cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sequential pulmonary function measurements in very low-birth weight infants during the first week of life

Sequential lung function was measured in 12 very low-birth weight infants (less than or equal to 1,250 g) within 14 hours of birth, and at daily intervals thereafter for the first week of life, using an esophageal balloon and pneumotachograph system. All infants were clinically free of respiratory distress syndrome and radiographically showed no evidence of atelectasis or pulmonary edema. The alveolar-arterial oxygen tension gradient was high at birth and remained elevated over the period during which arterial blood gases were monitored. Increases of lung compliance and tidal volume between the first day and the end of the first week of life were not significant. Day-to-day determinations of lung compliance revealed an individual and group variability without a definite pattern. Lung resistance measurements indicated no clear trend for the group as a whole, but inspiratory resistance was generally lower than expiratory resistance. Possible causes, in addition to technical factors, that may account for the variability in the pulmonary mechanics of these small infants include an instability of lung volume and uneven distribution of pleural pressure due to chest wall distortion, differences in sleep-state, and alteration in the distribution of body fluids, resulting in a change in lung water. Any or all of these mechanisms may result in an unstable lung, even in an apparently clinically stable very low-birth weight infant.
Tensile strength of bovine trabecular bone

Data on the tensile and compressive properties of trabecular bone are needed to define input parameters and failure criteria for modeling total joint replacements. To help resolve differences in reports comparing tensile and compressive properties of trabecular bone, we have developed new methods, based on porous foam technology, for tensile testing of fresh/frozen trabecular bone specimens. Using bovine trabecular bone from an isotropic region from the proximal humerus as a model material, we measured ultimate strengths in tension and compression for two groups of 24 specimens each. The average ultimate strength in tension was 7.6 +/- 2.2 (95% C.I.) MPa and in compression was 12.4 +/- 3.2 MPa. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.013) and was not related to density differences between the test groups (p = 0.28). Strength was related by a power-law function of the local apparent density, but, even accounting for density influences, isotropic bovine trabecular bone exhibits significantly lower strengths in tension than in compression.
SOLUTION OF NONLINEAR SYSTEMS

The problem of solving systems of nonlinear equations has been relatively neglected in the mathematical literature, especially in the textbooks, in comparison to the corresponding linear problem. Moreover, treatments that have an appearance of generality fail to discuss the nature of the solutions and the possible pitfalls of the methods suggested. Probably it is unrealistic to expect that a unified and comprehensive treatment of the subject will evolve, owing to the great variety of situations possible, especially in the applied field where some requirement of human or mechanical efficiency is always present. Therefore we attempt here simply to pose the problem and to describe and partially appraise the methods of solution currently in favor.
Isolated local recurrence in carcinoma of the vulva: prognosis and implications for treatment

Faul C, Miramow D, Gerszten K, Huang C, Edwards R. Isolated local recurrence in carcinoma of the vulva: Prognosis and implications for treatment. Int J Gynecol Cancer 1998; 8: 409–414. An isolated local recurrence in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the vulva is reported to have a high surgical salvage rate. This study evaluates the impact of an isolated local recurrence on survival and evaluates predictive factors for outcome. Forty-seven patients were found to have an isolated local recurrence following definitive therapy for SCC of the vulva between 1980 and 1996 at a single institution. The primary and recurrent tumor's surgicopathological characteristics were retrospectively reviewed. Actuarial survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan Meier method and prognostic factors analyzed by the Cox proportional hazards model. Thirty-one patients were treated with surgery alone, 14 with combined therapy or radiation alone and two were not treated at recurrence. Actuarial 5-year survival was 40 %. Treatment modality had no influence on outcome despite having bulkier recurrences in the combination or radiation group. On univariate analysis FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage at initial presentation, disease free interval of < one year, pathologically positive inguinal nodes at presentation, capillary lymphatic space involvement (CLS) at presentation and tumor size at recurrence were all significant predictors for survival. On multivariate analysis CLS in primary tumor, tumor size at recurrence, and pathologically positive nodes at initial presentation reached statistical significance. There was a high subsequent local and distant recurrence rate. An isolated first local recurrence does not have a uniformly good prognosis. Avoidance of local recurrence is important. With a high subsequent local and distant recurrence rate, more innovative treatment strategies are needed.
Predictors of obesity among children living in Mexico City.

A U I d o t A A n populations of emerging economies such as Mexico City, childhood obesity and risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases in children are increasing at larming rates. Investigators attribute the increase of hese degenerative diseases in Mexico City in part to the hanging demographics and health practices among indiiduals living in this region. Since 1940, Mexico City has rown at an annual rate of 4.2%, from 1.6 million to 14.8 illion in 1990, primarily because of in-migration as peole moved from rural to urban areas in search of employent opportunities and prosperity (1). Approximately 0% of migrants arrived from the poorest states in the ountry, areas that are primarily composed of individuals rom indigenous backgrounds (1,2). Emerging research shows that the health behaviors of ndividuals who migrate from rural to urban areas in exico deteriorate after their arrival to urban regions. ndividuals who live in rural communities have more ealthful eating practices than those living in urban setings (3), and as citizens migrate from rural regions to rban areas, they transition from consuming traditional oods that are high in grains, fruits, and vegetables to ating a Western-type diet high in fat and refined sugars 4). It has been noted that one reason why individuals onsume fewer fruits and vegetables in urban settings is he high cost of these foods (5). Moreover, migration to arger cities also is associated with a decrease in physical ctivity (3). People who move from rural areas to the ities generally become less physically active, leaving beind active working lives involving agricultural and eavy manual labor (5-7). Individuals who transition to rban life also are more likely than people in rural areas o watch more television, play computer games, and rely n motor vehicle transportation. The decrease of healthul dietary intakes and the adoption of a sedentary lifetyle among members of migrant communities who reloate to urban settings may help explain, to some extent,
On the analysis of dispersion property and stable time step in meshfree method using the generalized meshfree approximation

This paper studies the dispersion characteristic and stable time step of the meshfree method in explicit dynamic problems using the generalized meshfree (GMF) approximation. In the dispersion analysis, the von Neumann method is applied to analyze the numerical dispersion errors for the spatial semi-discretization of a partial differential equation (PDE) in meshfree method using various approximations. The study emphasizes on the influence from the Kronecker-delta property in the approximation that is constructed using the GMF approximation and the full transformation method. In the stable time step analysis, we derive the analytical value of the critical time step based on the eigenvalue analysis. In addition, special attention is paid on the study of the boundary condition effect in suggesting a stable time step used for the practical analysis. Three full-discretization examples are presented to verify the study in the semi-discretization analysis.
Explosive magma-water interactions: Thermodynamics, explosion mechanisms, and field studies

Physical analysis of explosive, magma-water interaction is complicated by several important controls: (1) the initial geometry and location of the contact between magma and water; (2) the process by which thermal energy is transferred from the magma to the water; (3) the degree to and manner by which the magma and water become intermingled prior to eruption; (4) the thermodynamic equation of state for mixtures of magma fragments and water; (5) the dynamic metastability of superheated water; and (6) the propagation of shock waves through the system. All of these controls can be analyzed while addressing aspects of tephra emplacement from the eruptive column by fallout, surge, and flow processes. An ideal thermodynamic treatment, in which the magma and external water are allowed to come to thermal equilibrium before explosive expansion, shows that the maximum system pressure and entropy are determined by the mass ratio of water and magma interacting. Explosive (thermodynamic) efficiency, measured by the ratio of maximum work potential to thermal energy of the magma, depends upon heat transfer from the pyroclasts to the vapor during the expansion stage. The adiabatic case, in which steam immediately separates from the tephra during ejection, produces lower efficiencies than does the isothermal case, in which heat is continually transferred from tephra to steam as it expands. Mechanisms by which thermal equilibrium between water and magma can be obtained require intimate mixing of the two. Interface instabilities of the Landau and Taylor type have been documented by experiments to cause fine-scale mixing prior to vapor explosion. In these cases, water is heated rapidly to a metastable state of superheat where vapor explosion occurs by spontaneous nucleation when a temperature limit is exceeded. Mixing may also be promoted by shock wave propagation. If the shock is of sufficient strength to break the magma into small pieces, thermal equilibrium and vapor production in its wake may drive the shock as a thermal detonation. Because these mechanisms of magma fragmentation allow calculation of grain size, vapor temperature and pressure, and pressure rise times, detailed emplacement models can be developed by critical field and laboratory analysis of the resulting tephra deposits. Deposits left by dense flows of tephra and wet steam as opposed to those left by dilute flows of dry steam and tephra show contrasts in median grain size, dispersal area, grain shape, grain surface chemistry, and bed form.
Trypanosoma lewisi: ultrastructural changes in rat liver.

Host responses to infection were examined by observing the ultrastructural changes in liver from rats infected withTrypanosoma lewisi from day 1 to day 49 of infection. Trypanosomes were present in large numbers in the sinusoids on the 7th day of infection. By day 14, trypanosomes were seen in kupffer cells. The endoplasmic reticulum showed distended cisternae from day 4 of infection to day 14 of infection. Mitochondria in liver from infected rats increased in number and were swollen only on day 7 of infection. The hepatocytes showed focal areas of lipid from day 7 to day 28 of infection. Residual lysosomes in kupffer cells were found from the 14th to 21st day of infection. Initially, glycogen was dispersed but as the infection advanced, it became aggregated by day 7 of infection. By the 49th day of infection, glycogen again appeared dispersed. At the 35th, 42nd and 49th days of infection, the appearance of the liver was similar in general to that of normal liver.
Privacy protection for your patients: understanding the federal requirements.

On April 14, 2003, almost every medical provider in this country must implement new federal privacy rules. Here’s how.
Signal transduction pathways in neuronal differentiation

New insights into the signal transduction pathways for neuronal growth factors and cell adhesion molecules are affording us a better understanding of the intracellular mechanisms for neuronal differentiation, and of the ways in which the various signals are integrated during this process.
Duffing's oscillator and the normal to local mode transition in AB2 triatomic molecules

Abstract We report the analytical solution of the classical equations of motion of Darling—Dennison systems. The solution follows from the equivalence of the system to an undriven Duffing oscillator without damping. The stability properties of the solutions are discussed using phase-plane and potential analysis, resulting in a precise specification of the conditions for the normal to local mode transition. A phase diagram that establishes the correspondence between the classical trajectories to experimentally observed states is presented. The relevance of this result to the quantum mechanical problem is outlined, and the connection to earlier work discussed.
Case studies in the diagnosis and management of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by melanotic macules, gastrointestinal polyps and increased cancer risks. We discuss several common scenarios encountered in the diagnosis and management of PJS patients. If the diagnosis is unclear, all pathological material should be re-evaluated by an expert gastrointestinal pathologist. The PJS discussion email list-serve (patient managed) and the peutz-jeghers.com, geneclinics.org, stk11.com websites are useful resources for patients. Cancer surveillance is accepted as a method to increase survival for PJS patients, thus all PJS patients should be prescribed an individualized surveillance plan based on personal and family history as well as available health care resources while taking into consideration the preferences of the patient. Several recent incremental improvements in PJS care have been made including the use of magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) and double balloon endoscopy (DBE). MRE combines cancer and small intestinal polyp surveillance, which previously had required two or more separate tests. How and when to perform pancreatic cancer surveillance continues to be an unclear area in the management of PJS patients. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is probably the most sensitive investigation for pancreatic cancer detection at an early stage when cure may be possible. However, EUS is limited by variability and false positive results. Female patients with PJS are at risk for two rare cancers that require regular surveillance, adenoma malignum and ovarian sex cord tumors with annular tubules.
Spectroscopic Variations in Cyg X-2

The x-ray source Cyg X-2 was optically identified with a fifteenth magnitude blue object. Initial spectroscopic observations showed the presence of broad Balmer absorption lines, a narrow strong Ca II K line, and a narrow He II lambda 4686 emission line. Radial velocity variations were also evident, confirmed by later spectroscopic observations. Photometric monitoring showed that the object varied erratically on a time scale of minutes. More recent spectroscopic observations showed that the He II emission had developed a P-Cygni profile, and that emission at lambda lambda 4640-50 due to C III-N III was present. The present communication reports the results of additional spectroscopic observations obtained in 1972 and 1973 with the 82 inch and 107 inch reflectors at the McDonald Observatory. The 1972 spectra obtained showed the He II and C III--N III emission features, and P-Cygni structure was evident in the He line. A strong Ca II K line was shown in the 1973 spectra, indicating a spectral type of F5 or later, although the strength of the Balmer absorption lines indicated a spectral type A5 or earlier. The C III-N III emission was no longer seen in the 1973 spectra. The He II emission was present, butmore » with no evidence of P-Cygni structure, and it appears that Cyg X-2 no longer shows large radial velocity variations. Further optical studies are needed. (UK)« less
Generation of Precision Pixel Clock in Laser Printers and Scanners

A new method of generating a pixel clock which can achieve fractional pixel registration across the entire film format without the need for precision servo control of the spinner motor is described. This method utilizes an auxiliary laser beam in parallel with the main writing/scanning beam. A description of several classical methods of generating precision pixel clocks for use with laser printers and laser scanners is included. The pixel placement accuracy achievable with each method is discussed along with advantages and limitations of each method. The auxiliary beam of the new method is first diverted from the writing beam just prior to its impinging the film and is then passed through an optical ruling. The modulated auxiliary beam is then collected on a photodetector. The resulting signal from the photodetector is used as a reference signal to which the pixel clock is phase locked. Generating the pixel clock in this manner not only produces accurate line-to-line pixel registration along the line, which is independent of perturbation in the scanner rotation, but also corrects for geometric distortions along the line length caused by the lens system.
The pathogenesis of rat virus infection in infant and juvenile rats after oronasal inoculation.

The pathogenesis of rat virus (RV) infection was studied in random-bred Sprague-Dawley rats after oronasal inoculation of a recent RV isolate designated RV-Yale (RV-Y). RV-Y was pathogenic for rats inoculated as infants (2 days) whereas rats inoculated as juveniles (4 weeks) had asymptomatic infection and no lesions. Rats inoculated as infants developed pantropic infection accompanied by hepatic necrosis, granuloprival cerebellar hypoplasia and hemorrhagic encephalopathy. Virological and serological studies showed that virus could persist in inoculated rats for at least 35 days and for at least 28 days after seroconversion was first detected. Immuno-histochemical results indicated that RV-Y infects tissues conducive to virus excretion including kidney and lung. RV-Y also was found in genital tissues of some rats. Athymic juvenile rats inoculated intraperitoneally with RV-Y had a poor humoral immune response and harbored infectious virus for at least 3 weeks, whereas infection in euthymic control rats was detected for 1 week. These studies indicate that RV-Y can persists in the presence of humoral immunity and suggest that transmission of infection could occur for a substantial period after seroconversion. They also suggest that immunodeficient rats have increased susceptibility to persistent infection.
Arginine nutrition and fetal brown adipose tissue development in nutrient-restricted sheep

Intrauterine growth restriction is a significant problem worldwide, resulting in increased rates of neonatal morbidity and mortality, as well as increased risks for metabolic and cardiovascular disease. The present study investigated the role of maternal undernutrition and l-arginine administration on fetal growth and development. Embryo transfer was utilized to generate genetically similar singleton pregnancies. On Day 35 of gestation, ewes were assigned to receive either 50 or 100% of their nutritional requirements. Ewes received i.v. injections of either saline or l-arginine three times daily from Day 100 to Day 125. Fetal growth was assessed at necropsy on Day 125. Maternal dietary manipulation altered circulating concentrations of leptin, progesterone, and amino acids in maternal plasma. Fetal weight was reduced in nutrient-restricted ewes on Day 125 compared with 100% fed ewes. Compared with saline-treated underfed ewes, maternal l-arginine administration did not affect fetal weight but increased weight of the fetal pancreas by 32% and fetal peri-renal brown adipose tissue mass by 48%. These results indicate that l-arginine administration enhanced fetal pancreatic and brown adipose tissue development. The postnatal effects of increased pancreatic and brown adipose tissue growth warrant further study.
Plasma amino acid patterns in very low birth weight infants during parenteral nutrition

Plasma amino acids were measured in eight very low birth weight infants (≤ 1000 gm) before and after infusion of parenteral alimentations with Freamine III. Significant elevation in serum threonine, valine, isoleucine, methionine, serine, proline, glycine and omithine was noted after twenty four hours of infusion. On the other hand, significant decreases in taurine and tyrosine levels were noted. Our study suggests that current solution is not optimal for premature neonates and the amount of protein administered during the first week in infants weighing ≤ 1000 gm should be decreased from the recommended 2.5–3.0 gm/kg/day.
Truck versus pipeline transportation cost analysis of wastewater sludge

Abstract Domestic and industrial sludge generated at wastewater treatment facilities is considered a potential biomass source for producing biodiesel. However, transportation of large amounts of sludge from wastewater treatment facilities to a biorefinery is expensive. The objective of this paper is to identify the proper transportation mode to use as a function of the volume shipped and transportation distances. Currently, sludge is mainly shipped by truck and pipeline. We estimated that the fixed and variable cost components of pipeline transportation for a volume such as 480 m3/day and a distance of 100 miles are $0.116/m3 and $0.089/m3/mile, respectively. We estimated the biomass (sludge) transportation cost per gallon of biodiesel, and observed the changes in these costs as a function of distance traveled and volume shipped. The outcomes of this study have the potential to help biofuel plants make better biomass transportation decisions, and consequently reduce the price of biodiesel significantly.
Measurement of financial leverage in the presence of environmental liabilities relating to Superfund sites

This study examines the effect of environmental liabilities on risk assessment by investigating whether the markets consider these liabilities a form of corporate debt in the assessment of the firm's risk. A model developed by Rubinstein (1973) and further expanded and operationalised by Dhaliwal (1986) is used to examine whether the inclusion of environmental liabilities relating to Superfund sites has any incremental explanatory power. A positive association between the environmental liabilities and measures of firms' risk is expected. Such results should help policy-makers decide whether or not to require companies to disclose environmental liabilities in their financial reports. The empirical results weakly support the hypothesis that environmental liabilities relating to Superfund sites are considered corporate liabilities in assessing firm's risk. One possible explanation is that the problems in recognising and determining the exact amount of liabilities for the Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) firms make it difficult for the investors to use this information for risk assessment. This paper addresses some important issues such as reporting environmental liabilities in the financial statements, their recognition and their roles in firm risk assessment.
Discontinuities in welds — Cause and effect

The prime reason for the rejection or failure of weldments is the presence of defects or discontinuities produced during welding. The generation or introduction of the discontinuities in a welded structure can result when the delicate balance of welding variables is upset. Of more importance is the determination of the effect of weld discontinuities. Will the discontinuity influence the weldment in its intended service and thus be termed a defect. Or can we ''live with'' a particular discontinuity, since it does not influence the future service of the weldment. These questions are asked over and over again and the answers, although sometimes difficult to obtain, are becoming available. Unfortunately, the terminology concerning weld discontinuities and/or weld defects grew without rigorous definition. Terms such as crack, fissure, porosity, shrinkage, void, flaw, defect, discontinuity, defective weld, acceptable weld, and others had not been officially defined by the AWS until recently. It is with some wonder we have progressed this far without hard definitions. Many have called attention to the connotation of the word defect that is normally applied to discontinuities of the type encountered in welds. They proposed the use of the term discontinuity in order to avoid the natural conclusion bymore » the uninitiated to consider a weld defective if it contains ''defects,'' a prejudice certainly not intended even by the least knowledgeable individuals in the welding field. Over the last several years a series of definitions applies the word discontinuity to all interruptions of the typical structure of a weldment until the nature or accumulated effect of the discontinuities renders the part or product unable to meet acceptance standards or specifications. Then, the term defect applied. The cascading series of definitions is published in AWS A 3.0--''Terms and Definitions.''« less
Knowledge and attitudes about hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and its treatment in HCV mono-infected and HCV/HIV co-infected adults.

Summary Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment is rapidly changing but little is known about patients' attitudes and knowledge about HCV. This study used a cross-sectional survey to examine the relationship between HCV knowledge and attitudes towards HCV in patients with HCV mono-infection and HIV/HCV co-infection. Subsequently, an education intervention was developed with an abridged version of the cross-sectional survey administered before and after the education session to assess changes in knowledge and attitudes. 292 people participated in the cross-sectional survey, and 87 people participated in the education intervention. In the cross-sectional survey, the mean knowledge score regarding HCV was low (<50% of the total possible score). Mono-infected and co-infected individuals shared similar knowledge deficits and attitudes towards HCV despite having distinct demographic differences. Attitudes endorsed by patients included the following: 57% feared the consequences of HCV on their life, 37% felt HCV was not fatal, 27% did not believe they needed HCV medication, 21% felt ashamed of having HCV and 16% felt HCV treatment was not important. Attitudes that reflected indifference and shame towards HCV were associated with lower knowledge scores (HCV knowledge score of 15.1 vs. 17.5, P < 0.01 for indifference and 15.3 vs. 17.2 for shame, P = 0.02). The education intervention improved knowledge scores but did not modify the assessed attitudes. Intervention studies are needed to effectively change attitudes towards HCV infection and treatment.
The implications of employment liability for welfare reform

We analyze the importance of employment liability as a potential barrier to welfare reform. In particular, research linking wrongful termination doctrines to labor market outcomes is integrated with empirical analyses of welfare caseloads to obtain evidence of the likely importance of liability risk to the willingness of firms to hire welfare participants. Calculations suggest that liability concerns were probably not a major factor in past decisions about whether or not to hire AFDC recipients. Nationally, the elimination of tort liability for wrongful termination could have provided additional jobs for fewer than one percent of welfare recipients. However, with evolving court doctrines, liability risks could become more important in the future, especially in those state jurisdictions, such as California, where employers traditionally have faced the prospect of punitive damages for wrongful termination.
Risk Factors for Dislocation After Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty

Background Despite dislocation being the most frequent complication after revision THA, risk factors for its occurrence are not completely understood.
Extraversion, neuroticism, and serial learning

Summary University students scoring high or low on the Neuroticism and Extraversion scales of the Maudsley Personality Inventory were compared on serial learning tasks under 4 sec. and 2 sec. rates of stimulus presentation. A highly significant interaction between task difficulty (controlled by the presentation rate) and neuroticsm was found. At the slow rate (4 sec.) High and Low N groups did not differ appreciably in learning. The fast rate (2 sec.) of presentation, however, greatly hindered the learning of the High N group but had hardly any adverse effect on the learning of the Low N group. Extraversion did not show a statistically significant interaction with the learning variables. No systematic differences were found between the shapes of the serial-position curves of any of the groups. The results were discussed in terms of the Spence-Taylor anxiety-drive hypothesis and Eysenck's theory of extraversion-introversion.
Insulin and phorbol myristic acetate induce ornithine decarboxylase in Reuber H35 rat hepatoma cells by different mechanisms

Abstract Reuber H35 rat hepatoma cells respond to insulin or to tumor promoting phorbol esters with an increase in ornithine decarboxylase enzyme activity. This occurs in a time-and dose-dependent manner with both types of agonist. We report here that the increase in ornithine decarboxylase activity with optimal concentrations of both agonists is additive. Furthermore, the initial increase is dependent on continued RNA and protein synthesis. We also find that both of these agonists cause an increase in mRNA coding for ornithine decarboxylase in a time- and dose-dependent manner which suggests that the increase in enzyme activity can be accounted for by the increase in transcript levels. The difference in the time course of induction by the agonists, the additivity of induction by the two agonists, the differential sensitivity of induction to cycloheximide and RNA synthesis inhibitors, and the observation that phorbol myristic acetate causes a further increase in ornithine decarboxylase activity and transcript levels in cells already maximally induced by insulin suggest that these two agonists act through separate mechanisms.
Near laser-scan quality 3-D face reconstruction from a low-quality depth stream

We propose a method to produce near laser-scan quality 3-D face models of a freely moving user with a low-cost, low resolution range sensor in real-time. Our approach does not require any prior knowledge about the geometry of a face and can produce faithful geometric models of any star-shaped object. We use a cylindrical representation, which enables us to efficiently process the 3-D mesh by applying 2-D filters.We use the first frame as a reference and incrementally build the model by registering each subsequent cloud of 3-D points to the reference using the ICP (Iterative Closest Point) algorithm implemented on a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The registered point clouds are merged into a single image through a cylindrical representation. The noise from the sensor and from the pose estimation error is removed with a temporal integration and a spatial smoothing of the successively incremented model. To validate our approach, we quantitatively compare our model to laser scans, and show comparable accuracy.11This paper extends the method presented in 15]. We infer a very accurate 3-D face model for a freely moving user from a single depth camera.Using unwrapped cylindrical 2-D images enables us to use simple 2-D image processing algorithms to process the 3-D information.We use a combination of spatial smoothing and temporal integration for noise removal.A robust rejection method produces reliable results in the presence of facial expression changes and partial occlusions.Our system runs online and in real-time.
Forest Biogeochemistry and Drought

Soil moisture is a critical regulator of C, water, and nutrients flowing through forests (Kozlowski 1982; Aber et al. 1995; Granier et al. 1999; Kljun et al. 2007; Nepstad et al. 2007; Penuelas et al. 2007; Welp et al. 2007; Johnson et al. 2008; Borken and Matzner 2009), and shortages of moisture thus can have a dramatic influence on forest function and the relationship between forests and surrounding ecosystems and the atmosphere. Drought – defined here as an absence of precipitation sufficient in duration to induce injury to plants – occurs in nearly all forests (Hanson and Weltzin 2000). Although predictions of altered precipitation patterns with climate change typically reflect greater uncertainty than those of future temperature, many climate models forecast longer periods of soil moisture deficit in multiple forested regions of the globe (IPCC 2007). Thus, drought, already identified as an important disturbance in forests (Foster et al. 1997; McDowell et al. 2008), will likely become more frequent with climate change and a more important perturbation to forest biogeochemical cycling in many regions.
Reactivity and flammability of conjugated acetylenes

The thermal reactivities of model phenyleneacetylenes and diacetylenes and of poly(butadiynylene-1,3-phenylene) have been examined by differential scanning calorimetry and compared with the oxygen indices of the materials. No direct relationship was found between the heat of reaction and the oxygen index in these compounds. However, the heat of reaction, in general, does decrease with increasing molecular weight and is lower for rigid linear molecules than for related angular structures. These observations appear to be due to a lack of solid-state reactivity in the crystalline phase and retardation in the melt due to viscosity effects related to molecular size and rigidity. The synthesis of model compounds is described.
Detection and tracking of marine vehicles in video

This work presents a novel technique for automatic detection and tracking of marine vehicles in video of open sea. The source of video is a video camera mounted on a buoy platform in open sea. Such system is intended to work autonomously, taking video of the surrounding ocean surface and analyzing them on presence of marine vehicles. The proposed technique is based on detection of marine vehicles in individual video frames and tracking the detected targets through the video sequence with the help of a tracking algorithm. Several performance metrics are utilized for performance evaluation of the proposed approach. Accuracy of detection in 90% range is shown on a dataset of 30 short video sequences taken by a prototype of the system.
Task priorities and design for an arm orthosis

For people with muscular dystrophy or spinal muscular atrophy - conditions characterized by degenerating muscle strength - the option of using a mechanical aid exists. This would allow free arm movement. This paper presents a consumer-based design approach to construction of such an assistive manipulation device and describes the consumer-driven stages in the orthosis design project within the Applied Science and Engineering Laboratories (ASEL). Results are presented from two consumer meetings held during the initial stages of the design. A design principle has been establish.:d and an initial set of prototypes evaluated. These will be used to modify subsequent design iterations.
Towards fully automatic placement of security sanitizers and declassifiers

A great deal of research on sanitizer placement, sanitizer correctness, checking path validity, and policy inference, has been done in the last five to ten years, involving type systems, static analysis and runtime monitoring and enforcement. However, in pretty much all work thus far, the burden of sanitizer placement has fallen on the developer. However, sanitizer placement in large-scale applications is difficult, and developers are likely to make errors, and thus create security vulnerabilities.This paper advocates a radically different approach: we aim to fully automate the placement of sanitizers by analyzing the ow of tainted data in the program. We argue that developers are better off leaving out sanitizers entirely instead of trying to place them.This paper proposes a fully automatic technique for sanitizer placement. Placement is static whenever possible, switching to run time when necessary. Run-time taint tracking techniques can be used to track the source of a value, and thus apply appropriate sanitization. However, due to the runtime overhead of run-time taint tracking, our technique avoids it wherever possible.
Appraisal Skills, Health Literacy and the Patient-Provider Relationship: Considerations as the Health Care Consumer Turns to the Internet to Inform their Care

Health care consumers increasingly obtain health information from the Internet to inform their health care; the health care consumer, who also has the role of patient, maintains the right to access information from sources of their choosing for this purpose. However, noteworthy considerations exist including information appraisal skills, health literacy and the patient-provider relationship. Awareness and education are warranted to assist the health care consumer in achieving proficiency as they turn to the Internet for health information.
Vertical electrical interconnection of compound semiconductor thin-film devices to underlying silicon circuitry

A three-dimensional integration technology that electrically connects an independently optimized thin-film device layer to a Si circuitry layer is reported. An epitaxial liftoff GaAs thin-film optical detector is integrated directly on top of Si amplifier circuitry with a planarizing, insulating layer of polymide between the detector and the circuitry. The detector is virtually connected to the circuitry below through an electrical via in the insulator. This integration technology enables monolithic, massively parallel vertical interconnection between two independently optimized device layers. Systems such as image processing arrays should significantly benefit from this massively parallel integration technology. >
On the performance of swarm routing utilizing light-weight agents

In this work, we present a relaxed swarm-routing algorithm in the spirit or AntNet and agent based control (ABC). Our approach reduces the utilization of route tables by allowing for pure random route path searches similar to ABC while utilizing the current path diameter for updates as oppose to the commonly used link delay metrics.
Quality: American, Japanese, and Soviet perspectives

Executive Overview What is quality? Although product quality is recognized as a crucial component of international competitiveness, there is still little consensus about what “quality” really is. Five distinct approaches to defining quality have been identified. The contributions of five major quality experts—from the United States, Japan, and the Soviet Union—are presented and related to the quality definition approaches. The problems with poor product quality in the Soviet Union are discussed in particular detail to illustrate the consequences of relying on the product-based approach to defining qualify and on the use of state standards as a surrogate for consumer preferences. Advantages and disadvantages of the other approaches to quality are also discussed to assist managers in clarifying their strategic focus.
Microglia-derived pronerve growth factor promotes photoreceptor cell death via p75 neurotrophin receptor.

Reports implicating microglia-derived nerve growth factor (NGF) during programmed cell death in the developing chick retina led us to investigate its possible role in degenerative retinal disease. Freshly isolated activated retinal microglia expressed high molecular weight forms of neurotrophins including that of nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin-3, and neurotrophin-4. Conditioned media from cultured retinal microglia (MGCM) consistently yielded a ∼32-kDa NGF-reactive band when supplemented with bovine serum albumin (BSA) or protease inhibitors (PI); and promoted cell death that was suppressed by NGF immunodepletion in a mouse photoreceptor cell line (661w). The ∼32 kDa protein was partially purified (MGCM/p32) and was highly immunoreactive with a polyclonal anti-pro-NGF antibody. Both MGCM/p32 and recombinant pro-NGF protein promoted cell death in 661w cultures. Increased levels of pro-NGF mRNA and protein were observed in the RCS rat model of retinal dystrophy. MGCM-mediated cell death was reversed by p75NTR antiserum in p75NTR+/trkA– 661w cells. Our study shows that a ∼32 kDa pro-NGF protein released by activated retinal microglia promoted degeneration of cultured photoreceptor cells. Moreover, our study suggests that defective post-translational processing of NGF might be involved in photoreceptor cell loss in retinal dystrophy.
Starch wars: Rice, bread and South Asian difference in the French Enlightenment

This article investigates the imperial dimensions of the French Enlightenment’s science of diet, tracing their development in relation to perceptions of South Asian food. In the last years of the eighteenth century, political theorists, journalists, doctors and Orientalists became concerned with the effects of different staple grains, arguing over whether rice or wheat bread was most conducive to physical well-being and national power. Many of them invoked this dietary discourse on staples in order to scientifically justify European imperialism in South Asia. Journalist Simon-Henri-Nicolas Linguet, however, developed an alternative vision of the imagined connections between staple grains and politics. Linguet’s work was a landmark in the conceptualisation of European ‘gastro-politics’, and suggests a road not taken by other Enlightenment critics of empire: a vision of dietary science, the body and the state that imagined European ventures abroad as a symptom of bad digestion.
Whitehead3 is a "Slice" Link *

We show that the Whitehead double t Wh(L) of a two component link L is (topologically flat) slice if and only if the linking number of L is zero. When they exist, the slices may be chosen so that the complement (B*-slices) is homotopy equivalent to a wedge of two circles, S 1 v S 1, with certain meridinal loops of Wh(L) freely generating ~(B4-slices). (Compare this with IF1] where it is shown that the Whitehead double of boundary links are slice.) This is consistent with the surgery conjecture but seems not to illuminate the key 3component case (see I-F2]). In particular Wh3=Wh(WhO is slice. We will describe the argument quite explicitly for this case and indicate in closing remarks what modifications are needed for the general result. First we deal with non-existence. Let S be the obvious two component Seifert surface for Wh(L). A component of S is obtained by composing either of the two punctured tori Tz_cSlx D 2 pictured below with an untwisted identification of S I  2 with a neighborhood of a component of L. Add a band to S, S=Su band, so that S becomes the Seifert surface for some knot, K. The Seifert forms for S and S are identical and in a natural basis will be:
Evaluating an Inquiry-based Bioinformatics Course Using Q Methodology

Faculty at a Midwestern metropolitan public university recently developed a course on bioinformatics that emphasized collaboration and inquiry. Bioinformatics, essentially the application of computational tools to biological data, is inherently interdisciplinary. Thus part of the challenge of creating this course was serving the needs and backgrounds of a diverse set of students, predominantly computer science and biology undergraduate and graduate students. Although the researchers desired to investigate student views of the course, they were interested in the potentially different perspectives. Q methodology, a measure of subjectivity, allowed the researchers to determine the various student perspectives in the bioinformatics course.
Effect of a restrictive transfusion strategy on transfusion-attributable severe acute complications and costs in the US ICUs: a model simulation

Background Nearly half of all patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) receive red blood cell (pRBC) transfusions (TFs), despite their associated complications. Restrictive transfusion strategy (Hemoglobin [Hb] < 7 g/dL) has been shown to reduce TF exposure. We estimated the potential annual reduction in transfusion-attributable severe acute complications (TSACs) and costs across the US ICUs with the adoption of restrictive strategy.
Carbon–silica dual‐phase filler, a new‐generation reinforcing agent for rubber. Part VI. Time–temperature superposition of dynamic properties of carbon–silica‐dual‐phase‐filler‐filled vulcanizates

Dynamic properties such as shear modulus, loss modulus, and loss factor were obtained at a low strain amplitude over a wide range of frequencies and temperatures on vulcanizates filled with carbon black, silica, and carbon-silica dual-phase filler. The data were shifted along the frequency scale. Instead of a single smooth master curve, a pseudomaster curve with a feather-like structure is obtained. This effect is especially pronounced for the loss factor. Multiple factors may be responsible for this. Among others, filler networking and polymer-filler interaction may play a dominant role. The effect of the carbon-silica dual-phase filler on the overall dynamic properties of the vulcanizates is similar to that of silica. Their tan δ values are much lower at lower frequencies and are relatively higher at higher frequencies.
Psychic Abnormailities of Vision

(1939). Psychic Abnormailities of Vision. Clinical and Experimental Optometry: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 31-34.
Dengue virus NS1 triggers endothelial permeability and vascular leak that is prevented by NS1 vaccination

The four dengue virus serotypes (DENV1 to DENV4) are mosquito-borne flaviviruses that cause up to ~100 million cases of dengue annually worldwide. Severe disease is thought to result from immunopathogenic processes involving serotype cross-reactive antibodies and T cells that together induce vasoactive cytokines, causing vascular leakage that leads to shock. However, no viral proteins have been directly implicated in triggering endothelial permeability, which results in vascular leakage. DENV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) is secreted and circulates in patients' blood during acute infection; high levels of NS1 are associated with severe disease. We show that inoculation of mice with DENV NS1 alone induces both vascular leakage and production of key inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, simultaneous administration of NS1 with a sublethal dose of DENV2 results in a lethal vascular leak syndrome. We also demonstrate that NS1 from DENV1, DENV2, DENV3, and DENV4 triggers endothelial barrier dysfunction, causing increased permeability of human endothelial cell monolayers in vitro. These pathogenic effects of physiologically relevant amounts of NS1 in vivo and in vitro were blocked by NS1-immune polyclonal mouse serum or monoclonal antibodies to NS1, and immunization of mice with NS1 from DENV1 to DENV4 protected against lethal DENV2 challenge. These findings add an important and previously overlooked component to the causes of dengue vascular leak, identify a new potential target for dengue therapeutics, and support inclusion of NS1 in dengue vaccines.