cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Community Violence Exposure on Anxiety in Children of Mothers with Depression

The dual risk of exposure to community violence and maternal depression has potentially negative effects on children. This study examined whether social skills served as a protective factor for the impact of community violence exposure on anxiety within children of African American mothers with depression. Multiple regressions showed that community violence exposure was associated with less anxious coping but more physical symptoms. Findings support that younger children who view themselves as being socially skilled also exhibit higher levels of anxious coping. Implications addressing the importance of age, physical symptoms of anxiety, and anxious vigilance for interventions are discussed.
Direct effects of an opioid peptide selective for μ-receptors : intracellular recordings in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the guinea-pig

Abstract Responses to [ d -Ala2, MePhe4, Gly-ol5]enkephalin, a selective agonist for μ-receptors, were recorded intracellularly from 26 neurons in slices of guinea-pig hypothalamus. Of eight cells tested in the supraoptic nucleus, all of which had electrical properties characteristic of magnocellular neuroendocrine cells, four were sensitive to the agonist applied in the perfusion bath or with microdrops. The main effect was a decrease or suppression of spontaneous firing. In the paraventricular nucleus, seven of 18 cells tested also had electrophysiological characteristics similar to magnocellular neurons: two of them were sensitive to the μ-agonist and the effect was similar to that observed in the supraoptic nucleus. The remaining paraventricular neurons displayed low-threshold Ca2+ spikes, and thus had electrophysiological characteristics different from putative magnocellular neurons. Ten of 11 cells with low-threshold Ca2+ spikes were hyperpolarized by more than 10 mV by the μ-agonist, and showed a 33 ± 1.9% (S.E.M.) decrease in input resistance. In both types of cells, when synaptic transmission was blocked with tetrodotoxin, the μ-agonist could still induce a hyperpolarization, suggesting that the effect was in part direct. Hyperpolarization was also obtained when the Cl− reversal potential was shifted to more positive values by using KCl electrodes, thus excluding a Cl− conductance mechanism. These results provide evidence that opioid peptides can directly inhibit hypothalamic neurons, that the mechanism is an increase in K+ conductance, and that two types of hypothalamic neurons appear to have different sensitivities to a μ-agonist.
An evaluation of organic light emitting diode monitors for medical applications: Great timing, but luminance artifacts

Purpose: In contrast to the dominant medical liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) monitors control the display luminance via separate light-emitting diodes for each pixel and are therefore supposed to overcome many previously documented temporal artifacts of medical LCDs. We assessed the temporal and luminance characteristics of the only currently available OLED monitor designed for use in the medical treatment field (SONY PVM2551MD) and checked the authors’ main findings with another SONY OLED device (PVM2541). Methods: Temporal properties of the photometric output were measured with an optical transient recorder. Luminances of the three color primaries and white for all 256 digital driving levels (DDLs) were measured with a spectroradiometer. Between the luminances of neighboring DDLs, just noticeable differences were calculated according to a perceptual model developed for medical displays. Luminances of full screen (FS) stimuli were compared to luminances of smaller stimuli with identical DDLs. Results: All measured luminance transition times were below 300 μs. Luminances were independent of the luminance in the preceding frame. However, for the single color primaries, up to 50.5% of the luminances of neighboring DDLs were not perceptually distinguishable. If two color primaries were active simultaneously, between 36.7% and 55.1% of neighboring luminances for increasing DDLs of the third primary were even decreasing. Moreover, luminance saturation effects were observed when too many pixels were active simultaneously. This effect was strongest for white; a small white patch was close to 400 cd/m2, but in FS the luminance of white saturated at 162 cd/m2. Due to different saturation levels, the luminance of FS green and FS yellow could exceed the luminance of FS white for identical DDLs. Conclusions: The OLED temporal characteristics are excellent and superior to those of LCDs. However, the OLEDs revealed severe perceptually relevant artifacts with implications for applicability to medical imaging.
A solar-electric vehicle simulation code

Abstract A code called Solar-Electric Vehicle Simulation (SEVSIM) was constructed on the framework provided by Transient Systems (TRNSYS), a modular solar simulation program. The principal features of SEVSIM (roadway modeling, weather simulation, vehicle systems modeling) are explained, along with the limitations of the current version of the code. The results of the initial validation studies, of a comparison of two solar cell array configurations, and of a study of the effect of average speed on battery discharge are presented.
Efficient and Secure Information Sharing in Distributed, Collaborative Environments

Collaboration enables a set of partners to work together while sharing information, resources, and capabilities in a controlled and accountable fashion. The partners themselves are organizations composed of people, departments, computational entities, and agents who perform tasks consistent with the internal rules of their organization. This paper presents a framework for managing some aspects of collaborations, both within and across organizations, between agents and resources or services, while guaranteeing that these interactions are secure, efficient, and satisfy specified access constraints. It describes some current and planned activities in a joint project by the coauthors at Arizona State University and New York University. We view collaborative operations in terms of the direct interactions between computations and services. To support collaborative operations we will rely on several techniques, including transitive delegation, cryptographic file systems, capacity sandboxing, reverse sandboxing, and fine-grained access control. These techniques facilitate scalable authentication and revocable authorization of agent computations even when they span resources of different organizations. In addition, they improve overall efficiency by permitting migration of computations to, and caching of services in, partly trusted environments of another organization.
Three-dimensional elliptic solvers for interface problems and applications

Second-order accurate elliptic solvers using Cartesian grids are presented for three-dimensional interface problems in which the coefficients, the source term, the solution and its normal flux may be discontinuous across an interface. One of our methods is designed for general interface problems with variable but discontinuous coefficient. The scheme preserves the discrete maximum principle using constrained optimization techniques. An algebraic multigrid solver is applied to solve the discrete system. The second method is designed for interface problems with piecewise constant coefficient. The method is based on the fast immersed interface method and a fast 3D Poisson solver. The second method has been modified to solve Helmholtz/Poisson equations on irregular domains. An application of our method to an inverse interface problem of shape identification is also presented. In this application, the level set method is applied to find the unknown surface iteratively.
New Deadbeat Criterion for the Peak Current-mode Controlled Buck Converter

A new criterion is derived for the amount of compensating ramp needed for the deadbeat response of the constant-frequency, trailing-edge modulated, peak current-mode controlled buck converter in continuous conduction mode. The criterion is derived using modified z-transforms and verified experimentally. It is shown that the use of the new criterion results in a faster step-response than when the compensating ramp is set equal to the falling slope of the inductor current scaled by the current sensor gain.
Fluorescence of Cascade Blue™ inside nano-sized porous shells of silicate

Abstract Cascade Blue™ (CB) dye at a concentration as high as 0.227 M was encapsulated within nano-sized porous silicate shells, and its relative fluorescence yield determined over the pH range of 1.8–12.3, using 380 nm as the excitation wavelength. The results were compared with those obtained in aqueous solution using similar pH and total dye concentration. Near neutral pH, the relative fluorescence yields of CB inside the shells exhibited little fluorescence quenching, even though a high concentration of the dye was trapped inside the particles, while the peak wavelength of fluorescence was shifted from 420 nm in solution to 430 nm in shells. Both in shells and solution, the relative fluorescence intensity decreased as the solution pH was raised from 2 to 4, and in shells it nearly disappeared at about pH 3–4. As the pH was further increased, the red shift of fluorescence peak in the shell-trapped dyes was evident at pH 5 and its fluorescence intensity regained equal to that in acid. In the neutral pH range, the fluorescence intensity of CB in the shells was similar to that of the equivalent total concentration of the CB in solution. In solution, a similar red shift of the fluorescence maximum of CB to 430 nm was observed only above pH 9. These observations suggest that the fluorescence intensities of dyes trapped inside nano-sized porous silicate shells can be equal to or higher than that observed in solution under comparable conditions, leading to several hundreds times more fluorescent intensity when it is measured per single shell rather than per unit fluorophore.
Do pulsating PG1159–035 stars put constraints on stellar evolution?

The variable star PG1159–035, discovered by McGraw et al.1, is the prototype of a new class of extremely hot pulsating degenerate stars. Here we present preliminary theoretical results indicating that the pulsation periods of these stars should be decreasing with an e-folding time of the order of 106 yr—a value directly reflecting their rapid cooling times. We point out that such a rapid change in period should be measurable on a time scale of 1–3 yr, and that such measurements should be a direct test of stellar evolution and pulsation theory for hot degenerate objects.
Enhanced estimates of total volume with any single upper-stem measurement

Abstract Total volume equations and functions that predict Pressler height, the Hohenadl reference diameter squared, and the Girard form class were constructed from 54 ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl.) trees. The sample trees were sectioned into lengths that correspond to 10% of the total tree height. It was hypothesized that enhanced estimates of total tree volume could be made by utilizing volume equations that incorporate some variable of upper stem form. Utilizing three-stage least-squares analysis, taper functions and merchantable-height equations were constructed. After imposing conditions on the taper functions and merchantable-height equations, new algorithms were developed that predict the Hohenadl reference diameter squared, the Girard form class, and Pressler height as functions of any single upper-stem measurement. The values are later substituted into total-volume equations that utilize the Hohenadl reference diameter squared, the Girard form class, and Pressler height as independent variables. A test with an independent data set revealed that the Pressler volume and natural form factor equations provided consistently superior estimates of total volume.
A STUDY OF FACTORS INVOLVED IN EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIFIC LANGUAGE DISABILITY

The purpose of this study was to develop a testing plan for specific language disability, with the aim of locating significant items which could be used in a test battery suitable for administration, scoring, and interpretation in the schools. The battery was administered to a random sample of 150 first-grade children, at the beginning of the second semester of school. In addition, questionnaires were filled out by the parents and the teachers. Results indicated that scores on tests of all three modalities, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic, were significantly related to reading and spelling achievement, but that tests utilizing intersensory integration were more highly related. Oral language skills were also significantly related to the achievement tests. This study strongly supports the hypothesis that there is a major auditory component in the areas of reading and spelling. The questionnaires were considered a valuable adjunct to the test battery.
QUADRUPOLE COLLECTIVITY OF ANGULAR-MOMENTUM PROJECTED STATES OF NUCLEONS IN THE HIGH-J INTRUDER SINGLE-PARTICLE STATES

Ever since the pioneering work of Elliott (Elliott J P 1958 London Series A 245 128, 562), quadrupole collectivity in deformed nuclei has been economically described in terms of symmetry. Microscopic symmetry is not present in the deformed intrinsic states of n nucleons in the abnormal-parity single-particle states . However, such states do possess some -symmetry-like properties as shown in this work.
Swimming performances of three rare Colorado River fishes

Abstract A stamina tunnel was used to determine the prolonged swimming performance of age-0 humpback chubs Gila cypha, bonytail chubs G. elegans, and Colorado squawfish Ptychocheilus lucius and of subadult Colorado squawfish. The “fatigue velocity” in body lengths per second at which 50% of the test fish were fatigued (FV50) was determined at 14, 20, and 26°C. The ranges of FV50 values for the three fishes (average total length in parentheses) were: Humpback chubs (95 mm), 4.4–5.7; bonytail chubs (99 mm), 4.7–5.8; small Colorado squawfish (104 mm), 4.0–4.5; large Colorado squawfish (432 mm), 2.0–2.3. Absolute speed of large Colorado squawfish was about 2.4 times that of small Colorado squawfish. Swimming ability of the subyearlings increased with increased water temperature. These rare fish had prolonged-swimming abilities similar to other fish species. Received May 29, 1984 Accepted March 2, 1985
L-DOPA produces regional changes in glucose utilization which form discrete anatomic patterns in motor nuclei and the hypothalamus of rats.

Abstract Systemic injections of l -DOPA (200 mg/kg) combined with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor (Carbidopa) produced increased motor activity and changes in regional cerebral glucose utilization similar to and different from changes seen with other dopaminergic drugs in previous studies. Similarities were an increased glucose utilization (relative optical density measurement) in the subthalamic and entopeduncular nuclei and the substantia nigra. A major difference was a suggested decreased glucose utilization in the striatum with l -DOPA treatment rather than the increases observed with apomorphine in other studies. Also, glucose utilization in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus was decreased. Finally, specific, discrete patterns were visible in motor nuclei of the l -DOPA-treated rats which were not visible with other dopaminergic drugs: the ventral posterior striatum was increased compared with the dorsal striatum and the compacta region of the substantia nigra contained unusual round spots and patterns of high-normal density and low-normal density, especially in the lateral compacta region. In one case, the density pattern in the substantia nigra was similar to the field of dopamine cell bodies and their dendrites which extend into the reticulata region. The results confirm the importance of activity in the subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus, and entopeduncular nucleus, as well as the substantia nigra for dopaminergic drug effects either through striatal dopamine receptors or through dopamine receptors in each of these nuclei. In addition, new “functional units” in the substantia nigra were revealed.
A new surface modification approach for CFD-based hull form optimization

The main focus of this study is on the development of an efficient and effective hull surface modification technique for the CFD-based hull form optimization. Two approaches are utilized. One is based on the radial basis function interpolation, and the other the sectional area curve of the hull. Both local and global modifications of hull forms can be achieved by combining these two approaches. The hull surface modification technique developed in this study is used to vary the hull forms during the optimization process, in which the objective functions associated with the resistance is evaluated by a practical design-oriented CFD tool (SSF), and a multi-objective genetic algorithm is adopted to allow for multi-design speeds. For the purpose of illustration, the KRISO container ship (KCS) is taken as an initial hull to be optimized for reduced drag at given design speeds. Numerical results obtained in this study have shown that the present hull surface modification technique can produce smooth hull forms with reduced drag effectively and efficiently in the CFD-based hull form optimization.
The Effects of Inattentiveness and Hyperactivity on Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: Does a Diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Matter?:

Objective: To address the nature of associations between ADHD symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) psychopathology in adult military veterans. Method: Ninety-five combat veterans, with PTSD (n = 63) and without PTSD (n = 32), were recruited for this study. PTSD was assessed with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and ADHD was assessed with Connors' Adult ADHD Rating Scale-Self-Report: Short Version (CAARS-S:S). Results: PTSD participants endorsed greater hyperactivity or restlessness, inattention or memory problems, and impulsivity or emotional lability scores than participants without PTSD. Among PTSD participants, inattention or memory problems and impulsivity or emotional lability were significant predictors of total PTSD symptoms, but only inattention or memory problems significantly predicted PTSD symptoms when other ADHD symptom clusters were considered simultaneously. Conclusion: Our data suggest that inattention may serve as a risk factor for posttraumatic stress symptoms following combat exposure.
Statesmanship, Humility, and Happiness: Reflections on Robert Faulkner's The Case for Greatness 1

Abstract Robert Faulkner's The Case for Greatness offers a lively, detailed discussion of Aristotle's magnanimous man and the statesman who embodies this ethical–political ideal. Faulkner's portrayal of the complexity and tensions within this classical portrait of magnanimity and in the souls of its ancient and modern exemplars is compelling, but missing from his discussion is any mention of magnanimity in the Jewish and Christian intellectual traditions and the resources they afford to mitigate and heal these tensions and provide an openness to fuller wholeness and happiness. One of these resources is the virtue of humility, which is discussed here as a support and a supplement to magnanimity. Various statesmen who seem to incarnate this humble yet arguably more magnanimous magnanimity are noted in the last sections of this essay.
Risk, Responsibility, and Generic Drugs

A Supreme Court ruling that generic-drug manufacturers can't be held liable for not updating their labels with new warnings leaves gaps in responsibility over late-arising safety issues. A central repository of data on adverse drug events could help address the problem.
Quantitative description of eustachian tube movements during swallowing as visualized by transnasal videoendoscopy

Importance Eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction predisposes ears to otitis media, tympanic membrane retraction, retraction pocket and perforation, or cholesteatoma. Objective To develop a method to quantitatively measure the eustachian tube (ET) component movements and their interactions captured by transnasal videoendoscopy of the ET during swallowing. Design, Setting, and Participants A blinded analysis of ET mechanics in 33 adults, aged 18 to 54 years, with no middle ear disease at present but without (group 1 [n = 16]) or with (group 2 [n = 17]) history of disease, conducted at a clinical research laboratory. Interventions Videoendoscopy of the ET orifice at the nasopharynx. Main Outcomes and Measures Eustachian tube component translations and structural interactions during a swallow and the between-group differences in those variables. After topical anesthesia of the nose, a 45° telescope was introduced unilaterally and focused on the ipsilateral ET orifice. A video recording of ET component movements was made during 3 swallows. Swallow and ET opening durations and times to selected events were calculated. Images at 3 time points were analyzed by measuring the apex angle, the medial-lateral luminal width, and the medial angles between a frame-normal horizontal line through the apex and fixed points on the torus and medial and lateral luminal walls. Linear and angular variables during a swallow were expressed as change from baseline. Results Luminal opening was driven by soft palate elevation–related medial rotation of the torus and medial wall, coupled with lateral wall fixedness. The magnitude of the change from baseline for most variables was statistically greater than 0. Swallow time, palatal elevation time, time interval between maximum palatal elevation, and maximum eustachian tube opening time were not different between groups 1 and 2. Opening time was longer (mean [SD], 0.49 [0.28] vs 0.67 [0.51] seconds; P = .03) in group 2. Higher magnitude of torus rotation (mean [SD], 36.05° [12.96°] vs 27.72° [9.45°]; P = .002) with maximum soft palate elevation in group 1 resulted in greater degree of eustachian tube orifice widening (mean [SD], 0.34% [0.47%] vs −0.02% [0.49%]; P = .001) compared with the resting position in that group. Conclusions and Relevance This methodology has application in developing quantitative descriptions of ET mechanics in groups of persons without and with history or suspected ET dysfunction. A lesser degree of soft palate elevation during swallow that derives the ET medial lamina rotation and widening of the ET orifice may be associated with poor ET function and higher risk for otitis media. Videoendoscopic evaluation of the ET orifice may assist in diagnosing presence and mechanism of ET dysfunction.
Analytical IP Alias Resolution

IP alias resolution is an important step in generating sample Internet topologies from collected path traces. Inaccuracies in IP alias resolution may significantly affect the characteristics of the resulting sample topologies. This in turn affects the accuracy of measurement results obtained using such topologies. Existing tools for alias resolution use an active probing approach. They induce significant traffic overhead into the network and critically depend on the participation of the routers. Recent studies have reported on the limited effectiveness of these approaches [1], [2]. In this paper, we present a novel approach, called Analytical Alias Resolver (AAR), for IP alias resolution. Given a set of path traces, AAR utilizes the common IP address assignment scheme to infer IP aliases from the collected path traces. AAR does not incur traffic overhead due to active probing for alias resolution. Our experimental evaluations on a set of collected Internet path traces show that, compared to existing approaches, AAR can detect significantly more number of IP aliases.
A Software Framework for Online Mobile Games

This paper introduces a two-layer UDP datagram-based network communication framework for developing online mobile games. The communication mechanism consists of a physical layer and a data-link layer with a unified interface. A standalone two-player mobile game, such as a chess game and the like, can be easily plugged on to the communication framework to become a corresponding online version.
Media Openness, Democracy and Militarized Interstate Disputes

Mass media play a central role in political life. Media not only transfer information; they also facilitate communication. These functions may ameliorate conflict, crisis and war in world politics. Accordingly, this study looks into the impact of media openness on international conflict. Based on a cross-sectional, time-series dataset for interstate dyads from 1950 to 1992, logistic regression analysis shows that an indicator of media openness has a strong dampening effect on Militarized Interstate Disputes (MIDs) and fatal MIDs. Moreover, this connection is significant even in the presence of a composite indicator of democracy (that measures its institutional attributes using the Polity data), economic interdependence and joint membership in international organizations. The results suggest that the successful neo-Kantian triad is complemented effectively by the presence of media openness.
STAGING AND THE SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF LUNG CANCER

Of all newly diagnosed cases of lung cancer approximately 80% are non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Unfortunately, over half have extrapulmonary spread at diagnosis, resulting in an overall 5-year survival of less than 10%. 9 Survival and surgical resectability are related to the stage of disease, which is determined using a combination of invasive and noninvasive techniques. 60 For stage I and II NSCLC surgical treatment alone yields 5-year survivals of 75% and 45%, respectively. 65,66 Only 20% of all cases, however, present in these potentially surgically curable stages. Survival following surgery alone for advanced locoregional disease (i.e., stage IIIA) drops to less than 20% in most series. Patients with stage IIIB or IV disease have a grave prognosis and generally are not candidates for surgery. Chemotherapy results in a complete response rate of 0% and a 3-year survival rate of 8%. 51 Similarly, primary radiotherapy yields a median survival of 8 to 14 months 6,16 that may be improved by the addition of concomitant chemotherapy. Patients presenting with locally advanced, but potentially resectable disease (i.e., selected stage IIIA and IIIB patients) have a 5-year survival of 20% to 30%, provided a complete resection can be performed. Incomplete resection rarely results in long-term survival. 29,65,70,96,108,109 135 Although disseminated disease (stage IV) is virtually incurable with a variable response to chemotherapy, there have been instances where resection of isolated metastatic disease, including the brain and adrenal gland, has resulted in long-term survival. The major prognostic factor in these aggressive approaches to such disease is the ability to achieve a complete resection. The increased morbidity and mortality associated with these approaches requires careful patient selection. Small-cell lung cancer remains a nonsurgical disease with the majority (80%) of cases presenting in higher stages. The primary treatment modalities for small-cell lung cancer are radiation therapy and systemic chemotherapy, often administered concomitantly. The following discussion focuses on the staging and surgical management of NSCLC.
Feasibility of post-gadolinium three-dimensional gradient-echo sequence to evaluate the pulmonary arterial vasculature.

Abstract Purpose To determine the feasibility of post-gadolinium three-dimensional gradient-echo (3D-GE) sequence for the evaluation of the pulmonary arterial vasculature in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) and in patients with a variety of other disease processes. Materials and Methods Twenty-six consecutive patients (18 females, 8 males; mean age±S.D., 46.6±21.1 years) who underwent chest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including post-gadolinium 3D-GE sequence for the evaluation of PE (Group A, n=13) and a variety of other disease processes (Group B, n=13) were included in the study. Post-gadolinium 3D-GE MR sequences were retrospectively, independently and blindly evaluated by two reviewers for the image quality of pulmonary arterial vasculature, and findings of PE and other disease processes. Clinical and imaging follow-up data for all patients were obtained. Interobserver agreement was calculated by kappa statistics. Results All central and lobar pulmonary arteries, 71.4–89.6% of segmental arteries and 46.7–52.7% of subsegmental arterial units in both groups were visualized with sufficient diagnostic image quality on post-gadolinium 3D-GE sequences. PE involving lobar and segmental arteries was diagnosed in two patients in each group. Other disease processes including pneumonia, lung nodules, superior vena cava stenosis, lung metastases, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and aortic aneurysm were detected in 10 of 26 patients. There was good to excellent interobserver agreement (0.73 to 1.00) for all findings. Conclusion Post-gadolinium 3D-GE sequence may be an alternative technique for the visualization of central, lobar and segmental arteries, and may diagnose PE and other pathologies involving the chest in different patient populations.
Security-Constrained Unit Commitment with Stochastic Constraints

This paper presents a stochastic model for the long-term solution of security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC). The proposed approach could be used by vertically integrated utilities as well as the ISOs in electricity markets. In this model, random disturbances, such as outages of generation units and transmission lines as well as load forecasting inaccuracies, are modeled as scenario trees using the Monte Carlo simulation method. For dual optimization, coupling constraints among scenarios are relaxed and the optimization problem is decomposed into deterministic long-term SCUC subproblems. For each deterministic long-term SCUC, resource constraints represent fuel and emission constraints (in the case of vertically integrated utilities) and energy constraints (in the case of electricity markets). Lagrangian relaxation is used to decompose subproblems with long-term SCUC into tractable short-term MlP-based SCUC subproblems without resource constraints. Accordingly, penalty prices (Lagrangian multipliers) are signals to coordinate the master problem and small-scale subproblems. Computational requirements for solving scenario-based optimization models depend on the number of scenarios in which the objective is to minimize the weighted-average generation cost over the entire scenario tree. In large scale applications, the scenario reduction method is introduced for enhancing a tradeoff between calculation speed and accuracy of long-term SCUC solution. Numerical simulations indicate the effectiveness of the proposed approach for solving the stochastic security-constrained unit commitment.
The use of family nurse practitioners and pediatric nurse practitioners as providers of neonatal intensive care: Safe practice or risky business?

Abstract Neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) have shown their worth as caregivers in the neonatal intensive care unit. Changes in the health care system, including increasingly complex technology, census growth, decreasing support for residency programs, and reductions in the amount of intensive care training for pediatric residents, have placed a burden on neonatal intensive care units. These changes have resulted in a greater demand for NNPs. There are currently 35 graduate programs for NNPs in the United States, which leaves many geographical areas educationally underserved. Thus, there are too few NNPs to address critical staffing problems. To fill this need, it has become common for family nurse practitioners (FNPs) and pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) to function in the NNP role. There are no references in the current literature to support or oppose this practice. Although FNPs and PNPs are advanced practice nurses, the belief that they are adequate substitutes for NNPs in the acute care neonatal setting is fraught with misconception. This article discusses the ethical and legal implications posed by issues surrounding role definition, educational preparation, specialty certification and credentialing, and scope of practice of FNPs and PNPs in the neonatal intensive care unit. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company
Electron Spin Resonance in Dilute Magnetic Alloys

A summary is given of the theory of electron paramagnetic resonance (ESR) in dilute magnetic alloys. The condition for the existence of the so-called ESR ‘bottleneck’ is precisely stated. The magnitude of the temperature dependence of the ESR linewidth, and its angular dependence for anisotropic host metals, serve as a label for the presence or absence of a bottleneck. For values of the conduction-electron—lattice relaxation rate, Δe, that are of the order of the conduction-electronlocalized-electron exchange relaxation rate, characteristic of the intermediate bottleneck regime, the angular variation of the temperature-dependent width enables one to evaluate Δe explicitly.
Efficient searching and annotation of metabolic networks using chemical similarity

Motivation: The urgent need for efficient and sustainable biological production of fuels and high-value chemicals has elicited a wave of in silico techniques for identifying promising novel pathways to these compounds in large putative metabolic networks. To date, these approaches have primarily used general graph search algorithms, which are prohibitively slow as putative metabolic networks may exceed 1 million compounds. To alleviate this limitation, we report two methods—SimIndex (SI) and SimZyme—which use chemical similarity of 2D chemical fingerprints to efficiently navigate large metabolic networks and propose enzymatic connections between the constituent nodes. We also report a Byers‐Waterman type pathway search algorithm for further paring down pertinent networks. Results: Benchmarking tests run with SI show it can reduce the number of nodes visited in searching a putative network by 100-fold with a computational time improvement of up to 10 5 -fold. Subsequent Byers‐Waterman search application further reduces the number of nodes searched by up to 100-fold, while SimZyme demonstrates � 90% accuracy in matching query substrates with enzymes. Using these modules, we have designed and annotated an alternative to the methylerythritol phosphate pathway to produce isopentenyl pyrophosphate with more favorable thermodynamics than the native pathway. These algorithms will have a significant impact on our ability to use large metabolic networks that lack annotation of promiscuous reactions. Availability and implementation: Python files will be available for download at http://tyolab.north
The diagnosis of aortic dissection by emergency medicine ultrasound

A series of five cases of aortic dissection are presented that were diagnosed by emergency physicians using ultrasound to search the abdominal and thoracic aorta for pathology. Aortic dissection is a vascular emergency with a high morbidity and mortality, yet its presentation can be varied and subtle. This article reports the use of Emergency ultrasound in a series of five aortic dissections discovered with a limited, yet timely viewing of the aorta and heart by emergency physicians.
Both DNA and the endoplasmic reticulum are cellular targets for enhancement of cisplatin cytotoxicity by O6-benzylguanine

A8 Cisplatin and carboplatin are widely used chemotherapeutic agents, particularly against head and neck, lung, and gynecological cancers; however, these cancers are also prone to resistance against platinating agents. O6-Benzylguanine (BG) has been shown to result in increased cytotoxicity, platinum damage, and apoptosis when used in conjunction with either cisplatin or carboplatin in head and neck cancer lines, while a structurally similar analog 9-methyl-BG (9-Me-BG) does not enhance platinum agent cytotoxicity. This enhancement in cytotoxicity by BG is also observed in ovarian and pancreatic cancer cell lines, but not in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines. We have observed that regardless of the ability of BG to enhance cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in a cell line, cells treated with BG + cisplatin accumulate more total platinum-DNA adducts than cells treated with cisplatin alone. Additionally, quantification of γH2AX formation, a measure of double-strand DNA breaks, indicates that H2AX phosphorylation occurs at higher levels in all cells treated with BG + cisplatin than in cells treated with cisplatin alone. Treatment of the SQ20b head and neck cancer cell line with 9-Me-BG + cisplatin causes a similar increase in DNA platination and in γH2AX formation as with BG + cisplatin treatment. This therefore indicates that an increase in platinum-induced DNA damage is not sufficient for the increase in cytotoxicity observed in head and neck, ovarian, and pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. We have previously shown through microarray analysis followed by validation through real-time PCR that BG + cisplatin treatment causes upregulation of several transcripts involved in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway of apoptosis. This upregulation occurs only with BG and not with 9-Me-BG, and also occurs only in cell lines in which cisplatin-induced apoptosis is enhanced by treatment with BG + cisplatin. Further analysis of the ER stress pathway has focused on determining whether activation of the ER stress pathway by BG + cisplatin results in significant levels of apoptosis. To this end, we have quantified levels of cleavage of the ER stress caspase (caspase 12), along with the more general caspase 3. In the SQ20b head and neck cell line, we observed significantly higher cleavage of caspase 12 in cells treated with BG + cisplatin than in cells treated with cisplatin alone. In the A549 lung cancer cell line, which does not show enhancement of cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity by BG, there is no increase in caspase 12 cleavage between cells treated with cisplatin alone and those treated with BG + cisplatin. Therefore, activation of apoptosis through the ER stress pathway appears to be necessary for enhancement of cisplatin cytotoxicity by BG. Further elucidation of the target for BG in the cell that potentiates cisplatin-induced ER stress will provide vital information for the design of future modulators of platinating agents. This work was supported by NIH CA81485.
Formal semantics and verification of dynamic reliability block diagrams for system reliability modeling

With the rapid advances in computer science and technology, critical computer-based systems, such as those in aerospace, military, and power industries exhibit more complex dependent and dynamic behaviors, which cannot be fully captured by existing reliability modeling tools. In this paper, we introduce a new reliability modeling tool, called dynamic reliability block diagrams (DRBD), for modeling dynamic relationships between components, such as state dependency and redundancy. We give formal semantics for some key DRBD constructs using Object-Z formalism. In order to verify and validate the correctness of a DRBD model, we propose to convert a DRBD model into a colored Petri net (CPN), and use an existing Petri net tool, called CPN Tools, to analyze and verify dynamic system behavioral properties. Our case study and experimental results show that DRBD provides a powerful tool for system reliability modeling, and our proposed verification approach can effectively ensure the correct design of DRBD reliability models for complex and large-scale computer-based systems.
Highly sensitive troponin assay and sudden cardiac death in the community: unlocking the pathophysiology of sudden cardiac death one biomarker at a time.

Major advances in the treatment of cardiovascular disease and better implementation of aggressive risk factor reduction strategies have resulted in significant declines in overall cardiovascular mortality over the past 3 decades [(1)][1]. Despite these advances, the rate of sudden cardiac death (SCD
Proteolytic crosstalk in multi-protease networks.

Processive proteases, such as ClpXP in E. coli, are conserved enzyme assemblies that can recognize and rapidly degrade proteins. These proteases are used for a number of purposes, including degrading mistranslated proteins and controlling cellular stress response. However, proteolytic machinery within the cell is limited in capacity and can lead to a bottleneck in protein degradation, whereby many proteins compete ('queue') for proteolytic resources. Previous work has demonstrated that such queueing can lead to pronounced statistical relationships between different protein counts when proteins compete for a single common protease. However, real cells contain many different proteases, e.g. ClpXP, ClpAP, and Lon in E. coli, and it is not clear how competition between proteins for multiple classes of protease would influence the dynamics of cellular networks. In the present work, we theoretically demonstrate that a multi-protease proteolytic bottleneck can substantially couple the dynamics for both simple and complex (oscillatory) networks, even between substrates with substantially different affinities for protease. For these networks, queueing often leads to strong positive correlations between protein counts, and these correlations are strongest near the queueing theoretic point of balance. Furthermore, we find that the qualitative behavior of these networks depends on the relative size of the absolute affinity of substrate to protease compared to the cross affinity of substrate to protease, leading in certain regimes to priority queue statistics.
New insights into erythrocyte membrane organization and microelasticity

The erythrocyte membrane’s ability to withstand the stresses of circulation has its origins in various levels of structural organization. Central to this membrane’s structure-function relationships is a quasi-two-dimensional meshwork of spectrin-actin-protein 4.1 that imparts a resilence to the over
Development of a low-cost, reusable laparoscopic entry and emergency model

Although studies on simulation of rare complications have become more common in the trauma and obstetric literature, there is a paucity of studies on simulation of rare laparoscopic emergencies. High-fidelity models, virtual reality systems, and porcine labs are available; however, their cost limits wider use and repetition of skills. A low-cost, laparoscopic entry and emergency model was created using on-hand base parts. A convenience sample of obstetrics/gynecology and general surgery residents and attending surgeons completed a laparoscopic entry and emergency scenario using an innovative model in the multidisciplinary simulation center. A total of 29 gynecology, urology, and general surgery residents, fellows, and attending surgeons participated in the laparoscopic emergency simulation drill. Of the 29 participants of the laparoscopic emergency simulation drill using the model, 27 (93.1%) agreed or strongly agreed that the simulated drill approximates the stress of a vascular injury during laparoscopy...
Structure Computer Network Model of Cell Signaling Network

Accordig to the characteris of cell signaling,and using computer comunication technology,the article presented a cell signaling computer network model similar inter,preset self-rules for technical issues as build agreements.We instanced the possible cell signaling model of ABA actting on stomatal movement which Grill presented using the model.The results of simulation show that cell signal coding can send from the source to the letter places encapsulated into IP packets.
Webcams, Crowdsourcing, and Enhanced Crosswalks: Developing a Novel Method to Analyze Active Transportation

Introduction: Active transportation opportunities and infrastructure are an important component of a community’s design, livability, and health. Features of the built environment influence active transportation, but objective study of the natural experiment effects of built environment improvements on active transportation is challenging. The purpose of this study was to develop and present a novel method of active transportation research using webcams and crowdsourcing, and to determine if crosswalk enhancement was associated with changes in active transportation rates, including across a variety of weather conditions. Methods: 20,529 publicly available webcam images from two street intersections in Washington, D.C., were used to examine the impact of an improved crosswalk on active transportation. A crowdsource, Amazon Mechanical Turk, annotated image data. Temperature data was collected from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and precipitation data was annotated from images by trained research assistants. Results: Summary analyses demonstrated slight, bi-directional differences in the percent of images with pedestrians and bicyclists captured before and after the enhancement of the crosswalks. Chi-square analyses revealed these changes were not significant. In general, pedestrian presence increased in images captured during moderate temperatures compared to images captured during hot or cold temperatures. Chi-square analyses indicated the crosswalk improvement may have encouraged walking and biking in uncomfortable outdoor conditions (p<0.5). Conclusion: The methods employed provide an objective, cost-effective alternative to traditional means of examining the effects of built environment changes on active transportation. The use of webcams to collect active transportation data has applications for community policymakers, planners, and health professionals. Future research will work to validate this method in a variety of settings as well as across different built environment and community policy initiatives.
The College Earnings Premium and Changes in College Enrollment: Testing Models of Expectation Formation

Abstract This paper studies how students build expectations of the future price of college skills when making college enrollment decisions. I compare several possible proxies for students’ expectations of the lifetime earnings gains from college. Students may base their expectations on the earnings of current workers or they may have some information about future earnings. Since 1970, a forecast of future earnings based on static expectations has been a poor predictor of the ex post college premium for successive cohorts. Nonetheless, high relative earnings for college-educated workers at the time a student graduates high school increases his probability of enrolling in college, while his cohort’s future realized earnings do not. A 10 percentage point increase in the contemporaneous college premium is associated with a 1 percentage point rise in college enrollment rates, controlling for tuition and student characteristics.
Influence of Size, Age, and Spawning Season on Sex Change in Black Sea Bass

AbstractA tagging study was conducted off the New Jersey coast to study sex change in Black Sea Bass Centropristis striata as a function of size, age, and spawning season. Throughout 2011–2013, 3,670 fish were measured and 1,498 were tagged from research, charter, and commercial fishing vessels. Of the tagged fish, 437 were recaptured. Size at 50% probability of sex change was 355 mm TL; the proportion of female fish in sexual transition increased with body size from 0.5% at 175–225 mm to 15.7% at 375–425 mm and increased with age from 0.6% at 3 years old to 18.2% at 6 years old. Relatively few females (8 of 107) changed sex during the spawning season, but a larger proportion (8 of 22 females) transitioned between spawning seasons. The proportion of females with transitional gonads was lowest at the start of the spawning season in June (0.2%), slowly increased over the summer, and sharply peaked just after the spawning season in October (9.5%). In addition, a high proportion of young mature fish were male...