cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Union Ironworkers

The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) symptoms and doctor-diagnosed musculoskeletal disorders (DDMDs) were estimated among union construction ironworkers by a telephone-administered questionnaire. Of 1996 ironworkers eligible, 1566 were contacted and 981 were interviewed. The prevalence of self-reported MSD symptoms was high for the lower back (56%), wrist/hands/fingers (40%), knees (39%), and shoulders (36%). The most common DDMDs were tendonitis (19%), ruptured disk in the back (18%), bursitis in the shoulder (15%), and carpal tunnel syndrome (12%). Generally, the prevalence of DDMDs and MSD symptoms increased with duration of employment. In age-adjusted logistic regression analyses, those who worked 25 to 35 years were more likely to have tendonitis (odds ratio [OR] 7.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.1–16.6), shoulder bursitis (OR 13.7, 95% CI 3.1–60.4), knee bursitis (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.0–25.1), and ruptured intervertebral back disk (OR 6.7, 95% CI 2.6–17.5). The effect of prior injury was a...
Irreversible inhibition of human S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase by the pure diastereomeric forms of S-(5'-deoxy-5'-adenosyl)-1-ammonio-4- methylsulfonio-2-cyclopentene (AdoMac).

Abstract The S -adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) analogue AdoMac [ S -(5′-deoxy-5′-adenosyl)-1-ammonio-4-methylsulfonio-2-cyclopentene], an enzyme-activated, irreversible inhibitor of the Escherichia coli form of S -adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMet-DC), also acts as a potent inhibitor of the human form of the enzyme. This analogue has been resolved recently into its four possible diastereomeric forms, and each pure diastereomer has now been evaluated as an inhibitor of human AdoMet-DC. As was the case for the bacterial enzyme, kinetic analysis revealed that the four pure diastereomeric forms of AdoMac differentially inhibit human S -adenosylmethionine decarboxylase ( K i values ranging between 11 and 63μM). Although the human and bacterial forms of the enzyme each discriminated between the four diastereomers of AdoMac, each form appeared to bind optimally to a distinctly different diastereomer of the inhibitor. These data suggest that the active sites of human and bacterial AdoMet-DC are distinctly different, and that it may be possible to design inhibitors that are specific for a given form of the enzyme.
Possible Antiretroviral Therapy‐Warfarin Drug Interaction

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality reductions. Lifelong antiretroviral therapy must be incorporated into each patient's medical regimen. Patients with HIV may also have simultaneous chronic medical conditions, resulting in the possibility of complex drug-drug interactions. We report a possible drug-drug interaction between HAART and warfarin in two patients, as assessed by the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale and the Drug Interaction probability scale. Both patients' pharmacotherapy regimens included a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), nevirapine, or a protease inhibitor, nelfinavir or lopinavir-ritonavir, and two nucleoside analogs. In both patients, high warfarin doses were required to maintain therapeutic international normalized ratios (INRs). Warfarin has two enantiomers, R-and S-warfarin, which are substrates primarily of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 (R-warfarin), CYP1A2 (R-warfarin), and CYP2C9 (S-warfarin). Protease inhibitors and NNRTIs have variable effects on CYP: induction, inhibition, or mixed. The increased warfarin doses required in these two patients may have been caused by induction of CYP3A4 by nevirapine, CYP2C9 by nelfinavir, or CYP2C9 by lopinavir-ritonavir. Thus, practitioners should prudently monitor INRs in patients receiving warfarin with concomitant HAART that includes either a protease inhibitor or an NNRTI.
The mine hunter/killer

The term 'mine hunter/killer' has frequently served as a catch-all for almost any discussion of the integration of mine detection and neutralization technology. With the Army's recent approval of the mine hunter/killer advanced technology demonstration, the term now takes on a specific set of challenges and goals. In this paper, the author discusses the developing operational and functional requirements for the mine hunter/killer, the mine types considered as targets for the system, and the implications of these factors for detection systems and neutralizers alike. The issue of 'stand-off' is explored with an emphasis on the trade-offs that must be made between it and overall system effectiveness. The author further discusses recent developments in both detection and neutralization technology that make the notion of a stand-off mine detection and neutralization system more realistic. This discussion includes a summary of forward looking radar, forward looking IR sensors, and advanced signal processing architectures and algorithms. However, it focuses on stand-off neutralization technology and fire control techniques, their stand-off and area kill capabilities, and the synergism between them and the detection suites. Recent neutralizer test results are provided as a basis for considering the requirements of stand-off mine detection systems for probability of detection, detection halo, and false alarm rate. The author concludes with a review of the mainstream mine hunter/killer concept.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Diurnal variation of intraocular pressure and serum osmolality

Diurnal intraocular pressures and serum osmolality, sodium, and potassium values were measured in 20 subjects who were glaucoma suspects or who had primary open angle glaucoma. The accumulated data was studied by several methods of statistical analysis. A significant relationship between these variables existed only when errors of subject grouping and temporal relationships were eliminated. The close correlation between ocular pressure and serum osmolality observed in the acute experimental and clinical situations could not be demonstrated in these studies.
Understanding Confidentiality: Perspectives of African American Adolescents and Their Parents

Abstract Purpose To identify adolescents’ and parents’ understanding of confidentiality in the patient/doctor relationship. Methods In the teen clinic of an academic hospital, questionnaires were administered separately to 50 accompanying parents and 50 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years. The true/false questions were designed to identify both adolescents’ and parents’ perceptions of the general breadth and limitations of confidentiality and specifically related to selected high-risk behaviors. Results Most adolescents and parents understood confidentiality to mean that conversations, testing and treatments about certain aspects of health care could be kept private between a doctor and patient. However, most parents felt that confidentiality guidelines did not apply to patients under 18 years. In contrast to 36% of adolescents, 96% of parents believe that the doctor would discuss any conversation the doctor had with the patient that might be important to the parent in spite of adolescents’ wish for them not to be told. Parent/adolescent dyads agreed regarding the general value of a confidential adolescent/doctor relationship and the application of confidentiality to certain topics but disagreed with respect to others. Conclusions The adolescents and parents in this study have a good understanding of the meaning of confidentiality but are less clear on its application to the adolescent patient/doctor relationship. Nearly all adolescents and their parents appreciate the circumstances under which confidentiality will be breached. The protections confidentiality offers adolescents are understood less well by both parties, but parents seem to have a greater degree of misunderstanding. Parents believe that the doctor will inform them about many of their adolescents’ high-risk behaviors. These false impressions may lead to assumptions, miscommunication, and conflict in the adolescent patient/doctor/parent triad.
Fundamentals of vitamin D hormone-regulated gene expression

Initial research focused upon several known genetic targets provided early insight into the mechanism of action of the vitamin D hormone (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3)). Recently, however, a series of technical advances involving the coupling of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) to unbiased methodologies that initially involved tiled DNA microarrays (ChIP-chip analysis) and now Next Generation DNA Sequencing techniques (ChIP-seq analysis) has opened new avenues of research into the mechanisms through which 1,25(OH)2D3 regulates gene expression. In this review, we summarize briefly the results of this early work and then focus on more recent studies in which ChIP-chip and ChIP-seq analyses have been used to explore the mechanisms of 1,25(OH)2D3 action on a genome-wide scale providing specific target genes as examples. The results of this work have advanced our understanding of the mechanisms involved at both genetic and epigenetic levels and have revealed a series of new principles through which the vitamin D hormone functions to control the expression of genes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled '16th Vitamin D Workshop'.
Uniqueness of linear combinations (mod p)

Abstract In an earlier paper [1] one of us examined the question: Given a prime p what is the maximal number n = f ( p ) in any set of residues { a 1 , a 2 , …, a n } (mod p ) so that at least one of the differences a i − a j is incongruent to all other differences a i ′ − a j ′ ? It was determined that the answer is of the order of magnitude log p . That is, there exist constants 0 c 1 c 2 so that c 1 log p f ( p ) c 2 log p for all p . In this note we examine a natural generalization, where instead of differences we examine the set of linear expressions with prescribed coefficients.
Verification of sub-grid filtered drag models for gas-particle fluidized beds with immersed cylinder arrays

Abstract The accuracy of coarse-grid multiphase CFD simulations of fluidized beds may be improved via the inclusion of filtered constitutive models. In our previous study ( Sarkar et al., 2013 Chem. Eng. Sci., 104, pp. 399–412), we developed such a set of filtered drag relationships for beds with immersed arrays of cooling tubes. Verification of these filtered drag models is addressed in this work. Predictions from coarse-grid simulations with the sub-grid filtered corrections are compared against accurate, highly-resolved simulations of full-scale turbulent and bubbling fluidized beds. The filtered drag models offer a computationally efficient yet accurate alternative for obtaining macroscopic predictions, but the spatial resolution of meso-scale clustering heterogeneities is sacrificed.
Using aerial-acquired images to improve cotton and peanut production systems

Modern agriculture management is an extraordinarily complex task. The most complex tasks are management for environmental benefits. Chemical, physical and biological characteristics are known to vary over short distances in a field. However, most fields are treated as uniform, leading to over application and environmental pollution, or under application and suboptimal yields. Affordable navigation and positioning systems linked to sensing technologies and integrated into a geographic information system (GIS) are revolutionizing the way agriculture can address environmental variabilities. One challenge to better management of within field variability is the establishment of management zones for various inputs. Our research and development group is currently using aerial acquired images to help establish management zones for nutrients, pest scouting, and to monitor crop growth and development. These images are ground truthed and coupled with additional information layers such as maps of yield, disease, insect and weed pests, soil properties, topography to help establish relationships between the various components affecting crop growth and to help improve management decisions during the growing season.
High origin of the anterior band of the inferior glenohumeral ligament: MR arthrography with anatomic and histologic correlation in cadavers.

Introduction The anterior band of the inferior glenohumeral ligament has been described to arise from the anteroinferior labrum, but we have observed that in some persons its origin is from the anterior or anterosuperior labrum, creating diagnostic difficulties.
Acute Liver Failure: Current Evidence-Based Management for ICU Care

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition; the mortality rate for ALF remains high because of the rapid progression of the syndrome. A large number of etiologie...
Dynamic Drainage of Froth with Wood Fibers

Understanding froth drainage with fibers (or simply called fiber drainage in froth) is important for improving fiber yield in the flotation deinking operation. In this study, the data of water and ...
Sex differences in behavioral taste responses to and ingestion of sucrose and NaCl solutions by rats

Sex differences in the ingestion of food and concentrated NaCl solutions by rats have been investigated for more than a quarter of a century, though the underlying mechanism(s) and the role of reproductive hormones remain the subject of debate. We hypothesized that sex differences in the ingestion of sucrose and NaCl solutions are attributable, in part, to sex differences in taste responses/taste perception. We employed short-access, 10-s tests along with 18-h, two-bottle preference tests to examine sex differences in sensitivity to and ingestion of sucrose and NaCl solutions. To evaluate the role of estrogen, we ovariectomized (OVX) female rats and then used an estrogen-replacement schedule that mimics the pattern of fluctuation of estrogen levels in intact female rats. We observed striking sex differences in the rate of licking NaCl mixed in a dilute sucrose solution. Compared to males, OVX rats with or without estrogen licked at higher rates to more concentrated NaCl solutions, suggesting that female rats are less sensitive to concentrated NaCl solutions. Although less pronounced, we also observed sex differences in the rate of licking to sucrose, particularly at lower concentrations. Compared to males, OVX rats with or without estrogen licked less, suggesting that female rats are less sensitive to lower concentrations of sucrose. Estrogen appeared to play, at most, a small role in mediating taste responses to specific concentrations of sucrose in these testing procedures. Nonetheless, sex differences in taste responses were clear, and it seems likely that such differences underlie, in part, observed differences in ingestion.
A statistical approach to machine translation

In this paper, we present a statistical approach to machine translation. We describe the application of our approach to translation from French to English and give preliminary results.
Preparing Tomorrow's Science Teachers to Use Technology: An Example from the Field

The examples presented in this article are from an entry level science education class, Introduction to Teaching Science (EDSS300C), at a large state university. Students enrolled in this class will apply to the university’s credential program at the end of the semester. Most have bachelor’s degrees in science and want to teach at the secondary level. With the current teacher shortages in California, several students in the class are already teaching. Course enrollment is limited to 30 and the class is offered both fall and spring semesters. There are 45 contact hours, and students must participate in 45 hours of fieldwork in local middle and high schools. The class serves as an introduction to science teaching and the credentialing process, while helping students determine if K-12 science teaching is a personally appropriate career goal. An ability to use technology as a teacher tool and as a teaching tool are among the goals of the science education credentialing program (this course and subsequent classes). To find out more about the class see the course homepage (http://www.csulb.edu/~lhenriqu/300.htm). The California Commission on Teacher Credential (CTC) recently adopted new technology standards (http://www.ctc.ca.gov/codcor.doc/ 999916/999916.html). A new Senate Bill requires California to re-evaluate Henriques, L. (2002). Preparing tomorrow’s science teachers to use technology: An example from the field. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education [Online serial], 2(1), 6-21.
FE-based physical phase variable models of electric machines and transformers for dynamic simulations

This paper presents the development of the FE-based physical phase variable models for electric machines. Our results show that the developed FE-based phase variable models provide the same accuracy as the full FE model but with much faster simulation speed. These models are necessary for the study of new control strategies to facilitate dynamic simulation in an industrial environment. The FE-based phase variable model is developed with the lumped circuit parameters obtained from FE solutions covering a complete steady state ac cycle. These parameters are described by tables and utilized through table lookup procedure during the simulation. These models take into consideration the effects of nonlinear magnetization and geometry variation, winding arrangements and rotation. In the case of iron core transformers, the model takes into account the inductance variations with the flux amplitude as well as its phase angle during a complete ac cycle. The FE-based phase variable model for various types of machines were studied, including pm synchronous machine, brushless dc motor, induction machine, and transformers.
Research in computer information systems at Georgia State University: a balanced approach

An overview is provided of the research conducted in computer information systems at Georgia State in the areas of systems development, software engineering, management of information systems, expert/decision-support systems and AI, data communications, data structures and algorithms, and computer graphics. The balanced approach underlying this research is discussed as it relates to the doctoral program along with how this approach had influenced the program in terms of research, dissertations, and courses taught. >
Letter from the Editor---Management Science 2009 Report

Looking Back Management Science had a successful 2009, with more than 1,300 new submissions. Despite the higher workload, we completed decisions on average in 45 days and 91% of decisions within 90 days, achieving our goal of at least 90% within 90 days (see Table 1 for some statistics; the complete data set is updated weekly and is available at our website). These results are the product of a considerable amount of effort by more than 5,000 reviewers and editors. To recognize the most dedicated among them, this year we announced our Meritorious and Distinguished Service Awards. To appreciate the value of all of this effort, consider the fact that this issue contains three articles that were first submitted to the journal within the last year—a feat that is feasible only if we limit the number of revisions we request from authors and if we provide thoughtful, constructive, and timely reviews! We began a special issue on “Marketing Within the Enterprise and Beyond” (submission deadline February 26, 2010) and just announced a special issue on “Behavioral Economics and Finance” (submission deadline July 15, 2010). The marketing issue emphasizes our strength in cross-functional research, and the behavioral issue highlights our broad scope—more on these ideas in “Looking Forward.”
A novel deadlock-free routing technique for a class of de Bruijn graph based networks

This paper introduces a new deadlock-free routing algorithm with fewer virtual channels than the known algorithm for a generalized de Bruijn digraph of m virtual channels, where m is the maximum message path length and r is a radix. Our new algorithm requires maximum m-[/sup m-1///sub r/] virtual channels per physical channel. Extension to this algorithm for a generalized de Bruijn graph and a dBCube graph is introduced, and virtual channel requirements have also been identified. In most of dBCube graphs, maximum m-[/sup m-1///sub r/] virtual channels are required for the outcluster channels, and maximum m+1-[/sup m///sub r/] virtual channels for the incluster channels, where m is the maximum length of the cluster-to-cluster path. >
Direct Modulation of Osteoblastic Activity with Estrogen.

Estrogens play an important but poorly understood role in the maintenance of skeletal mass. Whereas the mechanisms of estrogen action on bone may be complex, the finding that osteoblasts express estrogen receptors suggests that this class of hormones exerts direct effects on bone cells. To understand how estrogens regulate osteoblastic function, the physiologically active estrogen metabolite 17 beta-estradiol was tested to determine its effects on the well characterized murine osteoblastic cell-line MC3T3-E1. Experiments were designed to identify the effects of estrogen on osteoblastic activities associated with both the formation and the resorption of bone. Estrogen treatment coordinately increased DNA content and alkaline phosphatase activity in MC3T3-E1 cells as much as twofold. The stimulatory effect on alkaline phosphatase was stereospecific, dose-dependent between 0.1 and ten nanomolar, and dependent on the time in culture when the hormone was administered. The effect was also persistent, since alkaline phosphatase activity remained elevated for several days after withdrawal of the hormone. Estrogen increased the levels of messenger RNA for alkaline phosphatase and type-I collagen as well, and these effects also persisted after removal of the hormone. The levels of messenger RNA for osteopontin, another bone-matrix protein, were only slightly affected by estrogen. Finally, estrogen inhibited the activation of adenylate cyclase by three osteotropic agents known to stimulate the resorption of bone: parathyroid hormone, prostaglandin E2, and the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol. Thus, estrogen promoted the expression of traits associated with the formation of bone while reducing cellular responsiveness to hormones that may trigger the resorption of bone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Association of door-in to door-out time with reperfusion delays and outcomes among patients transferred for primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Context Patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) requiring interhospital transfer for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) often have prolonged overall door-to-balloon (DTB) times from first hospital presentation to second hospital PCI. Door-in to door-out (DIDO) time, defined as the duration of time from arrival to discharge at the first or STEMI referral hospital, is a new clinical performance measure, and a DIDO time of 30 minutes or less is recommended to expedite reperfusion care. Objective To characterize time to reperfusion and patient outcomes associated with a DIDO time of 30 minutes or less. Design, Setting, and Patients Retrospective cohort of 14 821 patients with STEMI transferred to 298 STEMI receiving centers for primary PCI in the ACTION Registry–Get With the Guidelines between January 2007 and March 2010. Main Outcome Measures Factors associated with a DIDO time greater than 30 minutes, overall DTB times, and risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality. Results Median DIDO time was 68 minutes (interquartile range, 43-120 minutes), and only 1627 patients (11%) had DIDO times of 30 minutes or less. Significant factors associated with a DIDO time greater than 30 minutes included older age, female sex, off-hours presentation, and non–emergency medical services transport to the first hospital. Patients with a DIDO time of 30 minutes or less were significantly more likely to have an overall DTB time of 90 minutes or less compared with patients with DIDO times greater than 30 minutes (60% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 57%-62%] vs 13% [95% CI, 12%-13%]; P Conclusion A DIDO time of 30 minutes or less was observed in only a small proportion of patients transferred for primary PCI but was associated with shorter reperfusion delays and lower in-hospital mortality.
Robust zero miss distance guidance for missiles with parametric uncertainties

This paper presents a robust guidance law, which renders zero miss distance (ZMD) against deterministically or randomly maneuvering targets for all missile parametric uncertainties. The structured uncertainties in missile dynamics are, modeled by interval transfer functions. It is shown that for the nominal case, when the total missile transfer function is positive real, ZMD can be obtained. When uncertainties are considered, the problem converges to the design of a guidance controller which renders a family of transfer functions positive real. A new algorithm for the design of such a controller is proposed. An example illustrating a typical design procedure is given, showing the simplicity and effectiveness of the proposed guidance.
Moneyball, Gambling, and the New Cholesterol Guidelines

“Lies, damn lies and statistics.” The old adage is emblematic of people’s distrust of statistics, yet in recent years advanced statistics have proven useful over traditional approaches in areas as varied as Nate Silver’s work in political polling and advanced statistics in sports. In November 2013, new cholesterol guidelines, initially developed by an expert National Institutes of Health panel and then endorsed and published jointly by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (ACC/AHA), took a few steps toward applying more advanced statistical techniques to medical practice.1 The fundamental change is that the ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines base their recommendations on the best available information on an individual patient’s chance of benefitting from treatment. To achieve this, they noted that we need to stop focusing so much on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and focus more on our patient’s overall risk of having a heart attack or stroke. For primary prevention, the new guidelines propose that a statin be recommended once a person’s 10-year risk of having a heart attack or stroke is >7.5%, using a cardiovascular risk calculator developed by the original National Institutes of Health expert panel. Noting that multiple clinical trials have failed to find a significant benefit from adding a second lipid-lowering medicine to a statin, the ACC/AHA cholesterol guidelines generally recommend no additional cholesterol medications for those who tolerate a statin, even if LDL remains elevated. These guidelines have triggered a cacophony of controversy, with some cholesterol specialists suggesting that the new guidelines will lead to serious undertreatment of high cholesterol and lost lives, and others suggesting that they will lead to overtreatment of millions of Americans.2,3 The net result—utter confusion. Controversies in medicine have become a dime a dozen, but this medical controversy has a unique aspect to …
High-pressure gas switch for a wideband source

High-power ultrawideband pulses with equivalent center frequencies around 10 GHz require switching in a time scale of about a hundred picoseconds. We are developing a high-pressure gas switch that is designed to store a few joules of energy. Energy is stored in the transmission line upstream of the switch. The switch is a gap in a short transmission line of low impedance. The line is pulse charged to store the desired energy before the electric field across the gap collapses from the avalanche buildup of electrons. To ensure a relatively uniform voltage collapse across the width of the gap, initial electrons are produced by radiation from a bare spark. The switching repeatability is very good when the spark provides the initial electrons. Gap electric fields greater than 1 MV/cm were achieved for a 10-atm switch pressure in air with a voltage collapse less than 150 ps over 6 cm of switch length. The switch was tested with repetitive pulses up to 1 kHz. In a pulse charging mode, the collapse time of the gap will typically be 5 times less than the charging time. For applications where a switching time of tens of picoseconds is desired, a second switch would be required.
Role of Belostoma bakeri (Heteroptera) in the trophic ecology of a fishless desert spring

We examined the foraging and production ecology of a top predator (Belostoma bakeri, Belostomatidae) in the fishless, thermally constant aquatic ecosystem of Montezuma Well, Arizona. Our results highlight the importance of prey behavior in energy flow in aquatic ecosystems. B. bakeri captured more amphipods (Hyalella montezuma) than damselfly nymphs (Telebasis sz H. montezuma spent significantly more time moving than damselfly nymphs did. Also, B. bakeri captured significantly more adult (L 3 mm) amphipods than juveniles (< 3 mm) in the light but not in dark treatments. Production by f. bakeri was 2.8 g dw m-2 yc-’ (+2 SE = 0.3). Mean annual standing stock was 0.214 g m-2, annual P: B ratio was 13.3, cohort P: B was 4.7, and annual energy production was 5.88 x lo4 J m-2 yr-I. Ecological efficiency was 13.2% between primary producers and amphipods in Montezuma Well, 5.1% between amphipods and damsclfly nymphs, and 2.7% between lower levels and aquatic heteropterans. Production by B. bakeri made up 25% of the total energy incorporated in secondary consumer production and accounted for 72% of the production by the top predators in Montezuma Well. Aquatic Heteroptera are found in various aquatic environments, including alpine lakes, hot springs, saline ponds, temporary rock pools, perennial and intermittent streams, and temporary and permanent ponds (e.g. Menke 1979; Sanderson 1982; Polhemus 1984). The relatively large size of some aquatic Heteroptera (e.g. Belostomatidae, Nepidae, Notonectidae) often makes these insects top predators in systems lacking vertebrates, yet the role of aquatic heteropterans in the trophic structure of these aquatic ecosystems has been largely unexplored (Crisp 1962; Waters 1977; Runck and Blinn 1990). No studies have examined secondary production for Belostomatidae (giant water bugs), even though they are important predators in shallow lentic ecosystems (Kesler and Munns
Relating Environmental Fluctuation and the Early Growth of Estuarine Fishes: Ontogenetic Standardization

Abstract Variability in early growth rates of estuarine-dependent juvenile fishes in relation to large-scale meteorological forcing may be detected following the removal of ontogenetic growth trends. Here we develop a general approach for the ontogenetic standardization of otolith daily records and demonstrate the usefulness of this approach in terms of relating the early growth of juvenile Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus to concurrent environmental fluctuation. For these data, a linear/constant ontogenetic growth function provided the best fit to the inferred growth histories of individual fish. Whereas daily proportional growth declined linearly during the presettlement period, constant proportional growth ensued during the postsettlement phase of the first 50 d of early life. The recognition of such stage-specific shifts in growth trajectories is essential for accurate ontogenetic standardization. Daily postsettlement growth could be ontogenetically standardized for individual Atlantic croaker...
VIRTUAL STRUCTURE BASED SPACECRAFT FORMATION CONTROL WITH FORMATION FEEDBACK

Formation control for multiple vehicles has become an active research area in recent years. Generally there are three approaches to this problem, namely leaderfollowing, behavioral, and virtual structure approaches. In this paper, formation control ideas for multiple spacecraft using virtual structure approach are presented. If there is no formation feedback from spacecraft to the virtual structure, the spacecraft will get out of formation when the virtual structure moves too fast for the spacecraft to track or the total system must sacrifice convergence speed in order to keep the spacecraft in formation. The spacecraft may also get out of formation when the system is affected by internal or external disturbances. To overcome these drawbacks, a novel way of introducing formation feedback from spacecraft to the virtual structure is illustrated in detail. An application of these ideas to multiple spacecraft interferometers in deep space is given.
Modeling the brittle–ductile transition in ferritic steels. Part II: analysis of scatter in fracture toughness

A dislocation simulation model has been proposed to predict the brittle–ductile transition in ferritic steels in Part I. Here we extend the model to address the problem of inherent scatter in fracture toughness measurements. We carried out a series of Monte Carlo simulations using distributions of microcracks situated on the plane of a main macrocrack. Detailed statistical analysis of the simulation results showed the following: (a) fracture is initiated at one of the microcracks whose size is at the tail of the size distribution function, and (b) the inherent scatter arises from the distribution in the size of the critical microcrack that initiates the fracture and not from the variation of the location of the critical microcrack. Utilizing the weakest-link theory, Weibull analysis shows good agreement with the Weibull modulus values obtained from fracture toughness measurements.
Snore-Associated Sleep Fragmentation in Infancy: Mental Development Effects and Contribution of Secondhand Cigarette Smoke Exposure

OBJECTIVE. The link between sleep-disordered breathing and neurocognitive functioning in preschool and school-aged children now has been established clearly. Within these age groups, isolated studies have examined the potential effect of snoring without gas exchange abnormalities on aspects of cognitive competence. The goal of the study was to test the potential association between snoring and decrements in developmental performance among infants. METHODS. Thirty-five healthy community infants (8.2 ± 0.4 months) were administered the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, including the Mental Development Index (MDI), after standard, overnight research polysomnography. RESULTS. The apnea-hypopnea index for all infants was 0. Respiratory arousal index was significantly correlated with MDI. Snoring-associated arousals accounted exclusively for this relationship; spontaneous arousals and those that were associated with central apnea and oxyhemoglobin desaturation episodes (≥4%) were not significantly correlated with MDI. Living in a smoking household was not significantly associated with the presence of objectively recorded snoring but was associated with an increase in arousal frequency in snoring infants. CONCLUSIONS. Infants with lower scores on a standardized mental development assessment had higher snoring-arousal indices. Because neither apnea nor hypopnea was present, these findings constitute additional evidence that snoring is not just an innocent noise during sleep in infants but may in fact represent the lower end of the disease spectrum associated with sleep-disordered breathing. Secondhand exposure to cigarette smoke may increase the deleterious effects of infant snoring.
Oxygen and water flux across eggshells of Manduca sexta.

Insect eggs must obtain oxygen across the eggshell to support embryonic development. Because eggs are small, obtaining enough oxygen would seem trivial. Recent work, however, has shown that eggs of a moth, Manduca sexta, are oxygen limited at high but realistic temperatures (32‐37°C) and that PO∑ drops steeply across the eggshell. Here we use theoretical and experimental approaches to partition the total resistance to oxygen flux among several steps in the oxygen cascade from environment to embryo. Standard mass-transfer analysis suggests that boundary layers of air around eggs, and around substrates to which they are attached, offer negligible resistance. Likewise, a mathematical model, parameterized using published and newly obtained morphological data, predicts that air-filled parts of the chorion also do not resist oxygen flux. This prediction was confirmed by experiments that measured rates of carbon dioxide emission from batches of eggs subjected simultaneously to hypoxia and inert gas substitution: depression of metabolic rate by hypoxia was not rescued when the diffusion coefficient of oxygen in air was doubled by substituting helium for nitrogen. The model did predict, however, that a set of subchoral layers (a crystalline chorionic layer, a wax layer and the vitelline membrane) could account for most or all of the total resistance to oxygen flux. Support for this prediction was obtained from two sequential experiments. First, eggs extracted with chloroform:methanol had highly elevated rates of water loss, suggesting that indeed eggs of M. sexta are waterproofed by wax. Second, rates of water loss and carbon dioxide emission from batches of eggs, measured from laying to hatching, changed in parallel over development. These data suggest that a single layer, likely a wax layer or a combination of wax and other subchoral layers, provides the main resistance to water efflux and oxygen influx.
Educating the Educator: HBCU/MSI Faculty Training Workshop in CSE and HPC at North Carolina A&T State University

Computational science and engineering (CSE) and high performance computing (HPC) have now become an integral part of several engineering and science disciplines. Still, the number of students from under-represented universities and minority institutions, who are involved in and exposed to these fields, is very minimal. Several high-performance computing programs, as well as other programs funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of the Army, etc., have traditionally focused on summer training in HPC for minority students. In spite of the demand, the number of minorities and the prospective graduates in these fields are significantly less. An early introduction of these technology areas to faculty advisors, teachers and educators will facilitate the transformational change needed. This way, the students would also get the momentum and continuation after the completion of the summer programs, with local faculty expertise and interest that is currently lacking in CSE and HPC at several of the M nority Serving Institutions/Historically Black Colleges and Universities (MSI/HBCU). Thus, it is imperative that faculty members at these institutions be exposed to and trained in CSE, HPC, and the core technologies that enable computational modeling and simulation. We have followed a complementary approach of educating and training faculty members at HBCU/MSI for the past four years. An annual workshop is sponsored by the High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) through the Joint Educational Opportunities for Minorities (JEOM) program. This workshop has evolved over the last four years, and follow-on activities, including mini-workshops on selected core CSE- and HPC-enabling topic areas of interest, were conducted for the first time at two HBCU/MSI institutions (Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and Xavier University of Louisiana) in April 2010. The development, experiences, lessons learned and outcomes of the NCAT annual educational and training workshops over the past four years, and the initial offering of the mini-workshops for faculty members of HBCU/MSI are briefly discussed. The workshop not only educates and trains the faculty members from HBCU/MSI, but acts as a catalyst to propagate their knowledge to their students, thus serving a larger minority population. Our experiences indicate that the outcomes and successes from such university faculty member-based activities require a long-term follow-up, and tracking to identify the impact and the transformational changes.
Treatment of open fractures of the tibial shaft with the use of interlocking nailing without reaming.

Fifty open fractures of the tibial shaft that were treated with debridement and interlocking nailing without reaming were followed for an average of twelve months. Most of the fractures were the result of high-energy trauma, and 68 per cent of the fracture wounds were grade III. Forty-eight (96 per cent) of the fifty fractures united at an average of seven months; there were no malunions. There were four infections (8 per cent), all at the sites of grade-III fractures. Locking screws broke in five tibiae (10 per cent), but the breakage did not result in a loss of reduction. Three nails broke, two at the sites of ununited fractures and one at the site of a healed fracture. These results are comparable with, or better than, those obtained with other forms of fixation, including immobilization with a cast, unlocked intramedullary nailing, and external fixation.
Pseudotumor Cerebri Syndrome

Investigators from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, and centers in Philadelphia and Salt Lake City, propose updated criteria for the diagnosis of pseudotumor cerebri (PTCS) and its variations.
Infection and Antibiotic Treatment in Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Bronchitis

Patients with chronic bronchitis commonly have disease exacerbations, characterized by any or all of three “cardinal symptoms”: increased dyspnea, increased sputum volume and increased sputum purulence. In one study, Anthonisen and colleagues graded exacerbations as type I if all three symptoms were present, type II if only two symptoms were present, and type III if only one symptom was present [1]. Although bacterial infection may be responsible for exacerbations, and antibiotics are commonly prescribed, this type of therapy remains controversial, particularly since only half of all exacerbations are bacterial in origin, the rest being viral or chemical. Thus, some believe that antibiotic therapy of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB) is an abuse of antibiotics, and can contribute to antimicrobial resistance. However, a recent meta-analysis has concluded that antibiotics are of benefit, and available data show that this benefit is most clear in patients who have at least two of the three cardinal symptoms of exacerbation [2].
AES Studies of the M/SiC Interface with Metal Carbide Formers

After Nichrome, Ni, Cr, and Au/Ta films are deposited onto single crystals of cubic SiC, their reactivities at the metal-semiconductor interface are studied by Auger Electron Spectroscopy. For all metals except Ni, metal carbides are detected at the interfaces. Initially these carbides tend to promote adhesion and limit the reaction with the substrate. Annealing at or above 450°C causes Ni to diffuse into the SiC and the Ta and Cr films to migrate through the capping material and away from the SiC, thereby delaminating. Development of the secondary phases at interface severely complicates the interpretation of the depth profiling data and with the uniformity of the contact film. These phases seem to be initiated at SiC defect sites where the reaction kinetics are considerably different and may be minimized with improved SiC substrates.
The birth of the medical humanities and the rebirth of the philosophy of medicine: the vision of Edmund D. Pellegrino.

KIE: Engelhardt's essay introduces an issue of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy published as a festschrift in honor of Edmund D. Pellegrino on his 70th birthday and in gratitude to him for establishing the Journal in 1976. Articles by D.C. Thomasma, R.M. Veatch, K.D. Clouser, R.M. Zaner, and S.F. Spicker and R.M. Ratzan explore Pellegrino's work as "a founder of the fields of medical humanities and bioethics and a revivifier of interest in the philosophy of medicine."
Non-sclerotic bone involvement in Erdheim–Chester: PET/CT and MRI findings in a 15-year-old boy

Erdheim-Chester disease is a rare form of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis with multi-organ infiltration that occurs mainly in adults. Pediatric cases are extremely rare. Here we report a case of multisystemic Erdheim-Chester disease in a 15-year-old boy with central nervous system involvement and skeletal findings. Positron emission tomography (PET) and MRI were used to demonstrate characteristic bilateral, symmetrical medullary involvement of the metadiaphyses of long bones in the absence of the classic sclerotic radiographic appearance. This illustrates the potential for earlier diagnosis and visualization of therapeutic response in children.
A Queueing Network Based Approach to Distributed Aircraft Carrier Deck Scheduling

In this paper, we present a new approach to stochastic scheduling for aircraft carriers, based on a queueing network model of the flight deck operations. The nodes of the network consist of the different stations which serve the aircraft, like refueling stations, catapults, and landing strip. Each server in this network follows a certain policy for servicing the aircraft, and then decides which of its adjacent nodes the aircraft will visit next. The focus of the problem is to find methods for generating good scheduling and routing policies. We find the optimal scheduling policy from a restricted subset of the set of all policies, namely linear index based policies. The parameters chosen to compute the indices are those that best differentiate the aircraft, and a linear index based structure is selected to make the policy easily implementable by the human operators. The optimal policy is then found by simulation based optimization. We finally obtain a policy that is implementable by the decision makers at each node making it, in a sense, a distributed policy. Moreover, we show how this framework can robustly deal with system failures, such as unplanned shutdowns or task execution failures that occur in the system. One interesting feature of this formulation is that it can be applied to a variety of problems like job-shop scheduling, and factory production.
The China Enterprises Use their Electronic Commerce Solution Project after Entering WTO

This paper discusses the issues that the enterprises how to choose their electronic commerce solution project after China enters the WTO. The author puts forward that the enterprises should put the object of doing electronic commerce for enterprises to the first place. Then according to the object, the enterprises make their own plans, supervises their processing.