cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Moving Beyond Denial—A Reaction to Benham-Deal's and Hudson's Reaction to Us

(2006). Moving Beyond Denial—A Reaction to Benham-Deal's and Hudson's Reaction to Us. American Journal of Health Education: Vol. 37, No. 3, pp. 191-192.
Acquired cutis laxa: case report and review of disorders of elastolysis.

Abstract: A 10-year-old boy developed cutis laxa while receiving isoniazid therapy; no systemic manifestations occurred. There are several well-documented cases of acquired cutis laxa. We propose a classification of the elastolysis syndromes, including inherited, neonatal, and acquired forms of cutis laxa.
Vesicourethral Function in Mice With Genetic Disruption of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase

ABSTRACTPurpose: Nitric oxide is though to play an important role in neuromodulation of the lower urinary tract. We therefore studied the lower urinary tract function of mice in whom the gene encoding for neuronal nitric oxide synthase had been disrupted (nNOS knockout).Methods: Female mice, both control and nNOS knockout, underwent voiding, urodynamic and muscle strip testing as well as histologic studies. Neuronal mechanisms assessed histologically included nitric oxide, cholinergic, adrenergic, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), and non-specific neuronal protein (protein gene product 9.5 [PGP 9.5]).Results: No differences in voiding were observed between normals and nNOS knockout mice. On urodynamic studies, bladder capacity was higher in the experimental than in the normal animals (25.3 +/- 11.8 vs. 17.4 +/- 5.6 ml./gm. x 1000, p <0.05) as was the maximal bladder pressure at leakage (70.1 +/- 15.9 vs. 59.5 +/- 12.8 cm. H2 O, p <0.05). After treatment with L-NAME or L-Arginine, there was no signi...
A recursion for alternating harmonic series

We present a convenient recursive formula for the sums of alternating harmonic series of odd order. The recursion is obtained by expanding in Fourier series certain elementary functions.
Preferred orientation relationship between Cu6Sn5 scallop-type grains and Cu substrate in reactions between molten Sn-based solders and Cu

A strong crystallographic orientation relationship between the Cu6Sn5 scallop-type grains and their Cu substrate has been found by synchrotron micro-x-ray diffraction study. Even though the crystal structures of Cu6Sn5 (monoclinic) and Cu (face-centered-cubic) are very different, angular distributions of crystallographic directions between Cu6Sn5 and Cu revealed a strong orientation relationship. Both SnPb solder and pure Sn showed the same result, indicating that this is general behavior between Sn-based solders and Cu. The strong orientation relation suggests that Cu6Sn5 forms prior to Cu3Sn in the wetting reactions. A total of six different orientation relationships were found. In all the cases, the [1¯01] direction of Cu6Sn5 preferred to be parallel to the [110] direction of Cu with a misfit of 0.24%. Due to pseudohexagonal structure of the Cu6Sn5, the six relationships can be categorized into two groups. From the orientation distribution, one group was found to be less rigid then the other group.
Occupational Therapy Interventions to Improve Leisure and Social Participation for Older Adults With Low Vision: A Systematic Review

This systematic review examined evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice to maintain, restore, and improve performance in leisure and social participation for older adults with low vision. We identified and reviewed 13 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Four themes related to interventions to improve leisure and social participation emerged from the literature review: using a problem-solving approach, delivering a combination of services, providing skills training, and making home visits and environmental adaptations. The strongest evidence supports using a problem-solving approach to improve leisure and social participation for older adults with low vision. Evidence was moderate supporting the delivery of a combination of services, either by one professional or through an interdisciplinary approach. Results for the effectiveness of skills training and home visits and home adaptations were mixed. Implications for practice, education, and research are discussed.
The effect of slot jet size on the confined transverse slot jet

The current study explored the flowfield characteristics of an induced recirculation zone resulting from a transverse slot jet issuing in a cross flow. The slot jet spanned 95% of the full channel spanwise dimension which resulted in a highly three-dimensional mean flowfield. Experimental investigations were carried out at various jet momentums for two different transverse slot jet thicknesses. Velocity field data were gathered using digital particle image velocimetry and hot-wire anemometry. The momentum ratio of the jet to the channel was found to be the leading parameter for scaling the dimensions of the mean recirculation zone. The jet thickness demonstrated an influence on the level of three-dimensionality, turbulence levels, and integral length scales.
Critical periods of maternal weight gain: Effect on twin birth weight

Abstract Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate the association between maternal weight gain and twin birth weight. Study Design: This historic cohort study was based on 646 live-born twin births of ≥28 weeks from Baltimore, Maryland, Miami, Florida, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. The sum of twin-pair birth weight was modeled as a function of either net maternal weight at delivery or rates of maternal weight gain with use of multiple regression. Results: Birth weight was significantly associated with weight gain before 20 weeks in underweight women, before 20 weeks and after 28 weeks in overweight women, and during all three gestational periods in normal-weight women. Weight gain before 20 weeks had the largest effect on infants of underweight women, less of an effect on infants of normal-weight women, and half as much effect on infants of overweight women. Weight gain after 28 weeks significantly affected the infant birth weights of normal-weight and overweight women, but the effect was half as great among infants of the latter group. Conclusions: These findings suggest that weight gain during critical periods of gestation significantly influences twin birth weight; these critical periods vary by maternal pregravid weight status.
Endothelin and Endothelin Receptor Antagonists in Heart Failure

Endothelin (ET) is a recently discovered 21-amino acid peptide that has potent physiologic and pathophysiologic effects that appear to be involved in the development of heart failure. These include effects on arterial smooth muscle cells that cause intense peripheral vasoconstriction and stimulation of cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts. The latter promotes phenotypic changes in these cells that are consistent with cardiac remodeling. The effects of ET are mediated through interaction with two classes of cell surface receptors. The type A receptor (ET-A) has been associated with vasoconstriction and cell growth while the type B receptor (ET-B) has been associated with endothelial-cell mediated vasodilation and with the release of other neurohormones, such as aldosterone. This review summarizes evidence supporting the potential role of ET in the pathogenesis of heart failure and the available information concerning the use of ET receptor antagonists in treating this condition.
Global shortwave energy budget at the earth's surface from ERBE observations

A method is proposed to compute the net solar (shortwave) irradiance at the earth's surface from Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) data in the S4 format. The S4 data are monthly averaged broadband planetary albedo collected at selected times during the day. Net surface shortwave irradiance is obtained from the shortwave irradiance incident at the top of the atmosphere (known) by subtracting both the shortwave energy flux reflected by the earth-atmosphere system (measured) and the energy flux absorbed by the atmosphere (modeled). Precalculated atmospheric- and surface-dependent functions that characterize scattering and absorption in the atmosphere are used, which makes the method easily applicable and computationally efficient. Four surface types are distinguished, namely, ocean, vegetation, desert, and snow/ice. Over the tropical Pacific Ocean, the estimates based on ERBE data compare well with those obtained from International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) B3 data. For the 9 months analyzed the linear correlation coefficient and the standard difference between the two datasets are 0.95 and 14 W/sq m (about 6% of the average shortwave irradiance), respectively, and the bias is 15 W/sq m (higher ERBE values). The bias, a strong function of ISCCP satellite viewing zenith angle, is mostly in the ISCCP-based estimates. Over snow/ice, vegetation, and desert no comparison is made with other satellite-based estimates, but theoretical calculations using the discrete ordinate method suggest that over highly reflective surfaces (snow/ice, desert) the model, which accounts crudely for multiple reflection between the surface and clouds, may substantially overestimate the absorbed solar energy flux at the surface, especially when clouds are optically thick. The monthly surface shortwave irradiance fields produced for 1986 exhibit the main features characteristic of the earth's climate. As found in other studies, our values are generally higher than Esbensen and Kushnir's by as much as 80 W/sq m in the tropical oceans. A cloud parameter, defined as the difference between clear-sky and actual irradiances normalized to top-of-atmosphere clear-sky irradiance, is also examined. This parameter, minimally affected by sun zenith angle, is higher in the midlatitude regions of storm tracks than in the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), suggesting that, on average, the higher cloud coverage in midlatitudes is more effective at reducing surface shortwave irradiance than opaque, convective, yet sparser clouds in the ITCZ. Surface albedo estimates are realistic, generally not exceeding 0.06 in the ocean, as high as 0.9 in polar regions, and reaching 0.5 in the Sahara and Arabian deserts.
Lumbosacral orthoses reduce trunk muscle activity in a postural control task

Biomechanical modeling estimated that trunk muscle activity during various tasks could be reduced by 1-14% without the loss of spine stability when a lumbosacral orthosis (LSO) is worn [Cholewicki, J., 2004. The effects of lumbosacral orthoses on spine stability: what changes in EMG can be expected? Journal of Orthopedic Research 22, 1150-1155]. The present study experimentally tested these theoretical predictions in an unstable sitting task. This task required subjects to balance on a seat supported by a plastic hemisphere (slashed circle=30cm) and placed on a force plate that tracked the center of pressure (CoP). The average CoP velocity quantified subjects' performance. Healthy subjects (12 males, 11 females) balanced for 20s in 3 trials performed with and without the LSO in random order. EMG was recorded bilaterally from rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique (EO), thoracic (TES) and lumbar erector spinae (LES), and expressed as the % of maximum voluntary activation (%MVA). There was no difference in the balance performance with and without the LSO (p=0.13). However, EMG averaged across the trials was significantly lower in the LSO, as compared to the No LSO condition, for TES (5.8+/-3.2 vs. 6.4+/-3.7%MVA, p=0.02) and LES (3.7+/-1.5 vs. 5.9+/-3.9%MVA, p=0.01). No significant differences were present in the abdominal muscle activity. These results agree with earlier spine modeling simulations, which predicted the greatest reduction in muscle activity due to LSO to occur in TES and LES. It was hypothesized that such a reduction in muscle co-contraction could benefit patients with low back pain, who exhibit elevated muscular activity during postural tasks such as walking, standing and sitting.
Liquid phase-enabled reaction of Al-Ga and Al-Ga-In-Sn alloys with water

Abstract The water-reactivity of Al–Ga and Al–Ga–In–Sn alloys is investigated as a means to utilize the chemical potential energy of Al to split water for the production of H 2 . Al in bulk quantities of these alloys participates in a heterogeneous reaction with water to produce H 2 and α-Al(OH) 3 (bayerite). Low melting point phases in these alloys are believed to enable the observed reaction upon liquefaction by providing a means of transport for Al in the alloys to reach a reaction site. In the Al–Ga binary system, this reaction-enabling phase is shown to form at a temperature corresponding to the system’s eutectic melting point. In the Al–Ga–In–Sn quaternary system this reaction-enabling phase liquefies at 9.38 °C, as shown using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Alloys with the composition 50 wt% Al-34 wt% Ga-11 wt% In-5 wt% Sn are reacted with distilled water in a series of controlled experiments, and H 2 yield from these reactions is measured as a function of time and temperature. Applying kinetic analysis to the yield data shows the apparent activation energy for the reaction process to be 43.8 kJ/mol. A physicochemical model for the alloy–water reaction is presented in the context of the observed experimental results and relevant scientific literature.
Cubic graphs with most automorphisms

We give a sharp bound for the order of the automorphism group of a connected simple cubic graph on a given number of vertices. For each number of vertices we construct a graph, unique in special cases, attaining the bound. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 64: 99–115, 2010
Functional status and health status

Functional status assessment originated in clinical practice in rehabilitation. Health status assessment, a growing part of health services research, grew from the need to survey the health of large populations. In spite of many common interests, the two fields have had little cross-fertilization. The origins and current status of health status measurement are described, including examples of the most frequently used instruments. Conceptual and methodological issues shared by the two fields are examined with the aim of determining what might be of value to rehabilitation. Health-related quality of life provides a conceptual framework that could broaden the rehabilitation perspective. Health status measures may not be appropriate for clinical management but might be useful as quality of care and outcome indicators.
Effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on the distribution of androgen and vitamin D receptors in human prostate neonatal epithelial cells.

Although many studies have examined the mechanisms of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol or 1,25 D) action in different prostate cancer cell lines, little is known regarding the influence of this steroid on the normal prostate. The presence of both VDR and AR in normal prostatic tissues raises the distinct possibility of an important role for this hormone in the normal gland. In order to ascertain the possible role of 1,25 D on both AR and VDR in the normal prostate, the effects of calcitriol and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on the normal human neonatal prostatic epithelial cell line, 267B-1, were examined. These studies were approached by focusing on how 1,25 D in the presence or absence of DHT affects the distribution of AR and VDR in the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments of the cells in terms of their protein levels and DNA binding activities. Immunoblot analyses show that 1,25 D increases the AR protein level in both the cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions but not the VDR protein level. On the other hand, the gel shift assays demonstrate that 1,25 D increases both the AR– and VDR–DNA binding activities in the nuclear fraction, whereas there is no increase in DNA binding activities in the cytoplasmic fraction. Addition of DHT along with 1,25 D does not affect the DNA binding activities of both AR and VDR. Overall, these studies suggest that 1,25 D actions on the normal prostate cells may be mediated independently through AR and VDR, respectively. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Gender-age interaction in early mortality following primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction.

Previous studies have demonstrated a significant interaction between gender and age after medically treated acute myocardial infarction (AMI), when younger women were found to have a higher mortality rate than younger men, but the mortality rate for older men and women was similar. The study objective was to determine whether a gender–age interaction exists for AMI treated exclusively with primary angioplasty. This analysis was a retrospective cohort study of 9,015 consecutive patients who underwent primary angioplasty for AMI in New York State from 1997 to 1999. The primary end point of interest was in-hospital mortality. A logistic regression model was constructed to determine the relation between gender and mortality among patients with AMI treated with angioplasty. Additional analyses were performed to test whether a mortality difference existed according to age. In-hospital mortality rate was twofold higher in women than in men (6.7% vs 3.4%, p
Relaxation Training and Biofeedback in the Reduction of Reducation Muscle Tension

To assess the comparative effectiveness of frontalis electromygraphic (E M G) biofeedback and relaxation instructions in reducing frontalis EMG levels, 101 male and female university students were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: 1) frontalis EMG biofeedback (variable frequency auditory feedback). 2) passive relaxation instruct inns (instructions to attend to and relax mustiest. 3) active relaxation instructions tensing and relaxing exercises), 4) false feedback, and 5l no treatment control. In a one-session design, subjects receiving biofeedback and passive relaxation instructions demonstrated the greatest decrement in frontalis EMG level. The relationships between decrements in frontalis EMG level and sex, baseline EMG and manifest anxiety are discussed.
Causes and Risk Factors for Revision Hip Preservation Surgery

Background:Identifying causes and risk factors for failure of hip preservation surgery is critical to properly address residual pathological abnormalities in the revision setting and improve outcomes in this subset of patients.Purpose:To identify the structural causes of failure in both open and arthroscopic hip preservation procedures and to identify demographic and radiographic risk factors that correlate with the need for revision surgery.Study Design:Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:A single-center hip preservation registry was reviewed (N = 1898 procedures in 1600 patients) to identify 147 patients (n = 152 procedures) who had undergone previous pelvic surgery. Exclusion criteria included residual deformity from pediatric hip disease (n = 5 patients). Preoperative demographics, intraoperative findings, radiographic data, and clinical outcome scores were compared between cohorts with and without revision surgery in the registry. Postoperative, short-term patient-reported outcome sco...
Adult granulosa cell tumors of the ovary in two first-degree relatives.

Abstract Background. Known inherited mutations are responsible for approximately 10% of all epithelial ovarian cancers; however, prior to this report, sex cord-stromal ovarian tumors had not been documented in related females. Case. We report here on a mother and daughter, each diagnosed with rare, adult-type granulosa cell tumors of the ovary. Conclusion. This novel report of granulosa cell tumors occurring in two first-degree relatives must be examined with reserve. No familial tendency has previously been documented, and our finding may be coincidental. However, if additional cases are reported and future research is undertaken, biological markers and inherited mutations for certain sex cord-stromal ovarian tumors may be identified. These advances could lead to targeted therapy and specific surveillance protocols with appropriate surgical interventions for high-risk patients.
Extracellular matrix-sarcolemmal surface interconnections: A quick-freeze deep-etch study

Using ultrarapid freezing and deep-etch fracture techniques, the extracellular matrix in unfixed rabbit papillary muscles is seen to consist of an extensive network of collagen, microfibrils, and microthreads. The microfibril-microthread lattice appears to weave around collagen fibers connecting them to each other and to the external lamina of the sarcolemma. The external lamina appears to insert into the bilayer via trabeculae. With 10 min exposure to zero-Ca solution, the external lamina of the myocytes detaches from the membrane surface but is held from complete removal by some remaining trabecular attachments. This detachment of external lamina affords a view for the first time of the surface of the myocardial sarcolemma. Particles of varying sizes (6-13 nm) may represent the external portions of some integral proteins or protein molecules associated with the membrane surface. They can also represent attachment sites of the external lamina. The serious risks for the fibrous network structure representing an artifact caused by precipitation of matrix proteins during deep etching are discussed.
Liver Xanthine Oxidase Activity in Relation to Availability of Methionine from Soybean Protein.

SummaryXanthine oxidase activity in livers of rats consuming soybean protein was increased by feeding heat-treated soybean flour or by adding methionine to diets containing ther unheated flour. Since there was no difference in the degree to which the methionine was absorbed, it was concluded that heating increased the availability of methionine for the synthesis of enzyme protein. The poor growth on raw soybean flour was not entirely due to an impairment in the availability of methionine.
The Rise and Fall of a Mechanical Rhetoric, or, What Grain Elevators Teach us About Postmodernism

I use the one-hundred-year, transatlantic circulation of Le Corbusier's grain elevator photographs to tell the story of the short but vibrant life of a mechanized rhetoric. From 1913 to 1969, these photographs were understood in the context of a mechanized rhetoric, and they starred in the iconography of modernity. From 1971 to 2010, the same photographs were contextualized by a symbolic vision of rhetoric. So contextualized, the photographs lost their prestige and became conduits through which postmodernism was introduced into architectural theory—and from there into the American academy. As a case study of rhetoric's becoming-symbolic, then, this essay foregrounds the opportunity costs of symbolic definitions of rhetoric. It suggests that the twinned introduction of symbolism and postmodernism involved a misreading of rhetorical history.
THE BIOLOGY OF AGING

Various biological aspects of the aging process are reviewed. Aging has multiple causes. First, there is the initial genetic variability in the organism. Second, there is the destructive effect of the environment. Third, there is an accumulation in the somatic cells of changes, mutations or local chemical damage. These changes incapacitate or kill individual cells, and eventually cause a decline in physiological capacity.
REAL OPTIONS VOLATILITY ESTIMATION WITH CORRELATED INPUTS

Real Options Analysis (ROA) provides a framework for valuing reactive and proactive managerial flexibility in investment decisions. Estimating the volatility parameter for a real options model is challenging because there are typically no historical returns for the underlying asset and no current market prices. A previously developed method of using simulation to estimate the volatility parameter for a real investment is demonstrated. The effects of serial price correlation and price-demand cross-correlation on volatility parameters developed with this method are explained. Finally, managerial implications of these findings are discussed.
QCD corrections to Higgs pair production in bottom quark fusion

We present a complete next-to-leading order (NLO) calculation for the total cross section of inclusive Higgs pair production via bottom-quark fusion (b{bar b} {yields} hh) at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in the Standard Model. The NLO QCD corrections lead to less dependence on the renormalization scale ({mu}{sub R}) and the factorization scale ({mu}{sub F}) than the leading-order (LO) cross section, and they significantly increase the LO cross section. The rate for inclusive Higgs pair production is small in the Standard Model, but can be large in models with enhanced couplings of the b quark to the Higgs bosons.
Immersion as a method of thyroxine administration in amphibian metamorphosis studies.

Abstract Normal and hypophysectomized tadpoles at room temperature (22°–25°C) were supplied dl-thyroxine at concentrations of 0.08–0.8 μg/liter, and hypophysectomized tadpoles in a 15°C bath were supplied the hormone at 0.8–1.6 μg/liter. Each day these tadpoles were supplied with fresh hormone solution, and the older solution was supplied to other hypophysectomized tadpoles initially matched with the first tadpole group as to stage and size. In the 15°C bath the two sets of tadpoles metamorphosed at essentially identical rates. At room temperature the original tadpoles metamorphosed only very slightly more rapidly than did those receiving the “used” hormone solution. This was equally true whether normal or hypophysectomized tadpoles were employed as the original receivers of the hormone. These results demonstrate that tadpoles, under the conditions of the experiment, even though metamorphosing rapidly, utilize extremely little hormone, and that but little hormone is lost by adsorption onto the glass walls of the culture vessels or through chemical alteration in the medium. The method of immersion is therefore satisfactory for providing a relatively unvarying and continuous source of dl-thyroxine.
Conversion of a Tyrosine Kinase Protein Substrate to a High Affinity Ligand by ATP Linkage

Protein kinases often show low affinity for their protein substrates, which makes it difficult to study kinase-substrate interactions. Here, we show using expressed protein ligation with the signaling protein Src that it is feasible to install a covalently linked ATP moiety into the tail of Src, generating a semisynthetic protein with a high affinity for its cognate tyrosine kinase, Csk. It is also established that this Src-ATP conjugate can be used to selectively pull down Csk from a complex protein mixture. This work outlines a general strategy for identifying an unknown kinase that is responsible for the phosphorylation of a protein substrate on a site of interest.
A study of the efficiency of polybutadiene-coated zirconia as a reversed-phase chromatographic support.

This work describes the dynamic characteristics of columns packed with polybutadiene (PBD)-coated zirconia. Reduced plate height (h) vs reduced velocity (ν) data for alkylbenzenes were acquired for three phases coated with different amounts of PBD. Additional data for benzene (k‘ = 0) on uncoated and four coated phases were also collected. These h vs ν plots have a minimum between 4 and 5, indicating good but not excellent column efficiency. By fitting the Knox equation to these data, the A (packing quality), B (axial diffusion), and C (mass transfer resistance) coefficients were determined. The A coefficients were about 2 in all cases, and the B coefficients had values between 2 and 3. The C coefficients varied from 0.05 to 0.2, depending on the polymer load. The data suggest that the quality of packing and the efficiency of mass transfer resistance in the “film” of polymeric stationary phase, not the stagnant mobile phase, are key to further improvements in column performance. The amount of polymer load...
Globe telecom: succeeding in the Philippine telecommunications economy

This case examines the role and implications of deregulation in the telecommunications sector on an IT-based services organization in the Philippines. Reports from international lending institutions suggest that investments in the telecommunications sector typically produce up to a 30-fold impact on the economy. Predictions like these have caused several of the emerging economies throughout the world to deregulate their telecommunications infrastructure in an attempt to leverage this economic potential. This case study specifically examines the actions of Globe Telecom from just prior to the 1993 Philippine deregulation through the present. Globe has continued to succeed despite the competition against the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, which at one time controlled over 90% of the telephone lines in the Philippines. Globe has been able to do this through strategic partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions. Furthermore, Globe has developed into a leading wireless provider by its effective use of modern information technology.
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunosuppressants perturb the myo-inositol but not the betaine cotransporter in isotonic and hypertonic MDCK cells.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunosuppressants perturb the myo-inositol but not the betaine cotransporter in isotonic and hypertonic MDCK cells. Background The sodium/ myo -inositol cotransporter (SMIT) and the betaine cotransporter (BGT1) are essential for the accumulation of myo -inositol and betaine, and hence cell survival in a hypertonic environment. The underlying molecular mechanism involves an increase in transcription of the SMIT and BGT1 genes through binding of a trans -acting factor to enhancer elements in the 5′ flanking region of both genes, resulting in increased mRNA abundance and increased activity of the cotransporters. Current evidence regarding transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation indicates that both cotransporters are regulated in parallel. Methods To investigate the signal transduction of hypertonic stress, we examined the effect of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunosuppressants on the hypertonicity-induced activity of the two cotransporters in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Results None of the agents studied affected BGT1 activity in isotonic or hypertonic conditions. Treatment of MDCK cells with genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, increased SMIT activity in hypertonic but not isotonic conditions. The stimulation of SMIT by genistein was accompanied by a parallel increase in mRNA abundance. In contrast, treating cells with tyrphostin A23, another tyrosine kinase inhibitor, or cyclosporine A, an immunosuppressant, inhibited SMIT activity in hypertonic cells. FK506, another immunosuppressant, increased SMIT activity, but only in isotonic conditions. Conclusions These results provide the first evidence of divergent regulatory pathways modulating SMIT and BGT activity.
OPTICAL DETERMINATION OF THE SPATIAL EXTENT OF DEFECTS IN INSULATORS

Abstract We have studied the size of common electron-excess defects using the Vinti sum rule that relates the mean-square radius of a defect's ground state to its optical absorption spectrum. Here we present the single-electron sum-rule theory and consider its many-electron extension. We show that numerous electron-excess defects in highly ionic systems, including F centers and substitutional s 2 impurity anions, are highly localized, primarily to a single lattice site. Similar defects in alkaline-earth oxides and sulfides are more diffuse, presumably because of greater covalent mixing between quantum states of the defect and the host.
Deck Thickness Considerations for CIP Reinforced Concrete Bridge Decks

The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) employs thinner decks on their highway bridges than almost all other states and countries, and unfortunately many of these decks are exhibiting significant levels of cracking and premature deterioration. Up until about two years ago, ALDOT deck depths ranged from 6 1/4 in. (159 mm) to 7 3/4 in. (197 mm), with the depth depending primarily on the girder spacing. Since that time, ALDOT has increased their minimum deck thickness to 7 in. (178 mm); however, they still employ thinner decks than most other highway agencies. As a first step in investigating bridge deck thickness and related deck design parameters, a survey questionnaire was prepared and sent to all state Departments of Transportation. Results of the survey indicate that the most common of the current design deck thickness in the United States is 8 in. (203 mm). Most states (61%) design-in an extra 1/2 in. (13 mm) of deck thickness to allow for future grinding, and most states (67%) do not employ a wearing surface on their decks. Other results of the survey questionnaire are presented and discussed.
Development of a robotic haptic interface to assist the performance of vocational tasks by people with disabilities

This paper describes the development of intelligent mapping from a haptic user interface to a remote manipulator to assist individuals with disabilities performing vocational tasks. This mapping, referred to an assistance function, is determined on the basis of environmental model or sensory data to guide the motion of a telerobotic manipulator while performing a given task. Human input is enhanced rather than superseded by the computer. Three manual dexterity assessment tests, commonly used in the occupational therapy field, were chosen to implement the several forms of assistance functions designed to augment the human performance. The test bed used for these tasks consisted of a six-degree-of-freedom force-reflecting haptic interface device, PHANToM with the GHOST SDK software. The results demonstrate that the forms of assistance provided reduced the execution times and increased the performance of the chosen tasks. In addition, these results suggest that the introduction of the haptic rendering capabilities, including the force feedback, offers special benefit to motion-impaired users by augmenting their performance on job-related tasks.
Extending the classical AI planning paradigm to robotic assembly planning

A description is given of SPAR, a task planner that has been implemented on a PUMA 762. SPAR is capable of formulating manipulation plans to meet specified assembly goals; these manipulation plans include grasping and regrasping operations if they are deemed necessary for successful completion of assembly. SPAR goes beyond classical AI planners in the sense that SPAR is capable of solving geometric goals associated with high-level symbolic goals. Consequently, if a high-level symbolic goals. Consequently, if a high-level symbolic goal is on (A,B), SPAR can also entertain the geometric conditions associated with such a goal. Therefore, a simple goal such as on (A,B) may or may not be found to be feasible depending on the kinematic constraints implied by the associated geometric conditions. SPAR has available to it a user-defined repertoire of actions for solving goals and associated with each action is an uncertainty precondition that defines the maximum uncertainty in the world description that would guarantee the successful execution of that action. SPAR has been implemented as a nonlinear constraint posting planner. >
Polymorphism in Bi2Sn2O7

Abstract Single crystals of Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 were grown in a Bi 2 O 3 flux. Phase transitions were identified at about 90 and 680° using X-ray, SHG, DSC, dielectric, and optical data. γ-Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 , which exists above 680°C is centric and cubic with a = 10.73 A at 700°, and it probably has the ideal pyrochlore structure. β-Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 , which exists between 680° and about 90°C, is acentric but remains cubic with a = 21.40 A. α-Bi 2 Sn 2 O 7 , which exists from about 90°C to below room temperature, is acentric and noncubic, probably tetragonal with a = 21.328 and c = 21.545 A. The α - β transition is first order, and the β-γ transition appears to be second order. Substitutions of Pb 2+ or Cd 2+ for Bi 3+ and of Ga 3+ , Rh 3+ Sc 3+ , In 3+ , Sb 5+ Nb 5+ or Ta 5+ for Sn 4+ lower the α - β transition temperature.
Packet throughput in slotted ALOHA DS/SSMA radio systems with random signature sequences

Packet throughput figures are obtained for direct sequence spread spectrum multiple access (DS/SSMA) slotted ALOHA radio systems where all users employ random signature sequences from bit-to-bit within all transmitted packets. These calculations use an improved Gaussian approximation technique which gives accurate bit error probabilities and also incorporates the effect of bit-to-bit error dependence within each packet in the multiaccess interference environment. Numerical results are given for packets which employ varying amounts of block error control, and a comparison is made with results obtained by other methods which ignore the effects of bit-to-bit error dependence within each packet in the multiaccess interference environment. Numerical results are given for packets which employ varying amount of block error control, and a comparison is made with results obtained by other methods which ignore the effects of bit-to-bit error and/or employ less-accurate Gaussian approximations to the probability of data bit error. Maximum throughput per unit bandwidth figures are calculated which compare favorably to similar figures for narrowband signaling techniques. >
IOPro: a parallel I/O profiling and visualization framework for high-performance storage systems

Efficient execution of large-scale scientific applications requires high-performance computing systems designed to meet the I/O requirements. To achieve high-performance, such data-intensive parallel applications use a multi-layer layer I/O software stack, which consists of high-level I/O libraries such as PnetCDF and HDF5, the MPI library, and parallel file systems. To design efficient parallel scientific applications, understanding the complicated flow of I/O operations and the involved interactions among the libraries is quintessential. Such comprehension helps identify I/O bottlenecks and thus exploits the potential performance in different layers of the storage hierarchy. To profile the performance of individual components in the I/O stack and to understand complex interactions among them, we have implemented a GUI-based integrated profiling and analysis framework, IOPro. IOPro automatically generates an instrumented I/O stack, runs applications on it, and visualizes detailed statistics based on the user-specified metrics of interest. We present experimental results from two different real-life applications and show how our framework can be used in practice. By generating an end-to-end trace of the whole I/O stack and pinpointing I/O interference, IOPro aids in understanding I/O behavior and improving the I/O performance significantly.
Temporally Coherent Role-Topic Models (TCRTM): deinterlacing overlapping activity patterns

The Temporally Coherent Role-Topic Model (TCRTM) is a probabilistic graphical model for analyzing overlapping, loosely temporally structured activities in heterogeneous populations. Such structure appears in many domains where activities have temporal coherence, but no strong ordering. For instance, editing a PowerPoint presentation may involve opening files, typing text, and downloading images. These events occur together in time, but without fixed ordering or duration. Further, several different activities may overlap - the user might check email while editing the presentation. Finally, the user population has subgroups; for example, managers, salespeople and engineers have different activity distributions. TCRTM automatically infers an appropriate set of roles and activity types, and segments users' event streams into high-level activity instance descriptions. On two real-world datasets involving computer user monitoring and debit card transactions we show that TCRTM extracts semantically meaningful structure and improves hold-out perplexity score by a factor of five compared to standard models.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Human Data

Several techniques can be used to perform a comprehensive evaluation of data from multiple studies. Assessment of the quality of information provided by each individual study is, of course, a prerequisite to using the collective approaches; however, it is the simultaneous evaluation of data from multiple, often apparently conflicting studies that constitutes the core of epidemiological risk assessment and forms the basis for the establishment of dose-response relationships between chemical exposure and human disease.
PARTITIONING THE EFFECTS OF PLANT BIOMASS AND LITTER ON ANDROPOGON GERARDI IN OLD-FIELD VEGETATION

We examined the effects of living plant neighbors and litter on the perfor- mance of a native C4 grass, Andropogon gerardi, at five old-field sites that differ in com- munity biomass and soil fertility. We used plant removal experiments in which both living neighbors and litter were manipulated in a factorial arrangement of treatments over one growing season. Andropogon was added to treatment plots as seeds and as established transplants to examine the effects of the surrounding plant community on the recruitment and established phases of its life history. Neighbors negatively affected Andropogon performance at all sites, indicating that resource exploitation by living plants was an important constraint to seedling recruitment and growth across the range of community biomass examined. Plant litter negatively affected recruitment at sites with the greatest community biomass, but had no effect on the growth of established transplants at any of the sites. The total effect of the surrounding plant community on recruitment was positively correlated with community biomass due to an increasing impact of plant litter. However, the total effect of the surrounding community on the growth of established transplants was unrelated to community biomass. The results suggest that it may be during the recruitment phase of the life history, when seeds and seedlings are especially susceptible to the effects of both litter and living neigh- bors, that Andropogon is most sensitive to variation in community biomass. Variation in the effects of litter on recruitment may be important in regulating plant species diversity and the distribution of native C4 grasses along old-field biomass gradients in southwest Michigan.
Review of Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes Systems Used in Cancer Clinical Care

The number of electronic patient-reported outcome (PRO) systems has increased; systems can be programmed to have numerous features that facilitate PRO assessment integration and routine monitoring in clinical care.
Vision-based UAV flight control and obstacle avoidance

In this work, we explore various ideas and approaches to deal with the inherent uncertainty and image noise in motion analysis, and develop a low-complexity, accurate and reliable scheme to estimate the motion fields from UAV navigation videos. The motion field information allows us to accurately estimate ego-motion parameters of the UAV and refine (or correct) the motion measurements from other sensors. Based on the motion field information, we also compute the range map for objects in the scene. Once we have accurate knowledge about the vehicle motion and its navigation environment (range map), control and guidance laws can be designed to navigate the UAV between way points and avoid obstacles.
The determinants of best‐practice technology

This study examines the mechanism underlying the advances in the forefront of technical knowledge. A case study of the growth in the maximum capacity of turbogenerators is presented. Two main determinants of technological change emerge in the light of available evidence. One is the accumulated experience of a practical nature. The other is the scale of the larger system for the use of technology. The role of these twin processes of learning and scaling is shown to be of a fundamental nature. In particular, they account for a remarkably simple law of an otherwise complex system of technological innovation in electric power industry: the ratio of maximum unit capacity to total installed capacity remains relatively constant over long periods of time. The study has further implications for the national technology strategy. They are discussed.
Stratospheric ozone in the post-CFC era

Abstract. Vertical and latitudinal changes in the stratospheric ozone in the post-chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) era are investigated using simulations of the recent past and the 21st century with a coupled chemistry-climate model. Model results reveal that, in the 2060s when the stratospheric halogen loading is projected to return to its 1980 values, the extratropical column ozone is significantly higher than that in 1975–1984, but the tropical column ozone does not recover to 1980 values. Upper and lower stratospheric ozone changes in the post-CFC era have very different patterns. Above 15 hPa ozone increases almost latitudinally uniformly by 6 Dobson Unit (DU), whereas below 15 hPa ozone decreases in the tropics by 8 DU and increases in the extratropics by up to 16 DU. The upper stratospheric ozone increase is a photochemical response to greenhouse gas induced strong cooling, and the lower stratospheric ozone changes are consistent with enhanced mean advective transport due to a stronger Brewer-Dobson circulation. The model results suggest that the strengthening of the Brewer-Dobson circulation plays a crucial role in ozone recovery and ozone distributions in the post-CFC era.
In vitro evaluation of ceftaroline alone and in combination with tobramycin against hospital-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) isolates

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro activity of ceftaroline and its potential for synergy with tobramycin in comparison with vancomycin against a collection of hospital-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA), including isolates with reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides. Ceftaroline, vancomycin, daptomycin and linezolid susceptibilities were determined for 200 HA-MRSA isolates. Four randomly selected strains [including one vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) and one heteroresistant VISA (hVISA)] were evaluated in time-kill experiments with ceftaroline and vancomycin alone or combined with tobramycin at 0.25 and 0.5 times the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). MICs for 50% and 90% of the organisms (MIC(50) and MIC(90), respectively) were both 1mg/L for ceftaroline and were 1 mg/L and 2 mg/L, respectively, for vancomycin. The same ceftaroline MIC ranges (0.25-2 mg/L) were observed for isolates recovered from respiratory tract samples, blood or skin. In time-kill experiments, no synergy was observed at 0.25 x MIC against any tested isolates with either ceftaroline or vancomycin. In contrast, the combination of ceftaroline plus tobramycin at 0.5 x MIC was synergistic against the two MRSA strains and the hVISA but was indifferent against the VISA isolate. In conclusion, ceftaroline demonstrated antimicrobial activity independently of the specimen source and exhibited lower MICs than vancomycin. Finally, at sub-MIC levels, ceftaroline plus tobramycin displayed significantly greater activity than vancomycin plus tobramycin against MRSA (P < 0.01).