cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A phase I study of AIT-082 in healthy elderly volunteers

A Phase I, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-dose, escalation study of the purine derivative, AIT-082 (Neotrofin™, NeoTherapeutics, Inc.) was conducted in healthy elderly volunteers. This trial was designed to evaluate single-dose safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics. Potential cognitive domains that might benefit from AIT-082 were preliminarily investigated. AIT-082 is currently being developed as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Preclinical studies indicate that AIT-082 has memory-enhancing properties, stimulates neuritogenesis, and upregulates neurotrophic factors. Subjects received a single oral dose of AIT-082 or placebo on a weekly basis for 5 wk. All patients received a placebo dose at baseline. Six subjects received increasing doses of AIT-082 over the next 4 wk at doses of 0.6, 2.0, 6.0, and 20.0 mg of AIT-082 per kilogram of body weight. Two subjects received placebo throughout the trial. Nine subjects were recruited. One subject was withdrawn after the third treatment visit owing to poor venous access. There were no serious adverse events. The drug was well-tolerated. The time to peak drug concentration was approx 85 min with an elimination half-life of approx 17.6 h. Performance on the Number Comparison, Symbol Digit, and Trails A tests improved with AIT-082 dosing compared to baseline (placebo). In conclusion, AIT-082 was rapidly absorbed by the oral route with a half-life suitable for once daily dosing. No problems with tolerability or safety were demonstrated.
Minimizing False Alarms on Intrusion Detection for Wireless Sensor Networks in Realistic Environments

Wireless sensor networks are expected to enhance the efficiency and to reduce the cost of target detection in area surveillance systems. In order to provide accurate reports for target detection and tracking in realistic environments, not only false alarms but also the impact of weather, terrain, and ground conditions on sensor readings should be taken into account. This paper addresses how to determine a false alarm threshold dynamically and efficiently in order to minimize the false alarm probability and to maximize the probability that no target passes through without being detected. In the proposed dynamic threshold scheme, the threshold changes in accordance with the false alarm rate. This results in a better detection probability and reduces the number of false alarms. The paper proposes to reduce the impact of noise by taking a weighted average of different sensing units' readings for the same target. The fact that sensing units of different types are affected at varying degrees by the environmental factors is exploited here. In addition to analytically characterizing false alarm rate and the role of reputation values, we provide simulation results to show the improvement on the target detection accuracy by the proposed scheme. A real world target detection case is considered and the false alarm probability is reduced by 25% when compared to a single sensor reading and by 17% when compared to an non-weighted averaged reading.
Electronics and Photonics Convergence on Si CMOS Platform

The present paper describes Si microphotonics and its current status of electronics and photonics convergence on Si platform based on monolithic integration using CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) technologies. The Si CMOS platform is advantageous over III-V semiconductor based platform because of a short time-lag between basic research and commercialization in terms of the standardized materials and processes. To implement photonic devices on the Si CMOS platform, it is important to reduce materials diversity in current photonics devices. Low loss SiNx waveguides with sharp bends, high performance strained Ge photodetectors for C+L band, and demultiplexer/multiplexer for WDM (wavelength division multiplexing) have been successfully implemented on the Si CMOS platform. The current targets are cost-effective OADMs (optical add-drop multiplexers) for optical communication and optical clocking for Si LSIs beyond Cu-low k technologies.
Workers' Compensation in the United States: Cost Shifting and Inequities in a Dysfunctional System:

Workers' Compensation is a far more significant expense to the U. S. economy than is commonly recognized. The total annual cost of the health care and disability benefits in the United States is at least $300 billion. The health care costs shifted by employers to Medicare/Medicaid and the disability costs shifted to the Social Security system far exceed the total costs of all the state Workers' Compensation programs. Most of the responsibility for compensating disabled workers now resides in the federal government, not in the state system. Federal funding of Workers' Compensation is at least four times that of state programs. State and federal Workers' Compensation programs are a costly and inefficient segment of health care that should be included in any consideration of health care reform.
Assisted Suicide Compared with Refusal of Treatment: A Valid Distinction?

The continuing debate over the deeply controversial issue of physician-assisted suicide has been complicated by confusion about how this practice resembles or differs from refusal of life-sustaining treatment. Perspectives on ethics and policy hinge on the contested issue of whether a valid distinction can be made between assisted suicide and withdrawal of treatment. This paper uses three illustrative cases to examine leading arguments for and against the recognition of a fundamental distinction between these practices. The first case involves assisted suicide by ingestion of prescribed barbiturates, the second involves withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration, and the third involves a decision to stop eating and drinking. On theoretical and practical grounds, this paper defends the position that there is a valid distinction between assisted suicide and refusal of treatment.
Time lag in disease models with recruitment

In modelling sexually transmitted diseases, it is standard to divide the population into a very active core group and a larger but much less active noncore group. Transitions between these two groups may be affected by the prevalence of disease in the core group. There may be a time-lag in this effect, and we explore the relation between such a time-lag and the stability of an endemic equilibrium.
Rps8 maps to a resistance gene rich region on soybean molecular linkage group F

Phytophthora root and stem rot caused by Phytophthora sojae MJ. Kaufmann & J.W. Gerdemann is a serious disease of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] worldwide. Recently, a new locus for resistance to P. sojae, Rps8, was identified and mapped in two small soybean populations. The objective of this study was to verify the genomic location of Rps8 in a larger population. One hundred thirty-eight F 2:3 families from a cross between 'Williams' (rps8/rps8) x PI 399073 (Rps8/Rps9) were genotyped by simple sequence repeat (SSR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers. From this set of families, 138 and 69 were phenotyped with P. sojae races 1 and 25, respectively. The segregation ratio for each race fit a 3:1 resistant:susceptible, confirming that Rps8 segregated as a single dominant gene. On the basis of linkage analysis with SSR and RFLP markers, Rps8 was located on molecular linkage group F in this population. This region of the soybean genome contains numerous other resistance gene loci as well as pathogen and pest resistance QTL.
Investigation of Macrocyclic Polymers as Artificial Light Harvesters: Subpicosecond Energy Transfer in Poly(9,9-dimethyl-2-vinylfluorene)

The spectroscopy and dynamics of a novel molecular architecture that mimics natural light harvesting have been characterized. The deployment of 9,9-dimethyl-2-fluorenyl (DMF) chromophores in atactic macrocyclic poly(9,9-dimethyl-2-vinylfluorene) is similar to that in the light harvesting antenna LH2 of the purple photosynthetic bacteria. A variety of spectroscopic probes are used to study the dynamics in these novel polymer systems. The number of chromophores is tuned from 12-142 identical chromophore units. Steady-state absorption and emission measurements, time-resolved fluorescence, and ultrafast transient absorption anisotropy techniques provide evidence for distinct differences in the photophysics of matching molecular weight linear and cyclic polymers and of the occurrence of energy transfer in these polymers. There is direct evidence of energy transfer in these macrocycles manifested in the depolarization decay components, which are characterized by two exponentials and are substantially faster than observed for reorientation of the free DMF chromophore. The time constants for the macrocycles are 700-900 fs and 7-8 ps and are size dependent; the biexponential decay arises from conformational and stereochemical disorder and can be well described by a master equation simulation assuming Forster incoherent hopping on model polymer structures. The results suggest energy hopping between adjacent chromophores on a 1 ps time scale. The pathway for energy migration is shown to be primarily between nearest neighbors along the cyclic backbone, but there is a considerable spread in the site-to-site hopping rates. Small cycles adopt a pseudoplanar ring type arrangement of the chromophore transition dipoles as observed in bacterial light harvesting antenna, and it is found that the linear polymers also show similar short-range planarity of transition dipoles. Overall, it is found that such small macrocyclic polymers possess excellent characteristics for light harvesting among identical chromophores and behave as a circular photonic wire.
Gray-zone late gadolinium enhancement greatly enriches the prediction of ventricular arrhythmia; a cardiovascular MRI study

Summary Gray-zone imaging for VT/VF is markedly predictive for both ischmic and non-ischemic patients as related to the incidence of post-implantation shock delivery. Background Sudden cardiac death in patients is predominantly caused by ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular fibrillation (VF). Patients who have a low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and inducible VT during electrophysiologic study (EPS) are at risk of sudden death and may benefit from an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) as do patients with low LVEF. However, LVEF’s primacy in predicted SCD has been questioned. Recently, cardiac MRI (CMR) has shown that a determination of myocardial core scar via late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) may predict VT/VF with greater precision than LVEF presumably due its ability to define likely sources of macro-rentry by delinieating the ‘grayzone’ myocardium. We hypothesize that LGE depiction of gray-zone scar is more predictive of VT/VF than LGE core scar assessment. Methods A consecutive, retrospective chart review was performed of patients with both a CMR exam for LGE and with post-CMR ICD implantation from 2006-2010 within 30 days. Demographic and clinical events were collected from patient charts and ICD interrogation. Standard LGE (>2SD) and gray-zone (LGE;2-3SD) was manually determined and related as a percent of LV mass to arrhythmic events and ICD therapy. Results
Becoming a Sadomasochist: Integrating Self and Other in Ethnographic Analysis

Based on a four-year ethnographic study of an SM community, this article blends analytic and interpretative approaches to ethnographic writing, in order to illustrate the value of incorporating subjectivity into traditional ethnographic analysis. I juxtapose field notes about my own participation in SM with stories of outsiderness among members of the community. I argue that analytical attention to my own experience of “becoming” a member of this community illuminated for me some of the discursive, psychological, and carnal processes through which SM comes to be a central and fulfilling part of participants' lives. This elucidates the intellectual reciprocity between ethnographic introspection and ethnographic understanding, and offers additional insight into an understudied community.
Diffraction-based automated crystal centering

A fully automated procedure for detecting and centering protein crystals in the X-ray beam of a macromolecular crystallography beamline has been developed. A cryo-loop centering routine that analyzes video images with an edge detection algorithm is first used to determine the dimensions of the loop holding the sample; then low-dose X-rays are used to record diffraction images in a grid over the edge and face plane of the loop. A three-dimensional profile of the crystal based on the number of diffraction spots in each image is constructed. The derived center of mass is then used to align the crystal to the X-ray beam. Typical samples can be accurately aligned in ∼2–3 min. Because the procedure is based on the number of `good' spots as determined by the program Spotfinder, the best diffracting part of the crystal is aligned to the X-ray beam.
Brain shift analysis for deep brain stimulation surgery using non-rigid registration

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery is a treatment for patients suffering from Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders. The success of the procedure depends on the implantation accuracy of the DBS electrode array. Surgical planning and navigation are done based on the pre-operative patient scans, assuming that brain tissues do not move from the time of the pre-operative image acquisition to the time of the surgery. We performed brain shift analysis on nine patients that underwent DBS surgery using a 3D non-rigid registration algorithm. The registration algorithm automatically aligns the pre-operative and the post-operative 3D MRI scans and provides the shift vectors over the entire brain. The images were first aligned rigidly and then non-rigidly registered with an algorithm based on thin plate splines and maximization of the normalized mutual information. Brain shift of up to 8 mm was recorded in the nine subjects, which is significant given that the size of the targets in the DBS surgery is a few millimeters.
Improving transplant discharge education using a structured teaching approach.

Context—Nonadherence to posttransplant regimens is common in transplant patients and has the potential for devastating consequences, including acute rejection, graft loss, decreased quality of life, and even death. Comprehensive education of patients and families that improves their understanding of posttransplant regimens and self-care techniques can increase adherence and improve outcomes. Transplant recipients have to learn a vast amount of complex information in a short period as they recover from major surgery and cope with the emotional stress of transplantation. It is not surprising that many patients report that they do not feel ready for discharge.Objective—To describe the development, implementation, and outcomes of a comprehensive interdisciplinary patient education program.Design—A quality improvement project.Setting—A solid organ transplant unit of a large academic medical center.Participants—In-hospital transplant patients and their families and the interdisciplinary team.Interventions—A com...
Reaffirmed limitations of meta-analytic methods in the study of mild traumatic brain injury: a response to Rohling et al.

In 2009 Pertab, James, and Bigler published a critique of two prior meta-analyses by Binder, Rohling, and Larrabee (1997) and Frencham, Fox, and Maybery (2005) that showed small effect size difference at least 3 months post-injury in individuals who had sustained a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). The Binder et al. and Frencham et al. meta-analyses have been widely cited as showing no lasting effect of mTBI. In their critique Pertab et al. (2009) point out many limitations of these two prior meta-analyses, demonstrating that depending on how inclusion/exclusion criteria were defined different meta-analytic findings occur, some supporting the persistence of neuropsychological impairments beyond 3 months. Rohling et al. (2011) have now critiqued Pertab et al. (2009). Herein we respond to the Rolling et al. (2011) critique reaffirming the original findings of Pertab et al. (2009), providing additional details concerning the flaws in prior meta-analytic mTBI studies and the effects on neuropsychological pe...
The Mutual Intertemporal Benefits from Depletable Resource Use

Abstract For the two-period case, the author offers a graphical proof of the proposition that the dynamically efficient allocation of a depletable, nonrenewable resource allows higher net benefits to users in both time periods than any other allocation. Unlike the pedagogical technique of numerical illustration used heretofore, the result is more general and does not require numerical specification of the model's parameters.
Nonlinear strain-displacement relations and flexible multibody dynamics

This paper considers dynamics of chains of flexible bodies undergoing large rigid body motions but small elastic deflections. The role of nonlinear strain-displacement relations in the development of the motion equations correct to first order in elastic deflections is investigated. The general form of these equations linearized only in the small elastic deflections is presented, and the relative significance of various nonlinear terms is studied both analytically and through the use of numerical simulations. Numerical simulations are performed for a two-link chain constrained to move in the plane, subject to hinge torques. Each link is modeled as a thin beam. Slew maneuver simulation results are compared for models with and without properly modeled kinematics of deformation. The goal of this case study is to quantify the importance of the terms in the equations of motion that arise from the inclusion of nonlinear strain-displacement relations. It is concluded that unless the consistently linearized equations in elastic deflections and their time rates of change are available and necessary, the inconsistently (prematurely) linearized equations should be replaced in all cases by "ruthlessly" linearized equations, equations in which all nonlinear terms involving the elastic deflections and their time rates of change are ignored.
Marrying Out in the Sixteenth Century Subsequent Marriages of Aristocratic Women in the Tudor Era

Despite overwhelming social pressure, several well-born widows in Tudor Britain chose to marry well below themselves in terms of rank on their subsequent marriages. Their reasons for taking these d...
Thyroid Globulin in the Treatment of Menstrual Irregularities

IN A PREVIOUS ARTICLE entitled, “Thyroid in the Treatment of Menstrual Irregularities,” the following statement appeared: “Each patient has : een treated with desiccated thyroid in varying doses, an attempt having teen made to raise the B.M.R. to zero or above, although in many cases this was not accomplished because of undesirable subjective symptoms” (1). Shortly after the above statement was made thyroid globulin became available. Experimental work on rats had shown that this preparation had less of an effect on the heart rate than the commercial thyroid powder (2). It seemed worth while to try this new substance on a few individuals to determine first, whether it was effective in the treatment of menstrual irregularities and second, if its use would eliminate the unpleasant symptoms such as nervousness and palpitation found so disagreeable to a few patients receiving desiccated thyroid. It is the purpose of this communication to report our experience in the use of thyroid globulin.
Nickel modification of carbon nanotubes grown on graphite for electrochemical sensors

Abstract Nickel modified carbon nanotubes on graphite substrate were investigated for constant-potential amperometric detection of l -asparagine. Both entangled and aligned carbon nanotubes directly grown on graphite by thermal chemical vapor deposition were used for making the electrodes. Nickel was applied on the carbon nanotubes by electrodeposition. The electrodeposited nickel on the entangled carbon nanotube electrodes dramatically enhanced the analytical response, while on the aligned carbon nanotube electrodes and on the graphite electrodes without the carbon nanotubes it was considerably less effective. The entangled carbon nanotube film formed from Co catalyst was concluded as a promising underlayer for electrodepositing nickel nanoparticles for detecting l -asparagine and also possibly other chemicals and biochemicals.
First-Order SU(3) Theorem Relating Weak and Electromagnetic Form Factors and Its Possible Experimental Verification

This paper discusses a first-order SU(3) theorem relating the weak and electromagnetic form factors of the pseudoscalar mesons with an error of second order in the symmetry breaking. Recent measurements of the ${K}^{0}$, ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, and ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ mean square charge radii open the possibility of testing a prediction of this theorem in the near future.
nD-RAPID: a multidimensional scalable fault-tolerant optoelectronic interconnection for high-performance computing systems

Feature Issue on Photonics in SwitchingThe increasing demand for bandwidth coupled with saturating electrical systems is leading the drive for optics as an interconnect technology. High-performance computing systems (HPCS) consist of a large number of components such as processors, memories, and interconnection links. As the number of components in HPCS increases, the probability of a failure also increases. Therefore, it becomes imperative that the system be fault tolerant to ensure high availability even in the presence of faults. We propose a multidimensional optoelectronic architecture, nD-RAPID (reconfigurable and scalable all-photonic interconnect for distributed and parallel systems), where n can be 1, 2, or 3. nD-RAPID provides high bandwidth, low latency, dynamic reconfiguration, and fault tolerance. While designing the fault-tolerant routing algorithm, we have tried to ensure that it provides optimum performance in the absence of faults, shows minimal degradation in the presence of faults, and can tolerate a reasonable number of faults. In the presence of faults the on-board switching mechanism dynamically reconfigures itself to reroute packets along nonfaulty links. Extensive simulation results are presented that compare nD-RAPID with other popular HPCS topologies.
Complement Proteins C3 and C4 Bind to Collagen and Elastin in the Vascular Wall: A Potential Role in Vascular Stiffness and Atherosclerosis

Circulating infl ammatory mediators including complement activation products participate in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. As such, previous reports demonstrating the presence of complement proteins within atherosclerotic plaque and on the luminal surface would be anticipated. In contrast, we have recently made the unexpected observation that complement proteins also deposit along the external elastic lamina of mouse aortas in the absence of luminal deposition or plaque development. This suggests that complement activation may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of vascular stiffness and atherosclerosis through a mechanism initiated within the adventitia rather than on the endothelial surface. This hypothesis was tested in the current study by ultrastructural identifi cation of the C3- and C4-binding targets within the adventitia of the mouse aorta. The results demonstrate extensive binding of C3 and C4 to both collagen and elastin fi bers within the adventitia in both ApoE(/) and C57Bl/6J control mice, as well as the presence of C3 and C4 within perivascular adipose tissue. These observations suggest a potential “outside-in” mechanism of vascular stiffness during which perivascular adipose may produce C3 and C4 that bind to collagen and elastin fi bers within the adventitia through covalent thiolester bonds, leading to increased vascular stiffness. Clin Trans Sci 2011; Volume 4: 146‐152
Comparison of Stopping Rules in Sequential Estimation of the Number of Classes in a Population

Abstract In sequential analysis, investigation of stopping rules is important, as they govern the sampling cost and derivation and accuracy of frequentist inference. We study stopping rules in sampling from a population comprised of an unknown number of classes where all classes are equally likely to occur in each selection. We adopt Blackwell's criterion for a “more informative experiment” to compare stopping rules in our context and derive certain complete class results, which provide some guidance for selecting a stopping rule. We show that it suffices to let the stopping probability, at any time, depend only on the number of selections and the number of discovered classes up to that time. A more informative stopping rule costs a higher expected sample size, and conversely, any given stopping rule can be improved with an increment in expected sample size. Admissibility within all stopping rules with a uniform upper bound on average sample size is also discussed. Any fixed-sample-size rule is shown to b...
A Computer-Based Information Retrieval System on Turkeys

Abstract There is now available at the Data Systems Application Division, Beltsville, Maryland, a computer-stored compilation of the research literature on turkeys published between 1919 and 1974, inclusive. Over 4200 citations are included and may be retrieved with annotations either as a complete print-out or as a partial custom search.
Antibody Prophylaxis and Therapy for Flavivirus Encephalitis Infections

The outbreak of West Nile (WN) encephalitis in the United States has rekindled interest in developing direct methods for prevention and control of human flaviviral infections. Although equine WN vaccines are currently being developed, a WN vaccine for humans is years away. There is also no specific therapeutic agent for flaviviral infections. The incidence of human WN virus infection is very low, which makes it difficult to target the human populations in need of vaccination and to assess the vaccine's economic feasibility. It has been shown, however, that prophylactic application of antiflaviviral antibody can protect mice from subsequent virus challenge. This model of antibody prophylaxis using murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) has been used to determine the timing of antibody application and specificity of applied antibody necessary for successful prophylaxis. The major flaviviral antigen is the envelope (E) glycoprotein that binds cellular receptors, mediates cell membrane fusion, and contains an array of epitopes that elicit virus-neutralizing and nonneutralizing antibodies. The protective efficacy of an E-glycoprotein-specific MAb is directly related to its ability to neutralize virus infectivity. The window for successful application of prophylactic antibody to prevent flaviviral encephalitis closes at about 4 to 6 days postinfection concomitant with viral invasion of the brain. Using murine MAbs to modify human disease results in a human antimouse antibody (HAMA) response that eventually limits the effectiveness of subsequent murine antibody applications. To reduce the HAMA response and make these MAbs more generally useful for humans, murine MAbs can be "humanized" or human MAbs with analogous reactivities can be developed. Antiflaviviral human or humanized MAbs might be practical and cost-effective reagents for preventing or modifying flaviviral diseases.
Disability, Destitution, and Disaster: Surviving the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake in Japan

On the morning of January 17, 1995, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the port city of Kobe, Japan. 6,400 people died and over $80 billion in property damage occurred. Among those rendered homeless was a small group of people with severe disabilities. Over the next decade, this group leveraged discourses surrounding civil society, disability, poverty, and the role of government in natural disasters, to become one of the most powerful and vocal proponents of disability rights in Japan. What lessons can we learn to make disability advocacy a leading, rather than trailing, element of social policy?
The control of size in animals: insights from selector genes

How size is controlled during animal development remains a fascinating problem despite decades of research. Here we review key concepts in size biology and develop our thesis that much can be learned by studying how different organ sizes are differentially scaled by homeotic selector genes. A common theme from initial studies using this approach is that morphogen pathways are modified in numerous ways by selector genes to effect size control. We integrate these results with other pathways known to regulate organ size in developing a comprehensive model for organ size control.
Tidally-forced flow in a rotating, stratified, shoaling basin

Abstract Baroclinic flow of a rotating, stratified fluid in a parabolic basin is computed in response to barotropic tidal forcing using the nonlinear, non-hydrostatic, Boussinesq equations of motion. The tidal forcing is derived from an imposed, boundary-enhanced free-surface deflection that advances cyclonically around a central amphidrome. The tidal forcing perturbs a shallow pycnocline, sloshing it up and down over the shoaling bottom. Nonlinearities in the near-shore internal tide produce an azimuthally independent ‘set-up’ of the isopycnals that in turn drives an approximately geostrophically balanced, cyclonic, near-shore, sub-surface jet. The sub-surface cyclonic jet is an example of a slowly evolving, nearly balanced flow that is excited and maintained solely by forcing in the fast, super-inertial frequency band. Baroclinic instability of the nearly balanced jet and subsequent interactions between eddies produce a weak transfer of energy back into the inertia-gravity band as swirling motions with super-inertial vorticity stir the stratified fluid and spontaneously emit waves. The sub-surface cyclonic jet is similar in many ways to the poleward flows observed along eastern ocean boundaries, particularly the California Undercurrent. It is conjectured that such currents may be driven by the surface tide rather than by winds and/or along-shore pressure gradients.
A bootstrap approach to computing uncertainty in inferred oil and gas reserve estimates

This study develops confidence intervals for estimates of inferred oil and gas reserves based on bootstrap procedures. Inferred reserves are expected additions to proved reserves in previously discovered conventional oil and gas fields. Estimates of inferred reserves accounted for 65% of the total oil and 34% of the total gas assessed in the U.S. Geological Survey's 1995 National Assessment of oil and gas in US onshore and State offshore areas. When the same computational methods used in the 1995 Assessment are applied to more recent data, the 80-year (from 1997 through 2076) inferred reserve estimates for pre-1997 discoveries located in the lower 48 onshore and state offshore areas amounted to a total of 39.7 billion barrels of oil (BBO) and 293 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas. The 90% confidence interval about the oil estimate derived from the bootstrap approach is 22.4 BBO to 69.5 BBO. The comparable 90% confidence interval for the inferred gas reserve estimate is 217 TCF to 413 TCF. The 90% confidence interval describes the uncertainty that should be attached to the estimates. It also provides a basis for developing scenarios to explore the implications for energy policy analysis.
Emittance measurements of CESR using the emitted radiation from a short-period undulator

Abstract The horizontal and vertical emittance of the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) was measured using the radiation emitted from a short-period (3.3 cm) 123-pole undulator. Average horizontal and vertical emittances measured by this technique were 80 nm-rad and 1.75 nm-rad, respectively. These compare favorably with the results from a charge-coupled device (CCD) system routinely used at CESR and with the calculated values of 65 nm-rad and ∼ nm-rad for the horizontal and vertical emittances respectively.
Regression of Coronary Atherosclerosis

The study of therapeutic interventions to bring about the regression of atherosclerosis has been a major part of atherosclerosis research. Until recently, however, this objective had been realized only in experimental animal models. In the early part of this century, Anitschkow1 first demonstrated in a rabbit model of diet-induced atherosclerosis that atheromatous lesions would regress on withdrawal of the cholesterol-rich diet. Since that seminal observation, many studies have confirmed these results in other vertebrates, including birds, swine, dogs, and nonhuman primates. Several important observations have been made in these studies: that the ability to induce regression depends on the animal . . .
A Component-based Simulator for MIPS32 Processors

Processor concepts, implementation details, and performance analysis are fundamental in computer architecture education, and MIPS microprocessor without interlocked pipeline stages processor designs are used by many universities in teaching the subject. In this paper we present a MIPS32 processor simulator, which enriches students' learning and instructors' teaching experiences. A family of single-cycle, multi-cycle, and pipeline processor models for the MIPS32 architecture are developed according to the parallel Discrete Event System Specification DEVS modeling formalism. A collection of elementary sequential and combinational model components along with the processor models are implemented in DEVS-Suite. The simulator supports multi-level model abstractions, register-transfer level animation, performance data collection, and time-based trajectory observation. These features, which are partially supported by a few existing simulators, enable important structural and behavioral details of computer architectures to be described and understood. The MIPS processor models can be reused and systematically extended for modeling and simulating other MIPS processors.
Role of 5,6-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid in the regulation of newborn piglet pulmonary vascular tone

We examined the responses of newborn piglet pulmonary resistance arteries (PRAs) to 5,6-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (5,6-EET), a cytochrome P-450 metabolite of arachidonic acid. In PRAs preconstricted...
Tracking, code recognition, and memory management with high-order neural networks

A variety of tracking, recognition, and routing problems can be expressed as choices of rectangular 0,1 matrices. For some such problems of practical significance, neural network systems can give higher quality solutions than any other method. For example, in a tracker, how well predicted position i fits observed position j can generate through a metric function (possibly a backpropagation neural net), the initial ij entry in a large rectangular matrix. Using that matrix as an initial state, an associator dynamical system neural network can then choose a 0,1 matrix of the same dimensions with at most one 1 in each row and at most one 1 in each column. The association optimizes some overall goodness of fit criteria, not in general the same as pairwise goodness of fit. Related high order neural networks can be used to solve other finite choice problems including error-correction of binary codes and computer memory management. This paper is an overview of mathematical foundations of such dynamical systems. © (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Looking into the Future

Editor-in-Chief Sethuraman Panchanathan discusses upcoming special issues and notes the addition of two board members.
Competition for S and N by associations of three annual range species in lysimeters

Competition for S and N was studied on free draining lysimeters seeded to associations of three annual forages on Josephine loam (Typic Haploxerults), an important soil for revegetation to rangeland production. Forage yields increased and the botanical composition shifted toward subclover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) with added S. Sulfate uptake and plant S concentration were increased as a function of the S applied. Forage yields were related to plant S concentration and N:S ratios.
A Survey on Wind Turbine Condition Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis—Part II: Signals and Signal Processing Methods

This paper provides a comprehensive survey on the state-of-the-art condition monitoring and fault diagnostic technologies for wind turbines. The Part II of this survey focuses on the signals and signal processing methods used for wind turbine condition monitoring and fault diagnosis.
The effect of sodium repletion on growth and protein turnover in sodium-depleted rats

This study examines the consequences of sodium chloride supplementation to young rats previously made salt deficient by feeding them a sodium-deficient, chloride-replete diet. Salt-deficient rats received the test diet and distilled water for 10 days. As in our previous studies, rats cared for in this manner grew more slowly than rats fed the identical diet but allowed to drink 37 mM sodium chloride. On day 11, half of the salt-depleted animals received 37 mM sodium chloride in their drinking water. Sodium-deficient and supplemented rats were studied 1,2,5-6 and 11-12 days later. Urinary sodium rapidly rose from undetectable of 46 mEq/l urine within 1 day of supplementation and there was no further increase the next day, suggesting that extracellular fluid volumes were rapidly repleted. Food intake increased in the supplemented rats compared with the deficient animals but the difference in food intake equalled only 2.25 g/day for the first 2 days of supplementation. Over the last 12 days of the study, the slopes of both weight and length gains were equal in both the supplemented and the control group and significantly higher than those in the deficient rats. Over the course of the study, full catchup was not obtained in either length or weight. In addition to total weight and length gains, liver and kidney weights increased proportionately and by 5-6 days of supplementation were equivalent to the weights seen in the control group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Response suppression during stimuli temporally different from the prefood stimulus

Response suppression was studied in three squirrel monkeys responding on a variable-interval 1-min schedule of food reinforcement. A brief (.75-sec) green light was presented on the response key prior to each food presentation. Responding was recorded before, during, and after longer duration green keylights (30, 20, 10, 5, and 2 sec) interpolated on the variable-interval schedule at predetermined times during an experimental session. Food presentation did not follow the longer duration green lights. Suppression of responding was observed in all animals with all stimulus durations throughout the study. Greatest suppression occurred with the 2-sec stimulus and near the end of a session. Because food never followed the longer duration stimuli, previous hypotheses inferring adventitious reinforcement and reinforcement of less effortful behavior as explanations of suppression were questioned.
Use of "off the shelf" extracellular matrix graft materials for repair of testicular rupture: a novel technique.

Objective To describe a new technique for repairing traumatic testicular ruptures using readily available graft material. Materials and Methods Surgical management of testicular rupture is often associated with loss of testicular parenchyma because of tissue debridement and concerns of pressure-related ischemia. We present our experience with 3 cases using a novel technique using extracellular matrix graft materials for the reconstruction of tunica albuginea in patients with testicular rupture. We describe a case using bovine pericardium (Neovasc Inc, Richmond, British Columbia) and 2 cases using cadaveric dermis (Coloplast Inc, Minneapolis, MN) to repair complex testicular defects without debridement of extruded testicular parenchyma. Results No postoperative complications occurred in any of the patients. Long-term follow-up at 18 months for one patient revealed good cosmetic results, with radiographic findings confirming testicular integrity and flow. Conclusion The use of graft material in the repair of testicular rupture helps prevent the loss of testicular parenchyma through a tension-free closure leading to excellent cosmetic and radiographic outcomes.
Redrawing the boundaries of molecular biology: The case of photosynthesis

If the work carried out to gain a detailed understanding of the process of photosynthesis, and probably other types of bioenergetic conversions as well, fulfills the criteria of a molecular biology, and if the groups funding this research and those who worked in the laboratory regarded it as such, why has it been necessary for me to argue here that bioenergetics should always have been counted as part of - indeed, may have been in the forefront in establishing — the molecular biology tradition? Why have the investigators themselves not insisted on correcting the historical record that has emerged thus far? I would like to offer two reasons: one institutional, the other scientific.
Corneal epithelial homeostasis following daily and overnight contact lens wear

This report reviews and integrates our recent clinical and laboratory findings of the effects of daily (DW)/overnight (EW) contact lens wear on corneal epithelial homeostasis. In a prospective, double-masked human clinical study, three lens types (high and hyper Dk/t soft; hyper Dk/t RGP) were used to assess the effects of daily and overnight lens wear on corneal epithelial thickness, cell surface size, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) binding to exfoliated epithelial cells and exfoliation rates. Concomitantly, we studied in a rabbit model, the effects of overnight lens wear on corneal epithelial surface cell viability (live/dead assay, TUNEL-labeling, Annexin-V staining, Bcl-2 expression), basal cell proliferation and migration patterns. The comprehensive results obtained yield important new insights on both the normal homeostasis of the corneal epithelium and the biological changes induced by contact lens wear.
Need for uniqueness, self-schemas, and thought as moderators of the false-consensus effect

Abstract L. Ross and his colleagues ( L. Ross, D. Greene, & P. House, 1977 , Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 32, 880–892) have demonstrated the tendency for people to expect peer similarity in behavior, termed the “false-consensus” bias. The present study was concerned with factors that might affect the generality of this bias. Specifically, we looked at the impact of level of need for uniqueness ( C. R. Snyder & H. L. Fromkin, 1977 , Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 5, 518–527), existence of a self-schema ( H. Markus, 1977 , Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35, 63–78), and thought on expectations of peer similarity. It was predicted that thought would polarize the estimates of high and low N Uniq individuals in opposite directions, but only when the individual possessed a self-schema along the relevant behavioral dimension. The results for behaviors reflecting independence supported this prediction. Discussion centered around limits of the false-consensus bias, along with consideration of the complexities involved in the link between availability factors and interpersonal judgments.
Frequency and cause of aborted laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy

Abstract Study Objective. To evaluate the frequency and cause of aborted laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomies (LAVH) at two hospitals of a major obstetrics and gynecology training program. Design. Retrospective cohort study. Setting. A university hospital and a university-affiliated county hospital. Patients. Seventy-eight consecutive women who underwent LAVH at our institutions between June 1992 and February 1995. Interventions. Data on age, weight, indications for surgery, obstetric and surgical history, concomitant procedures performed, postoperative diagnosis, perioperative complications, operative time, estimated blood loss, uterine weight, and length of hospital stay were collected from patients' hospital records. Univariate analysis of variance to assess statistical significance was performed when appropriate. Measurements and Main Results. Eight (11.1%) of 78 procedures were converted to abdominal hysterectomy. The most frequent reason for conversion (5 cases, 6%) was large uterine size with limited mobility and associated inability to visualize the pelvic sidewall structures adequately. The other three procedures were converted because of massive intraperitoneal adhesions (2) and intraoperative severe bleeding (1). The mean uterine weight of these eight women (575 g, range 387–1030 g) was significantly higher than that of patients undergoing successful LAVH (230 g, range 35–612; p Conclusions. In our limited series of 78 patients, only one LAVH was converted to abdominal hysterectomy because of an intraoperative complication. A conversion rate of 11.1% may be appropriate so as to offer the potential benefits of the laparoscopic-assisted vaginal approach to the largest number of women who would otherwise undergo an abdominal hysterectomy.
A solution to the random assignment problem on the full preference domain

Abstract We consider the problem of allocating a set of indivisible objects to agents in a fair and efficient manner. In a recent paper, Bogomolnaia and Moulin consider the case in which all agents have strict preferences, and propose the probabilistic serial (PS) mechanism; they define a new notion of efficiency, called ordinal efficiency, and prove that the probabilistic serial mechanism finds an envy-free ordinally efficient assignment. However, the restrictive assumption of strict preferences is critical to their algorithm. Our main contribution is an analogous algorithm for the full preference domain in which agents are allowed to be indifferent between objects. Our algorithm is based on a reinterpretation of the PS mechanism as an iterative algorithm to compute a “flow” in an associated network. In addition we show that on the full preference domain it is impossible for even a weak strategyproof mechanism to find a random assignment that is both ordinally efficient and envy-free.
Changes in Newborn Bathing Practices May Increase the Risk for Omphalitis

Aseptic cord care, in conjunction with antibacterial skin care, has reduced the incidence of omphalitis specifically caused by Staphylococcus aureus. However, this practice has resulted in the emergence of resistant organisms that may pose a greater risk for newborn infections. Subsequently, many institutions have changed to dry cord care and nonantiseptic whole-body baths, a practice that has not been adequately studied to determine potential infectious risks. Three cases of omphalitis occurring after an institutional change to nonantiseptic whole-body baths are presented. Clinical diagnosis and treatment of omphalitis are reviewed. Recommendations for surveillance of omphalitis are offered.
Measuring the Impact of Meat Packing and Processing Facilities in Nonmetropolitan Counties: A Difference-in-Differences Approach

Considerable controversy exists regarding the costs and benefits of growth in the meat packing and processing industry for rural counties. This study investigates the effects of this industry on social and economic outcomes in nonmetropolitan counties of 23 Midwestern and Southern states from 1990 to 2000. Results suggest that as the meat packing industry's share of a county's total employment and wage bill rises, total employment growth increases. However, employment growth in other sectors slows, as does local wage growth. Industry growth has little impact on local crime rates or on growth of government spending on education, health, or police protection.
Tackling the European migration problem.

This paper will begin by examining the historical pattern of migration and the empirical dimension of western Europes migration problem. A next step examines the labor market issues and impacts on natives as western Europe perceives them. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy issues and options. (EXCERPT)