cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preliminary evaluation of a multicomponent program for nutrition and physical activity change in primary care: PACE+ for adults.

Background. Patient-centered Assessment and Counseling on Exercise plus nutrition (PACE+) is an intervention based in primary care settings to help patients change physical activity and dietary behaviors. Methods. One hundred seventy-three adults were assessed before and after a 4-month intervention. All patients completed a computerized assessment and created tailored “action plans” to change one physical activity and one nutrition behavior that they then discussed with their provider. After the visit, subjects were randomized to one of four extended intervention conditions: control, mail only, infrequent phone and mail, and frequent phone and mail. Self-report of five target behaviors (moderate and vigorous physical activity stage of change, dietary fat, fruit/vegetable intake, and overeating behaviors) was collected at baseline and 4 months. Acceptability measures were also taken. Results. Participants in all conditions improved on all behaviors over time, supporting the utility of the computer and provider counseling components. The extended intervention did not produce differential results with respect to mode (phone or mail) or intensity (frequent or infrequent). However, for each behavior, participants who targeted the behavior to change improved significantly more than those who did not target the behavior. Acceptability of the intervention was high. Conclusions. Primary care-based, interactive health communication to improve physical activity and dietary behavior is feasible and has promising initial results.
Zn2+, mitochondria and neuronal injury

Zn2+ critically contributes to the neural injury observed in epilepsy and transient global ischaemia. Mechanisms by which Zn2+ exerts its potent neurotoxic effects are still largely unknown. We have recently suggested that an important factor could be Zn2+ dependent disruption of mitochondrial function. As in the case of Ca2+, neuronal mitochondria take up Zn2+ to restore Zn2+i homeostasis. However, mitochondrial Zn2+ sequestration leads to potent mitochondrial dysfunction with prolonged loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and free radicals generation. Intriguingly, in direct comparison to Ca2+, Zn2+ seems to induce these effects with a considerably greater degree of potency. These injurious, and likely necrotic, effects are particularly evident upon large (micromolar) Zn2+i rises. Conversely, submicromolar [Zn2+]i increases promote release of pro-apoptotic factors, suggesting that different degrees of cytosolic [Zn2+]i rises might activate distinct injurious pathways.
Outcomes in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Treated With or Without Autologous or Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Abstract Background Outcomes in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) have improved; however, a significant number of patients still relapse despite receiving all- trans -retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic-based therapies. Patients and Methods Outcomes of patients with relapsed APL who were treated at our institution (1980-2010) and who received HCT were compared with those who received chemotherapy (CT) only. Results Among 40 patients, 24 received HCT (autologous [auto] HCT, 7; allogeneic [allo] HCT, 14; both, 3); 16 received CT only. The median age at diagnosis was 36 years (range, 13-50 years), 31 years (range, 16-58 years), and 44 years (range, 24-79 years) for the auto-HCT, allo-HCT, and CT groups, respectively. Ten (100%) patients who received auto-HCT and 12 (71%) who received allo-HCT were in complete remission at the time of the HCT. The median follow-ups in the auto-HCT, allo-HCT, and CT groups were 74 months (range, 26-135 months), 118 months (range, 28-284 months), and 122 months (range, 32-216 months), respectively. Transplantation-related mortality (1 year) after auto-HCT and allo-HCT were 10% and 29%, respectively. The 7-year event-free survival after auto-HCT and allo-HCT was 68.6% and 40.6%, respectively ( P = .45). The 7-year overall survival was 85.7%, 49.4%, and 40% in the auto-HCT, allo-HCT, and CT groups, respectively ( P = .48). Conclusion Both auto-HCT and allo-HCT are associated with durable remission and prolonged survival. All 3 strategies (auto-HCT, allo-HCT, CT) were found to be feasible in the relapsed APL setting and result in long-term disease control in selected patients. In this retrospective analysis, overall survival for patients who received HCT was not significantly better than patients who received CT only, but a trend toward better outcomes was seen in patients who underwent auto-HCT, although not statistically significant.
In Memoriam D. Stanley Tarbell (1913–1999), Chemist and Historian of Chemistry

Dr. Dean Stanley Tarbell, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of chemistry at Vanderbilt University, where he served on the faculty from 1967 to 1981, died on May 26, 1999 in Bolingbrook, Ill. Earlier he taught for many years and chaired the chemistry department at the University of Rochester. In retirement, he and his wife, Ann Tracy Tarbell, researched and wrote articles and books on the history of chemistry in the U.S. For his writings he received the American Chemical Society’s Dexter Award for Distinguished Contributions to the History of Chemistry in 1989. He was an avid reader and book collector, a linguist who taught himself Arabic, Russian, and classical Greek, and a lifelong baseball fan.
A Study of Perceptions, Usability and Future Adoption of a Web-based Learning Tool

Studies of technology acceptance suggest that individuals' perceptions of usage might be antecedents to predict their adoption. This research study explored students' and professors' perceptions regarding a web-based tool for political science education; the ultimate goal was to identify students and professors' perceived usefulness and usability and thus their intention to adopt the solution as a learning tool. Forty participants answered a survey questionnaire, and quantitative and qualitative approaches were followed to uncover the relationships between usability principles, innovation attributes, and perceptions of usage. The results of the study provide new insight into the factors that may contribute to the acceptance of the learning tool, and ultimately to its actual use.
Stresses and Strains in Solid Propellants During Storage

A theoretical analysis of deformations during storage of a perforated cylindrical propellant made of a viscoelastic material is presented. The cylinder is assumed fixed inside of a rigid cylindrical case. This assemblage is considered resting with the cylinder axis horizontal. Stresses developed due to gravity forces set up strains tha t are magnified in the course of t ime due to the viscous nature of the material. The solution presented is fairly general so tha t it can be applied to any specific viscoelastic model. In this paper the analysis is confined to the conditions of plane strain. Such conditions are realized if the length of the cylinder is much larger than the radius.
Alterations in growth hormone secretion and clearance in adolescent boys with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

At puberty, elevated circulating GH concentrations are found, with a parallel increase in the levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). However, these hormonal changes are less well understood in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) during the peripubertal years. Since the metabolic derangement is often associated with elevated circulating GH and diminished serum IGF-I levels, we sought to determine whether similar alterations occur in boys with IDDM. A multiple parameter deconvolution analysis was applied to serum GH concentrations measured at 20-min intervals for 24 h in 25 boys with IDDM. Subjects were divided into 3 pubertal groups, pre (n = 9), early (n = 8), and late (n = 11), according to Tanner stage. Glycosylated hemoglobin and body mass index-SD scores were indistinguishable among groups. Forty nondiabetic peripubertal boys served as controls. Similar to those in the normal boys, circulating GH concentrations and serum IGF-I levels increased during puberty in the boys w...
Searle's Regimen for Rediscovering the Mind *

Like Wittgenstein, John Searle believes that much of analytic philosophy—especially the philosophy of mind—is founded on confusion and falsehood. Unlike Wittgenstein, he does not consider this condition to be endemic to philosophy. As a result, Searle's dual goals in The Rediscovery of the Mind are to rid the philosophy of mind of the fundamental confusions that plague it, and to set the field on the path toward genuine progress. Thus, the book opens with a chapter entitled “What's Wrong with the Philosophy of Mind?” and closes with “The Proper Study.” The text is a blend of old and new: Searle introduces several new ideas, the most important of which is his thesis of the unconscious, and incorporates them into theses that have figured prominently in his previous works. Even for those who will find little to agree with in this book, The Rediscovery of the Mind serves as a testament to the sheer scope and iconoclasm of Searle's work.
Cadherins and their connections: adhesion junctions have broader functions.

Abstract Cadherins — a family of cell–cell adhesion molecules — are linked to the actin cytoskeleton via intervening proteins. Recent results address molecular explanations for observed cadherin behavior, point to signals that regulate adhesion by modulating elements of the cadherin-associated complex, challenge the belief that different cadherins generally cannot cross-adhere, and highlight instructive roles for cadherins in cell signaling and differentiation.
Communication: Charge, diffusion, and mobility of proteins through nanopores

Implementation of Einstein's law connecting charge, diffusion coefficient, and mobility to interpret experimental data on proteins from single molecule electrophoresis through nanopores faces serious difficulties. The protein charge and diffusion coefficient, inferred with the Einstein law, can be orders of magnitude smaller than their bare values depending on the electrolyte concentration, pore diameter, chemical nature of the pore wall, and the externally applied voltage. The main contributors to the discrepancies are the coupled dynamics of the protein and its counterion cloud, confinement effects inside the pore, and the protein-pore-surface interaction. We have addressed these ingredients by harking on classical theories of electrophoresis of macroions and hydrodynamics inside pores, and deriving new results for pore-protein interactions. Putting together various components, we present approximate analytical formulas for the effective charge, diffusion coefficient, and mobility of a protein in the context of single molecule electrophoresis experiments. For the omnipresent pore-protein interactions, nonlinear dependence of the velocity of protein on voltage sets in readily and analytical formulas for this effect are presented. The derived formulas enable the determination of the bare charge and size of a protein from the experimentally measured apparent values.
Determination of the ordering in the intermetallic compound Ag2Al

Abstract The diffuse intensity diffracted from single crystals of the intermetallic hexagonal phase Ag2Al was measured in several directions in reciprocal space. The measurements were carried out in vacuum at approximately 300°K and 150°K, using crystal-monochromated MoK α-radiation. On crystals annealed for 10 days at 453°K, the first Cowley-Warren pair-density coefficient was found to be approximately −0.2. The appearance of short-range order peaks at 1 3 and 2 3 the distance from the (110) fundamental line indicates the tendency toward the formation of a two-dimensional superlattice on the basal planes, in which each aluminum atom is surrounded by six silver atoms. Weak but sharp lines of the type {001} can be explained by a slight composition difference of consecutive basal planes, extending regularly over many layers. No explanation can yet be given for this simultaneous existence of long-range and short-range order. A difference in the c-parameters of the annealed and quenched alloy indicates a different atomic arrangement in the two states.
Effects of prevalent freshwater chemical contaminants on in vitro growth of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Abstract Many surface and ground waters in the continental US are contaminated with a variety of chemical pollutants, which are usually present in concentrations in the ppm and ppb range. The effects of these pollutants on coliform bacteria, which are prominent members of the aquatic flora, are poorly understood. Using a microtiter plate assay, isolates of Escherichia coli (from chicken intestine and fresh water), and an isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae (from bovine milk) were exposed to varying concentrations of common pollutants over a 24 h period. The herbicides/pesticides simazine, atrazine, and diazinon; the VOCs trichloroethene and MTBE; the estrogens estradiol and estrone; and caffeine, all failed to inhibit bacterial growth at ppm levels. Only ethylene glycol, and the herbicide 2,4-D, significantly inhibited bacterial growth compared to controls. These results suggest that the replication of coliform bacteria in fresh waters is not adversely impacted by many common pollutants.
Stability Map for Nanocrystalline and Amorphous Materials

We present a stability map which predicts the domains of shear instability due to grain rotation in nanocrystalline materials. The onset of this mode of instability is influenced by grain-size-dependent mechanisms and the length-scale of intergranular interaction. The map shows the grain size regimes that are inherently susceptible to this mode for a range of materials. In the amorphous limit, the model predicts embryonic nuclei sizes of about 10-50 nm, which agrees well with the shear band thicknesses for many metallic glasses.
Conformational studies of nucleic acids. V. Sequence specificities in the conformational energetics of oligonucleotides: the homo-tetramers.

The conformational energetics of the tetranucleoside triphosphates d(ApApApA), d(GpGpGpG), d(CpCpCpC), d(TpTpTpT), ApApApA, GpGpGpG, CpCpCpC, and UpUpUpU are thoroughly examined using a classical potential energy function. The sugar modeling method and multiple correlation functions derived in previous papers of this series are utilized in these examinations. The data are analyzed and compared in terms of the energy profiles for rotation about the conformation-determining torsion angles in the tetramers. Overall, the predictions are in reasonable qualitative agreement with the existing experimental data. It is found that the base type does not greatly affect the locations of the important minima in these profiles, but rather exerts a large influence on the relative depths of the minima and the barriers to conversion between them. Conformational sequence dependence is manifest to a greater extent by the DNA tetramers than the RNA tetramers. Of the DNA tetramers, d(CpCpCpC) appears, from the results presented herein, to have the greatest potential for polymorphism. This and other findings are analyzed in terms of the preferences of particular DNA sequences for either the A-, B-, or Z-conformation.
Development of a sampler for total aerosol deposition in the human respiratory tract

Studies that seek to associate reduced human health with exposure to occupational and environmental aerosols are often hampered by limitations in the exposure assessment process. One limitation involves the measured exposure metric itself. Current methods for personal exposure assessment are designed to estimate the aspiration of aerosol into the human body. Since a large proportion of inhaled aerosol is subsequently exhaled, a portion of the aspirated aerosol will not contribute to the dose. This leads to variable exposure misclassification (for heterogenous exposures) and increased uncertainty in health effect associations. Alternatively, a metric for respiratory deposition would provide a more physiologically relevant estimate of risk. To address this challenge, we have developed a method to estimate the deposition of aerosol in the human respiratory tract using a sampler engineered from polyurethane foam. Using a semi-empirical model based on inertial, gravitational, and diffusional particle deposition, a foam was engineered to mimic aerosol total deposition in the human respiratory tract. The sampler is comprised of commercially available foam with fiber diameter 5 49.5 mm (equivalent to industry standard 100 PPI foam) of 8 cm thickness operating at a face velocity of 1.3 m s 21 . Additionally, the foam sampler yields a relatively low-pressure drop, independent of aerosol loading, providing uniform particle collection efficiency over time.
Relationship of the TIMI Myocardial Perfusion Grades, Flow Grades, Frame Count, and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention to Long-Term Outcomes After Thrombolytic Administration in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background— Although 90-minute TIMI flow grades (TFGs), corrected TIMI frame counts (CTFCs), and TIMI myocardial perfusion grades (TMPGs) have been associated with 30-day outcomes, we hypothesized that these indices would be related to long-term outcomes after thrombolytic administration. Methods and Results— As a substudy of the TIMI 10B trial (tissue plasminogen activator versus tenecteplase), 49 centers carried out 2-year follow-up. TIMI grade 2/3 flow (Cox hazard ratio [HR] 0.41, P=0.001), reduced CTFCs (faster flow, P=0.02), and an open microvasculature (TMPG 2/3) (HR 0.51, P=0.038) were all associated with improved 2-year survival. Rescue percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of closed arteries (TFG 0/1) at 90 minutes was associated with reduced mortality (P=0.03), and mortality trended lower with adjunctive PCI of open (TFG 2/3) arteries (P=0.11). In a multivariate model correcting for previously identified correlates of mortality (age, sex, pulse, left anterior descending coronary artery infarc...
Three-Level Inverter-Based Shunt Active Power Filter in Three-Phase Three-Wire and Four-Wire Systems

This paper presents a direct current-space-vector control of an active power filter (APF) based on a three-level neutral-point-clamped (NPC) voltage-source inverter. The proposed method indirectly generates the compensation current reference by using an equivalent conductance of the fundamental component using APF's dc-link voltage control. The proposed control can selectively choose harmonic current components by real-time fast Fourier transform to generate the compensation current. The compensation current is represented in a rotating coordinate system with chosen switching states from a switching table implemented in a field-programmable gate array. In addition, a three-phase four-wire APF based on a three-level neutral-point-clamped inverter is also presented. The proposed APF eliminates harmonics in all three phases as well as the neutral current. A three-phase three-wire NPC inverter system can be used as a three-phase four-wire system since the split dc capacitors provide a neutral connection. To regulate and balance the split dc-capacitor voltages, a new control method using a sign cubical hysteresis controller is proposed. The characteristics of the APF system with an LCL-ripple filter are investigated and compared with traditional current control strategies to evaluate the inherent advantages. The simulation and experimental results validated the feasibility of the proposed APF.
Intelligent sensitivity tracking of manufacturing tool tuning

The manufacturing processes in semiconductor industry can be enhanced to increase the yields and reduce the non-production wafers by maintaining the accuracy of the sensitivities for offline tool tuning. The turning values of most modules are usually calculated by utilizing design of experimental (DOE) data, which provide the sensitivity tables, and also the experiences of engineers. These sensitivity tables are not always suitable for tools due to various tool conditions. Therefore, a DOE-wafer-free methodology to track the integrity of sensitivity table is hereby proposed.
Environmental and genetic determinants of ovicide in parasitic wasp Bracon hebetor

Superparasitism occurs when a parasitoid lays a second dutch of eggs on a host previously parasitized by herself or a conspecific. Ovidde refers to a parasitoid destroying an ^H«ring dutch of eggs on a parasitized host before laying a second clutch. We investigated environmental and genetic determinants of ovidde in the parasitic wasp Bracon hebetor. Characterization of egglaying behavior revealed that B. hebetor commits ovidde during the host examination phase of oviposition. The temporal costs of ovidde were found to be relatively small for females that experienced low rates of host encounter, whereas the costs of ovidde increased for females that experienced a high rate of host encounter. Individual wasps committed ovidde on conspecifically parasitized hosts more frequently than on self-parasiti zed hosts. Manipulation experiments suggested that B. hebetor females learn about their environment while foraging and commit ovidde on die basis of die travel time between successive hosts. Significant differences were also found in oviddal behavior among laboratory and field populations of B. hebetor. The implications of our results for dutch size theory and die evolution of ovidde are discussed. Key words: Bracon hebetor, competition, foraging, infantidde, ovidde, parasitoid, reproduction, superparasitism. [Behav Ecol 8:647-654 (1997)] M
Primary cilium--is it an osteocyte's strain-sensing flowmeter?

With few exceptions, the non-cycling cells in a vast range of animals including humans have a non-motile primary cilium that extends from the mother centriole of the pair of centrioles in their centrosomes located between their Golgi apparatuses and nuclei. It has very recently been shown that the primary cilium of a dog or a mouse embryonic kidney cell is a fluid flowmeter studded with heterodimeric complexes of mechanoreceptors linked to Ca2+-permeable cation channels that when the cilium is bent can send Ca2+ signals into the cell and beyond to neighboring cells through gap junctions. More than 30 years ago, osteocytes were reported also to have primary cilia, but this was promptly ignored or forgotten. Osteocytes are the bones' strain sensors, which measure skeletal activity from the effects of currents of extracellular fluid caused by their bones being bent and squeezed during various activities such as walking and running. Since bending a kidney cell's primary cilium can send a Ca2+ wave surging through itself and its neighbors, the bending of an osteocyte's primary cilium by sloshing extracellular fluid is likely to do the same thing and thus be involved in measuring and responding to bone strain. J. Cell. Biochem. 89: 233–237, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Memory and correlation effects in nuclear collisions

Relaxation rates are calculated by numerically solving the Kadanoff-Baym equations for an extended system of nuclear matter. The time evolutions of initial nonequilibrium distributions in momentum space, defined by two Fermi spheres, is studied. Comparisons are made with the (semi-) classical method used in BUU, VUU, etc. Danielewicz has found that at a nucleon density of \ensuremath{\sim}0.3 nucleon/${\mathrm{fm}}^{3}$ and an equilibrated temperature of about 70 MeV, the quantum relaxation rate is smaller than the classical by a factor of about 2. These results are confirmed. The calculations are extended to lower temperatures (energies) and densities and this ratio is found to be essentially unchanged over a wide range although there are deviations from this rule as seen in the text. The quantum evolutions are started either with an uncorrelated or a correlated initial distribution. The latter are obtained with imaginary time stepping. The relaxation time approximation was previously found to be excellent for the classical evolution. It is found to be as good for the quantum evolution. The memory time is in the present calculations found to be less than 5 fm/c (i.e., \ensuremath{\sim}1.7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}23}$ s). One concludes that quantum-mechanical effects have to be incorporated in the models of heavy ion collisions and nuclear dynamics. Not until this is done comprehensively will one be able to readily assess the role of two-nucleon collisions in the equilibration process.
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) as regulators of dorsal forebrain development

Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) play crucial roles in a variety of developmental processes, but their functions during early vertebrate brain development are largely unknown. To investigate this problem, we have compared by in situ hybridization the expression of five Bmp genes belonging to the Drosophila Decapentaplegic (Bmp2 and Bmp4) and 60A subgroups (Bmp5, Bmp6 and Bmp7). Striking co-expression of these Bmps is observed within the dorsomedial telencephalon, coincident with a future site of choroid plexus development. Bmp co-expression overlaps that of Msx1 and Hfh4, and is complementary to that of Bf1. The domain of Bmp co-expression is also associated with limited growth of the neuroectoderm, as revealed by morphological observation, reduced cell proliferation, and increased local programmed cell death. In vitro experiments using explants from the embryonic lateral telencephalic neuroectoderm reveal that exogenous BMP proteins (BMP4 and BMP2) induce expression of Msx1 and inhibit Bf1 expression, a finding consistent with their specific expression patterns in vivo. Moreover, BMP proteins locally inhibit cell proliferation and increase apoptosis in the explants. These results provide evidence that BMPs function during regional morphogenesis of the dorsal telencephalon by regulating specific gene expression, cell proliferation and local cell death.
A reconfigurable antenna with software controlled ground plane

This paper discusses an antenna design that achieves tuning of its frequency response by changing the height and angular position of its ground plane. The antenna is composed of a simple patch and three ground planes. Two ground planes are fixed while a third part moves and tilts based on the user's demand. The antenna's moving ground plane is controlled by an arduino board and two linear actuators. The antenna is simulated and measured. Good analogy is found between measured and simulated data.
An Efficiency Criterion for 2D Shape Model Selection.

We propose efficiency of representation as a criterion for evaluating shape models, then apply this criterion to compare the boundary curve representation with the medial axis. We estimate the a-entropy of two compact classes of curves. We then construct two adaptive encodings for noncompact classes of shapes, one using the boundary curve and the other using the medial axis, and determine precise conditions for when the medial axis is more efficient. Along the way we construct explicit near-optimal boundarybased approximations for compact classes of shapes and an explicit compression scheme for non-compact classes of shapes based on the medial axis. We end with an application of the criterion to shape data.
Inclusion of rotor blade modulation in hardware-in-the-loop testing of RF systems

RF systems onboard rotorcrafts are susceptible to a periodic variation in both the magnitude and phase of the received signals due to the rotation of the rotor blades. This is often referred to as rotor blade modulation (RBM). As one might imagine, RBM has the potential to degrade a given RF system; therefore, RBM must be accounted for when characterizing the performance of any RF system onboard a rotorcraft. One can use field tests or hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testing to characterize a particular RF system. Typically field tests are very expensive, and therefore it is beneficial to use HITL testing. In this paper we present three approaches that can be used to include RBM in HITL testing of RF systems. The first two approaches make no approximations and thus provide an exact model of the RBM. The main drawback of these two approaches is that they are not suitable for implementation in HITL testing. Thus we have developed the "approximate simulator," which can be used to include RBM in HITL testing of RF systems. The accuracy of the approximate simulator is demonstrated by comparing the approximated signal received by an antenna mounted on a model rotorcraft with the measured signal received by the antenna. The results show that a very accurate model of the RBM is obtained using the approximate simulator. Furthermore this accuracy is achieved with implementation costs that are far less than that of the two exact approaches.
Factors controlling community structure in heterogeneous metacommunities

Summary 1. Modern theories of species coexistence recognize the importance of environmental heterogeneity. 2. Despite the existence of many observational studies, few experimental studies have evaluated the extent to which, and mechanisms by which, fixed spatial heterogeneity increases community diversity and alters community structure. 3. In experimental protist communities, we found that non-spatial mechanisms unrelated to heterogeneity were responsible for a large component of baseline diversity. Above this baseline, fixed spatial heterogeneity produced small but predictable increases in metacommunity diversity through species sorting, while heterogeneity and dispersal together altered local community structure (composition and relative abundance) through mass effects. 4. Our study illustrates that heterogeneity is not always the strongest driver of diversity, while experimentally demonstrating mechanisms by which heterogeneity alters community structure.
Optical Projection and Image Processing Approach for Mine Wall Monitoring

Wall movement in an underground mine must be continually monitored to provide real-time assessment of dynamic stress changes around mining excavation and to warn against rock failure. An in situ approach using optical spot projection and image processing can measure submillimeter movements. The system can be easily automated and poses no obstruction to mine traffic. The position of an off-normal laser spot will shift as the target wall moves. The centroid of this projected spot can be measured through image processing of a digital image. Multiple laser spots give the system simultaneous information over a larger sampled area. Software processing can measure subpixel shifts of the spot centroid. The resolution depends on the pixel count, the magnification of the camera lens (and hence the field of view), the optical-beam angle, and the spot characteristics. A laboratory table-top experiment demonstrated the system for distances up to 3 m and for a resolution of 0.1 mm. The results were linear in target movement, with standard errors between 0.83% and 5.38%. An automated system is described for a mine environment.
SCOPE: scalable consistency maintenance in structured P2P systems

While current peer-to-peer (P2P) systems facilitate static file sharing, newly developed applications demand that P2P systems be able to manage dynamically changing files. Maintaining consistency between frequently updated files and their replicas is a fundamental reliability requirement for a P2P system. In this paper, we present SCOPE, a structured P2P system supporting consistency among a large number of replicas. By building a replica-partition-tree (RPT) for each key, SCOPE keeps track of the locations of replicas and then propagates update notifications. Our theoretical analyses and experimental results demonstrate that SCOPE can effectively maintain replica consistency while preventing hot spot and node-failure problems. Its efficiency in maintenance and failure-recovery is particularly attractive to the deployment of large-scale P2P systems.
Growth of AZO on flexible substrate using ALD system as a transparent conducting oxide for solar cells

Aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin film is gaining momentum as a transparent conducting oxide because its optical and electrical properties are optimal for a photovoltaic device. We report growth of AZO thin film using an Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) system, which is known to deposit layers on a substrate with atomic layer precision. The precursors used for aluminum and zinc were Trimethylaluminum (TMA) and Dimethylzinc (DMZ) respectively. Alternating cycles of TMA and DMZ were introduced to the heated deposition chamber such that a desired aluminum doping was obtained on the AZO films grown. The films were grown on flexible substrates like PET and also on single crystalline Si(100) and float-glass substrates. An optimal aluminum doping (3 at.%) on the AZO film of thickness 575 nm gave a sheet resistance (Rs) of 97 Ω/□ with corresponding resistivity of 5.6 x 10-3 Ω.cm. The value of the carrier concentration and hall mobility were 1.86 x 1020 cm-3 and 6.5 cm2V-1s-1 respectively. Optical measurement showed 90% transmission in most of the visible spectrum. X-ray diffraction spectra of the film showed all characteristic ZnO hexagonal lattice peaks.
Volumetric quantification of brain swelling after hypobaric hypoxia exposure.

Abstract We applied a novel MR imaging technique to investigate the effect of acute mountain sickness on cerebral tissue water. Nine volunteers were exposed to hypobaric hypoxia corresponding to 4572 m altitude for 32 h. Such an exposure may cause acute mountain sickness. We imaged the brains of the volunteers before and at 32 h of hypobaric exposure with two different MRI techniques with subsequent data processing. (1) Brain volumes were calculated from 3D MRI data sets by applying a computerized brain segmentation algorithm. For this specific purpose a novel adaptive 3D segmentation program was used with an automatic correction algorithm for RF field inhomogeneity. (2) T2 decay rates were analyzed in the white matter. The results demonstrated that a significant brain swelling of 36.2 ± 19.6 ml (2.77 ± 1.47%, n = 9, P
Quantification of Tetracycline Resistance Genes in Feedlot Lagoons by Real-Time PCR

A new real-time PCR method is presented that detects and quantifies three tetracycline resistance (Tcr) genes [tet(O), tet(W), and tet(Q)] in mixed microbial communities resident in feedlot lagoon wastewater. Tcr gene real-time TaqMan primer-probe sets were developed and optimized to quantify the Tcr genes present in seven different cattle feedlot lagoons, to validate the method, and to assess whether resistance gene concentrations correlate with free-tetracycline levels in lagoon waters. The method proved to be sensitive across a wide range of gene concentrations and provided consistent and reproducible results from complex lagoon water samples. The log10 of the sum of the three resistance gene concentrations was correlated with free-tetracycline levels (r2 = 0.50, P 1.95 microg/liter by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques) than in below-median lagoon samples. Of the three Tcr genes tested, tet(W) and tet(Q) were more commonly found in lagoon water samples. Successful development of this real-time PCR assay will permit other studies quantifying Tcr gene numbers in environmental and other samples.
Inferring the uncertainty of satellite precipitation estimates in data‐sparse regions over land

[1] The global distribution of precipitation is essential to understanding earth's water and energy budgets. While developed countries often have reliable precipitation observation networks, our understanding of the distribution of precipitation in data-sparse regions relies on sporadic rain gauges and information gathered by spaceborne sensors. Several multisensor data sets attempt to represent the global distribution of precipitation on subdaily time scales by combining multiple satellite and ground-based observations. Due to limited validation sources and highly variable nature of precipitation, it is difficult to assess the performance of multisensor precipitation products globally. Here, we introduce a methodology to infer the uncertainty of satellite precipitation measurements globally based on similarities between precipitation characteristics in data-sparse and data-rich regions. Five generalized global rainfall regimes are determined based on the probability distribution of 3-hourly accumulated rainfall in 0.25° grid boxes using the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission 3B42 product. Uncertainty characteristics for each regime are determined over the United States using the high-quality National Centers for Environmental Prediction Stage IV radar product. The results indicate that the frequency of occurrence of zero and little accumulated rainfall is the key difference between the regimes and that differences in error characteristics are most prevalent at accumulations below ~4 mm/h. At higher accumulations, uncertainty in 3-hourly accumulation converges to ~80%. Using the self-similarity in the five rainfall regimes along with the error characteristics observed for each regime, the uncertainty in 3-hourly precipitation estimates can be inferred in regions that lack quality ground validation sources.
Lies and Body Cruelties in the Analytic Hour

Discussing an intensive case study of female sexual dysfunction, this paper studies mutual deregulation and disintegration as it unfolds in the transference–countertransference dyad. I propose that ethical transgressions are potentiated in analytic dyads in which the analyst's hope for either solitude or mutuality is foreclosed. This hope can be foreclosed by the particulars of the therapeutic interaction as well as by the theoretical and clinical aspects of analytic training. The deregulation that both precipitates and follows such transgression can be healed (in the analyst, in the analysis) only by the restitution of the therapist's agency, the reduction of paranoid-schizoid guilt and shame, and the location (in the analyst) of depressive, “I-Thou” remorse.
Shaped Circularly Symmetric Dual Reflector Antennas by Combining Local Conventional Dual Reflector Systems

This paper presents a geometrical optics (GO) shaping method for circularly symmetric dual reflector antennas. The method is a one step procedure obtaining a local dual reflector system including both reflector surfaces and caustic simultaneously, such that a given feed power is transformed through a corresponding local reflector system into a desired aperture distribution. A shaped reflector system consists of an electrically small section of distinctive local reflector surfaces and its own caustic. Each caustic location varies and explains how the power is redistributed through the shaped reflector system. Each local reflector system is found iteratively with a previously known local dual reflector system. Several nonlinear algebraic equations are formulated based on GO principals and geometrical properties of a dual reflector system. The method reduces the solution to one simple non-differential equation with one unknown in order to find a local dual reflector system. Physical Optics (PO) analysis is used to verify the solution.
Differences in Happiness after Early Crawling Experience

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in happiness between precrawlers and crawlers. Previous literature has addressed the emotional development of typical developing infants; however, there is limited research on the specific emotion of happiness in infancy as it relates to crawling. Independent locomotion affords infants opportunities to explore distant contexts, set and meet goals, and interact socially interact with individuals that are not in close proximity, all which influence social and emotional development. The examination detailed in this article builds on previous research through the observation of typically developing precrawlers and crawlers in the context of day care settings, allowing for observations of social interactions. Using a mixed-methods design, when matched on age and gender, a paired samples t-test revealed no differences in mean happiness scores between precrawlers and crawlers. A cross-case analysis revealed an increase in happiness with the onset of crawling followed by a drop in happiness to just below baseline after 4 weeks of crawling experience.
Just a paradigm: evidence-based medicine in epistemological context

Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) developed from the work of clinical epidemiologists at McMaster University and Oxford University in the 1970s and 1980s and self-consciously presented itself as a "new paradigm" called "evidence-based medicine" in the early 1990s. The techniques of the randomized controlled trial, systematic review and meta-analysis have produced an extensive and powerful body of research. They have also generated a critical literature that raises general concerns about its methods. This paper is a systematic review of the critical literature. It finds the description of EBM as a Kuhnian paradigm helpful and worth taking further. Three kinds of criticism are evaluated in detail: criticisms of procedural aspects of EBM (especially from Cartwright, Worrall and Howick), data showing the greater than expected fallibility of EBM (Ioaanidis and others), and concerns that EBM is incomplete as a philosophy of science (Ashcroft and others). The paper recommends a more instrumental or pragmatic approach to EBM, in which any ranking of evidence is done by reference to the actual, rather than the theoretically expected, reliability of results. Emphasis on EBM has eclipsed other necessary research methods in medicine. With the recent emphasis on translational medicine, we are seeing a restoration of the recognition that clinical research requires an engagement with basic theory (e.g. physiological, genetic, biochemical) and a range of empirical techniques such as bedside observation, laboratory and animal studies. EBM works best when used in this context.
Wnt10b Deficiency Promotes Coexpression of Myogenic and Adipogenic Programs in Myoblasts

Adult myoblasts retain plasticity in developmental potential and can be induced to undergo myogenic, adipogenic, or osteoblastogenic differentiation in vitro. In this report, we show that the balance between myogenic and adipogenic potential in myoblasts is controlled by Wnt signaling. Furthermore, this balance is altered during aging such that aspects of both differentiation programs are coexpressed in myoblasts due to decreased Wnt10b abundance. Mimicking Wnt signaling in aged myoblasts through inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase or through overexpression of Wnt10b resulted in inhibition of adipogenic gene expression and sustained or enhanced myogenic differentiation. On the other hand, myoblasts isolated from Wnt10b null mice showed increased adipogenic potential, likely contributing to excessive lipid accumulation in actively regenerating myofibers in vivo in Wnt10b-/- mice. Whereas Wnt10b deficiency contributed to increased adipogenic potential in myoblasts, the augmented myogenic differentiation potential observed is likely the result of a compensatory increase in Wnt7b during differentiation of Wnt10b-/- myoblasts. No such compensation was apparent in aged myoblasts and in fact, both Wnt5b and Wnt10b were down-regulated. Thus, alteration in Wnt signaling in myoblasts with age may contribute to impaired muscle regenerative capacity and to increased muscle adiposity, both characteristic of aged muscle.
Decomposition of human motion into dynamics-based primitives with application to drawing tasks

Using tools from dynamical systems and systems identification, we develop a framework for the study of primitives for human motion, which we refer to as movemes. The objective is understanding human motion by decomposing it into a sequence of elementary building blocks that belong to a known alphabet of dynamical systems. We develop a segmentation and classification algorithm in order to reduce a complex activity into the sequence of movemes that have generated it. We test our ideas on data sampled from five human subjects who were drawing figures using a computer mouse. Our experiments show that we are able to distinguish between movemes and recognize them even when they take place in activities containing an unspecified number of movemes.
First-principles study of electronic and vibrational properties of BaHfN 2

The transition metal nitride BaHfN$_2$, which consists of weakly bonded neutral slabs of closed shell ions, has structural and chemical similarities to other layered nitrides which have impressive superconducting T$_c$ when electron doped: A$_x$HfNCl, A$_x$ZrNCl, A$_x$TiNCl, with $T_c= 25.5$, $15.2$ and $16.5$ K, respectively for appropriate donor (A) concentrations $x$. These similarities suggest the possibility of BaHfN$_2$ being another relatively high T$_c$ nitride upon doping, with effects of structure and the role of specific transition metal ions yet to be understood. We report first-principles electronic structure calculations for stoichiometric BaHfN$_2$ using density functional theory with plane-wave basis sets and separable dual-space Gaussian pseudopotentials. An indirect band gap of 0.8 eV was obtained and the lowest conduction band is primarily of Hf 5$d_{xy}$ character, similar to $\beta$-ZrNCl and $\alpha$-TiNCl. The two N sites, one in the Hf layer and another one in the Ba layer, were found to have very anisotropic Born effective charges (BEC):deviations from the formal charge (-3) are opposite for the two sites, and opposite for the two orientations (in-plane, out of plane). LO-TO splittings and comparison of BECs and dielectric constant tensors to those of related compounds are discussed, and the effect of electron doping on the zone-center phonons is reported.
Racial and Environmental Influences on Fetal Lung Maturation

Claims that fetal lung maturation is more rapid in blacks than in whites were investigated. Histologic measurements of lung maturation and the frequency of hyaline membrane disease were compared in four groups of Neonates: 490 South African blacks, 841 Ethiopians, 767 US blacks, and 560 US whites. Lungs matured much more rapidly in the Ethiopian and more slowly in the South African than in the US fetuses. The rate of maturation was about the same in the US blacks and whites. Hyaline membrane disease was more frequent in the South Africans and less frequent in the Ethiopians than in either US group. Environmental factors in the mother may explain some of these differences. Lungs matured more rapidly in the fetuses of cigarette smokers than in fetuses of nonsmokers. Half of the US mothers but almost none of the South African mothers smoked during pregnancy. The rate of lung maturation had an inverse correlation with maternal body weights. The South African women were heavier and the Ethiopians lighter than women in the United States.
An International Perspective on the African Famines

(1975). An International Perspective on the African Famines. Canadian Journal of African Studies / Revue canadienne des etudes africaines: Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 293-313.
Redox Chemistries and Plasmon Energies of Photodoped In2O3 and Sn-Doped In2O3 (ITO) Nanocrystals

Plasmonic doped semiconductor nanocrystals promise exciting opportunities for new technologies, but basic features of the relationships between their structures, compositions, electronic structures, and optical properties remain poorly understood. Here, we report a quantitative assessment of the impact of composition on the energies of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) in colloidal tin-doped indium oxide (Sn:In2O3, or ITO) nanocrystals. Using a combination of aliovalent doping and photodoping, the effects of added electrons and impurity ions on the energies of LSPRs in colloidal In2O3 and ITO nanocrystals have been evaluated. Photodoping allows electron densities to be tuned post-synthetically in ITO nanocrystals, independent of their Sn content. Because electrons added photochemically are easily titrated, photodoping also allows independent quantitative determination of the dependence of the LSPR energy on nanocrystal composition and changes in electron density. The data show that ITO LSPR ene...