cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
World modeling for the dynamic construction of real-time control plans

Abstract As intelligent, autonomous systems are embedded in critical real-world environments, it becomes increasingly important to rigorously characterize how these systems will perform. Research in real-time computing and control has developed ways of proving that a given control system will meet the demands of an environment, but has not addressed the dynamic planning of control actions. Building an agent that can flexibly achieve its goals in changing environments requires a blending of real-time computing and AI technologies. The Cooperative Intelligent Real-time Control Architecture (CIRCA) implements this blending by executing complex AI methods and guaranteed real-time control plans on separate subsystems. We describe the formal model of agent/environment interactions that CIRCA uses to build control plans, and we show how those control plans are guaranteed to meet domain requirements. CIRCA's world model provides the information required to make real-time performance guarantees, but avoids unnecessary complexity.
Evaluation of Water-Holding Capacity for Wheat–Soy Flour Blends

The water-holding capacities (WHC) of wheat flour when partially replaced with defatted soybean flour (DSF) or low-fat soybean flour (LSF) were evaluated. Wheat flour was replaced at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12% levels with DSF or LSF based on sample weight and/or soybean flour protein content. WHC (g water/g flour) was quantified after centrifuging hydrated samples at 1592×g (3,000 rpm) and/or 4,424×g (5,000 rpm) for 30 min. Results showed that at both centrifuge speeds, all wheat–soybean flour blends had WHC greater than wheat flour with the exception of 2% blends based on weight. Wheat–soybean flour blends had lower WHC at 5,000 rpm than at 3,000 rpm. In general, the WHC increased as the proportion of soybean flour increased. Differences in WHC were greatest between the samples containing 2 and 12% soybean flour. WHC values among the 6, 8 and 10% samples were not significantly different for both wheat–DSF and wheat–LSF blends. Blends containing LSF were observed to have comparable WHC to wheat–DSF blends.
Emergent Issues in Assessing Personality Pathology: Illustrations from Two Studies of Adolescent Personality and Related Pathology

As illustrated by two articles that each investigate personality pathology and its correlates in adolescents—Aelterman et al. (2010) on obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) from a dimensional personality perspective, and Barry and Wallace (2010) on indicators of pathological and normative development of youth narcissism—this commentary discusses four important assessment issues that have become more salient as the field considers a shift, through proposed changes in the DSM, to an approach that incorporates trait dimensions as an important aspect of diagnosis: (1) the importance of using multiple information sources for valid personality/ PD assessment; (2) relations of personality traits to (mal)adaptivity in general and also with regard to (3) trait uni- versus bi-polarity; and (4) whether personality types have incremental predictive value beyond their component personality traits and related pathology. The article also discusses why research on childhood and adolescent personality/ PD is important in addressing these issues.
Pulsed jet combustion—Key to a refinement of the stratified charge concept

Pulsed jet combustion, PJC, is initiated by an efflux of products of spark ignited rich airfuel mixture emanating from a small pre-chamber cavity that can be accommodated in a conventional ignition plug of an engine, its volume being of an order of 0.5 cm 3 . The jet plume produced thereby at the exit orifice displays the characteristic features of turbulent shear layers where convection associated with entrainment and engulfment provide the predominant mechanism for the propagation of the process, in contrast to the conventional system of a flame traversing the charge, FTC—a process governed by diffusion. Reported here is an experimental study of the early, active stage of PJC—a process dominated by turbulent convection. A particularly noteworthy feature of this mode of combustion is that the residence time of the reacting medium in the zone of essential chemical activity—the region of an appreciable concentration of active radicals—is effectively prolonged, being located in the cores of large scale vortex structures, the essential components of the flow field of a turbulent jet plume. It is for this reason that the PJC system is introduced here as a key to a refinement of the stratified charge concept, offering the prospects of reduced formation of pollutants in engines, combined with their increased efficiency and multi-fuel capability. Moreover, one may visualize, using a number of electronically activated PJC generators per cylinder could lead to the development of engines where the process of the evolution and deposition of exothermic energy, the essential elements of heat release, are externally controlled by a microprocessor system.
Vaporization of a spinning fuel droplet

The influence of rotation on droplet vaporization is investigated theoretically. A single, spherical liquid fuel droplet, spinning at a constant angular velocity about its own axis is considered. The analysis assumes that the rotational Reynolds number is small and that quasisteady conditions prevail in the gas phase. Thus, the swirling flow field and the accompanying heat transfer process are obtained as modifications of the classical solution of a stationary vaporizing droplet. It is found that the induced secondary flow, inwards towards the droplet poles and outwards from its equator, enhances the vaporization rate and shortens the droplet lifetime. An explicit expression is obtained for the correction to the evaporation rate and consequently a modification to the d2-law is derived. For most practical cases, the dependence of the evaporation rate on the rotational Reynolds number, Rer, and on the Prandtl number, Pr, is approximately of the form (Rer)4 Pr7/5. Finally, an explicit expression for the torque exerted on the evaporating droplet compared to that exerted on a solid sphere is derived.
Risk factors for delirium after major trauma.

Abstract Background This study aimed to describe the natural history of delirium after major injury, to identify risk factors that predict the development of postinjury delirium, and to compare outcome measures in subjects with and without delirium. Methods A prospective study was performed on patients with an injury severity score of 8 or higher admitted to the trauma intensive care unit (ICU) of a level I trauma center. Patients underwent daily assessments for delirium with the Confusion Assessment Method-ICU. Results Sixty-nine patients (53 male) were enrolled. Delirium occurred in 41 (59%) subjects. Logistic regression found lower arrival Glasgow Coma Score (12 ± 1.0 vs 15 ± .1; P P P Conclusions Delirium is common in the trauma ICU. Higher multiple organ failure score was the strongest predictor of postinjury delirium.
918-20 Performance of Coronary Angioplasty in Patients with Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease: Observations from the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI)

To gain insight into the strategies and factors influencing the performance of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in patients (pts) with multivessel coronary artery disease, the procedures of the 915 pts assigned to PTCA in BARI were examined. Within this group, 3,427 angiographically significant (g50% diameter reduction) lesions were identified. The majority of pts had two to six angiographically significant lesions. PTCA was intended for 63.1% of angiographically significant lesions and was attempted in 92.7% of the lesions for which it was intended. Multilesion PTCA was performed in 77.5% of pts and multivessel PTCA in 69.7%. Staging of the PTCA procedures was performed in 17.5% of pts. The number of lesions attempted per pt ranged from 1–9 with most pts (72.6%) having 2–4 lesions attempted. Of lesions present, those between 50–95% were most frequently attempted. Lesions of 99–100% severity and those less than 50% were less likely to be attempted. Other factors significantly (p l 0.05) associated with attempting lesions included proximal vessel location, classification of a lesion as being a “culprit” or “clinically significant” or type A or B complexity. Lesions in arteries supplying a small territory or non-viable myocardium were rarely attempted. Thus in pts with extensive multivessel CAD, PTCA is applied judiciously and according to a strategy based on individual pt and lesion assessment. Angiographic anatomic characteristics and the clinical impact of the lesion are the most influential factors.
Synthesis techniques employing the direct method

Liapunov direct method applied to design of controllers for class of nonlinear time-varying processes
New methods for using Cayley graphs in interconnection networks

Abstract A number of researchers have proposed Cayley graphs and Schreier coset graphs as models for interconnection networks. New algorithms are presented for generating Cayley graphs in a more time-efficient manner than was previously possible. Alternatively, a second algorithm is provided for storing Cayley graphs in a space-efficient manner (log 2 (3) bits per node), so that copies could be cheaply stored at each node of an interconnection network. The second algorithm is especially useful for providing a compact encoding of an optimal routing table (for example, a 13 kilobyte optimal table for 64,000 nodes). The algorithm relies on using a compact encoding of group elements known from computational group theory. Generalizations of all of the above are presented for Schreier coset graphs.
Single-Molecule Spectroscopic Studies of Nanoscale Heterogeneity in Organically Modified Silicate Thin Films

Single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy is used to compare the nanoscale properties of organically modified sol−gel-derived silicate thin films prepared from different silicate precursors. Sols containing different mole fractions of isobutyltrimethoxysilane (BTMOS) and/or 3-(triethoxysilyl)propionitrile (CNS) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) are used for film preparation. The solvent-sensitive dye Nile red is doped into these films at nanomolar concentrations and is used to probe their nanoscale environments. The single-molecule fluorescence spectra obtained are analyzed using a form of Marcus theory for charge-transfer transitions. Important information on local film polarity and rigidity is obtained. The results show that films derived from CNS-containing sols are more polar than those prepared using BTMOS, as expected. Data obtained from a series of films as a function of film organic content (i.e., CNS or BTMOS, the remainder being TEOS) show that the local film environments become distinctly less polar...
Real-time monitoring of lactate extrusion and glucose consumption of cultured cells using a lab-on-valve system

Microsequential injection (μSI) provides microfluidic operations that are ideally suited for cellular function studies and as a means of validating targets for drug discovery. μSI carried out within the lab-on-valve (LOV) manifold, is an ideal platform for spectroscopic studies on living cells that are grown on microcarrier beads and kept thermostated while their metabolism is probed in real-time. In this paper a microbioreactor is integrated into the LOV manifold allowing measurement of cellular lactate extrusion and glucose consumption rates of a cell culture that is automatically renewed prior to each measurement. Glucose consumption and lactate extrusion are monitored using NAD-linked enzymatic assays. The μSI-LOV setup has demonstrated a linear analysis range of 0.05–1.00 mM for lactate and 0.1–5.6 mM for glucose. These assays were conducted in a serial fashion requiring 3 μL of cellular perfusate and 10 s for glucose determination and 30 s for the lactate assay. Overall waste generated per lactate/glucose assay is <200 μL. This work was performed using two different transfected hepatocyte cell lines, which adhere to Cytopore® microcarrier beads. This novel approach to metabolic screening allows for the rapid evaluation of the effects of dosing cells with chemical agents.
Algal regulation of extracellular enzyme activity in stream microbial communities associated with inert substrata and detritus

AbstractWe tested the hypothesis that algae influence the activities of extracellular enzymes involved in mineralization processes within microbial assemblages in streams. We tested the prediction that the factors that influence algal biomass and photosynthesis (i.e., diel fluctuations in photosynthetically active radiation [PAR], long-term variations in light regime, and community development stage) would have a corresponding effect on extracellular enzyme activities. We also tested the prediction that algae would influence enzyme activities on inorganic substrata and in detrital communities where they ultimately would influence plant litter decomposition rates. We allowed microbial communities to develop on inert substrata (glass-fiber filters) or on leaf litter in artificial streamside channels. For each community type, we examined the effects of long-term light manipulations, community development stage, and diel periodicity on the activities of β-glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, leucine-aminopeptid...
Maximum-likelihood adjoint-state finite-element estimation of groundwater parameters under steady- and nonsteady-state conditions

A method is presented for estimating the hydraulic parameters of groundwater flow models under steady- and nonsteady-state conditions. The estimation problem is posed in the framework of maximum-likelihood theory by means of a log-likelihood criterion that includes prior estimates of the parameters. To allow for an incomplete knowledge of the covariances of the prior head and parameter errors, these covariances are expressed in terms of a few unknown statistical parameters that may be estimated jointly with the hydraulic parameters. Computational efficiency is achieved by evaluating the gradient of the estimation criterion with an adjoint-state finite-element scheme and using a combination of conjugate-gradient algorithms, coupled with Newton's method for determining the step size to be taken at each iteration. Model structure identification criteria developed in the time-series literature (all of which utilize the maximum-likelihood concept) are shown to be useful for selecting the best way to parametrize a groundwater flow region when a number of alternative schemes of parametrization are given. The paper also demonstrates the potential utility of the proposed estimation method for the optimum design of space-time measurement networks. A case study dealing with three-dimensional flow in a multiaquifer system is briefly discussed.
Water activities of NH4NO3/(NH4)2SO4 solutions

Water activities for mixed ammonium nitrate/ammonium sulfate solutions at relative humidities of 0.35–0.75 were measured using a spherical void electrodynamic balance. The concentrations of singly levitated droplets of nitrate to sulfate mole ratio of n = 1/5, 1/3, 1/2, 1, 2 and 4 in equilibrium with an ambient environment of prescribed relative humidity were measured. To avoid uncertainty in determining the composition of the solid particles, solution properties were determined relative to the known properties at about 80% relative humidity. The concentration of this reference state was estimated by three models of mixed electrolyte solutions, the Zdanovskii-Stokes-Robinson (ZSR), the Kusik and Meissner (KM) and the Pitzer models. The measured total mass fraction of solute of the mixed solutions differed by less than 0.5% when different models were used to calculate the reference state concentration. The water activity data were obtained at ionic strengths as high as 108 molal and used to evaluate predictions from these three models. For n = 1/5 and 1/3, deviations of model predictions from experimental data are within 2%. Generally, predictions of the ZSR model are most consistent with our data. Maximum deviations occur at n=2; 6% for ZSR, 8% for KM and 5% for Pitzer. The deviations can be attributed to binary and ternary solute-solute interactions that the ZSR, KM and elementary version of the Pitzer models do not consider. However, no simple characterization of the interaction parameters is possible; they seem to be strong functions of the fractional ionic strength of the solute and the total ionic strength of the solutions.
Electron heat transport in a tokamak with destroyed magnetic surfaces

Formulas for the electron thermal conductivity have been derived in the collisional and collisionless limits for the case of destroyed magnetic surfaces.
Muon Shielding for a 500-GeV Neutrino Facility

The explicit problem considered is the amount and "shape" of muon shielding required for a neutrino experimental area operated with a primary proton beam of energy up to 500-GeV. Muon transport programs have been developed for NAL1 which permit the calculation of muon intensities within a semi-infinite homogeneous medium. Results of such a calculation for a neutrino facility indicate that an earth shield 1100 meters in length and 7 meters in radius is required to permit the use of a bubble chamber detector with a primary beam energy of 500-GeV. A new calculational method using only available programs is proposed which permits the quantitative estimation of the effect of a magnetized-iron deflector. Results from this technique show that a magnetized-iron block 1.5 meters in radius and capable of deflecting the highest energy muons by 22 mrad may permit the use of a shield which is adequate for bubble chamber operation but only 550 meters of earth in length at 500-GeV.
Staff Perceptions of Volunteers in a Correctional Program

Abstract Probation and parole officers’ perceptions of volunteer services are assessed through perceived quality of the volunteers’ performance, potential for responsibilities, and advantages and limitations of volunteer services. Results indicated officers were satisfied with and supported various volunteer activities. Additionally, officers viewed volunteers as a resource which could be used in handling caseloads.
Effects of low-dose ionizing radiation on gene expression in human skin biopsies.

Abstract Purpose Several investigations have demonstrated that significant biologic effects can occur in animals, animal cells, immortalized human cell lines, and primary human cells after exposure to doses of ionizing radiation in the low-dose, ≤1–10 cGy region (LDIR). However, little information is available as to how these and other observations pertain to human responses to LDIR, though such knowledge is required for reducing the uncertainty of assessing human risks due to these exposures. We therefore undertook these translational studies to begin the development of a unique data set of human cellular responses to LDIR as measured by gene expression changes when exposure occurs to a normal tissue with its complex cellular mixture and three-dimensional architecture. Methods and materials Using full-thickness human skin resected during esthetic surgery, we obtained biopsy cores and exposed the tissue to LDIR ex vivo. Gene expression changes in five core regulatory genes were assessed by real-time RT-PCR. Results Results indicate that skin is a good biologic model for assessing LDIR in humans, though meticulous attention to sample processing is necessary. LDIR does produce changes in gene expression, though time– and dose–response relationships may be complex. Conclusion These proof of principle studies have provided a crucial initial step toward validation of LDIR risk assessment models in humans. We have demonstrated the feasibility of this approach and provide initial evidence that ionizing radiation exposures as low as 1 cGy are biologically active in human skin.
The Effects of Brand Familiarity in Alignment Advertising

This study addresses the issues of managerial concern for both nonprofit organizations and profit-oriented organizations by comparing public service advertising, alignment advertising, and traditio...
A hierarchical model to evaluate quality of experience of online services hosted by cloud computing

As online service providers utilize cloud computing to host their services, they are challenged by evaluating the quality of experience and designing redirection strategies in this complicated environment. We propose a hierarchical modeling approach that can easily combine all components of this environment. Identifying interactions among the components is the key to construct such models. In this particular environment, we first construct four sub-models: an outbound bandwidth model, a cloud computing availability model, a latency model and a cloud computing response time model. Then we use a redirection strategy graph to glue them together. We also introduce an all-in-one barometer to ease the evaluation. The numeric results show that our model serves as a very useful analytical tool for online service providers to evaluate cloud computing providers and design redirection strategies.
Electronic structure and x-ray-absorption spectra of wustite Fe1-xO.

Electronic ground-state properties of ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$O were calculated by the spin-unrestricted local-density self-consistent discrete variational method, with (20--30)-atom clusters embedded in the crystal. Charge and spin distributions were determined for both ideal and defective compounds with the rocksalt structure. Effective atomic valence states and local magnetic moments were compared with interpretations of M\"ossbauer and neutron magnetic scattering data. Densities-of-states (DOS's) analyses were carried out and compared with FeO valence-band photoemission and optical spectra. K-edge x-ray-absorption near-edge spectra (XANES) for Fe sites were generated, using a multiple scattering approach. The variation of DOS's and XANES with local atomic arrangement was investigated to provide indications of measurable effects of lattice relaxation and metal valence shifts around defects.
Selective replication of E1B55K-deleted adenoviruses depends on enhanced E1A expression in cancer cells

E1B55K-deleted dl1520 could selectively replicate in cancer cells and has been used in clinical trials as an antitumor agent. The mechanism of virus selective replication in cancer cells, including a possible role of p53, is unclear. Studies with established cancer cell lines have demonstrated that some cancer cells are resistant to dl1520 replication, regardless of the p53 status. Hep3B cells supported the E1b-deleted adenoviruses to replicate, whereas Saos2 cells were resistant to viral replication. We applied p53-null Hep3B and Saos2 cells as models to clarify the replication ability of E1B55K-deleted adenoviruses with different expression levels of E1a. We show that lower E1A expression in Saos2 may be the reason for the poor replication in some cancer cells due to the fact that E1a promoter was less activated in Saos2 than in Hep3B. We also demonstrate that the E1B55K protein can increase E1A expression in Saos2 cells for efficient virus replication. In addition, the upstream regions of the E1a promoter have transcriptional activity in Hep3B cells but not in Saos2 cells. The viral E1B55K protein may activate cancer cellular factor(s) that targets the upstream regions of the E1a gene to increase its expression. This is the first study demonstrating that E1B55K protein affects the E1A production levels that is related to cancer selective replication. Our studies have suggested that increase of E1A expression from E1b-deleted adenoviruses may enhance killing cancer cells that otherwise are resistant to viral replication.
Crystallization of dense neutron matter

The equation of state for cold neutron matter at high density is studied in the t-matrix formulation, and it is shown that energetically it is convenient to have neutrons in a crystalline configuration rather than in a liquid state for values of the density exceeding 1600 Tg/cu cm. The study of the mechanical properties indicates that the system is stable against shearing stresses. A solid core in the deep interior of heavy neutron stars appears to offer the most plausible explanation of speed-ups observed in the Vela pulsar.
Picosecond time-resolved photoluminescence characterization of a-SiC:H films prepared by electron cyclotron resonance plasma

Microwave excited electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasmas were used to produce five a-SiC:H films of varying relative carbon content. This was achieved by adjusting the relative hydrogen gas/organic liquid source flow rates and resulted in optical gaps between 2.3eV and 3.3eV. A time-correlated single photon counting technique incorporating a picosecond laser was used to acquire the fast photoluminescence decay emitted at several wavelengths for each sample. A lifetime distribution analysis of the photoluminescence decay reveals the presence of up to four distinct components. These resolved decay times range from 80ps to over 20ns. Each component decay has its own emission spectrum. The blue component has the fastest and the red the slowest decay. We present the variation of photoluminescence lifetime distributions with deposition parameters. We also present continuous wave (cw) and absorption photoluminescence spectra.
Gnawing and retrieval of inedible objects by Norway rats: Motivational interactions and habituatory effects.

The relation between gnawing and retrieval of inedible, partible objects (wooden blocks) by domestic Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout) was examined by manipulating the tendency to gnaw and testing subsequent retrieval. Experiments 1 and 2 established that rats gnaw wooden blocks but do not ingest them even during food deprivation, and that gnawing declines (habituates) over days for most rats. In Experiment 3, food deprivation produced a decrease in retrieval of blocks that was reversed under subsequent ad lib conditions. This result was confirmed in Experiment 4, which also demonstrated concommitant changes in gnawing and object retrieval as well as effects on component responses of the retrieval sequence. In Experiment 5, continuous exposure to blocks sufficient to reduce gnawing to a low level led to a decline in retrieval of these objects that was not reversed by discontinuing exposure. These results are consistent with the incentive-motivational account of retrieval preferences developed in earlier work, and some inferences are made about the kinds of processes that could mediate the effects of deprivation and habituation.
A Comparison of Reaction Hazard Screening Techniques

The requirement for a systematic approach to chemical reaction screening is described along with a comparison of results from some commercially available equipment. The limitations of using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as a screening tool are discussed and how the implementation of a technique (TSU) (thermal screening unit [Hazard Evaluation Laboratory Ltd., 50 Moxon Street, Barnet, Hertfordshire, EN5 5TS, UK; Internet: http://www.helgroup.co.uk]) for rapid identification of thermal and pressure hazards has helped to overcome the DSC shortcomings. This TSU test is described along with some in-house modifications made to the commercially available system to reduce heat losses. Comparative results for 20 thermally unstable compounds, using commercially available equipment, are presented which show how the combination of both temperature and pressure information obtained with the TSU can help increase levels of safety.
Anaphora Resolution and the Focus of Attention in Situation Models

Abstract Four experiments investigated how the accessibility of a referent for an anaphoric noun pharase decreases with the spatial distance of the referent from the focus of attention within a situation model. In all experiments, subjects first memorized the diagram of a building and objects located in it, then read narratives describing characters′ activities in that building. The narratives contained motion sentences describing how the protagonist moved from room to room through the building. Accessibility of referents was probed by undistinguished "target" sentences that followed the motion sentences. Each target sentence contained a definite noun phrase that referred to a memorized object in one of the building′s rooms ("He thought that the shelves still looked like an awful mess"). Reading times of target sentences increased with the number of rooms between the object and the protagonist, suggesting that accessibility of the referent decreased with spatial distance between the referent and the focus of attention in the readers′ situation model. Experiment 1 showed faster access to referents when target sentences mentioned the room in which the referent was located. Experiment 2 compared motion sentences that explicitly mentioned the protagonist′s movement to sentences that mentioned only the protagonist′s final location. Similar effects of distance from focus to referent were found, suggesting that readers use situation models to infer movements not explicitly mentioned in the text. Experiment 3 demonstrated that the results were not caused by unexpected or confusing discourse. Experiment 4 showed that the results could not be explained by temporal order of studying the rooms during learning instead of spatial distance.
The soil matrix increases microbial C stabilization in temperate and tropical forest soils

Microbial biomass represents a substantial source of labile C contributing to soil organic matter (SOM) maintenance. Microbial residues may associate with the soil matrix through a variety of mechanisms, reducing its bioavailability and increasing its persistence in soil. Our objective was to examine soil matrix effects on the stability of non-living microbial C inputs in two contrasting forest ecosystems by following microbial residues (Fungi, Actinobacteria, Gram-positive bacteria (Gm +), Gram-negative bacteria (Gm −)) into SOM fractions in a temperate forest in California (CA) and a tropical forest in Puerto Rico (PR) for 3 and 2 years, respectively. We isolated 3 SOM fractions: (i) free light fraction (FLF), (ii) occluded light fraction (OLF), and (iii) dense fraction (DF). Additionally, we characterized SOM fraction chemistry to infer quality and source of native fraction SOM. Our results showed greater stabilization as mineral-associated microbial C (i.e., as DF and OLF), compared with loose detrital C (i.e., FLF). There was no microbial group effect (i.e., differences in fraction C recovery among different microbial cell types). Our findings suggest that mineral association is more important for stabilizing non-living microbial C in soil than the cellular structure of the initial source of microbial inputs, with site specific edaphic factors as the major controllers of the amount of microbial residues stabilized.
Low-dose radiation-induced protective process and implications for risk assessment, cancer prevention, and cancer therapy.

A low-dose protective apoptosis-mediated (PAM) process is discussed that appears to be turned on by low-dose gamma and X rays but not by low-dose alpha radiation. PAM is a bystander effect that involves cross-talk between genomically compromised [e.g., mutants, neoplastically transformed, micronucleated] cells and nongenomically compromised cells. A novel neoplastic cell transformation model, NEOTRANS3, is discussed that includes PAM. With NEOTRANS3, PAM is activated by low doses and inhibited by moderate or high doses and is, therefore, a hormetic process. A low-dose region of suppression of the transformation frequency below the spontaneous frequency relates to the hormetic zone over which PAM is presumed to operate. The magnitude of suppression relates to what is called the hormetic intensity. Both the hormetic intensity and width of the hormetic zone are expected to depend on dose rate, being more pronounced after low dose rates. It is expected that PAM likely had a significant role in the following observations after chronic irradiation: (1) what appears to be a tremendous reduction in the cancer incidence below the spontaneous level for Taiwanese citizens residing for years in cobalt-60 contaminated apartments; and (2) the published reductions in the lung cancer incidence below the spontaneous level in humans after protracted X irradiation and after chronic gamma plus alpha irradiation. Implications of PAM for cancer prevention and low-dose cancer therapy are briefly discussed.
Stratifying asthma populations by medication use: how you count counts

Background Asthma disease management programs typically use pharmacy data to identify high-risk individuals for outreach. Provider-directed pharmacy profiling seeks to identify physicians whose prescribing of recommended asthma medication is suboptimal. Both strategies require an accurate approach to counting prescribed asthma medication. Objective We compare two methods for counting the use of bronchodilators and inhaled anti-inflammatory medication. One approach uses simple counts of dispensed medication. An alternative, canister-equivalent method standardizes these medications on the basis of variation in both potency and medication-days supplied per prescription. We evaluate whether these alternative methods yield different population risk profiles when applied to managed care enrollees who have asthma and to the physicians treating them. Methods Retrospective cohort study of patterns of medication use by asthmatic patients receiving care within a group-model health maintenance organization and prescribing of asthma medications by the physicians treating them. Results Each method yields a different risk profile of the patient and physician populations, respectively. Relative to simple counts, the canister-equivalent method results in a 40% increase in the population identified as having high bronchodilator use and chronic anti-inflammatory medication use. On the physician-level, the mean anti-inflammatory:bronchodilator ratio (AIF:BD) was 1.50 by the canister-equivalent method compared with 1.08 by the simple-count method. When stratified by each method, 36% of physicians were assigned to different quartiles of anti-inflammatory:bronchodilator ratio. Conclusions A novel canister-equivalent method for counting dispensed asthma medications yields different risk profiles compared with simple counts of asthma medications. Asthma disease management programs should consider alternative approaches to improve the accuracy of risk profiling based on patterns of medication use.
The development of drawing in children with congenital focal brain injury: evidence for limited functional recovery.

Abstract Children with pre- or perinatal injury to right hemisphere (RH) brain regions show impairment of spatial integrative functions similar to that observed among adults with comparable injury. Unlike adults, children show considerable improvement with development on a range of spatial construction tasks which require spatial integration. Such gains could reflect true recovery of spatial integrative abilities. Alternatively, the improvement could be more limited in scope, reflecting the development of compensatory strategies which are task specific and allow the children to circumvent, rather than overcome, their primary spatial disorders. The studies presented here examined this distinction within the context of drawing tasks in which the child was first asked to draw a house and then an impossible house. The impossible house task was designed to examine the extent to which children rely on graphic formulas in generating organized drawings. The results showed that while all of the children with RH injury make considerable progress in free drawing into the school age period, they are very reliant on the use of graphic formulas. When given a task which requires them to alter their drawings, they did not change the spatial configuration of the depicted object. Rather they found alternate ways to render the object ‘impossible’.
The Effect of the 1986 Tax Act On Personal Interest Deductions

For most taxpayers who itemize deductions, the 1986 tax act will increase the after-tax cost of interest paid to purchase homes, automobiles, other consumer items, and personal investment assets. Individual tax-return data are used to estimate the elasticity of interest deductions, both home moi tgage and other, with respect to the marginal tax rate and disposable income. Based on these estimates, we show that the lower tax rates and increased standard deductions in the new law can be expected to reduce interest deductions, especially among upper-income taxpayers. The findings suggest that outlays on owner-occupied housing will be more affected by the 1986 tax reform than will other types of expenditures financed with consumer credit.
A unified control system for the STAR experiment

The control system for the STAR experiment at RHIC is presented. The VME-based architecture is described. Reasons for the hardware and software choices are discussed. A significant new application of a slow control system (EPICS) to a run control setting is discussed. Interfaces to the detector subsystems are described. The initial implementation of the control systems for the baseline STAR detector is summarized. >
Nonisothermal aqueous calorimetry: computation of process-dependent temperature change and aspects of calorimeter design.

A general method for determining the process-dependent (intrinsic) temperature change in a nonisothermal calorimeter is presented. The nonisothermal approach to calorimetric investigations requires an estimate of the magnitude of the process independent (extrinsic) temperature change during the reaction period. The proposed method can be applied to any calorimeter whose output is a discrete or continuous temperature-time profile. It is based on a first-derivative transformation of the temperature-time profile and the partitioning of the observed temperature variation into two components: pure extrinsic variation, which occurs outside the reaction period, and the combined extrinsic and intrinsic effects during the reaction period. Close examination of the pure extrinsic variation was considered essential, since it provided the basis for identifying the form of a descriptive mathematical function consistent with the observed extrinsic behavior. Once a suitable function was selected, parameters for the equation were determined through a linear regression procedure. The resulting equation was used to predict the extrinsic variation within the reaction period. Subtraction of predicted extrinsic variation from the observed total variation and integration over the time course of the experiment provide an estimate of the process-dependent temperature change. The differential approach was examined for processes performed in a calorimeter of simple design. Aspects of calorimeter design and advantages of the proposed method of data analysis are discussed.
DIFFERENCES IN METABOLISM OF PREDNISOLONE-C14 AND CORTISOL-C14

INTRODUCTION THE effectiveness in various clinical conditions of 1-dehydro-17-hydroxycorticosteroids in much smaller doses than those of cortisol or cortisone is now well established (1, 2). Little is known about the metabolic fate of these new synthetic 1-dehydrosteroids in the human body. The reasons for their greater clinical effectiveness are likewise unclear. In a previous publication it was reported that in man there are certain differences and some similarities between the metabolism of 1-dehydrocortisol and 1-dehydrocortisone (prednisolone and prednisone respectively) and the metabolism of cortisol and cortisone (17-OHCS) (3). In contrast to the latter steroids, a substantial percentage of 1-dehydrosteroid was excreted in the urine as free (unconjugated) and unchanged steroid, following either oral or intravenous administration. Only small amounts of steroids were released by β-glucuronidase hydrolysis of the urine of subjects given 1-dehydrosteroids (Δ1-17-OHCS). Furthermore, the Δ1-17-OHCS were ...
Detection of asymptomatic recurrence during routine oncological followup after radical cystectomy is associated with improved patient survival.

Purpose: Whether routine surveillance to detect tumor recurrence after radical cystectomy improves patient survival remains in debate. We determined the impact on all cause mortality of symptoms at recurrence after cystectomy.Materials and Methods: We identified 1,599 patients who underwent radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma at our institution between 1980 and 2000. Median postoperative followup was 9.8 years (range 0 to 30.3). Overall survival in patients with recurrence stratified by the mode of diagnosis (asymptomatic vs symptomatic) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log rank test. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the impact of the mode of diagnosing recurrence on survival.Results: A total of 606 patients (38%) experienced recurrence after surgery, of whom 137 (23%) were asymptomatic and 469 (77%) were symptomatic. Recurrence sites included abdomen/pelvis in 450 patients, bone in 185, thorax in 176, urothelium in 154 and brain in 3...
Action Learning: A New Method to Increase Tractor Rollover Protective Structure (ROPS) Adoption

ABSTRACT Action Learning is a problem-solving process that is used in various industries to address difficult problems. This project applied Action Learning to a leading problem in agricultural safety. Tractor overturns are the leading cause of fatal injury to farmworkers. This cause of injury is preventable using rollover protective structures (ROPS), protective equipment that functions as a roll bar structure to protect the operator in the event of an overturn. For agricultural tractors manufactured after 1976 and employee operated, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation requires employers to equip them with ROPS and seat belts. By the mid-1980s, US tractor manufacturers began adding ROPS on all farm tractors over 20 horsepower sold in the United States (http://www.nasdonline.org/document/113/d001656/rollover-protection-for-farm-tractor-operators.html). However, many older tractors remain in use without ROPS, putting tractor operators at continued risk for traumatic injury and f...
Why floating exchange rates fall: A reconsideration of the liquidity trap

In the international capital market, interest rates would seem to be natural shock absorbers for balancing currency risk associated with expected inflation or differential taxation. Under a floating exchange rate, however, short-term interest rates in each national money market behave as if caught in a liquidity trap. The problem arises because the domains for national monetary circulation remain somewhat disjoint even though the bond market is fully integrated internationally. The national rate of interest is ncapable of equilibriating the domestic money market on the one hand and the international bond market on the other. The result is excessively high exchange-rate volatility that distorts the flow of international commodity trade and causes cycles of inflation and deflation in open economies.
Induced noise control

A technique by which to achieve noise control in a dynamic system, referred to herein as a master dynamic system, is to couple it to another, an adjunct dynamic system. The resulting induced noise control is defined in terms of the ratio of the energy stored in the master dynamic system when coupled to the adjunct dynamic system to the stored energy in the master dynamic system in the absence of this coupling. An analytical description for the induced noise control is developed. The analysis is then used to define the dependence of the induced noise control on the parameters that define the two dynamic systems and the coupling between them. An appropriate induced noise control may then be designed and implemented. Also, the relationship of this energy analysis to the statistical energy analysis is briefly discussed.
Development and validation of a dried blood spot assay for the quantification of ribavirin using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry

Abstract Efficient, inexpensive and sensitive assays for the measurement of drugs are of interest for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics (PK–PD) analysis. Dried blood spots (DBS) are a unique bioanaltyical matrix with the potential to fulfill this interest for the measurement of numerous analytes. Here we describe the development and validation of a reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic (LC), tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) assay for the determination of ribavirin (RBV) in DBS. A 3 mm punch from spotted and dried whole blood was extracted in methanol utilizing isotopically labeled internal standard for LC–MS/MS analysis. Validation was performed over a range of 0.05 μg/mL to 10.0 μg/mL and the method was shown to be precise (coefficient of variation ≤15%) and accurate (within ±15% of control). These acceptance criteria were met for hematocrit ranges of 20–54%, for center versus edge punches and for spot volumes from 10 to 60 μL. RBV was stable for up to 140 days at room temperature and −20 °C as well as for three freeze/thaw cycles. Correlation of RBV in DBS versus in plasma yielded r2 ≥ 0.98 demonstrating that DBS can be used as an alternative to plasma for PK–PD studies in human subjects.
P‐11: A Comparison of Workstation Dimensions and Body Postures Between 17 in. CRT, 21 in. CRT, and 19 in. Flat‐Panel Monitors

This study investigated the effects of monitor size (17″ CRT, 21″ CRT, 19″ FP), viewing angle (0°, 10°, 20°) and viewing distance (30″ 37″) on screen readability and blink rate. Subjects worked in both constrained and freely adjusted postures.
Coxsackievirus B3 adapted to growth in RD cells binds to decay-accelerating factor (CD55)

A coxsackievirus B3 (CB3) isolate adapted to growth in RD cells shows an alteration in cell tropism as a result of its capacity to bind a 70-kDa cell surface molecule expressed on these cells. We now show that this molecule is the complement regulatory protein, decay-accelerating factor (DAF) (CD55). Anti-DAF antibodies prevented CB3 attachment to the cell surface. Radiolabeled CB3 adapted to growth in RD cells bound to CHO cells transfected with human DAF, whereas CB3 (strain Nancy), the parental strain, did not bind to DAF transfectants. These results indicate that growth of CB3 in RD cells selected for a virus strain that uses DAF for cell surface attachment.
Shyness and social phobia: a social work perspective on a problem in living

Social phobia is classified as an anxiety disorder in psychiatric nomenclature. It represents a fear of performance or social interaction that significantly interferes with a person's social or occupational functioning. The author takes issue with the fact that social phobia is considered by many professionals to be a mental illness that is often treated best with medication. Social phobia can be conceptualized from a social work perspective as an extreme shyness that can be overcome with cognitive learning and behavioral rehearsal. This article reviews the biopsychosocial causes of social phobia and presents a summary of cognitive and behavioral interventions with empirically demonstrated effectiveness.