cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protecting the global information commons

Abstract The rapid expansion of the Internet world-wide, especially as the World Wide Web has simplified access to its information resources and enabled e-commerce, but has also spawned an increasing number of abuses. If Internet-based information infrastructures are to continue to provide important services, and if they are not to be limited by their misuse, the protection of the information commons must become a central issue for its users. This paper discusses how that protection might be effected as the current infrastructure evolves. Approaches will involve both individual and collective action, and both private and public funding. The increasing role of sovereign states, the development of international law, and the necessity of nations addressing their cyber goals in ways that allow for compatible policies are discussed. Policy models useful for addressing these issues are reviewed and some specific proposals are made.
The Duet Played by Two Donor Hearts Beating Simultaneously in a Patient

A man with end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy had undergone orthotopic heart transplantation followed by heterotopic heart transplantation at the age of 52 years in 2001.1 After the procedure, he had lived uneventfully with the cooperation of 2 donor hearts working in his body. In 2009, 8 years after transplantation, the patient underwent scheduled cardiac catheterization. Retrograde cannulation of the left ventricular cavities of both hearts was performed by means of 2 pigtail catheters through a femoral …
Hospital Discharge and the Transition Home for Poor Patients: “I Knew I Couldn’t Do What They Were Asking Me”

One of the most contentious aspects of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital Readmission Reduction Program, which penalizes hospitals for higher than expected readmission rates, is that patient socioeconomic status (SES) is not accounted for (i.e., not risk adjusted for) when calculating hospitals’ readmission rates. Hospitals argue that this disadvantages institutions that care for high proportions of low SES patients because poorer patients have inherently higher risk of readmission. They further contend that hospital interventions to prevent readmissions will not be successful.1 Policy makers on the other hand point out that if hospitals caring for low SES populations have higher readmission rates that may reflect inadequate quality of care—exactly what the measures are intended to illuminate—and should spur improvement efforts to ensure high-quality transitions from the acute care setting.2 At its essence, this is a debate about the extent of hospitals’ responsibility to patients of low socioeconomic status and the degree to which hospitals can influence, within the small window of the inpatient admission, a patient’s trajectory over 30 days following discharge. And all the while, millions of dollars are now at stake through CMS’s Hospital Readmission Reduction Program.
A statistical rationale for relating situational variables and individual differences

Abstract Statistical rationale is presented for relating situational variables (e.g., technological complexity) to person variables (e.g., environmental perceptions, attitudes). A procedure is described wherein correlations are determined between a person variable and one or more situational variables after the scores on the situational variables have been assigned to individuals. The results of the procedure provide opportunities to ascertain (a) the degree to which variation among individuals on a person variable is associated with situational differences, and (b) the degree to which a situational variable accounts for the total possible variation in the person variable that is associated with between-group differences.
Fractionation of a natural mixture of alkenyl acyl- and diacyl choline phosphatides by argentation adsorption thin-layer chromatography

Abstract Argentation adsorption thin-layer chromatography has been used for the fractionation of a natural mixture of alkenyl acyl- and diacyl choline phosphatides. This produced not only concentrates of alkenyl acyl choline phosphatides but also species of alkenyl acyl- and diacyl choline phosphatides that varied in unsaturation in the fatty acid moieties.
Behavioral effects of cocaine and dopaminergic strategies for preclinical medication development.

Abstract Rationale. The illicit use of cocaine is a persistent health problem worldwide. Currently, there are no broadly effective pharmacotherapies to treat cocaine addiction. A prerequisite for development of useful anti-cocaine medications is an understanding of the pharmacological basis of cocaine's effects. The functional analysis of behavior in laboratory animals has allowed for the development of strategies identifying candidate medications to treat cocaine addiction. Objectives. This review summarizes the current status of dopaminergic compounds as cocaine pharmacotherapies in animal models of cocaine addiction. Results. Maintenance medications should share key subjective effects with cocaine, yet have limited abuse liability and side effects. However, maintenance medications often have reinforcing effects that could contribute to abuse potential and side effects that could deter patient compliance. Combined with cocaine, these drugs enhance cocaine's effects. Cocaine antagonists should block the effects of cocaine and have no cocaine-like effects or side effects on their own. However, the cocaine-modulating effects of candidate cocaine antagonists are often surmountable, and, on their own, these drugs produce severe motoric side effects. In contrast, dopamine (DA) partial agonists should exhibit reduced abuse potential relative to agonists, as well as less severe motoric effects relative to antagonists. Combined with cocaine, these drugs should antagonize cocaine's effects. Conclusions. DA partial agonists, in particular the D3-selective and the D1-like partial agonists, offer a more encouraging profile for novel anti-cocaine medications. Neither class of drug is self-administered, and side effects are often less severe and only observed at doses above those that antagonize the effects of cocaine.
An efficient method for volume rendering using perspective projection

Use of the perspective projection adds important perceptual cues for image comprehension. However, it has not been widely used in volume rendering because of the lack of efficient computational algorithms and concern over the nonuniform sampling rate imposed by perspective ray divergence. This paper introduces two new techniques to help make perspective projection more feasible in rendering volume data. First, a method is presented for efficient slice-by-slice processing of volume data, allowing high resolution data sets by eliminating typical memory constraints. Second, an adaptive "ray splitting" approach is described which ensures that the entire volume is sampled within user-specified limits. Additionally, we present results using distributed ray tracing to achieve depth of field effects.
STRATEGIES FOR EARLY DISCHARGE OF THE HOSPITALIZED PATIENT WITH COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA

The treatment of the hospitalized patient with uncomplicated CAP is changing, to include a brief period of intravenous antibiotics followed by oral therapy. The Classification of Community-Acquired Pneumonia or CoCAP is a stratification tool that categorizes patients as low-risk pneumonia, unstable pneumonia, or complicated pneumonia. Use of validated hospital admission criteria, combined with the CoCAP algorithm and evolving criteria for switching patients from intravenous to oral therapy provides a structure for organizing treatment of patients with CAP for caregivers. Patients who can be discharged early are those from the unstable pneumonia group, which includes patients who have had reversal of their metabolic problems and stabilization of comorbid conditions, and who have not developed any serious pneumonia-related complications. Prolonged courses of intravenous antibiotic therapy are being replaced with 2 to 3 day courses of intravenous hydration and antibiotics; a switch to oral therapy and hospital discharge can be achieved after the patient tolerates one dose of oral therapy. Parameters to watch include vital signs and white blood cell count. Provided these parameters are improving, although they may not have returned to normal, the patient can be switched to oral therapy. Although patient treatment guidelines and critical pathways are becoming widespread in disease management, CAP is one disease in which prospective studies have demonstrated that a reduction in hospital stay is safe. Patients, caregivers, and administrators are happy with the reduction in hospital LOS. Other treatment protocols are being explored, including a single dose of intravenous antibiotic prior to oral switch and all-oral regimens employing the newer fluoroquinolones.
Silicone-acyclovir controlled release devices suppress primary herpes simplex virus-2 and varicella zoster virus infections in vitro.

Following initial infection, herpesviruses retreat into a permanent latent state with periodic reactivation resulting in an enhanced likelihood of transmission and clinical disease. The nucleoside analogue acyclovir reduces clinical symptoms of the three human alpha herpesviruses, HSV-1, HSV-2, and VZV. Long-term administration of acyclovir (ACV) can reduce the frequency and severity of reactivation, but its low bioavailability and short half-life require a daily drug regimen. Our lab is working to develop a subcutaneous delivery system to provide long-lasting, sustained release of ACV. Previously, we demonstrated that an implantable silicone (MED-4050) device, impregnated with ACV protected against HSV-1 both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we extend our in vitro observations to include protection against both HSV-2 and VZV. We also demonstrate protection against HSV-2 in vitro using MED-4750, a silicone polymer designed for long-term use in humans. When release of ACV from MED-4750 is quantitated on a daily basis, an initial burst of 5 days is observed, followed by a long period of slow release with near-zero-order kinetics, with an average daily release of 1.3923 ± 0.5908 μg ACV over days 20–60. Development of a slow-release implant has the potential to significantly impact the treatment of human alpha herpesvirus infections.
Signalling specificity in the Akt pathway in breast cancer

Aberrant activation of fundamental cellular processes, such as proliferation, migration and survival, underlies the development of numerous human pathophysiologies, including cancer. One of the most frequently hyperactivated pathways in cancer is the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signalling cascade. Three isoforms of the serine/threonine protein kinase Akt (Akt1, Akt2 and Akt3) function to regulate cell survival, growth, proliferation and metabolism. Strikingly, non-redundant and even opposing functions of Akt isoforms in the regulation of phenotypes associated with malignancy in humans have been described. However, the mechanisms by which Akt isoform-specificity is conferred are largely unknown. In the present review, we highlight recent findings that have contributed to our understanding of the complexity of Akt isoform-specific signalling and discussed potential mechanisms by which this isoform-specificity is conferred. An understanding of the mechanisms of Akt isoform-specificity has important implications for the development of isoform-specific Akt inhibitors and will be critical to finding novel targets to treat disease.
Apparent nonnuclear regulation of intestinal phosphate transport: effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3,24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3.

The steroid hormone 1,25-(OH),D, modulates a number of cellular functions through nonnuclear pathways, particularly the stimulation of intestinal calcium transport (transcaltachia). The present studies determined whether 1,25-(OH),D, rapidly enhanced phosphate transport in the perfused duodenal loop of normal chicks. Vascular perfusion with 65 pM 1,25-(OH),D, significantly stimulated the appearance of ““P in the venous effluent within 2-8 min, reaching an average of 160% of control levels by 40 min. Lumenal perfusion with hormone failed to augment levels of 83P in the venous effluent. Vascular perfusion with a range of 1,25-(OH),D:, concentrations yielded an apparent biphasic dose-response curve. Two additional vitamin D metabolites, 24,25(OH),D:, and 25(OH)D,, which initiate transcaltachia, were tested for their effect on phosphate transport. Neither 6.5 n&v 24,25(OH),D:, nor 100 n.v 25(OH)D, stimulated ““P movement from the lumen to the venous effluent. When duodena were vascularly perfused with 65 pM 1,25(OH),D:, and either 6.5 nM 24,25(OH),D:, or 100 nM 25(OH)D,,, enhanced phosphate transport was attentuated or abolished. Phosphate transport was also analyzed at metabolite levels 5-fold lower or higher than those in normal chicks. For 24,25(OH),D,, 1.3 nM metabolite did not augment phosphate transport, although stimulation did occur at 32.5 nM steroid (180 2 0.2% ofcontrols). For 25(OH)D,,, no stimulation was observed at 500 nM metabolite, whereas 20 nM steroid resulted in transport that was 160 ? 0.14% ofcontrols. The presence or absence of lumenal Ca”’ did not influence phosphate transport in duodena vascularly perfused with control medium, 65 pM 1,25-(OH)&, or 6.5 nM 24,25(OH),D,. In contrast, vascular perfusion with 100 n.v 25(OH)D, stimulated phosphate transport when lumenal Ca” was present but not when it was absent. The influence of lumenal P, on transcaltachia was then studied. Although 65 pM 1,25-(OH),D,, 6.5 nM 24,25(OH),D,, and 100 nM 25(OH)D,, initiate transcaltachia in the presence of lumenal P,, the absence of the anion abolished the stimulatory effects of 1,25-(OH),D:, and 24,25(OH),D,, on calcium transport but not those induced by 25(OH)D,,. These data suggest a complex regulation of both calcium and phosphate transport based on relative levels of circulating vitamin D metabolites as well as the ionic content of the lumen. (Endocrinology 137: 2254-2261, 1996)
IN VITRO RELATION BETWEEN PREGANGLIONIC SYMPATHETIC STIMULATION AND ACTIVITY OF CUTANEOUS GLANDS IN THE BULLFROG

1. Activation of cutaneous glands was studied by measuring changes in transepithelial potentiation (TEP) after pre- and postganglionic sympathetic stimulation in the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana. 2. In normal Ringer solution, TEP was 20-90 mV with the basolateral (inside) surface positive. Single shocks to the preganglionic B pathway decreased TEP by up to 3 mV. Cutaneous depolarizations had a latency of 1.2 s, a rise time of 2.5 s, and decayed with an exponential time constant of 15 s. Similar depolarizations were evoked by postganglionic stimulation. 3. Cutaneous depolarizations summed during repetitive stimulation and > 0.05 Hz. For trains of three stimuli, peak amplitude increased with frequency and saturated at 2 Hz. In some preparations, longer trains evoked polyphasic changes in TEP. Preganglionically evoked cutaneous responses were abolished by (+)-tubocurarine. Postganglionically evoked cutaneous depolarizations were antagonized by phentolamine, but not propranolol. 4. Repetitive preganglionic stimulation of the C pathway (> 100 at 20 Hz) evoked little change in TEP and did not modulate depolarizations evoked through the B pathway. In nicotine, peptidergic cotransmission was enhanced in the ganglia, and repetitive C pathway stimulation evoked cutaneous depolarizations whose time course mirrored that of the postganglionic peptidergic after-discharge. The after-discharge and associated cutaneous depolarization were blocked by a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone antagonist. 5. The results show cutaneous glands are selectively innervated by B neurones and respond to low levels of neural activity. Asynchronous postganglionic firing mediated by peptidergic cotransmission can provide a basis for heterosynaptic interactions between the B and C pathways.
Search tactics for medical image retrieval

Few studies have explored image search behavior in the medical field. This study investigated the effect of domain knowledge on the uses of search tactics during image search process by radiologic technologists. We found that in the field of Radiography, experts and novices demonstrated significant differences in employing five search tactics: Browse, Enlarge, Examine Enlarged Images, Refine, and Exhaust. Experts showed strong capabilities when using image content information to make their relevance judgments, while novices relied more on textual information (e.g., captions) to select relevant images. We also found that experts used exhaustive query terms to initiate a search and browsed several screens of results to locate well-matched images or generate new ideas for further search moves. On the contrary, novices usually started their search with a simpler concept and only browsed the results on the first few screens.
Adaptive pre- and post-filtering for block based systems

This paper introduces an adaptive time-varying signal decomposition framework with perfect reconstruction via a combination of adaptive time-domain pre/post-processing and size-adaptive block DCTs. We explore different methods to produce time-varying basis functions and study various properties of the transition filter banks involved. Several criteria that could be used to select a certain set of basis functions are investigated. Promising coding gains over those of non-adaptive decompositions in an image coding setting are also presented.
Family expressiveness styles and nonverbal communication skills.

The relationship between family norms and practices of emotional expression and nonverbal communication skill was investigated in two studies and a meta-analysis. Based on the general socialization hypothesis presented in the literature, specific predictions were for (a) better non-verbal judging skill in individuals whose families inhibit expressiveness, relative to individuals whose families value expressiveness, and (b) better nonverbal sending skill in individuals whose families value expressiveness, relative to individuals whose families inhibit expressiveness. In the two studies, family expressiveness styles, measured by college students' retrospective self-reports, was related to the skills of sending and judging emotional communications via voice tone and judging emotional communications via facial expression.
No increase in autism-associated genetic events in children conceived by assisted reproduction

Objective To understand the rate of genetic events in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who were exposed to assisted reproduction. Design Case control study using genetics data. Setting Twelve collaborating data collection sites across North America as part of the Simons Simplex Collection. Patient(s) 2,760 children with ASD, for whom 1,994 had published copy number variation data and 424 had published gene mutation status available. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Rates of autism-associated genetic events in children with ASD conceived with assisted reproduction versus those conceived naturally. Result(s) No statistically significant differences in copy number variations or autism-associated gene-disrupting events were found when comparing ASD patients exposed to assisted reproduction with those not exposed to assisted reproduction. Conclusion(s) This is the first large genetic association to concurrently examine the genotype of individuals with ASD in relation to their exposure to ART versus natural conception, and it adds reassuring evidence to the argument that ART does not increase the risk of ASD.
Characterization of indoor and outdoor air associated with residences using woodstoves: A pilot study

Abstract Particulate, semivolatile organic compound (SVOC), volatile organic compound (VOC), and aldehyde samples were simultaneously collected during two nighttime 12-hour sampling periods at three Raleigh, NC, residences with operating woodstoves during February 1985. Particulate and SVOC samples were also collected from the woodstoves by using the Woodstove Dilution Sampling System. Extensive inorganic and organic analyses were conducted. Mutagenic activity on the particle samples was determined by using the forward mutation assay to 8-azaguanine resistance in Salmonella typhimurium . CO and air exchange rates were measured in each residence. Indoor fine particle mass was significantly lower than the corresponding outdoor fine particle mass in the three homes monitored. Vapor-phase extractable organic mass was approximately six times the corresponding particle-bound extractable organic mass, suggesting the need for additional research in the collection and characterization of indoor air vapor phase organic components. VOC distribution was uniform from outdoors to indoors and did not change with increased outdoor woodstove emissions. Increased napthalene concentrations were observed at one residence identified as having a leaking woodstove. Aldehyde concentrations indoors were higher than the corresponding outdoor samples. The distribution of indoor aldehydes differed from that of outdoor aldehydes which suggest that the building materials, furnishings, and individual homeowner activities impact more significantly on the indoor concentrations than woodsmoke or automotive emissions.
The I.R. Spectra of Lysine Adsorbed on Several Cation-Substituted Montmorillonites

The i.r. spectra (4000-1200 cm 1) are obtained for several cation-substituted-montmorll- lonite-lysine complexes that were prepared at their natural pH's. Analyses of the spectra of copper-, cobalt-, nickel- and zinc-montmorillonite films indicate that bidentate chelate complexes which contain protonated e-amino-groups are present in the interlamellar spaces. Investigation of the spectra of the hydrogen-, calcium- and natural-montmorillonite films indicates that the dominant adsorbed species for these complexes is a lysine cation in which both the c~- and the e-amino-groups are protonated while the carboxyl group is ionized.
Formal Methods for Life-Critical Software

The use of computer software in life-critical applications, such as for civil air transports, demands the use of rigorous formal mathematical verification procedures. This paper demonstrates how to apply formal methods to the development and verification of software by leading the reader step-by-step through requirements analysis, design, implementation, and verification of an electronic phone book application. The current maturity and limitations of formal methods tools and techniques are then discussed, and a number of examples of the successful use of formal methods by industry are cited.
Intron/exon organization and polymorphisms of the PLK3/PRK gene in human lung carcinoma cell lines.

PLK3/PRK, a conserved polo family protein serine/threonine kinase, plays a significant role at the onset of mitosis and mitotic progression. Recently, PLK3/PRK has been shown to induce apoptosis when overexpressed in cell lines and is also implicated in cell proliferation and tumor development. Forty lung tumor cell lines were used for single-strand confirmation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis and DNA sequencing to examine the mutational status of PLK3/PRK. No missense or nonsense mutations were revealed in the lung carcinoma cell lines examined. However, three polymorphisms were identified as: a G to A at position 720, an A to G at 1053, and a G to C at 1275. Intron/exon boundaries were determined by amplification of genomic DNA with PLK3/PRK exon-specific primers. The amplification products with increased size relative to the cDNA were sequenced. Fifteen exons throughout the open reading frame were characterized. None of the introns were exceptionally large, typically ranging from 100–300 basepairs in length. These results suggest that although PLK3/PRK expression is downregulated in a majority of lung carcinoma samples, mutational inactivation of the coding sequence of the PLK3/PRK gene appears to be a rare event in lung cancer. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effects of Ion Bombardment in Oxygen Plasma Etching

The relative roles of ion bombardment and oxygen radicals have been examined for oxygen plasma etching of common photoresists and silicon containing resists. The degree of oxygen dissociation in the plasma has been measured as a function of power and pressure in the reactor. Etch rates for hydrocarbon resists increase with pressure over the range studied, although the ion bombardment energy and the flux of oxygen radicals decrease. This indicates that the supply of neutral oxygen molecules is the limiting factor in the range of operating conditions (20 to 80 mtorr) typically found in reactive ion etching (RIE). The role of ion induced damage is small for standard resist etching but the damage aids in the formation of an oxide layer when etching silicon containing materials.
Radioactive Decay of the Isomers of Americium-242

The decay characteristics of the two isomers of ${\mathrm{Am}}^{242}$ have been investigated. The beta decay of the 16-hour ${\mathrm{Am}}^{242m}$ has a branching ratio of 51\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5% to the first-excited state (42.3 kev) of ${\mathrm{Cm}}^{242}$ with the remainder of the decay going to the ground state. The electron capture decay of ${\mathrm{Am}}^{242m}$ has a branching ratio of approximately 60% to first-excited state (44.8 kev) of ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{242}$. An upper limit of 6% has been set for the fraction of ${\mathrm{Am}}^{242m}$ decay via isomeric transition. The beta decay of the 100-year ${\mathrm{Am}}^{242}$ has a branching ratio of 45\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5% to the first-excited state of ${\mathrm{Cm}}^{242}$ with the remainder of the decay going to the ground state. The beta-spectrum end points for ${\mathrm{Am}}^{242m}$ and ${\mathrm{Am}}^{242}$ have been measured to be 620\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}10 kev and 585\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}10 kev, respectively. A decay scheme for the two isomers has been proposed. $\mathrm{Log}\mathrm{ft}$ values have been calculated for beta and electron capture decay of the isomers and are discussed in conjunction with spin and parity assignments.
Application of the phase-field model to the p-n junction: comparison with the conventional sharp-interface model

A one-dimensional phase-field method was developed that allowed us to observe the evolution of electric potential, charge density, concentration of holes and electrons, as well as distribution of temperature and temperature-related effects across the p-n junction of a model semiconductor diode.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Social interaction with an intoxicated sibling can result in increased intake of ethanol by periadolescent rats.

A novel procedure for enhancing voluntary intake of ethanol in periadolescent rats is described. The procedure is a modification of Galef et al.'s (e.g., Galef, Kennett, & Stein, 1985; Anim Learn Behave 13:25-30) demonstrator-observer procedure. Subjects were Sprague-Dawley rats, 28-35 days of age. The experimental subject (observer) interacted with a same-sex conspecific (demonstrator) previously administered (a) 1.5 g/kg ethanol, (b) an equal volume of water, or (c) 2.1% Sanka coffee intragastrically. Observers were tested with 24-hour access to ethanol and coffee solutions. Observers that had interacted with demonstrators administered ethanol ingested significantly more ethanol during the test than observers in the other two groups. In Experiment 2 demonstrators were administered one of several doses of ethanol (0.0, 1.0, 1.5, or 3.0 g/kg) and observers' ethanol intakes were assessed. Only those observers that interacted with 1.5 g/kg demonstrators increased their ingestion of ethanol, relative to water controls. The lower (1.0 g/kg) and higher (3.0 g/kg) dose groups did not show altered ethanol ingestion. These results are discussed with respect to threshold levels of respired ethanol cues and the ability of observers to detect these cues from demonstrators. The demonstrator-observer procedure appears to be effective for the social transmission of preferences for ethanol in periadolescent rats.
High Temperature Behavior of Silicon Carbide and Aluminum Oxide Ceramics in Coal and Residual‐Oil Slags

Ceramic tubes made of aluminium oxide, sialon, and several commercial silicon carbides were exposed for about 500 h at 1200 to 1220 C to the combustion products from either No. 6 fuel oil or a mixture of 10% bituminous coal in No. 6 fuel oil (COM). After exposure to combustion products from No. 6 fuel oil, the linear thermal expansion at 1000 C for sintered ..gamma..chemically bond-SiC was 17% greater than it was before the experiment. For CVD SiC and siliconized SiC, there was no change. For alumina, it decreased by about 30%. When exposed to COM combustion products, the thermal expansion of the ..gamma..chemically bond-SiC increased slightly, and that of siliconized KT SiC increased by about 16% at 1000 C. Significant thermal expansion differences were observed between the upstream and downstream sides of the tubes for sintered ..gamma..chemically bond-SiC, the KT SiC, and the alumina. The strength after exposure for ..cap alpha..-SiC decreased by about 4%; the others remained unchanged. The helium permeability increased after exposure. The greatest increase occurred for tubes exposed only to residual fuel oil. 6 references.
Foraminiferal Paleoenvironments and Biostratigraphy of Eocene Nanjemoy Formation, Virginia and Maryland: ABSTRACT

Foraminiferal and sedimentologic data from 80 spot samples collected in Virginia and Maryland were used to investigate the paleoenvironments and biostratigraphy of the lower Eocene Nanjemoy Formation. The predominant lithology of the Nanjemoy Formation is variably glauconitic fossiliferous muddy sands, with foraminiferal abundance decreasing up section. The sediments of the lower Potapaco member are typically fine to medium-grained muddy sands containing abundant lignite and sparse glauconite. The upper Woodstock member is characterized by fine to coarse-grained sands with a decreased mud content and increased glauconite abundance. Distributions of individual foraminiferal taxa, planktonic-benthic ratios, foraminiferal suborder ratios, and species diversity patterns were used to determine variations in the Nanjemoy paleoenvironment throughout the lower Eocene Salisbury embayment. Planktonic foraminifera place the samples sections within established biostratigraphic schemes. Supplemental evidence of paleoenvironmental variations was obtained from grain size and composition data of all samples collected. Cluster and canonical variate analyses were used to investigate further similarities and differences in the foraminiferal content between samples, locations, and members. End_of_Article - Last_Page 314------------
Experimental Validation of an Elastic-Plastic Contact Model

In many engineered structures and components, impact events frequently occur between sub-components. Numerical models are able to adequately capture the salient features of these events; however, with high fidelity finite element models, an unreasonably large number of elements are needed to accurately model just the elastic regime when arbitrary contact is considered. In order to solve real engineering problems with elastic-plastic impacts in complex or built up systems, an analytical expression is needed to make solutions practical. To this end, a series of experiments are designed to test a new elastic plastic model for impact dynamics. A hard metal ball is attached as the end of a pendulum, and is struck against a relatively compliant metal puck. Digital image analysis is used to measure the displacement and velocity of the metal ball across the impact events. Frictional losses in the system are minimized, and the coefficient of restitution is calculated as a function of velocity. These measurements are used to validate an elastic-plastic impact model, which is further compared to and other models from the literature. Good agreement is found between the new analytical model and the experiments.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
A Prospective Comparison of the Impact of Uterine Artery Embolization, Myomectomy, and Hysterectomy on Ovarian Function

PURPOSE To prospectively compare uterine artery embolization (UAE) versus myomectomy and hysterectomy with regard to ovarian function as measured by postprocedure follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-five patients were prospectively enrolled in the study: 33 patients who underwent UAE, seven who underwent myomectomy, and 15 who underwent hysterectomy. Patients had serum FSH and estradiol levels measured on the third day of the menstrual cycle before their procedure and at regular follow-up visits for as long as 6 months. At these intervals, patients were also surveyed regarding menopausal symptoms. RESULTS Although a mild transient increase in mean FSH level after UAE was noted at 3 months, there were no statistically significant differences among the three groups in mean FSH levels at 1 month, 3 months, or 6 months of follow-up. Menopausal symptoms arose in the UAE and hysterectomy groups, but there was no statistically significant difference or permanent effect in either group. CONCLUSION There is no significant difference in impact on ovarian function after UAE, hysterectomy, or myomectomy at follow-up for a maximum of 6 months.
Computers and the Elderly: A Review of the Literature and Directions for Future Research

Microcomputers could help reduce two of the principal fears of the elderly: inadequate income and loss of independence; yet there are indications that the elderly do not use computers very extensively because they see them as too complicated or because some of the physical impairments of advancing age make using standard systems too difficult for them. Previous research has shown a high degree of interest in computers among the aging, even in those over 85; however, the research has not focused on the elderly's special needs in the human-computer interface. Research is required on alternative input devices, such as the touchscreen and voice recognition, on menus and screen design, and on the use of color for coding or display background.
A simple and ultrasensitive enzymatic assay for the quantitative determination of lysozyme in the picogram range

Abstract A simple method for the ultrasensitive quantitation of lysozyme has been developed. The enzyme's lytic activity against Micrococcus lysodeikticus is measured spectrophotometrically after an 18-h incubation period. The method is capable of quantitating lysozyme at concentrations as low as 5 pg/ml, and is applicable to determinations of the enzyme in complex biological mixtures.
Interstrain comparison of glutathione-dependent reactions in susceptible and resistant houseflies☆

Abstract Glutathione S-alkyl- and S-aryltransferase activities and the glutathione-dependent reactions involved in the metabolism of diazinon, parathion, DDT and γ-BHC were determined in two susceptible and three resistant housefly strains. The relative rate of formation of desethyl diazinon and desethyl parathion and the degradation of γ-BHC paralleled the activities of the alkyl and aryltransferases in the various strains of houseflies suggesting that a single enzyme might be involved. DDT-dehydrochlorinase showed different relative rates among the strains indicating that the dechlorination was catalyzed by a different enzyme. The enzyme responsible for the conjugation of the pyrimidinyl moiety of diazinon appears to be different from the one which catalyzes the conjugation of the p-nitrophenyl moiety of parathion. The dearylation reactions were not mediated by the glutathione S-aryltransferase in the various housefly strains.
Reproductive biology: Sperm protein finds its mate

Knowledge of the sperm-specific protein that is required for the attachment of sperm to eggs during fertilization in mammals has led to the identification of the protein's receptor on the egg's plasma membrane. See Article p.483 Little is known about how sperm and egg specifically recognize each other. A sperm cell surface protein that is required for male fertility (called Izumo) was identified in 2005, but the identity of its partner on the egg has remained elusive. Gavin Wright and colleagues have now identified the egg receptor for Izumo, which they name Juno. Female mice lacking Juno are infertile and Juno-deficient eggs do not fuse with normal sperm. The authors show that the interaction is conserved within mammals, so these findings may open possible opportunities for the development of new fertility treatments and contraceptives.
Residual Cardiovascular Risk Despite Optimal LDL-Cholesterol Reduction with Statins: The Evidence, Etiology, and Therapeutic Challenges

This review captures the existence, cause, and treatment challenges of residual cardiovascular risk (CVR) after aggressive low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction. Scientific evidence implicates low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and high triglycerides (TG) in the CVR observed after LDL-C lowering. However, the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) lipid trial with fenofibrate, the Investigation of Lipid Level Management to Understand its Impact in Atherosclerotic Events (ILLUMINATE) study with torcetrapib, and the recently terminated Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL Cholesterol/High Triglyceride and Impact on Global Health Outcomes (AIM-HIGH) study with niacin, do not clearly attribute risk reduction value to HDL-C/TG modulation. The optimum approach to long-term lipid-modifying therapies for CVR reduction remains uncertain. Consequently, absolute risk modulation via lifestyle changes remains the centerpiece of a strategy addressing the physiologic drivers of CVR associated with HDL-C/TG, especially in the context of diabetes/metabolic syndrome.
Optimality for controlled jump processes: a simple approach*

This note presents a very simple method for deriving the necessary optimality conditions for optimal control of jump (point) processes. By means of Bellman's principle of optimality, the original stochastic control problem is transformed into a simple optimization problem. The derivation is remarkably simpler than the existing ones in the literature.
The utility of gambling.

A tiny utility of gambling is appended to an expected utility model for a risk-averse individual. It is shown that the model can explain small payoff gambles, large prize lotteries, and patterns of risk-seeking in the experimental evidence that are puzzling from the viewpoint of standard theory. At the same time, the model maintains expected utility theory's ability to explain insurance purchase, portfolio diversification, and other risk-averting behavior. The tiny utility of gambling could equally well be appended to models of risky choice other than the expected utility model.
Supervenience, determination, and dependence

: I show how existing concepts of supervenience relate to two more fundamental ontological relations: determination and dependence. Determination says that the supervenient properties of a thing are a function of its base properties, while dependence says that having a supervenient property implies having a base property. I show that most varieties of supervenience are either determination relations or determination relations conjoined with dependence relations. In the process of unpacking these connections I identify limitations of existing concepts of supervenience and provide ways of overcoming them. What results is a more precise, flexible, and powerful set of tools for relating sets of properties than current concepts of supervenience provide. I apply these tools to a recalcitrant problem in the physicalism literature – the problem of extras.
Entertainment R&D for defense

We discuss America's Army, an Internet-based PC game suite developed by the Moves Institute under the auspices of the US Army. The goal within America's Army: Operations was to demonstrate life in the infantry. America's Army: Soldiers was conceived as a realistic look at army personal and career opportunities via sophisticated role-playing.
Some New Pitch Paradoxes and Their Implications

This paper explores two new paradoxical sound patterns. The tones used to produce these patterns consist of six octave-related harmonics, whose amplitudes are scaled by a bell-shaped spectral envelope; these tones are clearly defined in terms of pitch class (C, C#, D, and so on) but are poorly defined in terms of height. One pattern consists of two tones that are separated by a half-octave. It is heard as ascending when played in one key, yet as descending when played in a different key. Further, when the pattern is played in any one key it is heard as ascending by some listeners but as descending by others (the tritone paradox). Another pattern that consists of simultaneous pairs of tones displays related properties (the semitone paradox). It is shown that the way the tritone paradox is perceived correlates with the speech characteristics of the listener, including his or her linguistic dialect. The findings suggest that the same, culturally acquired representation of pitch classes influences both speech production and also perception of this musical pattern.
Do Cancer Patients Fully Understand Clinical Trial Participation? A Pilot Study to Assess Informed Consent and Patient Expectations*

Background. Accepted practices of informed consent often result in suboptimal patient understanding of research studies.Methods. This pilot study aimed to assess trial-specific tailored materials, compared to a widely used generic booklet about clinical trials, randomly assigned to 118 candidates for cancer clinical trials. Study outcomes were: satisfaction with decision-making; satisfaction with materials; and subjective understanding of the clinical trial.Results. There were no major differences between groups. Participants rated tailored materials higher as a useful reference.Conclusions. Trial-specific materials hold utility for reference during clinical trials. Studies of informed consent are feasible, although important factors limit research.
Probabilistic dimension of the AHP approach to input-output analysis: A note

A probabilistic dimension is here noted to lie at the kernel of the priority theory approach to input-output analysis. Practical implication of this assimilation is noted alternatively for a direct survey and/or a non-survey approach to the construction of the table of technical coefficients by using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP).
Rock 'n' roll nation: counterculture and dissent in Romania, 1965–1975

A vibrant countercultural and dissident movement developed in Romania between 1965 and 1975. Young Romanians combined elements of the global youth movement with local cultural and political practices. Thus, Romanian counterculture and dissent shared the era's hippie aesthetic and anti-authoritarianism, but was highly isolationist, vehemently antisocialist and heavily couched in the language of the nation and nationalism. Furthermore, during this early Ceausescu period, the socialist regime attracted some level of nonconformist support through a program of reform, opposition to Soviet interference, and nationalist rhetoric. These conclusions demonstrate that the rubric of 1960s counterculture needs to be extended to include a variety of ideological and cultural positions beyond the New Left that scholars generally emphasize. Furthermore, scholarly avoidance of Ceausescu's early period has obscured the existence of an alternative culture, and has led to an un-nuanced interpretation of Romania's postwar history.
Flexible terahertz metamaterials: towards a terahertz metamaterial invisible cloak

In this work, we present flexible metamaterials on free standing polyimide substrates operating at terahertz (THz) frequencies range. The successful demonstration of THz flexible metamaterials provides a path forward for creating multi-layer non-planar metamaterials such as THz invisible cloak. We also present a design for a metamaterial cylindrical shell capable of acting as an invisible cloak at 0.5 THz along with present measurements of the individual elements which constitute the cloak. These results serve as an important step forward in constructing a functional THz cloak.
Comparison of TOA and RSS based techniques for RF localization inside human tissue

Localization inside the human body using radio frequency (RF) transmission is gaining importance in a number of applications such as Capsule Endoscopy. The accuracy of RF localization depends on the technology adopted for this purpose. The two most common RF localization technologies use received signal strength (RSS) and time-of-arrival (TOA). This paper presents a comparison of the accuracy of TOA and RSS based localization inside human tissue. Analysis of the propagation of radio waves inside the human body is extremely challenging and computationally intensive. We use our proprietary finite difference time domain (FDTD) technique algorithm reported in [1] to simulate waveform transmissions inside the human body, which is almost 60 times faster than commercially available solvers used for similar purposes. The RSS and TOA of the waveforms are extracted for localization and the accuracies of the two methods are compared. The accuracy of each technique is compared with traditional CRLB commonly used for calculation of bounds for the performance of localization techniques.
Heterotopic implantation of a porcine bioprosthetic heart valve in a dog with aortic valve endocarditis.

Case Description—A 5-year-old male German Shepherd Dog was evaluated because of a 5-month history of progressive lethargy, weight loss, and heart failure. Clinical Findings—On physical examination, bounding femoral pulses and systolic and diastolic murmurs were detected. Echocardiography revealed severe aortic valve insufficiency (AVI) and a large vegetative lesion on the aortic valve consistent with aortic valve endocarditis. The AVI velocity profile half-time was 130 milliseconds; the calculated peak systolic pressure gradient across the aortic valve was 64 mm Hg. Left ventricular diameter during diastole was 63.6 mm (predicted range, 40.2 to 42 mm) and during systole was 42.9 mm (predicted range, 25.4 to 27 mm). Systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressures were 120, 43, and 65 mm Hg, respectively. Treatment and Outcome—To palliate severe AVI, the descending aorta was occluded (duration, 16.75 minutes) and heterotopic implantation of a porcine bioprosthetic heart valve in that vessel was perfo...