cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Potential Cost Savings for a Health System-Based Employee Outpatient Pharmacy

Hospitals everywhere are faced with the same dilemma as other companies, struggling to manage rising health care expenses while providing optimal care for their employees. One of the often overlooked drug expense is the drugs consumed by the facility’s employees. Although the average pharmacy department manager has a considerable amount of experience and expertise in dealing with drug expense issues for inpatients or even classic outpatients, the path to optimizing the drug expense investment strategies for their fellow employees can be difficult and elusive to discern. This article should provide a pharmacy manager with a few examples of how to contain costs for employee outpatient pharmacies.
Determinants of novel object and location recognition during development.

Abstract In the novel object recognition (OR) paradigm, rats are placed in an arena where they encounter two sample objects during a familiarization phase. A few minutes later, they are returned to the same arena and are presented with a familiar object and a novel object. The object location recognition (OL) variant involves the same familiarization procedure but during testing one of the familiar objects is placed in a novel location. Normal adult rats are able to perform both the OR and OL tasks, as indicated by enhanced exploration of the novel vs. the familiar test item. Rats with hippocampal lesions perform the OR but not OL task indicating a role of spatial memory in OL [1] . Recently, these tasks have been used to study the ontogeny of spatial memory but the literature has yielded conflicting results [2] , [3] . The current experiments add to this literature by: (1) behaviorally characterizing these paradigms in postnatal day (PD) 21, 26 and 31-day-old rats; (2) examining the role of NMDA systems in OR vs. OL; and (3) investigating the effects of neonatal alcohol exposure on both tasks. Results indicate that normal-developing rats are able to perform OR and OL by PD21, with greater novelty exploration in the OR task at each age. Second, memory acquisition in the OR but not OL task requires NMDA receptor function in juvenile rats. Lastly, neonatal alcohol exposure does not disrupt performance in either task. Implications for the ontogeny of incidental spatial learning and its disruption by developmental alcohol exposure are discussed.
Differential effects of constant illumination on thyroidal lactic dehydrogenase in male and female rats.

Abstract 1. 1. Female rats were exposed to constant illumination for 40 and 85 days; male rats for 85 days. 2. 2. Controls for both sexes were subjected to 12 hr light and dark cycles. 3. 3. Thyroidal lactic dehydrogenase activity was significantly reduced in females after 40 and 85 days of exposure to constant lighting but was unaltered in males after 85 days of exposure.
Effect of laparoscopic and conventional colorectal resection on peritoneal fibrinolytic capacity: a prospective randomized clinical trial.

Background and aims: Reduced fibrinolytic activity of the peritoneum seems to be the main cause of postoperative adhesions. This prospective randomized trial compared the peritoneal fibrinolytic activity between laparoscopic and conventional colorectal resection. Methods: Parietal peritoneal biopsy specimens were taken in standardized elective laparoscopic (n=14) and conventional (n=16) colorectal resections at the beginning and at the end of surgery. Activities and concentrations of tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA), plasminogen activator (PAI) type 1, and tPA/PAI complex were determined by ELISA kits. Results: There was no difference in age, sex, or body mass index between the two groups. Perioperative tPA activity decreased in both groups without differences between the groups. Concentrations and activities of tPA, PAI-1, and tPA/PAI complex did not differ between the groups at any time. Conclusion: Peritoneal concentrations and activities of tPA, PAI-1, and tPA/PAI complex are similar during laparoscopic and conventional colorectal resections. A capnoperitoneum of 12 mmHg over 3 h did not affect the peritoneal fibrinolytic activity
Microwave sintering of hydroxyapatite ceramics

Hydroxyapatite ceramics have been fabricated by microwave sintering in a 500 W microwave oven. Circular-plate specimens of various green densities were sintered in the oven at 1200 and 1300 °C, for 5, 10, and 20 min, respectively. Ceramics with density up to 97% of the theoretical were obtained. Density, grain size, microstructure, and strength of the ceramics sintered by microwave and by conventional methods were compared. The results show that microwave sintering of hydroxyapatite is not only highly efficient in saving time and energy, but can also improve the microstructure and thus enhance mechanical strength of the ceramics.
Poly(methacrylic acid) Hydrogel Films and Capsules: Response to pH and Ionic Strength, and Encapsulation of Macromolecules

Hydrogen-bonded multilayers of a neutral polymer (poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone), PVPON) with poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) were used as templates to introduce cross-links between PMAA layers using carbodiimide chemistry and ethylenediamine as a cross-linking agent. Upon exposure to high pH, PVPON is completely released from the hydrogel matrix, producing surface-attached PMAA hydrogels. When such hydrogels are deposited at the surface of silica particles, and the particle core is subsequently dissolved, hollow one-component hydrogel capsules are produced. PMAA hydrogel films and hollow capsules underwent reversible, large (factors of 2 or 3) changes in size in response to changes in solution pH and/or ionic strength. The capsules were used for entrapment and storage of macromolecules such as 500 kDa FITC-dextran by “locking” the capsule wall with an electrostatically associating polycation, poly-N-ethyl-4-vinylpyridinium bromide (QPVP). The release of the encapsulated macromolecules was achieved under high sal...
Automated segmentation of the optic disc from stereo color photographs using physiologically plausible features.

RESULTS. The algorithm was able to assign cup, rim, and background correctly to 88% of all pixels. Correlations of the LCDR estimates of glaucoma fellows with those of the reference standard were 0.73 (95% CI, 0.58‐0.83), 0.81 (95% CI, 0.70‐ 0.89), and 0.86 (95% CI, 0.78‐0.91), respectively, whereas the correlation of the algorithm with the reference standard was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.89‐0.96; n 58). CONCLUSIONS. The pixel feature classification algorithm allows objective segmentation of the optic disc from conventional color stereo photographs automatically without human input. The performance of the disc segmentation and LCDR calculation of the algorithm was comparable to that of glaucoma fellows in training and is promising for objective evaluation of optic disc cupping. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48: 1665‐1673) DOI:10.1167/iovs.06-1081
Molecular compasses and gyroscopes with polar rotors: synthesis and characterization of crystalline forms.

We report the highly convergent synthesis and solid-state characterization of six crystalline “molecular compasses” consisting of a central phenylene rotor with polar substituents, or compass needle, and two trityl groups axially connected by acetylene linkages to the 1,4-positions. Compounds with fluoro-, cyano-, nitro-, amino-, diamino-, and nitroamino substituents are expected to emulate the parent compound which was shown to form crystals where the central phenylene can rotate about its 1,4-axis with rate constants in the 103 −106 s-1 dynamic ranges near ambient temperature, depending on crystal morphology. With data from single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, solid-state CPMAS 13C NMR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), it is shown that a relatively small structural perturbation by a single polar group (F, CN, NO2, NH2) results in isomorphous structures with analogous properties. In analogy to the parent compound, crystals grown from benzene formed clat...
Non-transportable radioactivity in hypocotyls of Helianthus annuus after application of [3H]−IAA: analysis of diffusion parameters

IAA was applied as a droplet to the apical cut surface of hypocotyl sections of Helianthus annuus L. After collecting auxin moving in the polar transport stream, the distribution of radioactivity remaining within the tissue was kinetically investigated. By use of regression functions of the type y = a exp(-bx2) it was demonstrated that two independent diffusion profiles characterize the distribution of the residual radioactivity. An estimate of diffusion coefficients as well as amounts of each of the two components allowed conclusions concerning their molecular size and possibly their role in auxin transport. The results suggest that auxin and auxin metabolites are leaving the tissue by diffusion rather than by the activities of different transport systems. These results are discussed in respect to earlier descriptions of multiple auxin transport systems. H is concluded that a single transport system is sufficient to account for biphasic elution curves.
Treating the Ascites of Cirrhosis: Is Therapeutic Paracentesis Indicated?

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5915/22-1-13531 Although the ascites of cirrhosis has been treated traditionally with dietary sodium and fluid restriction in conjunction with diuretics, recent evidence suggests that therapeutic paracentesis is safe, effective, and shortens the duration of the hospital stay. This article presents a review of therapeutic paracentesis in cirrhotic patients reported in recent years.
Effects of cimetidine on caffeine disposition in smokers and nonsmokers

The absorption, distribution, and elimination of caffeine, 2 mg/kg by mouth, were evaluated in six smokers and six nonsmokers before and on the fourth day of administration of cimetidine, 300 mg by mouth every 6 hr. Caffeine absorption, assessed by the maximal serum caffeine concentration (C max) and the time to reach Cmax (t max), was very rapid relative to elimination. The total body clearance (TBC) of caffeine was higher (2.49 +/- 0.35 and 1.59 +/- 0.19 ml/kg/min, P less than 0.05) and the elimination half-life (t1/2) shorter (190 +/- 15 and 276 +/- 30 min, P less than 0.05) in smokers than nonsmokers, but Cmax, tmax, and the apparent volume of distribution (Vd, app) did not differ (P greater than 0.05). Cimetidine decreased the TBC of caffeine by 31% (to 1.73 +/- 0.28 ml/kg/min, P less than 0.05) and by 42% (to 0.92 +/- 0.11 ml/kg/min, P less than 0.01) in smokers and nonsmokers. The increases in t1/2 were 45% (to 276 +/- 25 min, P less than 0.05) and 96% (to 542 +/- 123 min, P less than 0.05). Cmax, tmax, and Vd, app were unaffected by cimetidine. Caffeine induced similar slight increases in blood pressure and pulse rate in smokers and nonsmokers both before and during cimetidine dosing.
Increase of nitric oxide production by L-arginine potentiates i.c.v. administered β-endorphin-induced antinociception in the mouse

Pretreatment (i.c.v.) of mice with L-arginine but not D-arginine potentiated beta-endorphin-induced (i.c.v. administered) inhibition of the tail-flick response. The potentiation was attenuated by N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, a selective inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase. This observation suggests that increased production of nitric oxide from L-arginine mediates the potentiation of beta-endorphin-induced antinociception.
Permutation—partition pairs. III: embedding distributions of linear families of graphs

Abstract For any fixed graph H , and H -linear family of graphs is a sequence { G n } n =1 ∞ of graphs in which G n consists of n copies of H that have been linked in a consistent manner so as to form a chain. Generating functions for the region distribution of any such family are found. It is also shown that the minimum genus and the average genus of G n are essentially linear functions of n .
Metaheuristic approaches to grouping problems in high-throughput cryopreservation operations for fish sperm

High-throughput cryopreservation operations of fish sperm is a technology being developed by researchers today. This paper first formulates a grouping problem in high-throughput cryopreservation operations of fish sperm and then develops a heuristic and four metaheuristic algorithms for its solution. The heuristic is modified from one originally proposed for the assembly line balancing problem. The four metaheuristic algorithms include simulated annealing (SA), tabu search (TS), ant colony optimization (ACO), and a hybrid differential evolution (hDE). For each metaheuristic algorithm, four different initialization methods were used. For both SA and TS, five different neighborhood solution generation methods were also studied. Real world data collected from a high-throughput cryopreservation operation was used to test the effectiveness of algorithms with different initialization and neighborhood solution generation methods. For comparison, a base line of grouping by processing order was also established. The results indicate that: (i) all algorithms performed better than the base line; (ii) using the result of the modified heuristic as the initial solution of metaheuristic algorithms lead to a better solution; the amount of improvement varied from algorithm to algorithm; (iii) among the five neighborhood solution generation operators, insertion operator was the best; (iv) among all algorithms tested, the hybrid differential evolution is the best, followed by tabu search in terms of average objective value.
The Rotavirus Vaccine Story: A Clinical Investigator's View

* Abbreviations: FDA = : Food and Drug Administration • ACIP = : Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices • CDC = : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • AAP = : American Academy of Pediatrics • VAERS = : Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System Withdrawal of the tetravalent rhesus-human reassortant rotavirus vaccine from our arsenal of vaccines to prevent childhood diseases was a major disappointment. However, the experience demonstrated that the mechanisms established to monitor vaccine safety in the United States functioned effectively. This article reviews how the association with intussusception was discovered and evaluated, and speculates about lessons learned and how to use them. Prelicensure clinical evaluation of the rhesus-human reassortant vaccine was a process that lasted >15 years, cost hundreds of millions of dollars, involved multiple governmental agencies, industry, and dozens of clinical investigators. It was given to >10 000 infants in 27 clinical trials conducted in 9 different countries. After this large and lengthy experience the vaccine was submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for consideration for licensure. Concurrently, a Rotavirus Working Group of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was established to review the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the vaccine to propose recommendations for its use. This working group was composed of experts in pediatric infectious disease, vaccinology, epidemiology, and public health. As part of the review process, a member of the ACIP Working Group reviewed all serious adverse events reported in all of the industry-sponsored trials of all of the rhesus rotavirus vaccine candidates and noted 5 cases of intussusception among 10 054 vaccinees, 3 of which occurred during the week postvaccination, and 1 case among 4633 placebo recipients. None of these cases had been judged by the clinical study investigators to be attributable to the vaccine. The vaccinees with intussusception had participated in 5 different trials and had received 3 different rhesus rotavirus vaccine preparations (rhesus-human reassortant serotype 1 vaccine, tablet preparation of the tetravalent rhesus-human reassortant vaccine, and the subsequently licensed lyophilized tetravalent rhesus-human reassortant vaccine, …
Uneeda Biscuit: The First Consumer Package?

This article describes the development of the Uneeda Biscuit package, created in 1899, and the claim that it was the first consumer package. The package represents an important change in the way pr...
A Programming Language for Real-Time Automotive Control Applications

A high level programming language is described which has been explicitly designed for automotive engine control applications. We have implemented a two pass compiler for this language which produces code for the Intel 8061 microprocessor and symbolic debuggers for both the host and target environments. The language has been used for several projects including an engine control program which had previously been written in assembly language, against which its efficiency is compared.
Mitochondria and Telomeres: The Promiscuous Roles of TIN2

Telomeric proteins are best known for their role in maintenance of telomere function. In this issue, Chen et al. (2012) demonstrate that the telomeric protein TIN2 can specifically localize to the mitochondria, where it can regulate metabolism and ROS production.
Near infrared spectroscopy in the management of status epilepticus in a young infant.

Abstract We report the medication management of electroencephalographic status epilepticus with subtle clinical manifestations in a young infant while simultaneously recording electroencephalographic activity and cerebral regional oxygen saturation (rSO 2 ) index using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). We found that antiepileptic drugs equally influence the frequency of rSO 2 index fluctuations and electroencephalographic seizures. The purpose of this report is to illustrate the use of NIRS in the medication management of an infant with status epilepticus and subtle or no clinical manifestations; and to suggest that if future studies confirm our finding, NIRS may be reliably used to gauge the effects of antiepileptic medications in similar patients.
A Methodology for Modelling Enclosure Radiation Heat Transfer Under Large Structural Deformation

Finite element method (FEM) numerical simulations of heat transfer for high-temperature regimes often require modeling of grey-body enclosure radiation where enclosure geometry definitions are obtained as part of the model grid generation process. Owing to the expense of solving the radiation problem, typical FEM approaches loosely couple the radiative transfer solution as boundary conditions to a standard conduction formulation. When the problem at hand is thermal-mechanical and relative motion occurs between enclosure surfaces, the simulation code is tasked with providing a means of updating the original enclosure surface geometry to reflect the deformed configuration. While this scenario is manageable for contiguously meshed discretizations, the difficulty of updating enclosure geometry is greatly increased when the model admits sliding. Here the analysis code must employ both mechanical and thermal contact, relying heavily on geometric search and contact constraints to enforce closure for the conduction formulation.General purpose large-deformation FEM structural codes employ surface contact utilities to provide geometric search and contact constraint definitions. This paper describes an ongoing effort to leverage contact utilities for solving the enclosure radiation problem in deforming and sliding mesh scenarios while having minimal impact to a traditional modeling approach. The current effort is divided into two areas, enclosure definitions and thermal contact, but the primary focus here is on enabling use of contact to provide definition of the enclosure. The proposed methodology is demonstrated on simple enclosure radiation models using SNL Sierra Mechanics Dash contact utilities and the Chaparral enclosure radiation library with Sierra Mechanics Structural and Thermal application codes.Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
The Physical Mechanism of Heat Transfer Augmentation in Stagnating Flows Subject to Freestream Turbulence

Experiments have been performed in a water tunnel facility to examine the physical mechanism of heat transfer augmentation by freestream turbulence in classical Hiemenz flow. A unique experimental approach to studying the problem is developed and demonstrated herein. Time-resolved digital particle image velocimetry (TRDPIV) and a new variety of thin-film heat flux sensor called the heat flux array (HFA) are used simultaneously to measure the spatiotemporal influence of coherent structures on the heat transfer coefficient as they approach and interact with the stagnation surface. Laminar flow and heat transfer at low levels of freestream turbulence (Tu x =0.5-1.0%) are examined to provide baseline flow characteristics and heat transfer coefficients. Similar experiments using a turbulence grid are preformed to examine the effects of turbulence with mean streamwise turbulence intensity of Tu x =5.0% and an integral length scale of Λ x = 3.25 cm. At a Reynolds number of Re D = U ∞ D/v=21, 000, an average increase in the mean heat transfer coefficient of 64% above the laminar level was observed. Experimental studies confirm that coherent structures play a dominant role in the augmentation of heat transfer in the stagnation region. Calculation and examination of the transient physical properties for coherent structures (i.e., circulation, area averaged vorticity integral length scale, and proximity to the surface) shows that freestream turbulence is stretched and vorticity is amplified as it is convected toward the stagnation surface. The resulting stagnation flow is dominated by dynamic, counter-rotating vortex pairs. Heat transfer augmentation occurs when the rotational motion of coherent structures sweeps cooler freestream fluid into the laminar momentum and thermal boundary layers into close proximity of the heated stagnation surface. Evidence in support of this mechanism is provided through validation of a new mechanistic model, which incorporates the transient physical properties of tracked coherent structures. The model performs well in capturing the essential dynamics of the interaction and in the prediction of the experimentally measured transient and time-averaged turbulent heat transfer coefficients.
An Open Government Maturity Model for social media-based public engagement

Abstract Social media has opened up unprecedented new possibilities of engaging the public in government work. In response to the Open Government Directive, U.S. federal agencies developed their open government plan and launched numerous social media-based public engagement initiatives. However, we find that many of these initiatives do not deliver the intended outcomes due to various organizational, technological, and financial challenges. We propose an Open Government Maturity Model based on our field studies with U.S. federal healthcare administration agencies. This model is specifically developed to assess and guide open government initiatives which focus on transparent, interactive, participatory, collaborative public engagement that are largely enabled by emerging technologies such as social media. The model consists of five maturity levels: initial conditions (Level 1), data transparency (Level 2), open participation (Level 3), open collaboration (Level 4), and ubiquitous engagement (Level 5). We argue that there is a logical sequence for increasing social media-based public engagement and agencies should focus on achieving one maturity level at a time. The Open Government Maturity Model helps government agencies implement their open government initiatives effectively by building organizational and technological capabilities in an orderly manner. We discuss challenges and best practices for each maturity level and conclude by presenting recommendations.
Organic semiconductors: Made to order.

Fabricating thin films of organic semiconductors that have molecular order across large areas has proved challenging. Now, three complementary approaches — molecular design, fluid-flow control and the use of nucleating agents — offer unprecedented opportunities for next-generation optoelectronic applications.
Macrophage-derived TGF-β in renal fibrosis: not a macro-impact after all.

macrophages are a group of fascinating immune cells that play a critical role in mediating kidney injury, repair, and fibrosis ([9][1]). The vast majority, if not all, of the macrophages originate from myeloid precursors in the bone marrow and are released into circulation as monocytes ([10][2]).
A web interface for the quantification of microtubule dynamics

We propose a web interface that allows researchers to quantify and analyze microtubule confocal images online. Most analyses of microtubule confocal images are performed manually using very simple software or tools. Analysis results are stored locally within each collaborator with different styles and formats. This has limited the sharing of data and results when collaborating among different research parties. A web interface provides a simple way for users to process data online. It also allows easy sharing of both data and results among different participating groups. Analysis workflow of the interface is made similar to existing manual protocols. We demonstrate the integration of image processing algorithm in the current workflow to aid the analysis. Our design also allows integration of novel automated analysis algorithms and modules to re-evaluate existing data. This interface can provide a validation platform for new automated algorithm and allow collaboration on microtubule image analysis from different locations.
Electrical activity of the pectoral muscles during gliding and flapping flight in the herring gull (Larus argentatus)

Electromyographic recording from the pectoral muscles of the herring gull during flight showed that very little muscle activity is associated with gliding flight. However, the integrated gliding potentials could be increased very considerably by loading the bird. The muscle activity during gliding and flapping flight are in accordance with the known energy requirements for these 2 types of flight.
Sociosexual Behavior and Chemical Communication of Aotus nancymaae

Owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) are unique because they are the only nocturnal anthropoids. Though medical researchers have used them extensively, thorough descriptions of their social behavior are sparse. We examined in detail the social behavior of 12 male-female captive pairs of Aotus nancymaae over an entire year. We compared data from males and females to determine if there are sexual differences in scent-marking, allogrooming, and other sociosexual behavior. We compared observation periods with and without mounting to determine if any behavior is associated with mounting. We present previously unreported behaviors for Aotus including urine-drinking and a suite of behaviors that we consider to function in olfactory communication. Males and females differed in their rates of several sociosexual behaviors; males anogenitally sniffed, drank urine, touched, and marked their mates more frequently than females did. We confirm earlier suggestions that allogrooming is rare in Aotus and is associated with mounting. Pairs of owl monkeys did not regularly exhibit behaviors that are typical for most monogamous primates but instead displayed a unique suite of behaviors adapted for their nocturnal lifestyle.
Sialic acid uptake by fibroblasts

The existence of surface sialytransferases that use cytidine monophosphate (CMP)-sialic acid as substrate has been postulated in previous studies. This is based on the assumption that if whole, viable cells can catalyze the transfer of sialic acid from CMP-sialic acid to endogenous acceptors, then the transferases carrying out the reaction must be on the cell surface, provided that (1) CMP-sialic acid does not enter the cells, and (2) CMP-sialic acid does not break down outside the cells, yielding free sialic acid which then may enter the cells, in amounts large enough to explain the incorporation. We now report evidence showing that after incubation of intact NIL, BHK, and 3T3 fibroblasts with CMP-sialic acid, at least 78% of the sialic acid incorporated by these cells is the result of free sialic acid uptake. When cells growing in a monolayer were incubated with a mixture of CMP-[14C]sialic acid and [3H]CMP-sialic acid with a ratio of 3H/14C=0.60, this ratio was found to be markedly increased in whole cells. Chemical analyses of the radioactive species in the incubation medium showed that a considerable portion of the radiolabeled sugar nucleotide had broken down to cytidine, phosphoric acid, and sialic acid. Upon incubation of cells with doubly labeled sugar nucleotide in the presence of a large excess of both nonradiolabeled cytidine and sialic acid, the cells incorporated less than 6% of both isotopes. Incubation of cells with a mixture of CMP-[14C]sialic acid and [3H]sialic acid resulted in only 20-40% of the radioactivity within the cells being membrane bound, and 70-90% of this incorporation could be inhibited by the addition of 10 mM azide to the incubation medium. The possibility that a small fraction of the total incorporation of sialic acid by these cells is due to surface sialytransferases cannot be completely ruled out. The uptake of free sialic acid by these fibroblasts is concentration dependent and a portion of it is incorporated into glycoproteins and glycolipids. Considerable loss of cell integrity was observed when fibroblasts grown on plates were removed by (ethylenedinitrilo)-tetraacetic acid or trypsin and subsequently incubated in buffer, indicating that these preparations are not suitable for intact cell studies.
Utilizing call admission control for pricing optimization of multiple service classes in wireless cellular networks

In this paper, we utilize admission control algorithms designed for revenue optimization with QoS guarantees to derive optimal pricing of multiple service classes in wireless cellular networks. A service provider typically adjusts pricing only periodically. Once a ''global'' optimal pricing is derived, it would stay static for a period of time, allowing users to be charged with the same rate while roaming. We utilize a hybrid partitioning-threshold admission control algorithm to analyze a pricing scheme that correlates service demand with pricing, and to periodically determine optimal pricing under which the system revenue is maximized while guaranteeing that QoS requirements of multiple service classes are satisfied.
Alterations in G1 to S Phase Cell-Cycle Regulators during Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, brain stem, and spinal cord. However, the mechanisms that regulate the initiation and/or progression of motor neuron loss in this disease remain enigmatic. Cell-cycle proteins and transcriptional regulators such as cyclins, cyclin-associated kinases, the retinoblastoma gene product (pRb), and E2F-1 function during cellular proliferation, differentiation, and cell death pathways. Recent data has implicated increased expression and activation of various cell-cycle proteins in neuronal cell death. We have examined the expression and subcellular distribution of G 1 to S phase cell-cycle regulators in the spinal cord, motor cortex, and sensory cortex from clinically and neuropathologically diagnosed sporadic ALS cases and age-matched controls. Our results indicate hyperphosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein in motor neurons during ALS, concurrent with increased levels of cyclin D, and redistribution of E2F-1 into the cytoplasm of motor neurons and glia. These data suggest that G 1 to S phase activation occurs during ALS and may participate in molecular mechanisms regulating motor neuron death.
MAJOR ADVERSE CARDIAC EVENTS IN CHILDREN WITH WILLIAMS BEUREN SYNDROME UNDERGOING SURGERY: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIETY OF THORACIC SURGEONS CONGENITAL HEART SURGERY DATABASE

Children with Williams Beuren Syndrome (WBS) undergoing cardiac surgery are at risk for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) but the frequency of and risk factors for such events have not been well described. We sought to better define frequency and risk of MACE in WBS using the STS-CHS Database. We
Response of the freshwater marsh species, Panicum hemitomon Schult., to increased salinity

SUMMARY. 1. Panicum hemitomon Schult. plants were colleeted from Louisiana's Mississippi River deltaic plain freshwater marsh and subjected to salinities of 5–12 ppt under controlled environment conditiotis. 2. The condition was designed to simulate salt stress resulting from storm surges, brine spills associated with oil recovery operations and salt water intrusion due to rapid subsidence and parallel increases in apparent sea level in Louisiana's coastal areas. 3. Plant stomatal conductance was reduced between 55 % and 80% and net photosynthesis declined between 20% and 67% in response to the different salinities within 1 day of salt application. Both responses lasted throughout the entire experiment. 4. Salinities ranging between 10 and 12 ppt resulted in tissue death in the plants 4 days after salt exposure. 5. In addition to the short-term impact of salt water influx on gas exchange of P, hemitomon reported here, the potential long-term effects on habitat change are discussed.
Postcontraction insulin sensitivity: relationship with contraction protocol, glycogen concentration, and 5 AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation

Exercise enhances insulin-stimulated glucose transport (GT) in skeletal muscle. Evidence suggests that 5′ AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and glycogen may be important for enhanced insulin sens...
Transition from periodic to chaotic thermal convection

The transition to turbulence in Benard convection in a layer of air bounded by rigid conducting walls is studied by numerical solution of the three-dimensional time-dependent Boussinesq equations. The wavy instability of rolls is compared with available experimental and theoretical results. The subsequent transition to chaotic convection is shown to occur for Rayleigh numbers larger than about 9000. The role of symmetry-breaking perturbations in the production of chaos is clarified.
A PRISONER'S DILEMMA APPROACH TO ENTREPRENEUR-VENTURE CAPITALIST RELATIONSHIPS

New business startups with venture capital backing depend on mutual cooperation between entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, but little is known about what makes these relationships work. The present article considers the implicit similarities between entrepreneur-venture capitalist relationships and the Prisoner's Dilemma frame-work. using this paradigm to develop a conceptual model of entrepreneurs' and venture capitalists' decisions to cooperate. The model is used to generate a number of testable propositions concerning long-term cooperation between entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Implications of the model for researchers, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists are discussed, and the paper concludes by examining Implications of the entrepreneur-venture capitalist context for the traditional Prisoner's Dilemma framework.
Fast CWT computation at integer scales by the generalized MRA structure

This article proposes a fast algorithm for continuous wavelet transform (CWT) at linear scale without decimation by using the generalized multiresolution analysis (MRA) structure. The constraints required on the lowpass and bandpass filters in the generalized MRA structure are derived. A possible solution for the lowpass filters and a least-squares design of the bandpass filters are given. The computational complexity of the algorithm is O(N) per scale, where N is the data length. The fast algorithm is verified by computer simulations.
Countering the Somali Pirates: Harmonizing the International Response

The growing threat to international shipping in the Gulf of Aden and neighboring regions from pirates operating off the shores of lawless Somalia has engendered an unparalleled global response. Over the past year, numerous international security organizations as well as national governments have organized many separate multilateral and single-country maritime security operations in the Horn of Africa region. Despite the unprecedented extent of this effort, this mishmash of ad hoc multinational and national initiatives has had only a limited effect. These various contingents typically have conflicting mandates and rules of engagement. They have also become fixated on responding to immediate problems rather than organizing a robust regional maritime structure, which could replace the foreign fleets when they inevitably withdraw. This article is available in Journal of Strategic Security: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/vol2/iss3/1 1 Countering the Somali Pirates: Harmonizing the International Response By Richard Weitz, Ph.D.
Rotational effect in the ionization of a highly excited atom by collision with a polar molecule

Abstract If the collisional ionization is chiefly due to energy transfer from the polar-molecule rotation to an electron in a high Rydberg state of the atom, then theory predicts that the cross section averaged over a thermal distribution of rotational states should show step-like structure as a function of the energy of the Rydberg state. This structure has been experimentally detected, and it can be considered as direct evidence of the rotational effect in the collisional ionization.
Peering Beneath the Veil: An Ethnographic Content Analysis of Islam as Portrayed on The 700 Club Following the September 11th Attacks

The 700 Club television program, which broadcasts information, entertainment, and evangelism, holds an important place in the lives of many of America's Evangelical Christians. That role took on added meaning given the fear, confusion, and search for answers that emerged following the September 11th attacks. Through a qualitative media analysis, this study found that program host Pat Robertson interpreted, framed, and presented the events and issues surrounding the attack to support a particular evangelical worldview. Ultimately, Robertson and his guests used the events to justify the position that Islam itself represents a threat to America and Christianity.
BIRTH WEIGHT, NEONATAL MORBIDITIES, AND SCHOOL AGE OUTCOMES IN FULL-TERM AND PRETERM INFANTS

In this prospective longitudinal study, birth weight and neonatal morbidities were evaluated relative to a broad range of school age outcomes. Fully 188 infants, 151 who were preterm, were recruited at birth, stratified by birth weight and socioeconomic status, and were followed until age 8 with a 97% retention rate. A gradient relationship was found among birth groups, with full-term children earning the highest scores. The very low birth weight and extremely low birth weight groups were equivocal in all scores except visual perception. The findings also were consistent with a pattern of nonverbal learning disability (Rourke, 1995) in which there is evidence of math underachievement and adequate performance in verbal, reading, and spelling scores. Children who had bronchopulmonary dysplasia, chronic lung disease, intraventricular hemorrhage, and sepsis differed from children without these neonatal morbidities, with an average of 10-20 points below the mean.
Racial and ethnic variation in home healthcare nurse depression assessment of older minority patients

Objective The objective of this study is to determine the racial/ethnic effect of depression symptom recognition by home healthcare nurses. Methods This is a secondary analysis of administrative data from a large urban home healthcare agency. Patients' age were 65 years and older with a valid depression screen, identified as Caucasian, African American, or Hispanic and admitted to homecare in 2010 (N = 3711). All demographic and clinical information were obtained from the electronic medical record. Results Subjects were 29.34% Caucasian, 37.81% African American, and 32.85% Hispanic. About 6.52% had a formal chart diagnosis of depression, and 13.39% received antidepressant therapy. The rates of positive depression screens by nurses were higher in Caucasians than that of in African Americans or Hispanics (13.41% vs. 9.27% vs. 10.99%; χ2 = 10.70, df [degrees of freedom] = 2; p < 0.01). Depression screening rates were then stratified by the number of clinical indicators from the chart (depression diagnosis or antidepressant on medication list). The proportion of positive screen increased for minorities with an increase in the number of indicators. African Americans had significantly greater positive screens with two indicators compared with that of the Caucasians and Hispanics (50.00% vs. 23.81% vs. 35.59%; χ2 = 6.65, df = 2; p = 0.04). Conclusions These findings show a wide range of variation in screening for depression among ethnic groups. The rates increase for minorities with the presence of increased clinical indicators, suggesting that nurses may screen higher in minorities when there is higher clinical suspicion. Future research in home healthcare should be aimed at training nurses to conduct culturally tailored depression screening to improve management of depression in older minorities. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of a Candidate Control Algorithm for a Ride-Quality Augmentation System

This paper presents a detailed analysis of a candidate algorithm for a ride quality augmentation system. The algorithm consists of a full-state feedback control law based on optimal control output weighting, estimators for angle of attack and sideslip, and a maneuvering algorithm. The control law is shown to perform well by both frequency and time domain analysis. The rms vertical acceleration is reduced by about 40 percent over the whole mission flight envelope. The estimators for the angle of attack and sideslip avoid the often inaccurate or costly direct measurement of those angles. The maneuvering algorithm will allow the augmented airplane to respond to pilot inputs. The design characteristics and performance are documented by the closed-loop eigenvalues; rms levels of vertical, lateral, and longitudinal acceleration; and representative time histories and frequency response.
Characterization of broadband Monolithic Gallium Nitride distributed power amplifier using thermal imaging technique

A thermal imaging technique is used to characterize a Monolithic Gallium Nitride distributed power amplifier under DC and RF drive conditions. The temperature difference among the active cells (transistors) in distributed power amplifier is observed under RF drive conditions. It is believed that this non-uniform performance of individual cells in broadband distributed power amplifier results in its lower efficiency and lower power output comparing to narrowed band design. The experimentally observed results match with the results of large signal simulation. The technique can be used to optimize the distributed power amplifier design in the future.
The dentary of Suuwassea emilieae (Sauropoda: Diplodocoidea)

Sauropod cranial elements, despite their rarity, contain a significant proportion of the known phylogenetically important character data (see Wilson, 2002; Upchurch et al., 2004). In particular, cr...
Fusing quantized observations in multisensor random signal detection

Optimum detection schemes based on fusing quantized data taken from multiple sensors are of great interest in radar and sonar applications. The design and properties of such schemes are considered here for detection of weak random signals in additive, possibly non-Gaussian, noise. Signal-to-noise ratios are assumed unknown and the signals at the different sensors may be statistically dependent. Analytical expressions describing the best way to fuse the quantized observations for cases with any given observation sample size are provided. The best schemes for originally quantising the observations are also studied for the case of asymptotically large observation sample sires. These schemes are shown to minimise the mean-squared error between the best weak-signal test statistic based on unquantized observations and the best weak-signal test statistic based on quantised observations (under signal absent).
Power constrained test scheduling with dynamically varied TAM

In this paper we present a novel scheduling algorithm for testing embedded core-based SoCs. Given test conflicts, power consumption limitation and top level test access mechanism (TAM) constraint, we handle the constrained scheduling in a unique way that adaptively assigns the cores in parallel to the TAMs with variable width and concurrently executes the test sets by dynamic test partitioning, thus reducing the test cost in terms of the overall test time. Through simulation, we show that up to 30% of SoC testing time reduction can be achieved by using our scheduling approach.
Prospective Evaluation of Testosterone Fluctuations During a Transition of Therapy From Degarelix to Leuprolide in Patients on Androgen Deprivation Therapy

Objective To evaluate for a possible testosterone surge during transition of therapy from degarelix to leuprolide. Methods We conducted an investigator-initiated, prospective, single-arm, open-label trial for evaluation of a potential testosterone surge during a transition of therapy from degarelix to leuprolide. Study patients were administered 3 monthly depot injections of degarelix, followed by one 3-month depot injection of leuprolide. A rise in serum testosterone was considered clinically relevant in previously castrate patients whose testosterone rose above 50 ng/dL. Results Forty-five patients aged 59-86 years were included in the final analysis after completing the entire 6-month study. Nineteen percent of patients had received prior androgen deprivation therapy, and 10% had metastatic disease. Mean serum testosterone was reduced from a baseline of 374.6 ± 155.7 ng/dL to 16.5 ± 8.1 ng/dL, and prostate-specific antigen reduced from 23.8 ± 55.8 ng/mL to 1.6 ± 3.7 ng/mL after 3 months of treatment with degarelix. On transition from degarelix to leuprolide (day 90), there was a rise in testosterone from the nadir of 16.5 ng/dL to a peak of 25.8 ng/dL ( P = .0005), occurring at day 93. Four patients (8.9%) experienced a testosterone surge with a mean peak serum testosterone of 80.7 ng/dL; all 4 returned to castrate levels within 7 days, and all remained asymptomatic throughout the testosterone fluctuation. Conclusion Fluctuations in serum testosterone after this transition of therapy were mild and short-lived with only 8.9% of men experiencing testosterone elevations to noncastrate levels.
Is interference like noise when you know its codebook

We consider a point to point communication system facing interference from other systems, with a particular focus on the case when this interference is undecodable. It is well known that when the interference is non-interactive, we can certainly treat it as additional noise at the receiver and thereby achieve certain rates. This paper asks whether any higher rates could be achieved by exploiting knowledge of the interferer's codebook. The main contribution of this paper is to study the converse: if the interference is undecodable, then we cannot do better than treating it as additional noise. This is proved for almost all interference codebooks when viewed under the random Gaussian codebook measure. When the interference signal is strong enough to be decodable, then codebook knowledge can be exploited at our receiver to allow higher rates to be achieved by appropriately structuring our own codebooks. Finally, we give an example of an interference codebook that cannot be completely decoded, but whose knowledge is still useful. However, this interference codebook is bad from the perspective of the interferer's own communication system. This leads us to conjecture that when the interference signal is undecodable, the only interference codebooks worth knowing are those that are not worth using from the interfering system's point of view.