cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stacked LSTM based deep recurrent neural network with kalman smoothing for blood glucose prediction

Blood glucose (BG) management is crucial for type-1 diabetes patients resulting in the necessity of reliable artificial pancreas or insulin infusion systems. In recent years, deep learning techniques have been utilized for a more accurate BG level prediction system. However, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) readings are susceptible to sensor errors. As a result, inaccurate CGM readings would affect BG prediction and make it unreliable, even if the most optimal machine learning model is used. In this work, we propose a novel approach to predicting blood glucose level with a stacked Long short-term memory (LSTM) based deep recurrent neural network (RNN) model considering sensor fault. We use the Kalman smoothing technique for the correction of the inaccurate CGM readings due to sensor error. For the OhioT1DM (2018) dataset, containing eight weeks’ data from six different patients, we achieve an average RMSE of 6.45 and 17.24 mg/dl for 30 min and 60 min of prediction horizon (PH), respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the leading average prediction accuracy for the ohioT1DM dataset. Different physiological information, e.g., Kalman smoothed CGM data, carbohydrates from the meal, bolus insulin, and cumulative step counts in a fixed time interval, are crafted to represent meaningful features used as input to the model. The goal of our approach is to lower the difference between the predicted CGM values and the fingerstick blood glucose readings—the ground truth. Our results indicate that the proposed approach is feasible for more reliable BG forecasting that might improve the performance of the artificial pancreas and insulin infusion system for T1D diabetes management.
Evaluation of pregnancy screening procedures prior to Iodine-131 treatment in postmenopausal women with thyroid disease

2714 Objectives Evaluate screening procedures and documentation in women with thyroid disease and determine if there is a need to change current procedure guidelines, specifically for postmenopausal females. Methods 58 female cases with thyroid disease were retrospectively analyzed to determine if they were postmenopausal, how long they had been postmenopausal, if a pregnancy test was performed, and the result of the test. Results Of the 58 patients, 23 (40%) had thyroid cancer and the remaining 35 (60%) had hyperthyroidism. Out of the 58 patients, 13 (22%) were noted to be postmenopausal (mean age: 58.46 yrs; range: 51-87 yrs). Of these, 5/13 (38%) were treated for thyroid cancer and the remaining 8/13 (62%) were treated for hyperthyroidism. Of the 13, duration of postmenopausal state was asked in only 2/13 (15%). Also, a pregnancy test was performed in 2/13 (15%). These 2 cases had initial positive results which canceled the treatment, but a repeat test on a different day which was negative and proceeded with treatment. Conclusions Currently, the SNMMI does not have a defined guideline for testing peri- and postmenopausal patients. However, the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) national guidelines state early postmenopause occurs at 2 to 6 years after final menstrual period (FMP) and late postmenopause begins after 6 years from FMP. With these guidelines we can begin to define pregnancy screening procedures such as performing the test if within 6 years of FMP. Our results showed only 2 of 13 postmenopausal patients were screened for pregnancy and both had a false positive result. This demonstrates clinicians are not routinely asking about duration but likely should. Further investigation into the frequency and the underlying cause of these false positive results in postmenopausal women is needed.
Addressing systemic racism as the cancer of Black people: equity ethic-driven research.

Black people have the highest cancer rates in the USA owing to systemic racism — biased systems that put pressure on Black lives every day. STEM scholars have a responsibility to reduce the historical trauma associated with systemic racism. This also means challenging systemic racism within STEM fields.
Vascular Tumors of the Breast

While any type of vascular tumor can present in the breast, this chapter will focus on vascular tumors that more typically present in the breast. For example, there is a wide range of cutaneous hemangiomas, any of which could present in the skin of the breast, these entities will not be discussed in this chapter. The first half of the chapter will deal with benign vascular tumors, followed by a discussion of radiation and lymphedema-associated vascular tumors and finally primary angiosarcoma of the breast.
EEG Relationships to Neural Aging in the Elderly: Overview and Bibliography

ABSTRACT.The central nervous system undergoes structural and functional changes during normal aging. Associated with age-related neuroanatomical, behavioral, and sensory alterations are changes in the EEG as reflected in slowed background frequency, emergence of delta and theta waves, and focal activity in the temporal areas. The current status of age-related EEG changes is reviewed in order to provide a background for continued study on aging and brain function by EEG technologists.
Principles of Pharmacokinetic Modeling and Dosimetry

The fate of materials in the body can be divided into three separate groups of processes responsible for converting uptakes into biologically significant burdens and doses. First, there is the movement of materials within and between organs. This consists of transfer of the materials between organs (called distribution); transport within an organ; and excretion from the body back into the environment. Transport, transfer and excretion involve only the movement of materials, and so these processes are summarized as the biokinetic properties of the material in the organism (kinetic because of movement and bio because the movement is in a biological system). The second group of processes involves the transformation of material within the body into different chemical, biological or physical forms. For environmental health science concerned with chemical and biological pollutants, this is the activation or de-activation of the pollutant.
Faction Figure: James P. Cannon, Early Communist History, and Radical Faith

In his wide-ranging portrait of American life published in 1938, the leftliberal writer Louis Adamic recounted the tale of his research trip to the small Pennsylvania mining town of Shamokin while on assignment for The Nation magazine. In 1932, he learned, the Communist Party had dispatched its cadre to the state’s anthracite region to organize the unemployed. The leftist missionaries from New York and Philadelphia insisted that revolution in the United States was “imminent.” As good communists, they supported the “immediate and complete overthrow of capitalism,” championed “the proletariat and the dictatorship thereof,” viewed Soviet Russia as the “sole immediate ... [source] of all hope for humankind,” and “recognized ‘revolution’ in every strike threat and in every grumble against a wage cut.” If “one could judge by their talk and publications,” Adamic learned from locals, “they hated nearly everything in the United States.”1 The communists, many of them recent converts, were initially impressed with what they saw. Local coal bootleggers – men who illegally mined and sold coal from “company-owned lands, for the most part in open daylight, by the most primitive methods imaginable, in complete disregard of private property rights and successful defiance of company police,”2 had organized an Independent Coal Producers union. To communists’ eyes, a bootlegger of
The role of αII-spectrin in mechanics and compressive resilience of the cell nucleus

An elastic spectrin network surrounding erythrocytes has been well characterized. Evidence suggests that a similar spectrin network may exist in the nucleus of nonerythrocytes. This work involves mechanically testing cells to determine if a spectrin network may provide elasticity to the cell nucleus.
In vitro evidence for growth regulation of tRNA gene transcription in yeast. A role for transcription factor (TF) IIIB70 and TFIIIC.

Abstract We report in vitro studies showing that tRNA gene transcription in yeast is down-regulated during the transition from logarithmic to stationary phase growth. Transcription in a postdiauxic (early stationary) phase extract of a wild-type strain decreased 3-fold relative to a log phase extract. This growth stage-related difference in transcription was amplified to 20-fold in extracts of a strain containing a mutation (pcf1-4) in the 131-kDa subunit of TFIIIC. The reduction in transcription activity in both wild-type and mutant postdiauxic phase extracts was correlated with a decrease in the amount of TFIIIB, the limiting factor in these extracts. However, the 3.7 ± 0.5-fold decrease in amount of TFIIIB in mutant extracts does not, by itself, account for the 20-fold decrease in transcription. Accordingly, transcription in the mutant postdiauxic phase extract could be reconstituted to a level equal to the mutant log phase extract by the addition of two components, TFIIIB and TFIIIC. Addition of TFIIIB increased transcription 10-fold, while a 2-fold effect of TFIIIC was seen at saturating levels of TFIIIB. The data suggest that both TFIIIB and TFIIIC play a role in coordinating the level of polymerase III transcription with cell growth rate.
Lisa Lau and Ana Christina Mendes (eds), Re-Orientalism and South Asian Identity Politics: The Oriental Other Within

The essays in this book address an important and perplexing phenomenon in contemporary cultural politics—the tendency of post-colonial cultural producers, especially writers and film-makers, to ind...
Juvenile compensatory growth has negative consequences for reproduction in Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata)

Compensatory or 'catch-up' growth may be an adaptive mechanism that buffers the growth trajectory of young organisms from deviations caused by reduced food availability. Theory generally assumes that rapid juvenile compensatory growth impacts reproduction only through its positive effects on age and size at maturation, but potential reproductive costs to juvenile compensatory growth remain virtually unexplored. We used a food manipulation experiment to examine the reproductive consequences of compensatory growth in Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Compensatory growth did not affect adult growth rates, litter production rates or investment in offspring size. However, compensatory growth had negative effects on litter size, independent of the effects of female body length, resulting in a 20% decline in offspring production. We discuss potential mechanisms behind this observed cost to reproduction.
Resources in Language Testing and Assessment

The TESOL Quarterlywelcomes evaluative reviews of publications relevant to TESOL professionals. In addition to textbooks and reference materials, these include computer and video software, testing instruments, and other forms of nonprint materials. Language Test Construction and Evaluation Assessing Language Ability in the Classroom (2nd ed.). Measured Words.
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

The Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) or mustard family is a well-defined group of about 310 genera and some 3500 species distributed primarily in the temperate and alpine areas of all continents except Antarctia. It is most highly diversified in central and western Asia, Mediterranean Europe and western North America. This article discusses the economic importance of the family (food, oils, condiments, ornamentals and weeds) and role played by one of its weedy member, the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana, in the advancement of modern experimental biology. Here we also review the morphology, biogeography, ecology and phylogenetic relationship within Brassicaceae and to other families. We also cover the significance of molecular data in dividing the family into 48 monophyletic tribes and in determining its major lineages. Finally, a brief discussion is presented on the whole-genome duplication events and their possible role in the radiation and diversification of the family. Key Concepts: Model organisms, such as the mustard Arabidopsis thaliana, should always be used to understand complex biological phenomena in other organisms. Owing to extensive morphological convergence, molecular data alone provide the most reliable and solid phylogenetic classification within the Brassicaceae. Invasive weeds of the mustard family can only be understood by closer studies of their immediate wild relatives. Germplasm conservation centres of the economically important Brassicaceae should substantially increase their efforts to save their rapidly disappearing wild relatives. Vegetable crops of Brassica should be thoroughly tested to determine their medicinal values in combating cancer and other diseases. Keywords: mustard family; Brassicaceae; Cruciferae; economic importance; Arabidopsis; reproductive biology; phylogeny; biogeography
Effects of Instruction in an Assignment Completion Strategy on the Homework Performance of Students with Learning Disabilities in General Education Classes

Homework is an important activity in the lives of school-aged children, including students with learning disabilities (LD). Characteristics often associated with LD (e.g., poor organizational skills) may adversely impact the rate and quality of homework completion. In this study, a multiple-probe across-students design (Horner & Baer, 1978) was used to evaluate the effects of instruction in a comprehensive, independent assignment completion strategy with regard to homework completion rates and the quality of products completed in response to assignments given in general education classrooms. Eight of nine students mastered use of the strategy, and their homework completion rates and the quality of their homework products improved. Associated with these improvements were increases in quarterly grades and teacher ratings of the quality of the assignments. Thus, direct instruction in a comprehensive strategy comprised of organizational behaviors can result in independent completion of more homework by students with LD. Nevertheless, instruction in organizational skills alone appears insufficient to produce a 100 percent submission rate: student motivation to complete assignments and mastery of the skills required, as well as the appropriateness of assignments for students, need to be addressed.
Geometric Analysis of Radial Buckling

Tension analysis along the retinal surface demonstrates the advantage of meridional buckles over limbal-parallel buckles. A cylindrical sponge generates tensional forces in the retina along the long axis of the buckle and perpendicular to it. The tension perpendicular to the sponge is positive, and the retina and retinal pigment epithelium stretch in that direction. The tension along the long axis is positive (stretching) when the buckle is less than 90 degrees arc length; and negative (compression), greater than 90 degrees for a 5-mm sponge. Consequently, retinal compression folds on the buckles occur for buckles of arc length greater than 90 degrees. These tension forces at right angles to each other explain the development of (1) concave retinal detachment or retinal folds off short limbal-parallel buckles, (2) retinal folds on long limbal-parallel buckles, and (3) fishmouthing of horseshoe tears overlying a limbal-parallel buckle. The buckle increases retinal surface area overlying the buckle. The significance of this is not clear, but it may explain the lessening or disappearance of compression folds on the buckle in time.
Position-correcting tools for 2D digital fabrication

Many kinds of digital fabrication are accomplished by precisely moving a tool along a digitally-specified path. This precise motion is typically accomplished fully automatically using a computer-controlled multi-axis stage. With that approach, one can only create objects smaller than the positioning stage, and large stages can be quite expensive. We propose a new approach to precise positioning of a tool that combines manual and automatic positioning: in our approach, the user coarsely positions a frame containing the tool in an approximation of the desired path, while the device tracks the frame's location and adjusts the position of the tool within the frame to correct the user's positioning error in real time. Because the automatic positioning need only cover the range of the human's positioning error, this frame can be small and inexpensive, and because the human has unlimited range, such a frame can be used to precisely position tools over an unlimited range.
Changes in platelet 3H-imipramine binding with chronic imipramine treatment are not state-dependent

Abstract One month of imipramine treatment increased both the K d and B max of platelet 3 -Himipramine binding in 11 endogenous unipolar depressed patients. Continued treatment (13 weeks) of 5 patients subsequently lowered the B max values of 2 patients who had initially shown the largest increases, so that binding was no longer significantly elevated after 13 weeks. The observed changes in K d but not in B max could be explained by the carryover of tightly bound drug to the binding assay, although neither of the measures were correlated with plasma imipramine levels. Posttreatment B max (4 weeks) values were inversely related to plasma cortisol levels, although a weak but positive correlation was found before treatment. No significant change was found in plasma cortisol with treatment. Clinical responses were not related to cortisol or B max changes, although optimal improvement was associated with extreme values (high and low) of pretreatment B max . The present results, obtained with imipramine, and similar results obtained after nortriptyline and electroconvulsive shock by others, suggest that at least some antidepressants may induce transient changes in the B max of platelet binding that are independent of affective state .
Program Fidelity in Two Reading Mastery Classrooms: A View From the Inside

This article reports research that examines the impact of fidelity to a scripted program in two third-grade classrooms. The data was drawn from a study conducted in an elementary school functioning under pressure from state and district policy to increase student standardized reading test scores. Thematic analysis was used to analyze observation data and document analysis was used to determine the teachers' adherence to the mandated program. It was found that fidelity to the program resulted in what the program recommended—presentation of information, round-robin oral reading of text passages, and completion of comprehension tasks—but questions claims made by supporters of such instruction. Findings point to the need for reconsideration of mandating fidelity to scripted programs that spend little time developing reading comprehension strategies.
Screw dislocation in a model sodium lattice

Abstract The deformation stacking-fault energies and screw dislocation core structures in a model sodium lattice have been calculated for body-centred-cubic and hexagonal close-packed phases, using a fundamental effective ion-ion potential, the reliability of which has been established elsewhere. Particular emphasis is placed upon deviations from continuum elasticity, and it is shown that the use of linear elasticity theory over distances smaller than about ten lattice spacings can lead to serious error. It is shown that the screw dislocation core structures in b.c.c. and h.c.p. lattices have markedly different characteristics, and relative dislocation mobilities in the two phases are discussed in the light of these differences.
Normal radiographic heart volume in the neonate. 2. Method of assessment.

An approach to optimal assessment of cardiac volume in the neonate is described. 117 normal neonates between 0 and 15 days of age have been used to establish normal standards. Different normal ranges must be used for the 1st und 2nd day of life. the elective determination of heart volume should, for optimal differentiation between normal and pathological values, preferably be done after the 2nd day of life and compared with the corresponding normal standards. The volume has been related both to body weight and body surface area (BSA). The relative volume in cm3 per m2 BSA should be avoided in this age-group.
Modeling and Clarifying the Execution of IEC 61499 Function Blocks Using XNet

This paper aims at the clarification of the execution of IEC 61499 function block networks. A new event-discrete execution model called "handler-based execution model" (HB-XM) has been introduced for CNet in previous work that enables full automatic code generation for Petri-net based component descriptions [4]. The HB-XM abstracts from the CNet language elements and specifies how each element is treated for implementation. A new graphical notation called XNet representation -execution nets -has been defined to represent the resulting behavioral models [6]. The execution of IEC 61499 function blocks is defined using plain English text definitions. The model of the actual standard differs from the earlier draft. Several publications revealed that the standard still does not sufficiently and unambiguously define the execution behavior of function block networks. This paper uses XNet to visualize the different execution models and shows how the understanding of the XNet models will give natural answers to various ambiguities concerning the execution of function blocks.
Compositional Analysis of Whey Powders Using Near Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy

Compositional analysis data for 47 whey powders (including sweet whey, acid whey, demineralized delactosed whey and whey protein concentrates) were correlated with near infrared reflectance (NIR) measurements. The most useful wavelengths for determining constituent concentrations were chosen from 19 pre-selected wavelengths by using linear regression analysis. Results indicate that samples to be used for NIR calibrations should be similar in composition and should represent a limited range of constituent concentrations. Individual NIR calibrations need to be developed for each type of whey powder to be analyzed.
A Mechanism for Ion Transport across the Water/Dichloromethane Interface: A Molecular Dynamics Study Using Polarizable Potential Models

In this work, we used molecular dynamics techniques and potential of mean force approaches to compute the ion transfer free energy for the water/dichloromethane liquid−liquid interface. We used polarizable potential models to describe the interactions among the species. Both forward and reverse directions simulations were carried out to evaluate the differences in the free energy profiles. On the basis of the results of our calculations, we have proposed a mechanism that describes the transport of a chloride ion across the interface. The computed ion transfer free energy is 14 ± 2 kcal/mol, which is in qualitative agreement with the experimentally reported value of 10 ± 1 kcal/mol. A smooth transition from the aqueous phase to the nonaqueous phase on the free energy profile clearly indicates that the ion transfer mechanism is a nonactivated process. The computed hydration number for the chloride ion indicates that some water molecules are associated with the ion inside the nonaqueous phase. This result is...
The renal handling of δ-aminolevulinic acid in normal and lead-poisoned rabbits

Abstract This article describes the renal handling of δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in normal and lead-exposed rabbits. In normal animals, fractional reabsorption (FR) of filtered ALA amounted to 85 ± 6% (SD), as measured with [ 14 C]ALA. To validate the use of [ 14 C]ALA, its clearance was compared in six further experiments with that of ALA determined by a new gas-liquid chromatographic procedure; this assay yielded a mean FR of 89% ± 12. The high FR observed in rabbits contrasts with preliminary results in humans where FR was much lower. The reaborptive process in rabbits can be saturated, although only at concentrations of plasma ALA much higher than those reported even in severe lead poisoning. Reabsorption is also independent of urine flow. Presumably mediation by a carrier system is involved; this differs from carrier systems responsible for transport of several α-amino acids, none of which affect transport of ALA. The daily sc administration of lead, sufficient to increase urinary ALA 50-fold, did not alter FR; however, poisoning of tubules with either CdCl 2 or uranyl acetate greatly reduced FR. We conclude that in normal rabbits, the renal ALA reabsorptive process is a high capacity, low affinity, carrier-mediated system. The increased excretion of ALA seen in lead-poisoned animals cannot be attributed to inhibition of ALA reabsorption and must therefore reflect extrarenal effects of lead.
Water activity measurements with single suspended droplets: The NaCl-H2O and KCl-H2O systems☆

Abstract The levitation of a single micrometer-sized particle in a controlled water vapor environment is shown to be a novel experimental technique for measuring the thermodynamic properties of concentrated electrolyte solutions. Water activity data are obtained for the aqueous solutions of NaCl and KCl at 25°C over the entire concentration range up to the critical supersaturation concentration. Empirical constants are derived from a best fit of the data to the extended form of the Debye-Huckel equation.
Identification of an FAD Superfamily Containing Protoporphyrinogen Oxidases, Monoamine Oxidases, and Phytoene Desaturase EXPRESSION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PHYTOENE DESATURASE OFMYXOCOCCUS XANTHUS

A large number of FAD-containing proteins have previously been shown to contain a signature sequence that is referred to as the dinucleotide binding motif. Protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO), the penultimate enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway, is an FAD-containing protein that catalyzes the six electron oxidation of protoporphyrinogen IX. Sequence analysis demonstrates the presence of the dinucleotide binding motif at the amino-terminal end of the protein. Analysis of the current data base reveals that PPO has significant sequence similarities to mammalian monoamine oxidases (MAO) A and B, as well as to bacterial and plant phytoene desaturases (PHD). Previously MAOs have been shown to contain FAD, but there are no publications demonstrating the presence of FAD in purified PHDs. We have carried out the expression and purification of PHD from the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus and demonstrate the presence of noncovalently bound FAD. Sequence analysis demonstrate that PPO is closely related to bacterial PHDs and more distantly to plant PHDs and animal MAOs. Interestingly bacterial MAOs are no more closely related to PPOs, PHDs, and animal MAO's than they are to the unrelatedPseudomonas phenyl hydroxylase. All of the related sequences contain not only the basic putative dinucleotide binding motif that is found frequently for FAD-binding proteins, but they also have high similarity in an approximately 60-residue long region that extends beyond the dinucleotide motif. This region is not found among any other proteins in the current data base and, therefore, we propose that this region is a signature motif for a superfamily of FAD-containing enzymes that is comprised of PPOs, animal MAOs, and PHDs.
Airframe Noise Measurements on a Supersonic Transport Small-Scale Model

Airframe noise has been measured on a 0.015 scale model of an advanced supersonic transport concept (AST100) in an anechoic flow facility. The model was equipped with leading- and trailing-edge flaps, nose and main landing gears, and engine nacelles. Each of these components was deployed, individually and collectively, to determine their contribution to the noise field. Results are presented which show that in the clean configuration the aircraft displays a symmetric dipole directivity, whereas in the more complex landing-approach configuration the directivity peaks in the forward quadrant. It was found that the landing-approach noise was due chiefly to the landing gear, the trailing-edge flaps, and the aeroacoustic interaction between the two.
Inelastic deformation of metal matrix composites: Plasticity and damage mechanisms

Abstract The deformation mechanisms of a (Ti 15–3)—SCS6 (SiC fibre) metal matrix composite (MMC) were investigated using a combination of mechanical measurements and microstructural analysis. The objectives were to evaluate the contributions of plasticity and damage to the overall inelastic response, and the sequence in which those mechanisms operated. Inelastic deformation of the 0° MMC was dominated by plasticity of the matrix. Reaction-zone cracks and grain boundaries were found to be important sites for dislocation and slip-band nucleation. Inelastic deformation of the 90° composite occurred by both damage and plasticity. This lay-up system had a characteristic three-stage deformation behaviour: stages I, II, and III. Inelastic deformation in stage II was dominated by damage; however, microyielding of the matrix also occurred in this stage. In stage III, plasticity became largely concentrated in intense shear bands between fibres, and this led to shear crack initiation and failure. The predictions of ...
The Small Noncoding DsrA RNA Is an Acid Resistance Regulator in Escherichia coli

DsrA RNA is a small (87-nucleotide) regulatory RNA of Escherichia coli that acts by RNA-RNA interactions to control translation and turnover of specific mRNAs. Two targets of DsrA regulation are RpoS, the stationary-phase and stress response sigma factor (σs), and H-NS, a histone-like nucleoid protein and global transcription repressor. Genes regulated globally by RpoS and H-NS include stress response proteins and virulence factors for pathogenic E. coli. Here, by using transcription profiling via DNA arrays, we have identified genes induced by DsrA. Steady-state levels of mRNAs from many genes increased with DsrA overproduction, including multiple acid resistance genes of E. coli. Quantitative primer extension analysis verified the induction of individual acid resistance genes in the hdeAB, gadAX, and gadBC operons. E. coli K-12 strains, as well as pathogenic E. coli O157:H7, exhibited compromised acid resistance in dsrA mutants. Conversely, overproduction of DsrA from a plasmid rendered the acid-sensitive dsrA mutant extremely acid resistant. Thus, DsrA RNA plays a regulatory role in acid resistance. Whether DsrA targets acid resistance genes directly by base pairing or indirectly via perturbation of RpoS and/or H-NS is not known, but in either event, our results suggest that DsrA RNA may enhance the virulence of pathogenic E. coli.
Pharmacokinetics of Single- and Multiple-Dose Bupropion in Elderly Patients with Depression

A study of a dopaminergic antidepressant that may have an advantageous profile for use in elderly patients, bupropion, was conducted to determine the pharmacokinetics of bupropion in the elderly. Pharmacokinetics of single- and multiple-dose bupropion were examined in six elderly patients (five women and one man) diagnosed with depression. Mean (+/- SD) CL app of bupropion was 1.6 +/- 0.4 L/hr/kg, approximately 80% of the corresponding value reported for younger patients. Mean bupropion t1/2 was 34.2 +/- 8.7 hours, and average apparent Vd (Vd app) was 79.3 +/- 29.4 L/kg. Apparent half-lives (t1/2 app) of the metabolites hydroxybupropion, erythrobupropion, and threohydrobupropion were 34.2 +/- 4.6 hours, 61.4 +/- 21.6 hours, and 38.8 +/- 7.6 hours, respectively. After multiple dosing, the mean t1/2 for bupropion and its metabolites did not change significantly, although in some patients the t1/2 app of the metabolites was substantially prolonged. There was also evidence of inordinate accumulation of metabolites. The elderly are at risk for accumulation of bupropion and its metabolites. Specification of therapeutic drug monitoring parameters for bupropion treatment of the elderly is needed.
Self-Consciousness, Self-Esteem and Depression of Gifted School Children:

38 gifted students from north central school districts were administered the Coopersmith Self-esteem Inventory—Short Form, the Self-consciousness Scale, and the Children's Depression Inventory. The...
Single Pd atoms in activated carbon fibers and their contribution to hydrogen storage

Abstract Palladium-modified activated carbon fibers (Pd-ACF) were synthesized by melt-spinning, carbonization and activation of an isotropic pitch carbon precursor premixed with an organometallic Pd compound. The hydrogen uptake at 25 °C and 20 bar on Pd-ACF exceeded the expected capacity based solely on Pd hydride formation and hydrogen physisorption on the microporous carbon support. Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with sub-Angstrom spatial resolution provided unambiguous identification of isolated Pd atoms occurring in the carbon matrix that coexist with larger Pd particles. First principles calculations revealed that each single Pd atom can form Kubas-type complexes by binding up to three H 2 molecules in the pressure range of adsorption measurements. Based on Pd atom concentration determined from STEM images, the contribution of various mechanisms to the excess hydrogen uptake measured experimentally was evaluated. With consideration of Kubas binding as a viable mechanism (along with hydride formation and physisorption to carbon support) the role of hydrogen spillover in this system may be smaller than previously thought.
Children's Emergency Department Use for Asthma, 2001–2010

Abstract Objectives Although the emergency department (ED) provides essential care for severely ill or injured children, past research has shown that children often visit the ED for potentially preventable illnesses, including asthma. We sought to determine how children's rate of ED visits for asthma has changed over the last decade and to analyze what factors are associated with a child's potentially preventable ED visit for asthma. Methods We retrospectively analyzed ED visits by children aged 2 to 17 from 2001 to 2010 using data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Visits were classified as potentially preventable asthma visits by mapping ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's asthma pediatric quality indicator. We examined trends in the annual rate of ED visits for asthma per 1000 children using a weighted linear regression model. Finally, we used multivariate logistic regression to determine what demographic, clinical, and structural factors were associated with a child's ED visit being for a potentially preventable asthma crisis. Results The rate of children's ED visits for asthma increased 13.3% between 2001 and 2010, from 8.2 to 9.3 visits per 1000 children ( P = .26). ED visits by children who were younger, male, racial or ethnic minorities, insured with Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program, and visiting between 11 pm and 7 am were more likely to be for potentially preventable asthma crises. Conclusions Although the overall rate of potentially preventable ED visits for asthma did not significantly change over the last decade, racial, insurance-based, and other demographic disparities in the likelihood of a preventable asthma-related ED visit persist.
Neural mediation of memory for time: Role of the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex

Within the context of the neurobiology of attribute model, memory for the temporal attribute is composed of at least three features—memory for duration, memory for succession, or temporal order, and memory for past and future time perspective within a dual-based (data and knowledge) memory system. Research aimed at testing the assumption that the hippocampus and interconnected neural circuits mediate the temporal attribute within the data-based memory system and the prefrontal cortex and interconnected neural circuits mediate the temporal attribute within the knowledge-based memory system in animals and humans is reviewed. The research indicates that (1) memory for the duration feature of the temporal attribute is mediated by the hippocampus, but not prefrontal cortex, in both animals and humans, (2) memory for the temporal order feature of the temporal attribute based on new information is subserved by both the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, but that based on prior knowledge or the ability to use prior knowledge is supported only by prefrontal cortex, and not the hippocampus, in both animals and humans, and (3) memory for the past (time perspective) feature of the temporal attribute is mediated by the hippocampus, whereas memory for the future (time perspective) feature of the temporal attribute is supported by the prefrontal cortex in both animals and humans. There is a clear parallel between animals and humans in terms of hippocampal and prefrontal cortex mediation of the temporal attribute, supporting the assumption of evolutionary continuity. There is support for a greater involvement of the hippocampus in comparison with the prefrontal cortex in mediating temporal attribute information within the data-based memory system. Conversely, there is support for a greater involvement of the prefrontal cortex in comparison with the hippocampus in mediating temporal attribute information within the knowledge-based memory system. Future research needs to concentrate on the development of new paradigms to measure memory for different temporal features and to uncover the critical neural circuits that subserve these temporal features.
Vorticity jump across a shock in nonuniform flow

A new relation is derived for the vorticity just downstream of a shock wave when the upstream flow is nonuniform. Aside from the vorticity contribution from a curved shock, there is an amplified upstream vorticity contribution and terms associated with upstream Mach number and stagnation enthalpy gradients, along the shock, that may be present even if the upstream flow is irrotational.
Response of Isolated Axonal Preparations to Hyperosmoticity: Evidence for a Cellular Volume Regulation

Abstract(2 figures)When submitted to a hyperosmotic stress, isolated axons of Calli-nectes sapidus shrink. Volume regulation is observed if the experiment is carried out by using serum from a crab adapted to sea water. 3′: 5′-AMP and dibutyryl AMP are also effective. A compound isolated from the hemolymph and having a molecular weight close to 10 000 mimics the effects of the serum and induces a partial regulation of the axonal volume.
Identification of fuzzy models of software cost estimation

Abstract Software cost estimation is one of the most critical tasks in managing software projects. Development costs tend to increase with project complexity, and hence accurate cost estimates are highly desired during the early stages of development. An important objective of the software engineering community has been to develop useful models that constructively explain the software development life-cycle and accurately estimate the cost of software development. Currently used software development effort estimation models such as, COCOMO and Function Point Analysis, do not consistently provide accurate project cost and effort estimates. This is often because important project data, available at the time of modeling, are often vague, imprecise, and incomplete. Traditionally used cost estimation models cannot utilize such vague yet important information in their models. Fuzzy logic-based cost estimation models are more appropriate when vague and imprecise information is to be accounted for. Such models usually rely on expert knowledge, which is however, often too general to fit a particular data set because different data sets have different characteristics. We present an innovative fuzzy identification cost estimation modeling technique to deal with linguistic data, and automatically generate fuzzy membership functions and rules. A case study based on the COCOMO81 database compared the proposed model with all three COCOMO models, i.e., Basic, Intermediate, and Detailed. It was observed that the fuzzy identification model provided significantly better cost estimations than the three COCOMO models.
POSSIBLE FUTURE USES OF CLAYS1

The need for investigation of new uses for clays which may become necessary if brick are substituted for by new materials is stressed. The shortcomings of brick, and possible new methods of clay processing are enumerated.
SU-C-220-05: Investigation of Novel, Focused, Segmented Scintillator Geometries for High DQE Megavoltage Active Matrix Imagers

Purpose: Megavoltage active matrix, flat‐panel imagers (AMFPIs) have become ubiquitous in modern radiotherapy environments. However, their imaging performance is severely constrained by very low DQE (∼1%). While significant performance improvements have been demonstrated through introduction of thick, precision‐machined matrices of optically‐ isolated crystalline detector elements, the benefits are constrained by geometric beam divergence. It is therefore of interest to examine the potential performance of focused, segmented scintillator geometries specifically designed to circumvent DQE losses caused by divergence. Methods: The potential detection efficiency and DQE performance of hypothetical detector geometries was examined by means of Monte Carlo simulation of radiation transport. The choice of geometries examined was governed by considerations including: maximization of DQE through geometrically focused elements; manufacturability of the focused matrix; and feasibility of the underlying active matrix of indirect detectionimaging pixels. Calculations were performed for a variety of candidate scintillator materials up to 6 cm thick. Results: The most promising detector geometries identified in the study consisted of matrices of scintillator elements located along the surface of a plane, as well as along the surface of a spherical cap. For cap detectors, elements arranged in a warped‐rectangular matrix, concentric rings, and a geodesic are of interest — and geometries employing a single element shape are particularly favored, although at the cost of fill factor. While focused planar detectors would be compatible with conventional AMFPI arrays, cap detectors would involve active matrix arrays in the shape of an approximately spherically curved surface created through cut and bend techniques. Overall, depending upon detector geometry, scintillator material and scintillator thickness, calculations indicate that DQE improvements of up to a factor of ∼50 are conceivable. Conclusions: This initial theoretical study suggests that the promise of very high DQE performance from thick, segmented scintillators could be realized through novel, focused detector geometries. Work supported by NIH grant R01‐CA051397
Genetic Evidence Concerning the Structure of the Tetrahymena thermophila Macronucleus

Synopsis. A satisfactory model of the Tetrahymena thermophila macronucleus must explain its genetic behavior in terms of its constituent molecules. Particular genetic phenomena requiring explanation are (a) phenotypic assortment, here interpreted as resulting from allelic disjunction rather than from differential gene expression; (b) unequal allelic input for some loci, interpreted as a consequence of unequal and selective replication of some alleles during early macronuclear development; (c) delayed assortment at some loci, interpreted as an effect of inequality of allelic input combined with a generalized elevation of DNA content during early clonal history; (d) linkage disruption, probably reflecting continuous somatic recombination rather than dissolution of chromosomes into small repliconic units; (e) assortment depression, brought about by the occasional association of homologous replicons (chromosomes) or else by a differential increase in some classes of replicons; (f) ploidy-related developmental differences in macronuclear primordia are interpreted on the basis of quantitative differences in DNA rather than in terms of an early perception of genic imbalance, (g) Ploidy independent macronuclear DNA content is consistent with several models of size regulation.
Defining task-set reconfiguration: The case of reference point switching

Some researchers argue that task switching involves task-set reconfiguration-that is, changing the existing task set to perform a different task. Although this idea is intriguing, it is often unclear what is reconfigured and which processes are involved in reconfiguration. We addressed these issues by defining task sets, identifying differences between them, and obtaining evidence that was diagnostic of reconfiguration. In two experiments, subjects performed relative judgment tasks that involved comparing a target with a reference point that repeated or switched across trials. The task was the same on every trial, but the task set was not, because a task-set parameter-the reference point-had to be changed. Target-reference point distance effects that changed with the reference point provided diagnostic evidence that reconfiguration occurred, and this reconfiguration led to switch costs. We discuss how our approach can be generalized to define reconfiguration more clearly in other task-switching situations. nt|mis|This research was supported by Grants BCS 0133202 and BCS 0446806 from the National Science Foundation to G.D.L.
Experimental Validation of Temperature Distributions Across a Heat Exchanger for a Thermoelectric Generator

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are currently a topic of interest in the field of energy harvesting for automobiles. In applying TEGs to the outside of the exhaust tailpipe of a vehicle, the difference in temperature between the hot exhaust gases and the automobile coolant can be used to generate a small amount of electrical power to be used in the vehicle. The amount of power is anticipated to be a few hundred watts based on the temperatures expected and the properties of the materials for the TEG. This study focuses on developing efficient heat exchanger modules in order to maximize the power generation for a given vehicle and TEG. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model run by the authors has provided performance predictions for various cases on the cooling side of the heat exchanger. This paper discusses the setup and results of the experimental validation for the CFD model for the proposed TEG heat exchanger module.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Effect of isoproterenol on amino acid transport into rat salivary glands

Abstract The effect of isoproterenol on the transport of a non-metabolizable amino acid, 14C-α-aminoisobutyric acid (14C-AIB), into salivary glands in vitro and in vivo was studied. Treatment with isoproterenol (IPR) in vivo increased the capacity of submandibular gland of rat to concentrate 14C-AIB in vitro. Glands that were enlarged by the administration of isoproterenol for several days also had an increased intracellular uptake of 14C-AIB. A single injection of isoproterenol stimulated 14C-AIB uptake in vivo transiently. The submandibular glands of rats concentrated more 14C-AIB 2–3 h after the injection of isoproterenol than the glands of control rats. At the same time the drug significantly increased the distribution ratio of 14C-AIB/g wet tissue/14C-AIB/ml blood measured during steady state distribution of 14C-AIB. It is suggested that stimulation of amino acid uptake is probably one of the important mechanisms by which isoproterenol affects the growth of the salivary glands.