Origin 2009 A(H1N1) Influenza

We report a case of 2009 influenza A(H1N1) virus infection in which virus was detected predominantly in specimens from the lower respiratory tract but was absent or at very low levels in nasopharyngeal swab samples. This presentation suggests that, in certain hosts or for particular variants of 2009 A(H1N1) virus, the lower respiratory tract may be the preferred site of infection.
Multicentre trials: a US regulatory perspective:

Multicentre trials are very common in the field of drug development. In recent years, multicentre trials have taken on a multinational and multiregional aspect. We provide a conceptual framework for the use of multicentre trials in the context of drug development, from the perspective of drug regulation in the United States. In this paper, we review some regulatory history, milestones and standards as they relate to multicentre trials. Special attention is given to the similarities and differences in the approaches to multicentre trials in the following documents; Guideline for the Format and Content of the Clinical and Statistical Sections of New Drug Applications, International Conference on Harmonization, Draft Guideline on Statistical Principles for clinical trials and the Guidance for Industry Providing Clinical Evidence of Effectiveness for Human Drug and Biologic Products. The paper includes a consideration of some of the issues in the analysis of data from multicentre trials.
Exploring relations among college students' prior knowledge, implicit theories of intelligence, and self-regulated learning in a hypermedia environment

Researchers and educators continue to explore how to assist students in the acquisition of conceptual understanding of complex science topics. While hypermedia learning environments (HLEs) afford unique opportunities to display multiple representations of these often abstract topics, students who do not engage in self-regulated learning (SRL) with HLEs often fail to achieve conceptual understanding. There is a lack of research regarding how student characteristics, such as prior knowledge and students' implicit theory of intelligence (ITI), interact with SRL to influence academic performance. In this study, structural equation modeling was used to investigate these issues. It was found that prior knowledge and ITI were related to SRL and performance, and that SRL acted as a benevolent moderator, enhancing the positive effects of prior knowledge upon learning, and diminishing the negative effects of having a maladaptive ITI.
Educational Games and Outcomes

The field of games and learning encompasses research around the design of educational games, the ways in which teachers and players use commercial games for educational purposes, and even ways in which game-like systems are being implemented to make learning more engaging. The first section of this entry outlines several foundational theories for games, learning, and engagement, including flow, the zone of proximal development, and hard fun, as well as principles of learning that are often embedded in good game design. The second section includes a discussion of the ways that games are designed for and used for learning – to teach content and to introduce players to new ways of being, including providing entrance to new knowledge domains and discourses. The final section describes emerging trends in the educational games and the games and learning field, including the gamification of education, badges, and embedded assessment strategies. Keywords: digital media; gamification; interactive multimedia; learning; teaching; video games
Security constraint processing in a multilevel secure distributed database management system

In a multilevel secure distributed database management system, users cleared at different security levels access and share a distributed database consisting of data at different sensitivity levels. An approach to assigning sensitivity levels, also called security levels, to data is one which utilizes constraints or classification rules. Security constraints provide an effective classification policy. They can be used to assign security levels to the data based on content, context, and time. We extend our previous work on security constraint processing in a centralized multilevel secure database management system by describing techniques for processing security constraints in a distributed environment during query, update, and database design operations. >
NGF-independent survival of postganglionic sympathetic neurons in neuronal-vascular smooth muscle cocultures.

The present study tests the hypothesis that vascular cells promote the survival of postganglionic sympathetic neurons in the absence of nerve growth factor (NGF). To test this hypothesis, neurons i...
Genome-wide expression profiling in Escherichia coli K-12

We have established high resolution methods for global monitoring of gene expression in Escherichia coli. Hybridization of radiolabeled cDNA to spot blots on nylon membranes was compared to hybridization of fluorescently-labeled cDNA to glass microarrays for efficiency and reproducibility. A complete set of PCR primers was created for all 4290 annotated open reading frames (ORFs) from the complete genome sequence of E.coli K-12 (MG1655). Glass- and nylonbased arrays of PCR products were prepared and used to assess global changes in gene expression. Full-length coding sequences for array printing were generated by two-step PCR amplification. In this study we measured changes in RNA levels after exposure to heat shock and following treatment with isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). Both radioactive and fluorescence-based methods showed comparable results. Treatment with IPTG resulted in high level induction of the lacZYA and melAB operons. Following heat shock treatment 119 genes were shown to have significantly altered expression levels, including 35 previously uncharacterized ORFs and most genes of the heat shock stimulon. Analysis of spot intensities from hybridization to replicate arrays identified sets of genes with signals consistently above background suggesting that at least 25% of genes were expressed at detectable levels during growth in rich media.
COMPARING APPLES AND ORANGES

Considering its importance to the consumer, price is a relatively neglected variable in the technical consumer literature. The neglect is attributed to the inability of researchers to ensure the equivalency of comparison items or the apple-and-orange question. The argument is made that price comparisons of non-equivalent items are valid and appropriate when the investigator assesses different retail outlets which promote different products, examines common elements found in different products, or compares groups of consumers with different buying preferences.
Trade‐offs in female signal apparency to males offer alternative anti‐harassment strategies for colour polymorphic females

Colour polymorphisms are known to influence receiver behaviour, but how they affect a receiver's ability to detect and recognize individuals in nature is usually unknown. I hypothesized that polymorphic female damselflies represent an evolutionary stable strategy, maintained by trade-offs between the relative apparency of morphs to male receivers. Using field experiments on Enallagma hageni and focal studies of E. hageni and Enallagma boreale, I tested for the first time the predictions that (i) green heteromorphs and blue andromorphs gain differential protection from sexual harassment via background crypsis and sexual mimicry, respectively, and (ii) female morphs behaviourally optimize their signal apparency to mate-searching males. First, based on male reactions elicited by females, against a high-contrast background, the two morphs did not differ in being detected by males, and once detected, they did not differ in being recognized (eliciting sexual reactions). However, on green ferns, heteromorphs were less likely to be detected (elicited only fly-bys) than andromorphs, but once detected, the morphs did not differ in being recognized. In contrast, when perched on a dowel with two male signal distractors, andromorphs were detected less often, and once detected, they were recognized less often than heteromorphs. Second, in fields where females foraged, andromorphs perched higher on vegetation than heteromorphs and were more often in the vicinity of males. Neither harassment rates nor evasive behaviours differed between morphs. Males aggregated in high density near shore where solitary females were rare. Equilibrium frequencies of these and other colour morphs should reflect the relative ease with which receivers detect and recognize them in the context where they are encountered.
ARSA: An Attack-Resilient Security Architecture for Multihop Wireless Mesh Networks

Multihop wireless mesh networks (WMNs) are finding ever-growing acceptance as a viable and effective solution to ubiquitous broadband Internet access. This paper addresses the security of WMNs, which is a key impediment to wide-scale deployment of WMNs, but thus far receives little attention. We first thoroughly identify the unique security requirements of WMNs for the first time in the literature. We then propose ARSA, an attack-resilient security architecture for WMNs. In contrast to a conventional cellular-like solution, ARSA eliminates the need for establishing bilateral roaming agreements and having real-time interactions between potentially numerous WMN operators. With ARSA in place, each user is no longer bound to any specific network operator, as he or she ought to do in current cellular networks. Instead, he or she acquires a universal pass from a third-party broker whereby to realize seamless roaming across WMN domains administrated by different operators. ARSA supports efficient mutual authentication and key agreement both between a user and a serving WMN domain and between users served by the same WMN domain. In addition, ARSA is designed to be resilient to a wide range of attacks. We also discuss other important issues such as incontestable billing
Effect of Adrenalectomy on Pressor Responsiveness to Angiotonin and Renin

Pressor response to injection of renin is reduced or abolished during adrenal insufficiency without concurrent change in response to angiotonin and other drugs. Selective loss of response to renin is considered to result from depletion of available renin-substrate by endogenous renin; when release of endogenous renin is precluded by nephrectomy, adrenalectomy does not cause diminution of response to renin. The increase in response to angiotonin and renin that follows nephrectomy is not prevented by adrenalectomy.
Maximum geodesic routing in the plane with obstacles

Do convex obstacles in the plane always leave 3 separate escape routes? Here, an escape route is a locally geodesic path that avoids the obstacles; escape routes are separate if they have no point in common but their origin. We answer this question, posed at FWCG ’09 by Al-Jubeh, Ishaque and T oth, in the armative and show how to eciently compute the routes.
Sampling Channel Catfish with Tandem Hoop Nets in Small Impoundments

Abstract Because populations of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus have been difficult to sample in small impoundments, we determined whether tandem hoop net series (three nets tied in series and baited with cheese) fished for 3 d could effectively sample these populations. In 2000 we compared seasonal catch rates (catch per unit effort (CPUE), defined as the number of fish caught per series) and length frequencies (total length (TL); mm) of channel catfish captured with two types of tandem series (long versus short bridles) and monitored the mortality of channel catfish along with the CPUE and mortality of bycatch in five lakes. Mean CPUE ranged from 12 to 194 fish/series for channel catfish and from 5 to 101 fish/series for bycatch among series types, lakes, and sampling periods. Mean CPUE for channel catfish and bycatch was similar between series types and did not consistently vary with sampling period. Length frequencies of channel catfish were usually similar between series types. Mortality was low ...
Lobar Pentamidine Levels and Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia Following Aerosolized Pentamidine

Recent studies have suggested that failure of pentamidine prophylaxis against Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) may be due to reduced deposition of pentamidine in the upper lobes. In this study, we performed bronchoalveolar lavage from the apical segment of the upper lobe and the middle lobe in 51 HIV-positive patients, all of whom were receiving prophylaxis with aerosolized pentamidine, who had presented with acute respiratory symptoms. Lavage fluid from each lobe was assayed for pentamidine using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The number of clusters of P carinii were counted after staining with a Wright-Giemsa stain. The patients were subclassified as PCP-positive (32 patients) and PCP-negative (19 patients) on the basis of the presence/absence of P carinii clusters in their BAL fluid. The concentration of pentamidine in the upper lobe compared with the middle lobe was no different (using paired Student's t tests) for either PCP-positive patients or PCP-negative patients. In comparing the positive with the negative subjects, using unpaired Student's t test, there was no difference in the concentration of pentamidine in the upper lobe or the middle lobe. For PCP-positive patients, the numbers of P carinii clusters were on average higher in the upper lobes (mean +/- SD: upper = 14.9 +/- 16.6, middle 7.5 +/- 10.8, p = 0.013, paired Student's t test), but there was no correlation between lobar P carinii cluster counts and pentamidine levels. We conclude that the absence of a relationship between cluster count and pentamidine level, the similarity in regional pentamidine levels between upper and middle lobes, as well as the similarity in pentamidine levels between the PCP-positive and PCP-negative groups indicate that the regional dose of pentamidine is not the determining factor as to whether aerosolized pentamidine prophylaxis will succeed or fail.
Pre- and Postseason Dynamic Ultrasound Evaluation of the Pitching Elbow.

Purpose To use ultrasound imaging to document changes over time (i.e., preseason v postseason) in the pitching elbow of high school baseball pitchers. Methods Twenty-two high school pitchers were prospectively followed. Pitchers were evaluated after a 2-month period of relative arm rest via preseason physical exams, dynamic ultrasound imaging of their throwing elbow, and the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) assessment. Players were reevaluated within 1 week of their last game. Dynamic ultrasound images were then randomized, blinded to testing time point, and evaluated by 2 fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologists. Results Average pitcher age was 16.9 years. Average pitches thrown was 456.5, maximum velocity 77.7 mph, games pitched 7.3, and days off between starts 6.6. From preseason to postseason, there were significant increases in ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) thickness ( P = .02), ulnar nerve cross-sectional area ( P = .001), UCL substance heterogeneity ( P = .001), and QuickDASH scores ( P = .03). In addition, there was a nonsignificant increase in loaded ulnohumeral joint space ( P = .10). No pitchers had loose bodies on preseason exam, while 3 demonstrated loose bodies postseason. The increase in UCL thickness was significantly associated with the number of bullpen sessions per week ( P = .01). The increase in ulnar nerve cross-sectional area was significantly associated with the number of pitches ( P = .04), innings pitched ( P = .01), and games pitched ( P = .04). Conclusions The stresses placed on the elbow during only one season of pitching create adaptive changes to multiple structures about the elbow including UCL heterogeneity and thickening, increased ulnohumeral joint space laxity, and enlarged ulnar nerve cross-sectional area. Level of Evidence Level II prospective observational study.
A Central Limit Theorem for the Sock-Sorting Problem

The problem of arranging 2n objects into n pairs in a prescribed way, when the objects are presented one at a time in random order, is considered. Using tools from the theory of empirical processes, we derive a functional central limit theorem, with a limiting Gaussian process closely related to the Brownian sheet.
Tactile feedback is present during minimally invasive surgery.

Abstract Background: The applications of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and laparoscopy are rapidly expanding. Despite this expansion, our understanding of the importance of haptic feedback during laparoscopic surgery is incomplete. Although many surgeons believe that the use of minimally invasive techniques eliminates force feedback and tactile sensation (haptics), the importance of haptics in MIS has not been fully evaluated. There is considerable interest in the development of simulators for MIS even though the importance of force feedback remains poorly understood. This study was designed to determine the ability of experienced surgeons to interpret haptic feedback with respect to texture, shape, and consistency of an object. Study Design: A randomized, single-blinded study was designed. Twenty surgeons were presented objects in a random order, with participants blinded as to their identity. Inspection by direct palpation, conventional instruments, and laparoscopic instruments was performed on all objects. Statistic analysis of the data was performed using chi-square analysis and, when appropriate, a Fischer exact probability test. Results: Direct palpation was associated with the highest accuracy for shape identification and was superior to both conventional instruments (p Conclusions: These data indicate that laparoscopic instruments do, in fact, provide surgeons with haptic feedback. Interpretation of the texture, shape, and consistency of objects can be performed. In some situations, laparoscopic instruments appear to amplify the haptic information available. Our ongoing work is directed at further defining force interactions.
Longitudinal Data with Serial Correlation : A State-Space Approach

This monograph is written for students at the graduate level in biostatistics, statistics or other disciplines that collect longitudinal data. It concentrates on the state space approach that provides a convenient way to compute likelihoods using the Kalman filter.
Finite Element Analysis of Debonded Sandwich Beams Under Axial Compression

A nonlinear finite element analysis was performed to simulate axial com- pression of sandwich beams with debonded face sheets. The load-end-shortening dia- grams were generated for a variety of specimens used in a previous experimental study. The energy release rate at the crack tip was computed using the J-integral, and plotted as a function of the load. A detailed stress analysis was performed and the critical stresses in the face sheet and the core were computed. The core was also molded as an isotropic elastic- perfectly plastic material and a nonlinear post buckling analysis was performed. A Graeco-Latin factorial plan was used to study the effects of debond length, fact sheet and core thicknesses, and core density on the load carrying capacity of the sandwich composite. It has been found that a linear buckling analysis is inadequate in determining the maximum load a debonded sandwich beam can carry. A nonlinear post-buckling analysis combined with an elasto-plastic model of the core is required to predict the compression behavior of debonded sandwich beams.
Social Status: A Comparison of Mainstreamed Students with Peers of Different Ability Levels:

This study compared the peer acceptance of main-streamed elementary school students with that of their class peers of differing ability levels. In each classroom, a mainstreamed student and a student of low, average, and high ability, defined in terms of reading-group placement, were selected randomly. To assess peer acceptance, a sociometric scale was group-administered to each of the participating 100 classes while the mainstreamed student was present. ANOVA indicated that the main effect due to ability level was significant. The Scheffe test revealed that peer acceptance was significantly lower for the mainstreamed student as compared with both the average- and the high-ability student. However, the mainstreamed and low-ability students were not significantly different from each other, nor were the average- and high-ability students.
Rainfall Climate Regimes: The Relationship of Regional TRMM Rainfall Biases to the Environment

Abstract Intercomparisons of satellite rainfall products have historically focused on the issue of global mean biases. Regional and temporal variations in these biases, however, are equally important for many climate applications. This has led to a critical examination of rainfall estimates from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) and precipitation radar (PR). Because of the time-dependent nature of these biases, it is not possible to apply corrections based on regionally defined characteristics. Instead, this paper seeks to relate PR–TMI differences to physical variables that can lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the observed differences. To simplify the analysis, issues related to differences in rainfall detection and intensity are investigated separately. For clouds identified as raining by both sensors, differences in rainfall intensity are found to be highly correlated with column water vapor. Adjusting either TMI or PR rain rates based...
Equivalent circuit model for pole-phase modulation induction machines

Equivalent circuit parameter expressions have been derived to account for electronic pole changing in pole-phase modulation (PPM) induction machines. Conventional expressions require a fixed number of electrical phases, and winding pole count to be equal to magnetic pole count, both of which are not always satisfied in PPM machines. The proposed model can describe machines with an arbitrary number of electrical inputs and pole count configurations. Generalized parameter expressions allow for the examination of high-level design trade-offs associated with machine geometry, winding design, inverter leg count, and electronic pole count selection in variable speed applications. Finite element models and experiments are used to validate the analytical framework and verify parameter variation during electronic pole adjustment.
Passion for Survival in Polanski's The Pianist

IN THE PIANIST, ROMAN POLANSKI ILLUMINATES THE TRAUMAS AND triumphs inherent in Holocaust survival through his cinematic portrayal of the survival of one man—Wladyslaw Szpilman, a renowned concert ...
Sleep disordered breathing in chronic spinal cord injury.

Study Objectives:Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with 2-5 times greater prevalence of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) than the general population. The contribution of SCI on sleep and breat...
Statement from the Third Quadrennial International Symposium on Quantities and Units in Clinical Medicine—Paris, November 14–15, 1980

THE COMMISSION ON WORLD STANDARDS in Clinical Pathology of the World Association of Societies of Pathology (COWS of WASP) organizes symposia from time to time with a view to promote understanding of statements concerning the results of medical examinations. International symposia are organized every four years. The first international symposium on quantities and units took place in 1972 in Munich, Germany, the second in 1976 in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and the third in 1980 in Paris, France. This third symposium was sponsored by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, Coultronics, S.A., and Du Pont de Nemours, Ltd., The German Institute for Standardization and Documentation in Medical Laboratories (INSTAND), and by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). To this symposium were invited: Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM); Commission on World Standards of the World Association of Societies of Pathology (COWS of WASP); International Committee for Standardization in Hematology (ICSH); International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC); International Standard Organization (ISO); International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS); International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC); United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); World Health Organization (WHO); and World Medical Association (WMA). Personal invitations were given to selected scientists; those present included: Prof. Dr. A. Alissy, BIPM, Paris, France; Mrs. I. Batty, IUIS, London, United Kingdom; Dr. Ch.-G. de Boroviczeny, Moderator, COWS of WASP, INSTAND, Berlin, FDR; Prof. Dr.
The Human Neutrophil Respiratory Burst Oxidase

Neutrophils are the host's first line of defense against many pathogenic bacteria and fimgi. Their ability to kill invading microorganisms depends to a large extent on the respiratory burst, a sequence of events whereby the activated phagocyte reduces molecular oxygen to a variety of toxic products. This dramatic increase in oxidative metabolism triggered by phagocytosis or exposure to certain inflammatory mediators is also characteristic of mononuclear phagocytes and eosinophils but is best understood in neutrophils. The initial product of the respiratory burst is the superoxide anion (01), whereas subsequent reactions lead to the formation of other toxic agents including hydrogen peroxide (HzOz), hypochlorous acid (HOC1) and possibly hydroxy 1 radical (OH) and singlet oxygen QOt). The biochemical basis for the neutrophil respiratory burst has been under intensive study and the features of the rapidly emerging, though still incomplete, picture of the responsible oxidase are reviewed here (also see [1-5].
Application of Computational Methods to the Design of Large Turbofan Engine Nacelles

The aerodynamic design of a modern high bypass ratio turbofan engine nacelle for a commercial transport involves the extensive use of a variety of computational methods. This is distinctly different from common practice only 10-12 years ago. Although many of the computational methods and computer codes were basically in place and, indeed, had been in place for some years before that, the tendency was to utilize them relatively little in selecting a design. Their use by the design community was often limited to analyzing configurations after problems in the selected designs had become apparent. As time progressed, the quality of the computer codes and their documentation improved,computation costs decreased, and the codes began to be used by designers as opposed to being used only by the code developers. As this happened, the transition from a design process dominated by aerodynamic testing to one that at least screened potential configurations using computational methods took place rather quickly. Over this period of time, a new generation of transport aircraft, engines, and their nacelles was developed and put into revenue service. The influence of computational methods
Is patient acuity a proxy for patient characteristics of the AACN Synergy Model for Patient Care

Purpose To test the feasibility of using patient acuity indicators as proxy measures for the AACN Synergy Model for Patient Care patient characteristics. Design and methods Secondary data analysis of a convenience sample of 481 patient ratings from adult and pediatric critical and noncritical medical surgical patients. Findings Combining dichotomous patient acuity indicators into multilevel categorical variables allowed evaluation of linear relationships between acuity and patient characteristics indicators. Of the 8 patient characteristics, only participation in care exhibited meaningful correlations with the acuity indicators. According to these findings, acuity indicators should not be substituted for the Synergy Model patient characteristics.
Vehicle Health Monitoring Using Stochastic Constraint Suspension

Autonomous fault management has recently been identified as a key technology for future space missions in NASA’s 2010 technology roadmap. An innovative approach to vehicle health monitoring (VHM) is proposed using constraint suspension with parity space and hypothesis testing techniques. The aim is to explicitly model and use information about sensor and process noise to create a VHM algorithm that is designed for tunable, predictable reliability. The proposed algorithm is described and preliminary simulation and analytic results are reported that demonstrate an improvement over constraint suspension using fixed threshold node comparison.
Through the Lens: A New Approach to Decision Modeling under Free Flight

Air traffic management (ATM) concepts of the future are committed towards significantly enhancing the capacity and making flying even safer. Since, these new ATM concepts will change the roles and responsibilities of pilots and the air traffic controllers, it is important that their impact on safety be evaluated. Many proposed schemes includes shifting the separation assurance function (maintaining safe distances between aircraft) to the cockpit from ground based air traffic control, and to assign a supervisory role to the air traffic controller, who would make decisions in exceptional cases. Some initial research in this direction has shown that controllers cannot intervene effectively without decision support tools like “conflict probes”. Furthermore controllers and pilots have different strategies for resolving conflicts about separation and airspace. Accordingly, there is a need to better understand and classify the decision-making behavior of different agents in the future proposed ATM system.This pa...
Effect of N,N-dibenzyl-beta-chloroethylamine hydrochloride on autonomic functions and catatonia in schizophrenic subjects.

Summary1. Certain autonomic functions (B.P., P.R., skin temperature, palmar sweat response, electrical skin resistance), the signs of catatonia, and the psychiatric status of 9 patients with schizophrenic reactions, catatonic type, were evaluated before and after saline, sodium amytal, and Dibenamine infusions.2. Pre-injection autonomic abnormalities were low systolic B.P., cool extremities, and either very low sweat responses with high E.S. Rs., or hyperhidrosis with very low E.S. Rs.3. Saline produced no significant changes.4. Sodium amytal infusions were followed by increased hand temperatures and improvement in the catatonia, especially in the verbal spheres. The subjects became relaxed, showed little interest in surroundings. In those 4 who developed sufficient speech function, hebephrenic or paranoid ideas were expressed. All changes were transient.5. Dibenamine infusions were followed by a slight increase in systolic B.P. and a large increase in P.R., neither of which changes have been reported in ...
Hemostatic abnormalities associated with cancer and its therapy

Hemostatic abnormalities associated with malignancy have been described since the middle of the 19th century. Abnormalities associated with hypercoagulability and hemorrhage are reported in various percentages of patients depending upon the underlying neoplasm and the type of therapy. Changes in the quantitative and qualitative aspects of protein coagulation factors, anticoagulant proteins, circulating anticoagulants, platelets, and vascular responses have been noted. Clinical or subclinical disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) and associated paradoxical bleeding are common. Hemorrhage may be associated with a decrease of particular coagulation factors or alterations of vascular integrity and platelet numbers or function in various combinations. Evaluation of hemostatic abnormalities associated with cancer (HAAC) includes a careful history and physical examination, assessment of the prothrombin and activated partial thromboplastin times, platelet count, a test for fibrin or fibrinogen degradation products, and assay of fibrinogen levels. Specific findings may suggest the need for tests for naturally occurring protein anticoagulants (e.g., protein S, protein C, and antithrombin III), coagulation inhibitors, abnormalities of the fibrinolytic system, or other esoteric tests. Testing for F1 + 2 and fibrinopeptide A may be useful in determining early activation of prothrombin and thrombin, respectively, and a clue to incipient onset of DIC. Besides the disease, therapies for cancer can alter hemostatic activity. Chemotherapy has been reported to be associated with venous and arterial thromboses, cerebrovascular events, and coagulopathies. Radiation therapy decreases platelet production, particularly if the active bone marrow has been included in the field. Laboratory evaluation of HAAC requires consideration of the type of malignant disorder, the history and physical condition of the patient and any therapy.
Permanent mechanical replacement of the left ventricle.

Patients with congestive heart failure have a poor prognosis and their care is expensive. Treatment with the HeartMate left ventricular assist device (Thermo Cardiosystems Inc, Woburn, MA) has indicated that life for such patients can be prolonged, quality of life increased, and cost of care decreased. Alt ough currently approved only as a bridge to transplantation, the HeartMate and other such devices may one day offer permanent support of the left ventricle as an alternative to cardiac transplantation.
A Method for Estimating Unknown Parameters from Particle Tracking Experiments

Optimal estimation of motion parameters (e.g. diffusion coefficients) from single and multiple particle tracking data has developed substantially over the past several years. The standard approach for estimating these parameters typically involves first localizing the particle(s) within each frame, assembling a time-series of estimated positions, calculating the mean squared displacement (MSD), and finally fitting a known function to the resulting MSD. It has been shown, however, that this approach may lead to erroneous results due the potential subjectivity of the fit [1]. Recently, a powerful method based on the Maximum Likelihood framework was described in [2]. This method, however, cannot estimate parameters other than diffusion coefficients, examples of which include confinement lengths and tether stiffnesses. In addition, the aforementioned method dissociates the localization procedure from the estimation procedure which are inherently coupled processes. In this work, we present a technique which leverages recent work from [3] in which the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm is used in conjunction with Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) methods to simultaneously estimate unknown fixed parameters in addition to time-varying states. Here, we demonstrate the applicability of this technique to the problem of tracking a moving particle undergoing complex modes of motion, including confined diffusion and elastic tethering.[1] M. J. Saxton. “Single-Particle Tracking: The Distribution of Diffusion Coefficients.” Biophysical Journal, vol. 72, no. 4, pp. 1744-1753, 1997.[2] X. Michalet and A. J. Berglund. “Optimal Estimation of Diffusion Coefficients.” Physical Review E, vol. 85, 2012.[3] T. B. Schon, A. Wills, B. Ninness. “System Identification of Nonlinear State-­Space Models.” Automatica, vol. 47, no. 1, pp. 39-49, 2011.