cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Association of Child Mental Health Conditions and Parent Mental Health Status Among U.S. Children, 2007

The purpose of this study is to examine the association of child mental health conditions and parent mental health status. This study used data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health on 80,982 children ages 2-17. The presence of a child mental health condition was defined as a parent-reported diagnosis of at least one of seven child mental health conditions. Parent mental health was assessed via a 5-point scale. Logistic regression was used to assess the association of child mental health conditions and parent mental health status, while examining socioeconomic, parent, family, and community factors as potential effect modifiers and confounders of the association. 11.1% of children had a mental health condition (95% CI = 10.5-11.6). The prevalence of child mental health conditions increased as parent mental health status worsened. Race/ethnicity was the only significant effect modifier of the child-parent mental health association. After adjustment for confounders, the stratum-specific adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) of child mental health conditions related to a one-level decline in parent mental health were: 1.44 (1.35-1.55) for non-Hispanic whites, 1.24 (1.06-1.46) for non-Hispanic blacks, 1.04 (0.81-1.32) for Hispanics from non-immigrant families, 1.21 (0.96-1.93) for Hispanics from immigrant families, and 1.43 (1.21-1.70) for non-Hispanic other race children. The effect of parent mental health status on child mental health conditions was significant only among non-Hispanic children. Parent-focused interventions to prevent or improve child mental health conditions may be best targeted to the sub-populations for whom parent and child mental health are most strongly associated.
Facies Interpretation and the Stratigraphic Record

This book is a short, readable, and interesting introduction to facies analysis—or as Hallam prefers to call it, facies interpretation—in the form of an advanced undergraduate to beginning graduate level textbook. Unlike conventional textbooks on the subject, the emphasis here is not so much on the basics of sedimentation and stratigraphy as on applying the basics to sweeping, large-scale problems in tectonics, paleo-oceanography, paleoclimatology, and the history of life. This is not a comprehensive textbook. One must know the basics to appreciate it fully. But its very brevity and portability combine with its extensive bibliography to make it a particularly useful guide to recent work.
MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ESTIMATION OF AGGREGATED MARKOV PROCESSES

We present a maximum likelihood method for the modelling of aggregated Markov processes. The method utilizes the joint probability density of the observed dwell time sequence as likelihood. A forwa...
The emerging science of functional assessment: Our tool for outcomes analysis

The need for medical rehabilitation is great and is growing. 1 Hoffman et al analyzed the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey 2 and showed that the relative risk of needing medical care or experiencing disability days because of a chronic condition increases with age. The risk for noninstitutionalized persons was 24.6% for ages 0 to 17 years, 35.1% for ages 18 to 44, 67.7% for ages 45 to 64, and 87.6% for ages 65 years and older. Use of health care services was dominated by persons with chronic conditions in terms of home care visits (96.1%), number of prescriptions (83.3 %), hospital days (79.9%), hospital admissions (68.6%), emergency room visits (55.1%), physician visits (66%), and visits to other health practitioners (70.3%). The picture was reinforced by the annual health care costs for noninstitutionalized persons in 1987. As expected, total costs increased with age, but in each age bracket, the costs for chronic conditions exceeded by far the costs for acute conditions. Looked at another way, of the population incurring health care costs, less than half (45.8%) had chronic conditions but they accounted for three fourths (76.1%) of the costs. Over the years, the proportion of the population with limitations in activity due to chronic health conditions and impairments has increased. Also, the elderly population has been increasing. However, the rate of disability for persons 65 years of age or older has remained constant. Thus, the increase in disability is because more people are surviving into old age. 3 Similarly, the proportion of disabled persons in the age range of 45 to 64 years has remained relatively constant. Before 1990 the rate of disability among persons under age 45 was constant, but since then, the proportion of persons under age 45 with disability has increased. Because 70% of the population is under age 45, these rate increases are significant. These changes may be due to increases in asthma and mental disorders, including attention deficit, retardation, and learning disabilities. Also, rates of orthopedic impairments and mental and nervous disorders have increased. Between 1990 and 1994 the number of children with disabilities increased by 1.5 million and the number of working-age adults with disabilities increased by 3.1 million. Of those presumably eligible, only 40% of children and 55% of adults were added to the public support rolls between
Leprosy: Altered complement receptors in disseminated disease

We have studied the expression of the C3b receptor (CR1) on erythrocytes of 55 patients with Hansen's disease. We developed a radioimmunoassay utilizing a monoclonal antibody that recognized an epitope different from the C3b binding site, which therefore enabled us to measure total number of CR1 regardless of receptor occupancy. We observed that patients in the lepromatous pole of the disease had a mean of 310 CR1/erythrocyte, whereas the ones in the tuberculoid pole showed a mean of 577 CR1/erythrocyte; 77 normal controls had a mean of 512 CR1/erythrocyte. The number of C3b receptors on the cells of lepromatous patients was significantly decreased ( p
Aggregation of bovine platelets by acetyl glyceryl ether phosphorylcholine (platelet activating factor).

Abstract Platelet activating factor is a multifaceted mediator of inflammation capable of stimulating platelet aggregation as well as anaphylaxis, neutropenia and numerous other in vitro and in vivo cellular changes. This lipid mediator, or autocoid, is released by a wide variety of inflammatory cells following an equally diverse group of cellular stimuli including phagocytosis or antigenic stimulation. The synthesized form of PAF is acetyl glyceryl ether phosphorylcholine (AGEPC). In this study AGEPC aggregated bovine platelets in a dose dependent manner. Maximal, irreversible aggregation occurred at 3.6 × 10 −11 M AGEPC with unwashed platelets and at 8.8 × 10 −12 M AGEPC with washed platelets. Aggregation failed to occur when platelets were tested with the biologically inactive structural analog of AGEPC. The possible contribution by platelet cyclooxygenase products was eliminated by showing lack of platelet aggregation to arachidonic acid and also by pretreating platelets with aspirin.
Approximate solutions of the nonlinear filtering problem

A comparison of the filter structures resulting from the consideration of different systems, both nonlinear models and linear models with correlated noise sequences, show an interesting similarity. Compared with the Kalman filter, these filter structures cause an apparent change in the linear system matrices, the noise covariance matrices, and in the form of the one-stage prediction. These modifications have interesting implications relative to adaptive filtering methods and system identification techniques.
Etched Wire Screens as Variable Light Attenuators

In the course of infrared studies on dense materials with double-beam instruments, it is frequently necessary to attenuate the reference beam in order to be able to record the spectrum. Also, in some studies, particularly with the interaction of gas with a solid, the sample transmission can vary with experimental conditions, so that continual adjustment of reference beam intensity must be made. Such adjustments are very inconvenient to make with wire mesh screens or slotted shutters because these produce a step-by-step attenuation. Continuous attenuation is desirable for such purposes. Some continuously-variable attenuators made of tilting vanes (1) or wire screens (2) have been described. Such devices are useful but have the disadvantages of large size and non-linearity of attenuation. The rotary motion must be controlled precisely and, because of the rotation of such a device, a substantial fraction of the reference beam space is taken up so that large compensating cells cannot be accommodated.
Post‐fire runoff and erosion from rainfall simulation: contrasting forests with shrublands and grasslands

Rainfall simulations allow for controlled comparisons of runoff and erosion among ecosystems and land cover conditions. Runoff and erosion can increase greatly following fire, yet there are few rainfall simulation studies for post-fire plots, particularly after severe fire in semiarid forest. We conducted rainfall simulations shortly after a severe fire (Cerro Grande) in ponderosa pine forest near Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA, which completely burned organic ground cover and exposed unprotected soil. Measurements on burned plots showed 74% of mineral soil was exposed compared with an estimated 3% exposed prior to the fire. Most of the remaining 26% surface area was covered by easily moveable ash. Rainfall was applied at 60 mm h � 1 in three repeated tests over 2 days. Runoff from burned plots was about 45% of the total 120 mm of applied precipitation, but only 23% on the unburned plots. The most striking difference between the response of burned and unburned plots was the amount of sediment production; burned plots generated 25 times more sediment than unburned plots (76 kg ha � 1 and 3 kg ha � 1 respectively per millimetre of rain). Sediment yields were well correlated with percentage bare soil (r D 0Ð84). These sediment yields were more than an order of magnitude greater than nearly all comparable rainfall simulation studies conducted on burned plots in the USA, most of which have been in grasslands or shrublands. A synthesis of comparable studies suggests that an erosion threshold is reached as the amount of soil exposed by fire increases to 60–70%. Our results provide sediment yield and runoff data from severely burned surfaces, a condition for which little rainfall simulation data exist. Further, our results contrast post-fire hydrologic responses in forests with those in grasslands and shrublands. These results can be applied to problems concerning post-fire erosion, flooding, contaminant transport, and development of associated remediation strategies. Copyright  2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The U.S. Trade Deficits: Product Quality and Competitive Pricing May be the Solution

The triple digit U.S. trade deficit which began during 1984 reached a peak of $170.32 billion in 1987. To overcome deficit problems, the U.S. joined with six other industrialized nations to maintain a reasonable value for the dollar and stable exchange rates. This has helped in cutting the trade deficit to a small extent. The long-run strategies should focus on regaining competitiveness in global markets. This study was designed to determine the awareness of trade deficits and the attitude towards U.S. made products. Responses provided by 178 households showed that the majority were aware of the balance of payment problem and bought foreign products because they were lower in price, better in quality, and they were easily available.
Comparative performance of uncoated, self-expanding metal biliary stents of different designs in 2 diameters: final results of an international multicenter, randomized, controlled trial.

Background The Wallstent has remained the industry standard for biliary self-expanding metal stents (SEMSs). Recently, stents of differing designs, compositions, and diameters have been developed. Objective To compare the new nitinol 6-mm and 10-mm Zilver stents with the 10-mm stainless steel Wallstent and determine the mechanism of obstruction. Design Randomized, prospective, controlled study. Setting Nine centers experienced in SEMS placement during ERCP. Patients A total of 241 patients presenting between September 2003 and December 2005 with unresectable malignant biliary strictures at least 2 cm distal to the bifurcation. Main Outcome Measurement Stent occlusions requiring reintervention and death. Results At interim analysis, a significant increase in occlusions was noted in the 6-mm Zilver group at the P = .04 level, resulting in arm closure but continued follow-up. Final study arms were 64, 88, and 89 patients receiving a 6-mm Zilver, 10-mm Zilver, and 10-mm Wallstent, respectively. Stent occlusions occurred in 25 (39.1%) of the patients in the 6-mm Zilver arm, 21 (23.9%) of the patients in the 10-mm Zilver arm, and 19 (21.4%) of the patients in the 10-mm Wallstent arm ( P = .02). The mean number of days of stent patency were 142.9, 185.8, and 186.7, respectively ( P = .057). No differences were noted in secondary endpoints, and the study was ended at the 95% censored study endpoints. Biopsy specimens of ingrowth occlusive tissue revealed that 56% were caused by benign epithelial hyperplasia. Conclusions SEMS occlusions were much more frequent with a 6-mm diameter SEMS and equivalent in the two 10-mm arms despite major differences in stent design, material, and expansion, suggesting that diameter is the critical feature. Malignant tumor ingrowth produced only a minority of the documented occlusions.
Market microstructure of FT-SE 100 index futures: An intraday empirical analysis

This article examines the market microstructure of the FT-SE Index futures market by analyzing the intraday patterns of bid-ask spreads and trading activity. The patterns are remarkably different from those of stock and options markets because of the futures market's open outcry system with frenzied scalpers/short-term marketmakers. Spreads are stable over the day, but decline sharply at the close and increase when U.S. macroeconomic news is distributed. Traders actively trade at the open with narrow spreads and large trade sizes. Volatility and volume have higher values at the open and close and when U.S. news is released. The overall results suggest that information asymmetry in the index futures market is insignificant, and traders find it easy to control inventory. The results are also broadly consistent with the Grossman and Miller (1988) model that describes liquidity as the price of transaction demand for immediacy. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 19: 31–58, 1999
Dicer regulates the development of nephrogenic and ureteric compartments in the mammalian kidney

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a large and growing class of small, non-coding, regulatory RNAs that control gene expression predominantly at the post-transcriptional level. The production of most functional miRNAs depends on the enzymatic activity of Dicer, an RNase III class enzyme. To address the potential action of Dicer-dependent miRNAs in mammalian kidney development, we conditionally ablated Dicer function within cells of nephron lineage and the ureteric bud-derived collecting duct system. Six2Cre-mediated removal of Dicer activity from the progenitors of the nephron epithelium led to elevated apoptosis and premature termination of nephrogenesis. Thus, Dicer action is important for maintaining the viability of this critical self-renewing progenitor pool and, consequently, development of a normal nephron complement. HoxB7Cre-mediated removal of Dicer function from the ureteric bud epithelium led to the development of renal cysts. This was preceded by excessive cell proliferation and apoptosis, and accompanied by disrupted ciliogenesis within the ureteric bud epithelium. Dicer removal also disrupted branching morphogenesis with the phenotype correlating with downregulation of Wnt11 and c-Ret expression at ureteric tips. Thus Dicer, and by inference Dicer-dependent miRNA activity, have distinct regulatory roles within different components of the developing mouse kidney. Furthermore, an understanding of miRNA action may provide new insights into the etiology and pathogenesis of renal cyst-based kidney disease.
Modeling of Perception and Control of Attitude with Perspective Displays

Pilots rely upon visual information conveyed by computer-generated perspective displays in cockpits, and also by out-the-window (OTW) scenes rendered in simulators, to perform control tasks. Because even the most advanced graphics system cannot recreate the full complexity of a natural perspective scene (due to limitations in spatial and temporal resolution, dynamic range, field-of-view, and scene detail), it is necessary to understand which characteristics of the perspective scene are used by the pilot to accomplish vehicular control. In the current study we investigated the effects of simulated OTW visual scene content on an operator’s ability to control pitch attitude of a simulated vehicle in the presence of both pitch disturbances and longitudinal position disturbances. Two types of vehicle dynamics were simulated, first-order and second-order; two types of ground textures were assessed, and the task was performed with and without a visible horizon. Data from 12 participants were analyzed to determine task performance, and to estimate describing functions of the human operator characteristics. Task performance with both types of vehicle dynamics was significantly better with a visible horizon. The type of ground texture did not affect performance. Parameterized models were fit to the describing function measurements. The resulting models exhibited excellent correlation with the describing functions. Identified parameters related to the visual cue usage showed excellent correlation with the available scene features.
Peer Acceptance, Teacher Preference, and Self-Appraisal of Social Status among Learning Disabled Students.

Social integration, one aspect of mainstreaming, has become an increasing concern with educators working with learning disabled students. Previous results generally have indicated a low peer status for learning disabled students. The purpose of this study was to compare the peer status of learning disabled children served in mainstream programs with their nonlearning disabled peers and to explore (1) the relationship of teacher preference and social status among children, and (2) the accuracy of self-appraisal of social status among learning disabled and nonlearning disabled students. Findings concerned with peer status were similar to previous research. In addition, learning disabled students were found to be less preferred by teachers. A significant relationship between teacher preference and social status was observed in 78% of the classrooms. Results for self-appraisal of social status were somewhat different from previous research. Implications for research, curriculum, and teacher education are disc...
Regional investigations of vertical crustal movements in the U.S., using precise relevelings and mareograph data

Abstract In the past two years, the National Geodetic Survey has been creating a data base of vertical crustal movement information. The data elements are relative elevation changes along lines of releveling which are used to produce graphic displays on microfilm. In separate studies, the releveling data, together with information extracted from mareograph records, have been used to create two networks of velocity differences. The two networks, one in the vicinity of Chesapeake Bay and the other covering the Gulf Coast states, have been adjusted in order to prepare maps showing the velocities of elevation change. In the adjustments, the velocities derived from mareograph records were treated as observations. The results indicate annual subsidence ranging between −1.2 mm and −4.0 mm in the Chesapeake Bay area, with significant local variation. In the Gulf Coast region there is generally slight subsi'dence along the coast, ranging between 0.0 and −1.5 mm/year. Stability and slight uplift is indicated to the north where bedrock reaches the terrain surface. Anomalous subsidence of −7.0 mm/year occurs at New Orleans, La., and at Houston, Texas, there has been several decimeters change in the last ten years.
Infinite periodic array of cracks in axisymmetric disking

Abstract In axisymmetric disking, a periodic array of identical notches is placed on the surface of a brittle, cylindrical rod which is then encased in an elastic, annular sheath. Biaxial fluid pressure is applied to the composite and at a critical pressure cracks run across the diametral section of the rod producing a number of disks. The problem of multiple fracture is analysed using linear elastic fracture mechanics. A concentric circular cylinders model is assumed with perfect bonding at the interface. The flaws that initiate the fractures in the rod are modeled as an infinite periodic array of annular cracks perpendicular to the interface. The problem is formulated in terms of singular integral equations which are solved numerically. Stress intensity factors are obtained as a function of crack size, radius ratios and crack spacing for a glass rod-magnesium sheath combination. As the thickness of disks decreases pressures required for disking increase. The results presented here should also be of relevance to the problem of fiber fracture in a uniaxial fiber reinforced composite under biaxial compression.
Significance of Permanent Teeth Extracted for Orthodontic Reasons

This report deals with the extraction of permanent teeth because of crowding or malposition or in connection with orthodontic treatment. The analysis of the data is considered from a biostatistical point of view and is based on the records of 16,138 examinations.
Correlated imaging – a grand challenge in chemical analysis

Correlated chemical imaging is an emerging strategy for acquisition of images by combining information from multiplexed measurement platforms to track, visualize, and interpret in situ changes in the structure, organization, and activities of interesting chemical systems, frequently spanning multiple decades in space and time. Acquiring and correlating information from complementary imaging experiments has the potential to expose complex chemical behavior in ways that are simply not available from single methods applied in isolation, thereby greatly amplifying the information gathering power of imaging experiments. However, in order to correlate image information across platforms, a number of issues must be addressed. First, signals are obtained from disparate experiments with fundamentally different figures of merit, including pixel size, spatial resolution, dynamic range, and acquisition rates. In addition, images are often acquired on different instruments in different locations, so the sample must be registered spatially so that the same area of the sample landscape is addressed. The signals acquired must be correlated in both spatial and temporal domains, and the resulting information has to be presented in a way that is readily understood. These requirements pose special challenges for image cross-correlation that go well beyond those posed in single technique imaging approaches. The special opportunities and challenges that attend correlated imaging are explored by specific reference to correlated mass spectrometric and Raman imaging, a topic of substantial and growing interest.
Upper Limit for NH3in the Stratosphere of Jupiter 16 and 21 Weeks after the SL9 Collision

Abstract Spectroscopic observations of Jupiter at thermal–infrared wavelengths were performed on November 8–9 and December 14, 1994, 16 and 21 weeks after the fragments of comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 collided with Jupiter. Residual stratospheric ammonia was searched for in emission at 930.76 cm−1over the longitudes corresponding to the remnants of the D/G/R/S impact sites. We believe a small amount of ammonia may have been detected in November, but report an upper limit for both dates. The constant volume mixing ratio for pressure levels less than 10 mbar that best fits the observation on November 8 is no more than 3.6 ± 2.4 × 10−10. This upper limit decreased to ≤2.3 ± 3.0 × 10−10on December 14. These values are equivalent to upper limits of 1.9 ± 1.2 × 10−10on November 8 and ≤1.2 ± 1.5 × 10−10on December 14 if we adopt a constant volume mixing ratio above a base at 100 mbar. We also searched, without success, for stratospheric ammonia on November 9 over the K/W and L impact site remnants. Our upper limits place stronger constraints on the stratospheric ammonia lifetimes and photochemical depletion models.
Instrument description and science performance of the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer

The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) is an astrophysics satellite currently being designed to provide high spectral resolving power ((lambda) /(Delta) (lambda) approximately equals 30,000) observations in the interval 853 - 1248 angstrom. It consists of four co-aligned normal incidence mirrors which illuminate high density, holographically ruled diffraction gratings on spherical substrates. High resolution spectra are formed on a pair of microchannel plate detectors with KBr photocathodes and delay line anodes. A separate low dispersion channel ((lambda) /(Delta) (lambda) on the order of magnitude 500) permits observations in the extended wavelength interval 800 - 1600 angstrom with long slit spatial imaging better than 5 arcseconds. The utility of observing in the prime FUSE spectral region is due to the vastly greater number of important transitions of atoms and ions in the ultraviolet compared to the visible. This makes FUSE a powerful instrument for measuring physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, density, and abundance in a wide variety of astrophysical sites. Among the many problems FUSE will address are the deuterium abundance in the universe; the character and distribution of the components of the hot interstellar medium such as O VI which must be understood to model galactic evolution; and physical processes in the atmospheres of planets and planetary systems.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Expression profiling of TCR-engineered T cells demonstrates overexpression of multiple inhibitory receptors in persisting lymphocytes

Despite significant progress in the development of adoptive cell-transfer therapies (ACTs) using gene-engineered T cells, little is known about the fate of cells following infusion. To address that, we performed a comparative analysis of gene expression between T-cell receptor-engineered lymphocytes persisting in the circulation 1 month after administration and the product that was infused. We observed that 156 genes related to immune function were differentially expressed, including underexpression of stimulators of lymphocyte function and overexpression of inhibitory genes in postinfusion cells. Of genes overexpressed postinfusion, the product of programmed cell death 1 (PDCD1), coinhibitory receptor PD-1, was expressed at a higher percentage in postinfusion lymphocytes than in the infusion product. This was associated with a higher sensitivity to inhibition of cytokine production by interaction with its ligand PD-L1. Coinhibitory receptor CD160 was also overexpressed in persisting cells, and its expression was associated with decreased reactivity, which surprisingly was found to be ligand-independent. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of the properties of transgenic lymphocytes used to treat human malignancies and may provide a rationale for the development of combination therapies as a method to improve ACT.
Understanding Free Will: Might We Double‐Think?*

Philosophers have been offering competing accounts of the will and its mys terious (yet undeniable!) freedom for quite a while now, yet few seem wholly satisfied with any particular one of them. Witness the pronounced tendency in recent times for thinkers to have several goes at it, accompanied by the uni versal philosophical practice, when handling weak points in one's own posi tion, of loudly reminding your reader of the truly desperate tactics of the opposition, whose sincerity surely may be doubted. Now consider two opposing lines of thought that probably have been contemplated (if only pri vately) by just about every thinker drawn into the quest for this philosophical Leviathan. The first is that free will is all a sham: it is but an empty name for a nonsensical notion of control that rises above all conditioning factors without and within. (This is the view that for present purposes will go by the name hard determinista) The other, quite opposite thought is the compati bilist's: free will is no mystery at all, except for those who kick the dust in the air and then complain that they cannot see. It is just the sort of control that ordinary, rational agents like you and me exhibit all the time: reflectively guiding our behavior on the basis of our own reasons, subject neither to extraordinary external pressures nor internal compulsions or phobias. In Free Will and Illusion, Saul Smilansky suggests that we've overlooked a plausible basis for such conflicting impulses in our philosophical head banging. Perhaps both of these views might be true?not the whole truth, in either case, but partial and complementary truths. The hard determinist is right, on an 'ultimate level,' that free will and the correlated notion of moral responsibility are impossible fictions. It is unjust, ultimately, to punish anyone for their misdeeds, given their inevitable origin in factors outside the agent's control. At the same time, the compatibilist is right to insist on the moral significance of the distinction between voluntary actions proceeding from 'normal' deliberation and involuntary actions proceeding from various pathologies or coercions. It would be unjust in practice not to accord reward
Time-Delayed Control of SISO Systems for Improved Stability Margins

While time delays typically lead to poor control performance, and even instability, previous research shows that time delays can, in some cases, be beneficial. This paper presents a new benefit of time-delayed control (TDC) for single-input single-output (SISO) linear time invariant (LTI) systems: it can be used to improve robustness. Time delays can be used to approximate state derivative feedback (SSD), which together with state feedback (SF) can reduce sensitivity and improve stability margins. Additional sensors are not required since the state derivatives are approximated using available measurements and time delays. A systematic design approach, based on solution of delay differential equations (DDEs) using the Lambert W method, is presented using a scalar example. The method is then applied to both single- and two-degree of freedom (DOF) mechanical systems. The simulation results demonstrate excellent performance with improved stability margins. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4028528]
Ryanodine receptor inhibition potentiates the activity of Na channel blockers against spontaneous calcium elevations and delayed afterdepolarizations in Langendorff-perfused rabbit ventricles.

Background Na channel blockers are effective in suppressing delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs) in isolated Purkinje fibers. However, in isolated mouse ventricular myocytes lacking calsequestrin, only those Na channel blockers that also inhibit type 2 ryanodine receptor channels were effective against spontaneous Ca elevation (SCaE) and DADs. Objective To test the hypothesis that combined Na channel and type 2 ryanodine receptor channel blocker (( R )-propafenone) is more effective than a Na channel blocker (lidocaine) in suppressing SCaE and DADs in the intact rabbit ventricles. Methods We compared ( R )-propafenone (3 μmol/L) with lidocaine (50 μmol/L) on SCaE and DADs by using epicardial optical mapping of intracellular calcium (Ca i ) and membrane voltage in Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts. SCaE and DADs were induced by rapid pacing trains and isoproterenol (0.3 μmol/L) infusion. One arbitrary unit is equivalent to the Ca transient amplitude of paced beats. Results SCaEs were observed at the cessation of rapid pacing in all hearts at baseline. ( R )-Propafenone nearly completely inhibited DADs and SCaE (0.04 arbitrary units [95% confidence interval 0.02–0.06] vs 0.23 arbitrary units [95% confidence interval 0.18–0.28] at baseline; n=6 hearts; P P R )-propafenone. Both drugs increased the rise time of action potential upstroke and reduced conduction velocity to a similar extent, suggesting a significant inhibition of I Na . Conclusions Both Na channel blockers significantly reduced tachycardia-induced SCaEs in the rabbit ventricles, but ( R )-propafenone was significantly more effective than lidocaine. These data suggest that type 2 ryanodine receptor inhibition potentiates the activity of Na channel blockers against SCaE and DADs in the intact hearts.
Panacea: towards holistic optimization of MapReduce applications

MapReduce has emerged as one of the most popular programming models for data parallel enterprise applications. Despite advances in runtime, the opportunities for optimizing MapReduce applications remain largely unexplored. In this paper, we present a framework for performing holistic compiler optimizations on legacy MapReduce applications. We have identified and implemented two optimizations and evaluated them with a set of Hadoop applications on a cluster of Xeon servers. Our experiments show that performance gains of more than 3X can be achieved without user involvement.
Studies on the antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) of thioglycollate-stimulated and BCG-activated peritoneal macrophages.

Abstract Peritoneal macrophages (mφ), activated by Bacillus Callmette-Guerin (BCG) or elicited by thioglycollate broth in vivo in C57BL/6J mice, were compared with regard to their ability to mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). The BCG-activated mφ had several times higher ADCC activity than did the TG-mφ against erythroid targets. When human and murine tumor cells were employed as targets in the ADCC assay, the BCG-mφ lysed each of six separate target lines considerably, while the TG-mφ had little and, occasionally no, lytic activity against the six targets. Although F c -dependent and -independent phagocytosis of the erythroid targets by the TG-mφ exceeded that by the BCG-mφ, this rapid and extensive phagocytosis did not account soley for the decreased lysis of the erythroid targets by the TG-mφ. The results indicate that BCG-activated peritoneal mφ, in comparision with TG-elicited inflammatory mφ, are potent effectors of ADCC against both erythroid and neoplastic target cells.
Short-term inhalation toxicity of halogenated hydrocarbons: effects on fasting rats

Male rats, fasted overnight (18 hours), and exposed to various materials in inhalation were more sensitive to the hepatotoxic effects of carbon tetrachloride, 2-chlorobutadiene, 1,1-dibromoethylene, and 1,1-dichloroethylene (DCE). Vinyl chloride monomer and 1,1-difluoroethylene were not acutely hepatotoxic in fed or fasted rats at any concentration tested. Vinyl chloride monomer when administered simultaneously with DCE prevented the injury associated with DCE inhalation in fasted rats. This prevention of injury may be a result of a competitive interaction since the effect was concentration dependent.
Control over noisy channels

Communication is an important component of distributed and networked controls systems. In our companion paper, we presented a framework for studying control problems with a digital noiseless communication channel connecting the sensor to the controller. Here, we generalize that framework by applying traditional information theoretic tools of source coding and channel coding to the problem. We present a general necessary condition for observability and stabilizability for a large class of communication channels. Then, we study sufficiency conditions for Internet-like channels that suffer erasures.
Evaluating impacts of air pollution in China on public health: Implications for future air pollution and energy policies

Abstract Our objective is to establish the link between energy consumption and technologies, air pollution concentrations, and resulting impacts on public health in eastern China. We use Zaozhuang, a city in eastern China heavily dependent on coal, as a case study to quantify the impacts that air pollution in eastern China had on public health in 2000 and the benefits in improved air quality and health that could be obtained by 2020, relative to business-as-usual (BAU), through the implementation of best available emission control technology (BACT) and advanced coal gasification technologies (ACGT). We use an integrated assessment approach, utilizing state-of-the-science air quality and meteorological models, engineering, epidemiology, and economics, to achieve this objective. We find that total health damages due to year 2000 anthropogenic emissions from Zaozhuang, using the “willingness-to-pay” metric, was equivalent to 10% of Zaozhuang's GDP. If all health damages resulting from coal use were internalized in the market price of coal, the year 2000 price would have more than tripled. With no new air pollution controls implemented between 2000 and 2020 but with projected increases in energy use, we estimate health damages from air pollution exposure to be equivalent to 16% of Zaozhuang's projected 2020 GDP. BACT and ACGT (with only 24% penetration in Zaozhuang and providing 2% of energy needs in three surrounding municipalities) could reduce the potential health damage of air pollution in 2020 to 13% and 8% of projected GDP, respectively. Benefits to public health, of substantial monetary value, can be achieved through the use of BACT; health benefits from the use of ACGT could be even larger. Despite significant uncertainty associated with each element of the integrated assessment approach, we demonstrate that substantial benefits to public health could be achieved in this region of eastern China through the use of additional pollution controls and particularly from the use of advanced coal gasification technology. Without such controls, the impacts of air pollution on public health, presently considerable, will increase substantially by 2020.
PROXIMAL LIMB MOVEMENTS IN RESPONSE TO MICROSTIMULATION OF PRIMATE DENTATE AND INTERPOSITUS NUCLEI MEDIATED BY BRAIN-STEM STRUCTURES

The cerebellar dentate and interpositus nuclei and the area of their efferent fibres have been stimulated in Cebus monkeys, using a movable microcathode. Responses consisted of eye and face movements and a stereotyped flexion of proximal parts of extremities. Very few distal limb movements were seen. The activation of proximal muscles was studied most closely. It consisted of the limited number of 5 movements: arm flexion and shoulder elevation in the forelimb and hip flexion, knee flexion and dorsiflexion of the ankle in the hindlimb. With currents of up to 100 microamperemeter these movements were elicited more readily from the interpositus and the area of efferent fibres of both nuclei as compared to the dentate nucleus. Responses were more often seen in forelimb than in hindlimb muscles, without apparent somatotopy in either nucleus. Combined forelimb-hindlimb movements were elicited from 42 per cent of effective points. Lesions placed at various locations of cerebellar output pathways demonstrated that the responses were mediated by the descending branch of brachium conjunctivum and did not require the activation of structures anterior to and including the red nucleus. The responses are interpreted to represent adjustments in flexor posture that may serve to modify maintained antigravity tonus during the initiation of volitional movements. This function, mediated by brain-stem structures, is considered to be closely associated with the activity of the lateral and intermediate cerebellum during initiation and conduction of volitional movements, which is mediated mainly through the cerebral cortex. It is stressed that control over both flexor posture and discrete distal movements is inherent in the initiation of voluntary movements.
Clinically relevant concentration determination of inhaled anesthetics (halothane, isoflurane, sevoflurane, and desflurane) by 19F NMR.

Biophysical studies of protein–anesthetic interactions using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are often conducted by the addition of micro amounts of neat inhaled anesthetic which yields much higher than clinically relevant (0.2–0.5 mM) anesthetic concentrations. We report a 19F NMR technique to measure clinically relevant inhaled anesthetic concentrations from saturated aqueous solutions of these anesthetics (halothane, isoflurane, sevoflurane, and desflurane). We use a setup with a 3-mm NMR tube (containing trifluoroacetic acid as standard), coaxially inserted in a 5-mm NMR tube containing anesthetic solution under investigation. All experiments are conducted in a 5-mm NMR probe. We also have provided standard curves for four inhaled anesthetics using NMR technique. The standard curve for each of these anesthetics is helpful in determining the prerequisite amount of aqueous anesthetic solution required to prepare clinically relevant concentrations for protein–anesthetic interaction studies.
Employment behavior and the family in Indonesian transmigration.

This study is concerned with employment behavior among migrants who have been resettled in South Sumatra through Indonesias program of transmigration from the densely populated inner islands to farms on the less densely populated outer ones. The focus is on the analysis of employment off the farm as a major factor in the survival strategies of individual families. (ANNOTATION)
Support Vector Machines Applied to Face Recognition

Face recognition is a K class problem. where K is the number of known individuals; and support vector machines (SVMs) are a binary classification method. By reformulating the face recognition problem and reinterpreting the output of the SVM classifier. we developed a SVM -based face recognition algorithm. The face recognition problem is formulated as a problem in difference space. which models dissimilarities between two facial images. In difference space we formulate face recognition as a two class problem. The classes are: dissimilarities between faces of the same person. and dissimilarities between faces of different people. By modifying the interpretation of the decision surface generated by SVM. we generated a similarity metric between faces that is learned from examples of differences between faces. The SVM-based algorithm is compared with a principal component analysis (PCA) based algorithm on a difficult set of images from the FERET database. Performance was measured for both verification and identification scenarios. The identification performance for SVM is 77-78% versus 54% for PCA. For verification. the equal error rate is 7% for SVM and 13% for PCA.
The Reeler Mouse: Anatomy of a Mutant

Publisher Summary Reeler is a well-characterized autosomal mutation in the mouse that affects several aspects of brain development. Anatomical studies indicated that all major cortical structures of the brain are present, but appeared disorganized in reeler mutants. Strikingly, projection neurons are shown to connect properly to their ectopic targets. For example, thalamocortical projections terminated properly on neurons destined for cortical layer IV, even though these occupied abnormal positions in the reeler cortex. The analysis of the anatomical defects in reeler cortical structures implied that radially-migrating neurons in the neocortex, pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus, and Purkinje cells in the cerebellum were all direct or indirect Reelin targets. The chapter describes the most salient anatomical aspects of the reeler mutation, and recapitulates the key molecular discoveries. The studies of the reeler mutation have shed some light on many diverse aspects of brain development. Reeler mutant mice will continue to serve as invaluable models for neuronal migration, maturation, and synaptic circuitry, and the Reelin signaling pathway will continue to serve as a springboard for the investigation of the molecular events underlying these processes.
Diurnal variations of interleukin-1β mRNA and β-actin mRNA in rat brain

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is posited to play an important physiological role in brain functions in addition to its better defined role in pathology. The experiments described herein were performed to determine if IL-1β mRNA and β-actin display diurnal rhythms in various areas of brain. Rats were sacrificed at 4 h intervals across a 12:12 h light/dark cycle. Hypothalamic, hippocampal and cortical IL-1β mRNA peaked just after lights were turned on, declined slightly during the remaining light period and stayed low in the dark. There were no significant changes in IL-1β mRNA in brain stem or cerebellum samples. β-actin mRNA levels were relatively constant across the day in the hypothalamus, brain stem and cerebellum. However, β-actin mRNA levels were lower during the day than during the night in the hippocampus and cortex.
Smoothing During Ion-Assisted Growth by Transient Ion Beam-Induced Defects

Several studies have shown that the surface morphology can be smoother during simultaneous ion bombardment and growth than during growth alone. Ion-induced adatoms and surface vacancies are believed to be responsible for essentially reversing the surface roughening produced during growth. However, the atomistic mechanism for the smoothing effect has been difficult to determine. Measurements of ion-induced point defect production indicate that a large number of defects exist temporarily on the surface, but at typical growth temperatures the defects have sufficient mobility to recombine and annihilate. The authors propose that this ion-induced transient surface defect population can play a significant role in modifying the dynamic surface morphology. The authors have developed Monte Carlo simulations of growth and defect diffusion to model the interaction between growth atoms and ion-induced defects. The simulations support a dynamic surface smoothing mechanism that involves the destabilization of adatom islands by the transient ion-induced defects.
Quasi-static Modeling Of Tension Leg Platform Mooring System

Tethers are anchoring elements of a Tension Leg Platform, TLP, one of the systems appropriate for offshore drilling and production of oil at great depths. A design oriented, simplified model for static analysis of tethers has been described re­ cently 1. Basic equations for calculating the gross behavior of tether/platform interaction were pre­ sented. The aim of this paper is to describe addi­ tional features of the mathematical model that was developed to study offset and set down motions of TLP hull. Limiting forms of governing equations are derived and relations between motions of platform, restoring force and tether pretension are studied herein. The present analysis provides guidelines to designers for evaluating platform performance and selecting its mooring system.
Skin manifestations of pentazocine abuse

Seventeen patients who had cutaneous complications following pentazocine injections are presented. The mean age was 50 years; total daily pentazocine dose ranged from 60 to 2,400 mg; evidence of psychiatric illness was present in 94%, and previous drug or alcohol abuse was noted in 65%. Fifty-three percent of our-series of patients had a medical or paramedical background. Eighteen percent had diabetes mellitus, and 65% had a personal or family history (or both) of diabetes. A hypothesis is presented for this association. Characteristic histologic findings included fibrosis of the dermis and panniculus, with vascular alterations, fat necrosis with granulomatous inflammation, and vascular thrombosis with occasional endarteritis. We emphasize that medical and paramedical personnel and patients with a personal or family history of diabetes should be added to the group of patients considered to be at special risk for cutaneous complications of pentazocine injections.