cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward a Definition of Freedom in Dress

Much clothing research examines conformity in dress as if the antithesis, freedom in dress, were possible. While conforming behavior has been documented, no research on social interaction has shown that a continuum occurs from conformity through varying degrees of conformity -freedom to complete freedom in dress; before freedom in dress can be measured it must first be defined. When definitions of freedom from various disciplines are applied to dress, it is difficult to derive testable hypotheses from the resulting concepts. All concepts of freedom state that freedom is relative, that it involves some degree of individual control over choice or the decisionmaking process, plus a feeling of self-satisfaction or reward. It is in the area of satisfaction, involving a nebulous state of mind, that testing becomes truly difficult. For purposes of research, three hypotheses concerning freedom in dress are presented.
Systematic electrocardioversion for atrial fibrillation and role of antiarrhythmic drugs: a substudy of the SAFE-T trial.

Background Energy levels for electrocardioversion in atrial fibrillation (AF) have been empiric, and the influence of antiarrhythmic therapy compared with placebo is largely unknown. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine systematically the energy levels for electrocardioversion in patients with persistent AF and to define the influence of antiarrhythmic therapy. Methods Patients (n = 665) with persistent AF were randomized to amiodarone, sotalol, or placebo. Rate control, if necessary, was achieved with digoxin, diltiazem, or verapamil. Among the 665 patients, 504 who did not achieve sinus rhythm at day 28 had electrocardioversion systematically by a prespecified four-step protocol as follows: monophasic shocks—100, 200, 360, 360 J; or biphasic shocks—150, 175, 200, 200 J sequentially. Energy levels and shock waveforms (monophasic/biphasic) for successful electrocardioversion (sinus rhythm for at least 1 minute) and use of antiarrhythmic therapy and calcium channel blockers were recorded. Results Electrocardioversion was successful in 371 (71.6%) of 504 patients: 72%, 73.5%, and 67.9% for patients assigned to amiodarone, sotalol, and placebo, respectively. Overall, after adjustments for age, body mass index (BMI), history of AF, shock waveforms, left atrial size, and ejection fraction, both amiodarone (odds ratio [OR]: 2.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24–3.77, P P = .02) significantly facilitated successful electrocardioversion compared with placebo. Calcium channel blockers had no effect on the success rate of electrocardioversion. Success of electrocardioversion was associated with lower BMI, AF history ≤1 year, and older age. Compared with placebo, patients taking amiodarone were significantly more likely to achieve successful electrocardioversion in step 1 (OR: 2.73, 95% CI: 1.11–6.74, P = .03) and step 3 (OR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.00–3.44, P = .05) but not in steps 2 and 4. Sotalol was superior to placebo in step 4 (OR: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.02–6.52, P = .05) and trended in step 2 (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 0.98–3.07, P = .06). Successful electrocardioversion was seen in 11%, 29%, 38%, and 29% in steps 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Compared with monophasic shocks, biphasic shocks achieved higher success rates for step 1 ( P P Conclusion Amiodarone and sotalol facilitated successful electrocardioversion, which could be achieved in a stepwise fashion. Upon achievement of successful electrocardioversion, amiodarone is superior to placebo, and sotalol has a lesser effect. Antiarrhythmic drugs had no effect on the total number of energy step use in patients who had successful electrocardioversion. Calcium channel blockers had no influence on the success rate in achieving sinus rhythm. Successful electrocardioversion was associated with lower BMI and AF history ≤1 year. Lower energy use was associated with biphasic shocks, lower BMI, and AF duration ≤1 year.
Automated diagnosis of cardiac state in healthcare systems using computational intelligence

A study is presented for the diagnosis of a patient's heart conditions using recorded heart sounds and Computational Intelligence (CI) techniques. The digitally recorded heart sound signals are processed through Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) to extract time?frequency features for normal and abnormal heart conditions. The wavelet energy distributions are used as inputs to classifiers based on soft computing techniques such as Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS) and Genetic Algorithms (GAs) for diagnosis of heart conditions. The number and the parameters of Membership Functions (MFs) used in ANFIS along with the features from wavelet energy distribution are selected using GAs, maximising the diagnosis success. ANFIS with GAs (GA-ANFIS) are trained with a subset of data with known heart conditions. The trained GA-ANFIS are tested using the other set of data (testing data), not used in training. The results are compared with Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and GA (GA-ANN). The results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach in automated diagnosis of cardiac state in healthcare systems.
Gender and Science Achievement: A Reanalysis of Studies from Two Meta-Analyses.

Data from 30 studies of the magnitude of gender differences in science achievement previously examined in two separate reviews were synthesized using modern methods for meta-analysis. Two meta-analysis methodologies were used: analyses of effect sizes (standardized mean differences) and vote-counting estimation procedures. Analyses revealed that magnitudes of gender differences in science achievement varied according to the subject matter under study. Males showed significant advantages in studies of biology, general science, and physics, but significant differences were not found for studies of mixed science content, and geology and earth sciences, or in a single study of chemistry. However, in all cases the numbers of effects examining each subject-matter area were quite small (seven or less). Also, studies which had focused on gender differences evidenced larger gender differences than other studies. Other possible predictors of the magnitudes of gender differences, such as grade level of the subjects and test length, did not account for significant amounts of variation among these study outcomes. Consequently, they also did not provide as strong an explanation of the patterns of gender differences as did subject matter and focus on gender.
ELECTRONIC MEASUREMENT OF PROBING ACTIVITIES OF THE GREEN LEAFHOPPER OF RICE

The electronic measurement system developed for aphids has been modified to measure leafhopper salivation and ingestion activities. Several distinct waveforms were recorded when the rice green leafhopper, Nephotettix cincticeps (Uhler) probed rice plants and into sucrose solutions. These waveforms were correlated with ingestion and salivation activities based on chemical analysis of the excreta. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG ELEKTRONISCHE MESSUNG DES PROBIERSAUGENS DER GRUNEN REISZIKADE Das fur Blattlause entwickelte Messsystem wurde abgeandert, um die Probiersaugaktivitat von Zikaden zu messen. Es wurden mehrere unterscheidbare Wellenformen registriert, wenn die Grune Reiszikade, Nephotettix cincticeps, Reispflanzen und Rohrzuckerlosungen probierte. Basierend auf der chemischen Analyse der Ausscheidungen konnten diese Wellenformen mit der Futteraufnahme- und Speichelbildungsaktivitat korreliert werden.
A BEHAVIORAL VIEW OF MOBILITY AND MIGRATION RESEARCH

Responding to an explosion of cross-disciplinary research in the fifties and sixties, geographers seized upon the behavioral approach as a way of overcoming the inadequacies of theories based upon rational-man assumptions. They have since developed a facility for obtaining subjective data and interpreting the processes underlying spatial activities. Recent migration and mobility research has focused upon environmental cognition, place preference, mental maps of movement behavior, the role of search, and the motives of stayers as well as movers. The main stress has been upon concept development and model formulation. Future research is likely to be increasingly concerned with space-time paths, asymmetric flows, and non-normal populations. Although the behavioral approach has helped expand the set of relevant variables, there is a continuing need for accumulating meaningful data sets and for more replication of experiments.
Exploring behavior of an unusual megaherbivore: a spatially explicit foraging model of the hippopotamus

Herbivore foraging theories have been developed for and tested on herbivores across a range of sizes. Due to logistical constraints, however, little research has focused on foraging behavior of megaherbivores. Here we present a research approach that explores megaherbivore foraging behavior, and assesses the applicability of foraging theories developed on smaller herbivores to megafauna. With simulation models as reference points for the analysis of empirical data, we investigate foraging strategies of the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius). Using a spatially explicit individual based foraging model, we apply traditional herbivore foraging strategies to a model hippopotamus, compare model output, and then relate these results to field data from wild hippopotami. Hippopotami appear to employ foraging strategies that respond to vegetation characteristics, such as vegetation quality, as well as spatial reference information, namely distance to a water source. Model predictions, field observations, and comparisons of the two support that hippopotami generally conform to the central place foraging construct. These analyses point to the applicability of general herbivore foraging concepts to megaherbivores, but also point to important differences between hippopotami and other herbivores. Our synergistic approach of models as reference points for empirical data highlights a useful method of behavioral analysis for hard-to-study megafauna.
Determinants of postoperative stay in patients with colorectal cancer. Implications for diagnostic-related groups.

The easiest way to reduce the cost of hospital care for patients is to reduce the length of hospital stay. Multivariate analysis was used to identify potentially alterable factors affecting postoperative length of stay for 320 consecutive colorectal cancer patients undergoing elective surgery during a three-year period. Prolonged postoperative stays were noted for patients over age 69. Significantly longer stays were seen for men than for women (13.9 vs. 11.9 days, P = .012). Operative procedure significantly influenced postoperative stay: left hemicolectomies, anterior resections with colostomy, abdominoperineal resections, and subtotal colectomies were associated with significantly longer stays than right, transverse, sigmoid, and anterior resections without colostomy (P less than .001). Complications increased the mean postoperative stay from 11.4 to 19.7 days (P less than .001) and stay increased progressively with the number of blood transfusions received from 11.1 days for no blood to 21.6 days for more than four units (P less than .001). Severity of disease, as reflected by Dukes' stage, tumor differentiation, and tumor size, was not related to postoperative stay. In the latter half of the study, postoperative stay declined, accompanied by a decline in the use of blood and a shift in the procedures performed for rectal carcinoma away from abdominoperineal resection toward anterior resection without colostomy. Diagnosis-related group (DRG) relative weights for procedure, age, and complications are at variance with these findings.
The structure of self-reports of emotional responses to film segments

Subjects viewed eight short film segments and rated the strength of their responses within eight emotion categories. Principal-components analysis showed that these ratings varied along three dimensions: Amused-Warmhearted, Fearful-Anxious, and Disgusted-Scornful. Clusters of film segment centroids occupied distinct regions within this reduced space, and moderate homogeneity was found when the individual ratings were assigned to the centroids of these clusters. Further analyses concerned the reliability of the ratings over time, the effects of prior exposure, and sex differences. Ratings obtained on a subset of these film segments during a subsequent psychophysiological experiment were analyzed to test the generalizability of the results of Study 1. The factor patterns were very similar, as were tests for the homogeneity of the ratings. The structure of self-reports of elicited affect and the utility of film stimuli are discussed.
Extensions of fuzzy subrings and fuzzy ideals

Abstract In this paper we give necessary and sufficient conditions for a fuzzy subring or a fuzzy ideal A of a commutative ring R to be extended to one A e of a commutative ring S containing R as a subring such that A and A e have the same image. One of the applications of these results gives a criterion for a fuzzy subring of an integral domain R to be extendable to a fuzzy subfield of the quotient field of R .
Neuroendocrine Changes in the Aging Reproductive Axis of Female Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Femalerhesus macaques show monthly menstrual cycles and eventually enter menopause at approximately 25 yr of age. To help identify early biomarkers of menopause in this nonhuman primate, we monitored reproductive hormones longitudinally from aged female macaques during the transitions from premenopause to perimenopause and postmenopause and found that, indeed, elevated plasma FSH was a better predictive factor of menopause onset than age. In a second experiment, we compared reproductive hormone profiles of young adult macaques (8-10 yr old) with those of regularly cycling old macaques (approximately 24 yr old). Indwelling vascular catheters were used for remote blood collection for at least 100 consecutive days, thereby covering three complete menstrual cycles in each macaque. Plasma levels of estradiol, progesterone, LH, FSH, follicular phase inhibin B, and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) were determined during each menstrual cycle and were averaged for each animal; group mean differences were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Old premenopausal macaques showed regular menstrual cycles that were qualitatively indistinguishable from those of young macaques; peak plasma levels of estradiol, progesterone, and LH were not significantly different. In marked contrast, peak plasma FSH concentrations were significantly higher, while inhibin B and AMH levels were generally lower, in the old premenopausal macaques compared with those in the young macaques. These data provide further evidence that rhesus macaques serve as an excellent model to study underlying mechanisms of human menopause. Furthermore, the data suggest that an age-related change in FSH, inhibin B, and AMH secretion may be the first endocrine manifestation of the transition into perimenopause, potentially having value in predicting the onset of the perimenopausal transition.
Phase retrieval by differential intensity measurements

The use of the term differential intensity measurements implies that two or more intensity measurements are made, with a slight change in a parameter of the measurement-taking system between measurements. For example, the position of the focal plane or the transmission of the aperture might be changed. In either of these cases it is possible to find a closed-form solution to the phase-retrieval problem, as opposed to the usual iterative solution. The first case corresponds to a quadratic phase shift in the unknown phase and has been studied previously by several authors. This examination of the problem leads to the discovery of some details that may be useful. In the second case a new result leads to a simpler solution for the phase. The results in this paper apply to the one-dimensional phase-retrieval problem. An extension to the more important two-dimensional problem can be made by means described in this paper.
Geodesic coordinates in the de Sitter universe

We analyze the de Sitter universe using geodesic clock reference systems. Our starting point is the de Sitter universe described with a static metric form where curvature coordinates are used. This curvature metric form contains a horizon across which timelike and null trajectories cannot be followed. We show how to use new geodesic reference systems that will allow trajectories to be followed across the horizon. These geodesic reference systems are analogs to Eddington-Finkelstein and Kruskal-Novikov coordinate systems that have previously been used to analyze the Schwarzschild field. The resulting comoving synchronous coordinate systems result in metrics for the de Sitter universe that are markedly different in form from the standard Robertson-Walker isotropic metric form. This leads to questions of whether it is valid to describe the de Sitter universe with isotropic Robertson-Walker coordinates.
Developing a Teaching Portfolio

Promotion, tenure, and reappoint ment are generally based on judg ments of adequacy or excellence in the areas of teaching, research, and service. Documenting the content and quality of teaching has been a problem for many teachers. The following di mensions for developing a teaching portfolio were formulated from per sonal experience and an analysis of pub lications such as institutional statements related to teaching, published criteria for recognition of teaching excellence, and literature on the evaluation of teach ing competencies. The goal of a teaching portfolio is to describe, through documentation over an extended period of time, the full range of your abilities as a college teach er. In this article I would like to suggest seven dimensions of teaching abilities to be documented: what you teach, how you teach, changes in your teaching and course activities, rigor in your academic standards, student impressions of your teaching, efforts at developing your teaching skills, and assessments of your teaching by colleagues. Each of the seven dimensions may be recorded through a variety of "arti facts"; your artifacts should trace the evolution of each course that you have
Changes in narrative structure and content in schizophrenia in long term individual psychotherapy: a single case study

A cornerstone of some forms of psychotherapy for schizophrenia is the assertion that changes in personal narrative and the dialogues from which they spring contribute significantly to recovery from schizophrenia. Yet when such transformation occurs, what changes and according to what dynamics? To address these questions, blind assessments of psychotherapy transcripts were conducted assessing narrative content, structure and metacognition twice a month over a period of 32 months for a single case of integrative individual psychotherapy. These measures improved significantly over time, with analyses of time trends indicating that the degree of improvement of narrative structure from months 4 to 29 was significantly greater than the degree of improvements in narrative content or metacognition (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that narratives in schizophrenia may gain greater degrees of complexity and structure prior to the changing of a story or of the capacity for self-reflection. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Configurable Architecture for a Visual Saliency System and Its Application in Retail

Summary form only given. The objective of this paper is to present a configurable architecture for a visual saliency model based on AIM. It presents algorithmic enhancements to AIM that facilitates the design of a performance-efficient hardware architecture that offers tradeoffs between accuracy, resource utilization and latency. The AIM computational model involves (1) extraction of a set of coefficient features for each local patch in an image, (2) estimation of probability density for each coefficient with respect to its local surround, (3) computation of their product to give a joint likelihood and (4) computation of the self information of each pixel from its log likelihood. Calculation of likelihood with respect to each pixel individually in a local surround is computationally expensive. It proposes to approximate the contribution of pixels in the surround in terms of “cells” grouped further into “support zones”, whose widths are configurable. This approximation leads to nearly a 10x reduction in the number of multipliers, a critical resource, for a 41x41 surround size.
Combining genetic and nongenetic biomarkers to realize the promise of pharmacogenomics for inflammatory diseases

Many drugs used to treat inflammatory diseases are ineffective in a substantial proportion of patients. Identifying patients that are likely to respond to specific therapies would facilitate personalized treatment strategies that could improve outcomes while reducing costs and risks of adverse events. Despite these clear benefits, there are limited examples of predictive biomarkers of drug efficacy currently implemented into clinical practice for inflammatory diseases. We review efforts to identify genetic and nongenetic biomarkers of drug response in these diseases and consider potential benefits from combining multiple sources of biological data into multifeature predictive models.
Ionic transport in a sulfonated polystyrene–polyethylene copolymer

The conductivity of a grafted copolymer composed of 21% sulfonated polystyrene and 79% polyethylene has been investigated as a function of temperature and absorbed moisture for membranes containing the monovalent counterions H+, Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs, and Ag+. The mobility of Ag+ was measured directly in an experiment analogous to that used for the mobility of F-centers in alkali halides. The mobility and density of free counterions depend on the amount of absorbed water, but only the mobility and not the density of free counterions is a thermally activated process. Current is carried by both intrinsic counterions and, in samples containing absorbed water with greater than 1.5 V applied, by protonic carriers created when the absorbed water is electrolyzed. Thermal depolarization studies indicate that persistent polarization observed is the result of homogeneous volume polarization, due to the orientation of sulfonic acid side groups.
Scavenger receptor class B, type I-mediated uptake of A1AT by pulmonary endothelial cells.

In addition to exerting a potent anti-elastase function, α-1 antitrypsin (A1AT) maintains the structural integrity of the lung by inhibiting endothelial inflammation and apoptosis. A main serpin se...
Probenecid Disposition by Parallel Michaelis-Menten and Dose-Dependent Pseudo-First-Order Processes

Re-evaluation of published data on the urinary excretion of probenecid [4-(dipropylamino)sulfonylbenzoic acid, 1] and its metabolites as a function of orally administered dose has revealed that the elimination process is comprised of five parallel pathways. Excretion of the major metabolite, the acyl glucuronide 2 (35–45% of dose), follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The three oxidized metabolites, the mono-N-propyl, carboxylic acid, and secondary alcohol derivatives 3, 4, and 5, respectively, (totaling 30% of dose), each adhere to pseudo-first-order kinetics in which the elimination rate constant, as a result of product inhibition, is a function of the administered dose. Four to 13% of the dose is eliminated unchanged in apparent first-order fashion. A mathematical relationship between elimination half-life and dose, under conditions of product inhibition, is derived. Computer simulation of the elimination process confirms the experimental observation that the fraction of dose excreted in the form of each metabolite remains relatively constant over the dose range of 0.5 to 2 g. This study is believed to represent the first application of parallel Michaelis-Menten and dose-dependent pseudo-first-order processes to drug disposition. It demonstrates that the observation of constant proportions of excreted metabolites over a relatively wide range of doses does not provide evidence that the elimination process remains first-order.
Does Dog Walking Predict Physical Activity Participation: Results From a National Survey.

Abstract Purpose. The purpose of this study is to: (1) identify characteristics associated with dog owners who walk their dog, (2) describe the frequency and duration of walking the dog, and (3) determine whether dog owners who walk their dog participate in more physical activity than dog owners who do not walk their dog and non–dog owners. Design. A cross-sectional study design was used. Setting. The study setting was nationwide. Subjects. Adults (n = 4010) participating in the 2005 ConsumerStyles mail-panel survey were the study subjects. Measures. Measures used were demographic, physical activity, dog ownership, and dog walking questions from the 2005 ConsumerStyles mail-panel survey. Analysis. Chi-square tests and analyses of variance were conducted to examine participant characteristics associated with dog walking and to describe the frequency and duration of dog walking. Analysis of covariance was used to determine whether dog owners who walk their dog participate in more physical activity than dog ...
Creep-fatigue interactions in solders

Solders in surface-mount-technology (SMT) joints are subjected to high homologous temperatures that cause the solder to deform and accumulate damage by both time-dependent and instantaneous mechanisms. The effects of frequency, stress range, mean stress, waveform (hold times on and off load), and mechanical history are investigated in bulk uniaxial solder in the as-cast condition. Strain is measured on a per-cycle basis as well as cumulatively, to separate the mechanisms of strain storage and damage storage. At hold times less than about 10 s, a significant part of the strain is recoverable, time dependent, and nondamaging. By this strain storage mechanism, life, measured either by cycles to failure or by time on load, can be increased by at least a factor of 5. At lower frequencies the damage is stored as a function of time on load and stress (creep damage). The effective stress for a cyclic creep test is defined in terms of the stress sensitivity of the solder in creep. A technique for measuring damage for life predictions is developed and examined. This technique involves the grain boundary embrittlement of partially fatigued specimens and the statistical analysis of the voids on the surfaces. >
Bandwidth considerations for reduced order modeling of multiconductor transmission lines

Recently there has been a great deal of interest and effort in the area of reduced order modeling for electrical interconnects. The goal of reduced order modeling is to extract the dominant poles of the interconnect model and to provide an efficient, accurate approximation for the interconnect response in both the time and frequency domains. The question of accuracy is often asked in the time domain concerning characteristics such as rise/fall times and time delay. The answer to the question of accuracy often lies in the frequency domain and relates to bandwidth and pole extraction. In this paper, reduced order modeling of multiconductor transmission lines is addressed. The topics discussed are limited bandwidth effects, methods for broadband solutions, and CPU time considerations.
AutoLCA: A Framework for Sustainable Redesign and Assessment of Products

With increasing public consciousness regarding sustainability, companies are ever more eager to introduce eco-friendly products and services. Assessing environmental footprints and designing sustainable products are challenging tasks since they require analysis of each component of a product through their life cycle. To achieve sustainable design of products, companies need to evaluate the environmental impact of their system, identify the major contributors to the footprint, and select the design alternative with the lowest environmental footprint. In this article, we formulate sustainable design as a series of clustering and classification problems, and propose a framework called AutoLCA that simplifies the effort of estimating the environmental footprint of a product bill of materials by more than an order of magnitude over current methods, which are mostly labor intensive. We apply AutoLCA to real data from a large computer manufacturer. We conduct a case study on bill of materials of four different products, perform a “hotspot” assessment analysis to identify major contributors to carbon footprint, and determine design alternatives that can reduce the carbon footprint from 1p to 36p.
Denitrification and hydrologic transient storage in a glacial meltwater stream, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

In extreme environments, retention of nutrients within stream ecosystems contributes to the persistence of aquatic biota and continuity of ecosystem function. In the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, many glacial meltwater streams flow for only 5‐12 weeks a year and yet support extensive benthic microbial communities. We investigated NO 3 2
How we detect microbes and respond to them: the Toll-like receptors and their transducers.

Macrophages and dendritic cells are in the front line of host defense. When they sense host invasion, they produce cytokines that alert other innate immune cells and also abet the development of an adaptive immune response. Although lipolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan, unmethylated DNA, and other microbial products were long known to be the primary targets of innate immune recognition, there was puzzlement as to how each molecule triggered a response. It is now known that the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the principal signaling molecules through which mammals sense infection. Each TLR recognizes a restricted subset of molecules produced by microbes, and in some circumstances, only a single type of molecule is sensed (e.g., only LPS is sensed by TLR4). TLRs direct the activation of immune cells near to and far from the site of infection, mobilizing the comparatively vast immune resources of the host to confine and defeat an invasive organism before it has become widespread. The biochemical details of TLR signaling have been analyzed through forward and reverse genetic methods, and full elucidation of the molecular interactions that transpire within the first minutes following contact between host and pathogen will soon be at hand.
Harvesting Ambient Kinetic Energy With Switched-Inductor Converters

The potential application space for miniaturized systems like wireless microsensors is expansive, from reconnaissance mission work and remote sensors to biomedical implants and disposable consumer products. Conforming to microscale dimensions, however, constrains energy and power to such an extent that sustaining critical power-hungry functions like wireless communication is problematical. Harvesting ambient kinetic energy offers an appealing alternative, except the act of transferring energy requires power that could easily exceed what the harvester generates in the first place. This paper reviews piezoelectric and electrostatic harvester circuits, describes how to design low-power switched-inductor converters capable of producing net energy gains when supplied from piezoelectric and electrostatic transducers, and presents experimental results from prototype embodiments. In the electrostatic case shown, the controller dissipated 0.91 nJ per cycle and the switched-inductor precharger achieved 90.3% efficiency to allow the harvester to net a gain of 2.47 nJ per cycle from a capacitor that oscillated between 157 and 991 pF. The piezoelectric counterpart harnessed 1.6 to 29.6 μW from weak periodic vibrations with 0.05-0.16- m/s2 accelerations and 65.3 μJ from (impact-produced) nonperiodic motion.
HPTR: Hardware partition in time redundancy technique for fault tolerance

A fault-masking technique for both arithmetic and logical operations in an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) is proposed. The technique, which is basically time redundant, takes advantage of both time and hardware redundancy concepts. The method with which error correction is accomplished resembles that of triplication of hardware. Time redundancy is then used to complete the computation and obtain the final result on the same hardware. For example, a 12-b addition operation can be realized by using each of three 4-b adder modules three times in parallel. During each partial calculation, the error correction is accomplished by taking the majority gate of the results from the three 4-b adder blocks. The operation of an N-bit full-adder is shown as an example to describe the basis of the hardware partition in time redundancy (HPTR) technique. >
Using technology and innovation to simulate daily life

"The Sims" is a synthetic doll's house embodied in a computer game. Besides topping sales charts and generating endless discussions among computer gamers, The Sims has received attention from various prestigious publications. Far more than a doll's house, The Sims evokes comparisons to a Greek myth in which you can play the deity, manipulating the lives of unaware humans. The trouble with this model-and what makes the game so intriguing - is that, just like mortals in Greek mythology, your "Sims" (simulated people) often frustrate your plans with their own autonomy. Moreover, the game demonstrates how game development can influence computer science. The Sims achieves its success through both advanced computing technology and an understanding of its users. It brings players into the game through a combination of great technology, a believable simulation environment, a superb user interface and a fun game design, which combine to make a computer game of everyday life that is more compelling than the reality it models.
Fixation for biological ultrastructure. I. A viscometric analysis of the interaction between glutaraldehyde and bovine serum albumin.

SUMMARY The increase in viscosity resulting from mixing concentrated solutions of albumin with dilute glutaraldehyde has been investigated. The viscosity changes are slow at first, very sensitive to small changes in glutaraldehyde concentration, and non-linear with time. The cross-linking of the albumin by glutaraldehyde seems to be retarded by the weak mechanical shear forces produced by the viscometer. The significance of these findings to the events in tissue fixation is discussed.
The Latitude and Longitude Effects in Cosmic Rays over the United States and Canada at 30,000 Feet

The change with geomagnetic latitude of the ionizing particles at 310 g/cm^-2 atmospheric pressure (30,000 ft.) that could penetrate various thicknesses of absorber was measured by Biehl, Neher, and Roesch [1] over a range of latitude of 64° geomagnetic north to the geomagnetic equator along latitude 80°W. These flights show that most of the latitude effect is over at 50° as one proceeds north and this was independent of the absorber used or whether the total radiation at that altitude was measured or only that near the vertical. On the other hand, Swann, Morris and Seymour [2] find a 10 percent increase for a 10° increase in geomagnetic latitude at 30,000 feet even beyond the "knee" of the curve. Although no mention of an absorber was made, presumably their measurements were made with a lead absorber. A number of flights having a further bearing on this point have recently been made, covering the latitude range particularly from 40° to 64° geomagnetic north with counter telescopes and ionization chambers, the latter both unshielded and shielded with 10 cm of lead.
Antimicrobial susceptibility of inducible AmpC β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae from the Meropenem Yearly Susceptibility Test Information Collection (MYSTIC) Programme, Europe 1997–2000

Among 11345 clinical isolates from 31 European centres in the MYSTIC (Meropenem Yearly Susceptibility Test Information Collection) Programme (1997-2000), the potential AmpC-producing pathogens were Enterobacter spp. (904 cases), Citrobacter spp. (144) and Serratia marcescens (288). Resistance to ceftazidime or cefotaxime (11-34%) and piperacillin/tazobactam (12%) was observed, indicating stably derepressed expression of AmpC cephalosporinases. Meropenem (MIC(90), 0.25 mg/l; >99% susceptible) and imipenem (MIC(90), 2 mg/l; 98% susceptible) were active, even against these stably derepressed AmpC-producers: Enterobacter spp. (305 strains), Citrobacter spp. (29) and S. marcescens (35). The overall rank order of spectrum (% susceptible) versus the stably derepressed subset of isolates was: meropenem=imipenem (98%)>cefepime (89%)>gentamicin (73%)>ciprofloxacin (62%)>tobramycin (60%) >piperacillin/tazobactam (21%). We suggest increased attention in Europe to: (1) the recognition of these resistant phenotypes, (2) infection control practices, and (3) limiting the overuse of certain selecting extended-spectrum beta-lactam agents (e.g. ceftazidime).
Real-Time Simulation of VLF Atmospheric Noise for Use in the Calibration and Characterization of LORAN-C Receivers for Aircraft Navigation:

This paper describes a real-time simulation technique for generating realistic VLF band atmospheric noise. Noise in this band consists of a background Gaussian component plus a non-stationary impul...
Reproductive health service preferences and perceptions of quality among low-income women: racial, ethnic and language group differences

CONTEXT: Eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health care is an important national priority. Despite substantial research documenting such disparities, this topic has received limited attention in the reproductive health field. METHODS: Logistic regression was used to test for group differences in three service delivery preferences and five service quality perceptions among a nationally representative sample of 1,741 low-income black, Latina and white women aged 18–34; the data were collected in 1995 and represent the most recent data available for looking at these issues. RESULTS: English-speaking Latinas and Spanish-speaking Latinas were more likely than whites to prefer a female clinician at their visits (odds ratios, 1.8 and 3.6, respectively) and to highly value clinician continuity (1.7 and 2.2). English-speaking Latinas and blacks were more likely than whites to prefer receiving reproductive health care at a site delivering general health care (1.5 and 1.6). Both groups of Latinas were less likely than whites to give the facility environment or the patient-centeredness at their most recent reproductive health visit the highest rating (0.3–0.5). Blacks were more likely than whites to report ever having been pressured by a clinician to use contraceptives (2.3). CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to reduce racial, ethnic and language group differences in clients’ perceptions of reproductive health service quality should focus on improving client-clinician communication, the service environment and contraceptive counseling. Future research should continue to assess group differences and try to determine their underlying causes.
Predicting Supreme Court Cases Probabilistically: The Search and Seizure Cases, 1962-1981

The overwhelming concensus of Fourth Amendment scholars is that the Supreme Court's sea and seizure cases are a mess. This article proposes that the confusion arises from the manner in which the cases were studied, not from the decisions themselves. A legal model with variables that me the prior justification of the search, the nature of the intrusion, and a few mitigating circumstance used to explain the Court's decisions on the reasonableness of a given search or seizure. The parameters are estimated through probit.The results show that the search and seizure cases are much more ordered than had commonly been believed. Virtually all of the estimates are as expected. Additionally, the Court is shown to act favorably toward the federal government than toward the states. Preliminary analysis suggests the model has predictive as well as explanatory value.
Crustal velocity structure associated with the eastern Tennessee seismic zone: Vp and Vs images based upon local earthquake tomography

We present three-dimensional P and S wave velocity models for the active eastern Tennessee seismic zone (ETSZ) using arrival time data from more than 1000 local earthquakes. A nonlinear tomography method is used that involves sequential inversion for model and hypocenter parameters. We image several velocity anomalies that persist through most of the inversion volume. Some anomalies support the presence of known features such as an ancient rift zone in northern Tennessee. Other anomalies reveal the presence of basement features that can be correlated with regional gravity and magnetic anomalies. We image a narrow, NE-SW trending, steeply dipping zone of low velocities that extends to a depth of at least 24 km and is associated with the vertical projection of the prominent New York-Alabama magnetic lineament. The low-velocity zone may have an apparent dip to the SE at depths exceeding 15 km. The low-velocity zone is interpreted as a major basement fault juxtaposing Granite-Rhyolite basement to the NW from Grenville southern Appalachian basement to the SE. Relocated hypocenters align in near-vertical segments suggesting reactivation of a distributed zone of deformation associated with a major strike-slip fault. We suggest that the ETSZ represents reactivation of an ancient shear zone established during formation of the super continent Rodinia.
The learning curve for laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is 100 cases

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of operative experience on perioperative outcomes for laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LGB). Methods: Between July 1997 and September 2001, 750 patients underwent LGB for the treatment of morbid obesity at our center. We evaluated the perioperative outcomes of the first 150 consecutive patients to determine if a learning curve effect could be demonstrated. The patients were divided into three groups (1, 2, and 3) of 50 consecutive patients, and outcomes for each group were compared. Results: The patients in group 3 had a larger body mass index (BMI), were more likely to have had prior abdominal surgery, and were more likely to have secondary operations at the time of LGB. Operating time decreased from a mean of 311 min in group 11 to 237 min in group 3, and technical complications were reduced by 50% after an experience of 100 cases. Conclusions: Operative time and technically related complications decreased with operative experience even though heavier patients and higher-risk patients were more predominant in the latter part of our experience. LGB is a technically challenging operation with a long learning curve. To minimize morbidity related to the learning curve, strategies for developing training programs must address these challenges.
Principal Control Analysis: Gaining Insight from Feedback Learning Algorithms

Feedback learning algorithms are widely used to search for optical pulse shapes for quantum control. We propose a simple analysis of the pulse shapes to learn about the degrees of freedom in the effective control Hamiltonian. When applied to stimulated Raman scattering in methanol, the technique yields results consistent with a simple model of two-mode SRS in methanol.
ADULT KOREAN INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTEES: A RESOURCE FOR ADOPTION PRACTICE

The author shares a personal narrative of her efforts to establish an adult intercountry adoptee organization in New York City. These efforts coalesced with a national movement of adult intercountry adopted Koreans culminating in the Gathering of the First Generation of Adult Korean Adoptees, held in Washington, D.C. in 1999, and the Second Gathering in Oslo, Norway in 2001. The contribution of adult Korean adoptees to the field of intercountry and transracial adoption is discussed, with suggestions for how adult adopted persons can be utilized to enhance adoption practices.
Über keimhemmende kräfte im Dündarm

Die Abhangigkeit der aeroben Bakterienflora der verschiedenen Abschnitte des Dunndarms von der Wasserstoff-Ionen-Konzentration wird nachgewiesen (durch Herabsetzung der Magensaftsekretion oder Zufuhr alkalischer Losungen).
Sensitivity Analysis of the Cost Benefit Ratio as a Function of the Level of Service Targets in the Highway Maintenance Budget Allocation Process

This paper reports on the sensitivity of the Cost/Benefit (C/B) ratio as a function of the pavement performance targets set by State DOTs. The C/B ratio is in itself a function of the yearly highway maintenance expenditures and the achieved Level of Service Index (LOSI). The LOSI has been modeled using three different functions, namely: step-wise, linear, and quadratic. The sensitivity of the C/B ratio to the performance targets is compared across the different functions used to model the LOSI.
The Presence of Dolipore Septa in Nia Vibrissa and Digitatispora Marina

(1975). The Presence of Dolipore Septa in Nia Vibrissa and Digitatispora Marina. Mycologia: Vol. 67, No. 1, pp. 172-174.
SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN A TIDAL

Tidal flow and suspended-sediment discharge were measured in or near the inlet to Bolinas Lagoon through seven ebbtides and six floodtides. The highest flows and suspended-sediment discharges occurred during the major daily ebbtide. Most transported sediment was sand and most sediment deposited in the lagoon was sand. Computations from a relation of suspended-sediment discharge and tidal range indicated that the annual suspended-sediment discharge of ebbtides exceeded that of floodtides by 9,000 tons. The highest concentration of suspended sediment occurred near the east shore of the inlet, which is at the end of a sand spit. The measured volume of water moved by a tide ranged from 180 to 2,740 acre-feet and the maximum flow measured was 7,900 cubic feet per second. The highest average velocity for a measurement was 4.9 feet per second. The maximum average velocity in the inlet occurred within an hour after midtide during a floodtide and usually at about one-third tide during an ebbtide. The relation of average tidal velocity (ut) to tidal range (R), was ut = 1.21R'50°; the average flow for a tide can be estimated by multiplying this calculated average velocity by the average cross section of the inlet.
CAMP CAN RAISE OR LOWER CARDIAC ACTOMYOSIN ATPASE ACTIVITY DEPENDING ON ALPHA -ADRENERGIC ACTIVITY

Adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) or beta-adrenergic stimulation has been shown to increase actomyosin adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) activity in cardiac muscle. Because the major catec...
Transvenous atrial pacing with a new electrode.

The unique concept of an atrioventricular electrode is presented. This transvenous electrode is incorporated into one body and has the mechanical advantages of double fixation and atrial or ventricular sensing or pacing. With the “extension wire principle,” it can be used for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, short- or long-term pacing. The optimal pacemaker setting can be adjusted according to the individual needs of the patient and can easily be converted to a permanent system. This atrioventricular electrode was used for long-term atrial pacing in 4 patients with tachyarrhythmia syndrome. There were no electrode-related complications. Atrial pacing was maintained in all patients. The longest follow-up period was 2 1/2 years.
Prostate cancer immunotherapy: the role for sipuleucel-T and other immunologic approaches.

For many years, the results of large randomized clinical trials of cancer vaccines have not been good.
GENERATIONAL TRANSFER OF SKILLS IN ARTISANS HOUSEHOLD IN ONDO STATE OF NIGERIA

Increasing level of employment in Nigeria makes necessary the consideration of alternative avenues of sustainable income generating activities apart from formal education based employment opportunities. The study examined generational skill transfer practices in Ondo state, Nigeria. Using a multistage sampling technique, 120 respondents involved in six vocationa lskills were selected. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi square. Majority (63.3%) of respondents were males with mean age of 43.2years. Respondents involved in generational skill transfer were 61.7%, which was done after school hours (48.6%). Only 52.5% desires their children to take up the vocation after them. Age of respondents (l= 5.72, p < 0.05) and their number of children (l= 6.69, p < 0.05) were significantly related to their involvement in generational skill transfer.