cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Language (if any) of Insects

AN abstract of a paper by C. F. Elwell in Journ. Inst. Electrical Eng., vol. 62, p. 231, briefly describes Dr. de Forest's methods of producing talking-motion-pictures. Telephonic currents are received in a two-electrode valve emitting highly actinic light. This is focussed on a slit, and a record is made on the edge of an ordinary film travelling at the usual rate of 12 to 18 inches per second. To reproduce the sounds, light passing through the developed film is received on a photoelectric cell, and weak currents are obtained and are amplified and passed to a telephone. Sound vibrations as high as 3000 per second are said to have been obtained.
Local food environments: they're all stocked differently.

The obesity epidemic has widened the aims of prevention research to include the influence of local food environments on health outcomes. This mixed methods study extends existing research focused on local food environments by examining whether community members’ find food accessible. Data from food store audits and one-on-one interviews were analyzed. Results reveal that most of the food stores surrounding the three research sites were convenience stores and non-chain grocery stores; interviewees did not perceive these stores to be “real” food stores. Tobacco and alcohol products were more prevalent in the food stores than all varieties of milk, fresh fruits, or fresh vegetables. Food access varied by site in a manner that was designed to appeal to customers’ race, class, gender, or environment. Findings reveal that local food environments are reflections of social hierarchies. Unraveling the politics of space ought to be a part of broader efforts to promote the public’s health.
Integrating value stream mapping and discrete events simulation as decision making tools in operation management

Focusing on competitiveness, many companies seek methodologies in order to increase the productive performance. Process optimization focused on quality, productivity improvement, and cost reduction tools has excelled in industrial environments based on the results achieved by many companies. However, the lack of a production simulation system to evaluate advanced scenarios does not effectively address numerous solutions. As a result, this paper aimed to apply the value stream mapping (VSM) and discrete events simulation as decision-making tools to direct the management invest in the best option among the available scenarios generated by simulation system. The analysis was realized in a manufacturing cell part of a Brazil’s metal industry that needs to increase the production capacity in a context of high fluctuation of demand. The results showed the efficiency of VSM and simulation integration as decision making tools. It was possible to display a table with all data sets for both current and future scenarios. From process data, it was possible to calculate the production, unit cost for each piece produced, investment cost, productivity (total of operators), and layout.
Plate tectonic models for orogeny at continental margins.

IN the theory of plate tectonics convergent plate junctures are the loci of orogeny1, marked surficially by arc-trench systems2, and the margin of one plate is consumed in a trench subduction zone. The overriding or consuming plate margin is characterized by a magmatic belt supporting both arc volcanism and batholithic intrusion at crustal levels. For rock assemblages formed within active arc-trench systems, the deformation and metamorphism of orogeny is a normal consequence or corollary of origin. Orogenic belts, however, also contain rock assemblages that were not formed within arc-trench systems, but only incorporated within them by subsequent events3. Prominent among these are the continental terraces—miogeoclinal assemblages and their associated continental rises formed along stable continental margins at continent–ocean interfaces within plate interiors. Several models, each consistent with plate tectonid logic, can be invoked to explain the eventual orogenic deformation of miogeoclinal continental margins.
An empirical analysis of the factors underlying the decision to remove excess assets from overfunded pension plans

Abstract This study empirically examines possible motivational factors leading to reductions in pension plan overfunding. The results indicate that firms with severe financial weakening terminate pension plans. Firms with less severe financial weakening change actuarial assumptions to reduce required cash contributions to pension plans. Although decline in marginal tax rates and increased susceptibility to takeover are positively associated with overfunding reductions, increased financial weakening appears to be the most plausible explanation. The results are consistent with termination of pension plans being a costly source of financing.
Filler Placement and the Fat Compartments

Understanding the anatomy and distribution of facial fat and the alterations that occur during the aging process is essential to effectively and precisely achieve facial rejuvenation. Over the past several years, through cadaveric dissections and computed tomographic studies, much has been discovered concerning the adipose tissue of the face and how it influences the dynamic process of aging. Site-specific augmentation with fillers can now be used to refine facial shape and topography in a more predictable and precise fashion. The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to facial fat compartmentalization along with clinical examples to illustrate how the knowledge of underlying anatomy influences site-specific augmentation.
Evaluating the forecast accuracy and bias of alternative population projections for states.

Many different techniques can be used for making population projections. Most fall into four general categories: trend extrapolation, ratio extrapolation, cohort-comp~~nent and structural. Tech- niques within these categories differ considerably in terms of their complexity and sophistication. A common perception among producers (and users) of population projections is that complex and/or sophisticated techniques produce more accurate forecasts than simple and/or naive techniques. In this paper we test the validity of that perception by evaluating the forecast accuracy and bias of eight commonly used projection techniques drawn from the four categories mentioned above. Using data for state population projections from a number of different time periods, we find no evidence that complex and/or sophisticated techniques produce more accurate or less biased forecasts than simple, naive techniques. ~~~~~.~~~~~~~~z~e
Diurnal variation in vertical motion over the central equatorial Pacific from VHF wind‐profiling Doppler radar observations at Christmas Island (2° N, 157° W)

Wind-profiling Doppler radars measure vertical motions along a vertically-directed beam. By averaging over long periods it is possible to measure very small mean vertical motions. Long-term measurements at Christmas Island have been analyzed to determine the diurnal variation in the vertical motion field. The outstanding feature that emerges from the analysis is a pronounced diurnal cycle in the subsiding motion of the main troposphere (4–10 km) and an equally pronounced diurnal cycle in upward motion centered around the altitude of the tropopause. The possibility of radiative forcing of the observed diurnal cycle is considered in the context of the diurnal variation of atmospheric diabatic heating and cooling rates.
Social Justice and Sustainability in Poor Neighborhoods: Learning and Living in Southwest Detroit

Sustainability is the new lens that many planning educators and practitioners employ in their efforts. We taught an undergraduate service-learning studio focused on neighborhood sustainability in D...
Synthesis and cleavage of oligodeoxynucleotides containing a 5- hydroxyuracil residue at a defined site

Oxidation and hydrolysis of a cytosine residue can lead to the formation of 5-hydroxyuracil in DNA. The biological consequences of this modification are not fully understood. To facilitate biochemical and biophysical studies aimed at elucidating the effects of this modification in DNA, we have developed a solid-phase synthetic method for the placement of 5-hydroxyuracil residues at defined sites in oligodeoxynucleotides. This method is based upon the enhanced acidity of the 5-hydroxyl proton which allows selective aqueous acetylation. Under standard aqueous ammonia deprotection conditions, however, we observed that 5-hydroxyuracil residues are lost substantially from synthetic oligonucleotides. Substitution of aqueous ammonia with methanolic potassium carbonate and the use of phosphoramidite derivatives with alternatively protected amino groups allow synthesis of oligonucleotides containing 5-hydroxyuracil and all normal bases in high yield. The composition of the oligodeoxynucleotides prepared by this me...
Amy Homans & the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics

Abstract Today, many female physical educators can trace their professional roots to Amy Homans and the BNSG.
Traveling for Treatment: A Comparative Analysis of Patient Mobility Debates in the European Union and United States

Abstract International medical travel, or medical tourism, is receiving attention globally. Most discussions focus on the potential savings from outsourcing medical care. This article adopts a comparative approach, identifying lessons from European Union discussions that illuminate areas left obscure in the broader international debate. First, it points out that the highly visible US debate, focused on cost, is ignoring two other crucial components of health care policy: access and quality. Second, it examines debates about medical travel in the European Union in order to understand the kinds of issues that arise when considering access and quality in medical travel, the political discussions that emerge, and the solutions that the EU has been able to adopt. The conclusion identifies issues that the EU has faced and that will arise as debates about international medical travel start to incorporate access and quality.
Relative Strength of Cation-π vs Salt-Bridge Interactions: The Gtα(340−350) Peptide/Rhodopsin System

Interactions between cationic and aromatic side chains of amino acid residues, the so-called cation−π interaction, are thought to contribute to the overall stability of the folded structure of peptides and proteins. The transferred NOE NMR structure of the Gtα(340−350) peptide bound to photoactivated rhodopsin (R*) geometrically suggests a cation−π interaction stabilizing the structure between the e-amine of Lys341 and the aromatic ring of the C-terminal residue, Phe350. This interaction has been explored by varying substituents on the phenyl ring to alter the electron density of the aromatic ring of Phe350 and observing the impact on binding of the peptide to R*. The results suggest that while a cation−π interaction geometrically exists in the Gtα(340−350) peptide when bound to R*, its energetic contribution to the stability of the receptor-bound structure is relatively insignificant, as it was not observed experimentally. The presence of an adjacent and competing salt-bridge interaction between the e-am...
Cross-linguistic sound symbolism and crossmodal correspondence: Evidence from fMRI and DTI

Non-arbitrary correspondences between spoken words and categories of meanings exist in natural language, with mounting evidence that listeners are sensitive to this sound symbolic information. Native English speakers were asked to choose the meaning of spoken foreign words from one of four corresponding antonym pairs selected from a previously developed multi-language stimulus set containing both sound symbolic and non-symbolic stimuli. In behavioral (n=9) and fMRI (n=15) experiments, participants showed reliable sensitivity to the sound symbolic properties of the stimulus set, selecting the consistent meaning for the sound symbolic words at above chances rates. There was increased activation for sound symbolic relative to non-symbolic words in left superior parietal cortex, and a cluster in left superior longitudinal fasciculus showed a positive correlation between fractional anisotropy (FA) and an individual's sensitivity to sound symbolism. These findings support the idea that crossmodal correspondences underlie sound symbolism in spoken language.
Effects of monensin and forage:concentrate ratio on feed intake, endocrine, and ovarian function in beef heifers.

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effects of monensin (M) and altered forage:concentrate ratio (F:C) on feed intake, hormonal profiles, and ovarian function in beef heifers. Four ruminally cannulated heifers were maintained in metabolism crates and fed twice daily. Diets contained 0 or 200 mg per day M in diets of 70:30 (high forage, HF) or 30:70 (high concentrate, HC) F:C. Diets were limit fed to achieve isocaloric intake of calculated ME. Monensin supplementation had no effect on feed intake, but heifers fed HF had greater refusals compared with heifers fed HC (P 0.10). Diet and/or treatment tended to alter the size or number of follicles on either or both ovaries. Monensin resulted in more waves of follicular development per estrous cycle with HF diets, but fewer with HC diets (P
The role of imagination in the organizing of knowledge

Knowledge has been defined in many ways, but seldom like this: ‘Knowledge is a polite word for dead but not buried imagination’ (Cummings, 1953). Dead imagination seems to be present in the process...
Destruction of fecal coliphages during the composting process of porcine feces

Abstract Application of sewage sludge to agricultural land has been a common practice for many years. There is, however, a potential hazard of pathogen spread through food and drinking water, since the pathogens concentrate in the sludge (JONES and WATKINS 1985; SHIMOHARA et al. 1985) and remain in the sludge for a long period of time (TIERNEY 1977). Anaerobic digestion of sludge destroys the indigenous pathogens owe to the high temperature generated by the microbial activity in the course of digestion (BERG and BERMAN 1980). However viruses have been recovered from sludges digested during a prolonged period of time at 37 or 50°C (LUND 1976). Anaerobic digestion of sludge is associated with health risks caused by virus spread.
Dysplasia and cancer complicating strictures in ulcerative colitis.

Previous studies have found a widely variable prevalence of dysplasia and cancer in colonic strictures in patients with ulcerative colitis. Consequently, therapeutic recommendations are conflicting. To better assess the prevalence, we reviewed the clinical and pathological findings in all 27 patients with ulcerative colitis complicated by stricture who were entered into our Inflammatory Bowel Disease Registry. A true stricture was defined as a persistant localized narrowing of the colon found on air-contrast barium enema or on colonoscopy. Upon careful review, 12 of 27 patients were found to have transient colonic spasm, not a stricture, and were excluded. The remaining 15 patients with true strictures represented 3.2% of all ulcerative colitis patients in the registry. Strictures were identified at 13.3± 9.9 years following the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. Eleven patients had multiple strictures that were principally located in the left colon. Of the 15 patients, 11 had dysplasia and two had cancer found on colonoscopic biopsy. Ultimately, six patients had carcinoma found at colonoscopy or colectomy (three modified Dukes' stage A, one stage B, and two stage D). All cancers were at the site of a stricture. These findings indicate that a true colonic stricture in ulcerative colitis is frequently associated with dysplasia and cancer, which can be diagnosed with colonoscopic biopsy. A stricture should be considered a strong risk factor for cancer, requiring intensive colonscopic surveillance. If dysplasia is discovered, or if the stricture cannot be adequately biopsied, consideration should be given to total colectomy.
"Tangential" resection of medial temporal lobe arteriovenous malformations with the orbitozygomatic approach.

OBJECTIVE Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the medial temporal lobe are usually resected through subtemporal-transcortical approaches that provide a trajectory that is perpendicular to the plane of the AVM. The pterional approach is sometimes used for AVMs in the uncus and amygdala, but it is not recommended for AVMs in the hippocampal region because it provides a "tangential" approach with limited access to posterior feeding arteries and draining veins. The orbitozygomatic approach enhances exposure along this tangential trajectory and was used in a consecutive series of 10 patients to determine its advantages. METHODS During a 5.7-year period, 43 patients underwent resection of temporal lobe AVMs, 10 of which were located in the medial temporal lobe (amygdala and uncus [Region A] or hippocampus, parahippocampus, and fusiform gyrus [Region B]). AVMs were evenly distributed by region and by hemispheric dominance and included two Spetzler-Martin Grade IV lesions. An orbitozygomatic approach was used in all cases. RESULTS Complete resection was accomplished in nine patients, and one patient underwent multimodality management with postoperative stereotactic radiosurgery. Good outcomes (Rankin outcome score <or=2) were observed in all patients, and six patients were improved neurologically at late follow-up (mean, 1.3 yr). No permanent language deficits were produced by this approach. CONCLUSION The orbitozygomatic approach maximizes the exposure of the tangential approach to medial temporal lobe AVMs and has advantages over traditional lateral approaches. It provides early access to critical feeding arteries from the anterior choroidal artery, posterior cerebral artery, and posterior communicating artery; it minimizes temporal lobe retraction and risk to the vein of Labbe; and it avoids transcortical incisions or lobectomy that might impact language and memory function. For these reasons, it may be the optimal approach for small- and medium-sized compact AVMs in the dominant medial temporal lobe.
Canine epilepsy caused by flour bleached with nitrogen trichloride (agene); role of amino acids.

SummaryWhen an amino acid mixture approximating the composition of gliadin is treated with nitrogen trichloride gas (NCI3) this mixture is so altered as to make it con-vulsant for dogs when given intravenously. The convulsant activity is most readily demonstrated in dogs which have been on a bleached (agenized) flour diet for 5 to 7 days, presumably because these animals have accumulated sufficient quantity of the toxic material via the alimentary tract, to make them highly susceptible to an additional increment received via the blood stream.
Operational results of an improved regulator and trigger system for the 'fast' raster scanning power supply system constructed at the Bevalac Biomedical Facility

A new and improved regulator and trigger control system has been installed in the fast raster scanning power supply. Initial system testing of the power supply revealed several component and system reliability problems in the fast scanner section. A condensed discussion of the nature of these problems and their subsequent resolution is given. The beam scanning system was developed to achieve a more precise and efficient dose delivery method for radiotherapy treatments. The authors discuss design considerations and measured results and provide further elaboration of subsystem feedback and control functions not discussed in earlier studies. >
Strategies for Chemoprevention in Pancreatic Cancer

The incidence of pancreatic cancer has been increasing steadily. In 2002, 30,300 Americans were estimated to be diagnosed with this malignancy, and 29,700 died from it (1).
Non-parametric analysis of optimizing behavior with measurement error

We consider how one might test observed choice data for consistency with optimizing models in the presence of measurement error. We derive an appropriate test statistic and conduct case study involving cost minimization behavior by electric utility plants.
OUTCOMES OF AND RESOURCE CONSUMPTION BY HIGH-COST PATIENTS IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Background Care of patients in an intensive care unit is among the most costly in hospitals. Little is known about high-cost patients within the intensive care unit or their outcomes of care. Objectives To examine outcomes of and resource consumption by high-cost adult patients who received care in an intensive care unit at an academic medical center. Methods Data on patients admitted during the period January 1, 1995, through June 30, 1999, were analyzed retrospectively. An intensive care unit database, the hospital discharge data set, and a cost-accounting data set were used to determine the total intensive care unit cost for the hospitalization. Patients were then stratified into cost deciles. Hospital and intensive care unit outcomes for patients in the top decile were compared with those of patients in the other deciles. Results Cost data were available on 10,606 of the 11,244 patients who received care in an intensive care unit. Patients in the top decile accounted for 48.7% of all intensive care unit costs, and 67.6% of this group survived to discharge despite prolonged care. Patients transferred from an outside hospital were more likely to be in the top decile, have a longer stay in the intensive care unit, or die than were the other patients. Conclusions A small group of patients accounts for a disproportionately higher amount of intensive care unit resources but has a relatively high survival rate. This cohort should be treated as an intact group that is not amenable to traditional cost-cutting measures.
Transient Absorption for Characterization of Quantum Dot Intermediate Band Solar Cells

We use transient absorption methods to characterize the sequential two-photon absorption in a quantum-dot super-lattice based intermediate band solar cell (QD-IBSC). Using collinear, orthogonally polarized beams generated from an Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) at varying time delay, tuned stepwise from 1050nm to 1250nm, we use the solar cell photocurrent as a direct measure of the transient absorption by measuring the differential photo-current as a function of time delay between two energetically degenerate, 100fs pulses. For comparison, we measure the pulse autocorrelation in the same geometry using a GaAsP photodiode, where all observed photocurrent is derived from instantaneous two-photon absorption. Our measurements show that at high intensity, the measurement is dominated by instantaneous two photon absorption, with a simultaneous sequential two-photon photocurrent which persists beyond the pulse overlap. Our measurements demonstrate the method can reveal carrier dynamics in a working QD-IBSC, and their dependence on energy. The method could potentially give details of the band structure formed in the QD-IBSC. Such knowledge may benefit device development and future designs of IBSCs based on QD superlattices or alternative intermediate band materials or device structures.
Comparative Phosphoproteomics Reveals Components of Host Cell Invasion and Post-transcriptional Regulation During Francisella Infection

Francisella tularensis is a facultative intracellular bacterium that causes the deadly disease tularemia. Most evidence suggests that Francisella is not well recognized by the innate immune system that normally leads to cytokine expression and cell death. In previous work, we identified new bacterial factors that were hyper-cytotoxic to macrophages. Four of the identified hyper-cytotoxic strains (lpcC, manB, manC, and kdtA) had an impaired lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis and produced an exposed lipid A lacking the O-antigen. These mutants were not only hyper-cytotoxic but also were phagocytosed at much higher rates compared with the wild type parent strain. To elucidate the cellular signaling underlying this enhanced phagocytosis and cell death, we performed a large-scale comparative phosphoproteomic analysis of cells infected with wild-type and delta-lpcC F. novicida. Our data suggest that not only actin but also intermediate filaments and microtubules are important for F. novicida entry into the host cells. In addition, we observed differential phosphorylation of tristetraprolin, a key component of the mRNA-degrading machinery that controls the expression of a variety of genes including many cytokines. Infection with the delta-lpcC mutant induced the hyper-phosphorylation and inhibition of tristetraprolin, leading to the production of cytokines such as IL-1beta and TNF-alpha that may kill the host cells by triggering apoptosis. Together, our data provide new insights for Francisella invasion and a post-transcriptional mechanism that prevents the expression of host immune response factors that control infection by this pathogen.
Molecular Brightness Determined from a Generalized Form of Mandel’s Q-Parameter

Mandel's Q-parameter, which is determined from the first two photon count moments, provides an alternative to PCH analysis for determining the brightness of fluorophores. Here, the definition of the Q-parameter is generalized to include correlations between photon counts that are separated by a time tau. We develop and experimentally verify a theory that takes the effects of dead time, afterpulsing, and the finite sampling time on the generalized parameter Q(tau) into account. Q(0), which corresponds to the original Q-parameter, is severely affected by dead time and afterpulsing. Q(tau) for tau>0, on the other hand, is quite robust with respect to nonideal detector effects. Thus, analysis of Q(tau) provides a robust method for determining the brightness of fluorophores. We extend the theory to a mixture of species, which is characterized by an apparent brightness. The brightness of EGFP in CV-1 cells is measured as a function of protein concentration to demonstrate the feasibility of Q(tau) analysis in cells. In addition, we monitor protein association of the ligand-binding domain of retinoid X receptor in the presence and absence of 9-cis-retinoic acid by Q(tau) analysis.
Electron‐beam‐induced decomposition of trimethylamine on Si(100)‐2 × 1

Electron-beam-induced decomposition of trimethylamine ((CH 3 ) 3 N) adsorbed on the Si(100)-2 x 1 surface has been investigated using temperature-programmed desorption, electron-stimulated desorption, time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. At issue is the cleavage of C-H bonds vs. cleavage of N-C bonds in the dissociation of trimethylamine (TMA), which is a dative-bonded adduct on the Si dimer. Methyl groups are cleaved from the adsorbed TMA by electron irradiation. In addition, hydrogen is desorbed from the TMA and/or its fragments, which influences the decomposition of the TMA to smaller adsorbed fragments. The appearance of a thermal desorption peak for mass 42 subsequent to electron irradiation suggests the production of reaction intermediates similar to those reported previously in gas-phase decomposition of TMA at high temperature.
Shoulder Position Sense During Passive Matching and Active Positioning Tasks in Individuals With Anterior Shoulder Instability

Background Altered neuromuscular control due to compromised joint position sense may contribute to recurrent shoulder instability. Objective The purpose of the present study was to examine whether individuals with anterior shoulder instability exhibit larger shoulder position sense errors than those with healthy shoulders in both passive matching and active positioning. Design This was a between-groups study with repeated measures. Methods Ten people with anterior shoulder instability and 15 people with healthy shoulders participated in the study. Shoulder position sense was examined with 3 different protocols (passive motion to remembered shoulder rotation angles and active shoulder abduction and rotation to verbally specified positions) in positions of both mid-range and end-range of motion. Results Participants with unstable shoulders exhibited significantly larger errors (by 1.8° on average) in perception of shoulder position compared with those with healthy shoulders during passive matching. During active positioning, participants with unstable shoulders were able to voluntarily move the shoulder to verbally specified angles as accurately as those with healthy shoulders in both abduction (0.85° difference) and rotation (0.99° difference) tasks. Conclusions Results of this study indicate that people with unstable shoulders can perceive shoulder angles as accurately as people with healthy shoulders in activities with voluntary arm movements. Compared with passive matching, better information from muscle spindles and other sources during voluntary arm movements may compensate for the potential joint position sense deficits after the injury. Therefore, individuals with an unstable shoulder may have adequate neuromuscular control to engage proper protective mechanisms to stabilize the shoulder joint during functional activities.
Institutional Racism and Pregnancy Health: Using Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Data to Develop an Index for Mortgage Discrimination at the Community Level

The evidence of institutional racism may contribute to our understanding of health disparities. Residential redlining and mortgage discrimination against communities may be a major factor influencing neighborhood structure, composition, development, and wealth attainment. This residential redlining index as a measure for institutional racism can be applied in health research to understand the unique social and neighborhood contexts that contribute to health inequities.
A New ACK Policy To Mitigate the Effects of Coexisting IEEE 802.11/802.11e Devices

In IEEE 802.11 wireless networks, EDCA users' performance may be degraded because of the existence of legacy users and therefore would get a lower priority service. Such effects are mainly due to the fact that EDCA users are controlled by different contention parameters that are distributed in the beacon frames, but there is no control over legacy users as their contention parameters are PHY dependent, i.e. they have constant values. In this paper, we discuss different aspects of the legacy DCF and EDCA users coexistence. Also, we propose a simple distributed management scheme (called NZ-ACK) to mitigate the influence of legacy DCF on EDCA performance in networks consisting of both types of users without any modifications to legacy users. Finally, we use Opnet simulation to evaluate the performance of NZ-ACK. Results show that NZ-ACK outperforms 802.11 in terms of maintaining the priority of service and delay bounds of EDCA users while providing acceptable throughput for legacy users.
An adaptive fault tolerant algorithm for multimedia cellular networks

The design of reliable and fault-tolerant resource management algorithms for cellular networks is an important issue. In this paper, we develop an adaptive fault tolerance scheme via the combination of reuse partitioning and dynamic bandwidth assignment strategies. Our fault tolerance approach provides a trade off between fault tolerance capability and the total carried traffic in cellular networks. Bandwidth management during base station failures is dynamic and is based on real time estimates of current network conditions. Our online algorithm is quite flexible, is responsive to current traffic conditions, and tries to strike an appropriate performance balance between contradictory requirements for QoS sensitive multimedia services. With a simulation study, we demonstrate the excellent performance of our scheme for diverse scenarios including failure modes.
How Many Fish are in the Pond

Summary This article describes the capture-recapture method of estimating the size of an animal population and illustrates it with a “hands-on” classroom activity. Properties of the estimate, such as its variability, may be explored with the Minitab macro provided.
Search algorithms based on eliminating-highest-error and fastest-metric-descent criteria for bit-synchronous CDMA multiuser detection

In Sun (1998), the fastest-metric-descent (FMD) and eliminating-highest-error (EHE) criteria were proposed for the improvement of iterative algorithms for bit-synchronous CDMA multiuser detection. In this paper, the EHE and FMD criteria are proposed to apply to search algorithms. The FMD and EHE criteria applicable to the search algorithm are presented. It is shown that at each bit demodulation, the FMD criterion achieves the largest amount of metric descent, while the EHE criterion achieves the largest correct demodulation probability. Two search algorithms are proposed based on the FMD and EHE criteria, respectively. Analysis shows that the FMD and EHE search algorithms have advantages for the systems near perfect power control, but suffer from the near-far problem. Then we propose that the FMD and EHE search algorithms are followed by the FMD and EHE iterative algorithms, respectively, which are near-far resistant and guarantee to achieve local minimum points of the metric. Simulation results show that the FMD and EHE search algorithms performed much better than the original search algorithm in perfect power control. The FMD and EHE search-iterative algorithms show even better performance in all situations. All proposed algorithms have linear computational complexity.
Fidaxomicin: a minimally absorbed macrocyclic antibiotic for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infections

Fidaxomicin was approved for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infections in 2011. It has a novel mechanism of action and narrow spectrum of activity that makes it unique among the currently used therapies for this disease. Phase III clinical studies demonstrated a benefit of fidaxomicin over vancomycin for the outcomes of recurrence and global cure or sustained clinical response. This observation was confirmed within specific populations, including those of older age, immunocompromised due to active cancers, and patients taking concomitant antibiotics. Additionally, fidaxomicin significantly reduced recurrence rates compared to vancomycin among patients receiving treatment for recurrent C. difficile episodes. Fidaxomicin represents an advance in therapy for the treatment of C. difficile infections.
Effect of dietary glutamine supplementation on Salmonella colonization in the ceca of young broiler chicks

ABSTRACT Live poultry is an important vehicle for transmitting Salmonella Typhimurium to humans that have salmonellosis. It is therefore imperative to reduce Salmonella Typhimurium levels in the gastrointestinal tract of live chickens. Glutamine is an established immunonutrient that is capable of alleviating disease conditions in humans and rats. Thus, 2 experiments that used Ross broiler chicks were conducted to evaluate the effect of glutamine supplementation at 1% level of the diet on cecal Salmonella Typhimurium levels in young broiler chicks. Experiment 1 consisted of i) treatment 1 (control, CN), in which chicks were given an unmedicated corn-soybean meal basal starter diet without glutamine supplementation or Salmonella Typhimurium challenge; ii) treatment 2 (CST), in which chicks were given the same diet as CN but challenged with 3.6 × 106 cfu Salmonella Typhimurium/mL at 3 d of age; and iii) treatment 3 (GST), in which chicks were given the unmedicated corn-soybean meal basal starter diet supplemented with glutamine at 1% level, and challenged with 3.6 × 106 cfu at 3 d of age. Experiment 2 used similar treatments (CN, CST, and GST), except that chicks in CST and GST were challenged with 7.4 × 107 cfu Salmonella Typhimurium/mL, and a fourth treatment was added. The fourth treatment consisted of chicks that were not challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium but given the same diet as in GST. Duration of each experiment was 14 d. Growth performance of chicks was monitored weekly, and cecal Salmonella Typhimurium concentration was microbiologically enumerated on d 4, 10, or 11 postchallenge. Results showed that glutamine supplementation improved BW and BW gain in experiment 2 (P 0.05). The optimum supplemental level of glutamine that will enhance intestinal resistance to Salmonella Typhimurium colonization should be determined.
Diet reconstruction in antebellum Baltimore: insights from dental microwear analysis.

Construction in the City of Baltimore during 1996 led to the recovery of human skeletal remains dating from 1792 to 1856. Historical research indicates that the skeletal remains come from two adjacent graveyards: Christ's Church Episcopalian Cemetery and the Potters Field East. The different socioeconomic status of the internees in each cemetery suggests the possibility of marked contrasts in lifestyle, health, and diet. To shed further light on these possibilities, analyses of microscopic wear patterns on teeth, or dental microwear analyses, were undertaken. A sample from Spanish Florida was used to help interpret the results. Epoxy casts of incisor and molar teeth were placed in an SEM and photomicrographs of clean wear facets were taken. The photomicrographs were digitized using the software package Microware 4.02. Statistical analyses of rank transformed data consisted of single-factor ANOVA, followed by post hoc tests. No significant differences were found between Christ's Church and Potters Field East samples for any of the variables examined in either molar or incisor teeth. However, differences between each Baltimore sample and the La Florida samples give suggestions of possible diet differences in antebellum Baltimore. The mosaic of differences between the Baltimore and La Florida samples probably reflects the wide variety of foods available to antebellum Baltimoreans as well as the relative lack of abrasives in their diet. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Professor Brightman's Theory of a Limited God. A Criticism

That the success of the formulation of religious ideas depends so largely on the achievement of a careful and often delicate balance between contrasting attitudes or ideas, is quite evident from the history of doctrine. And it is no hazard to claim that religion itself, more so than any other realm of mind, maintains itself by virtue of its ability to harmonise and balance significant contrasts. Paradoxes in themselves are only academic devices; the religious spirit must seek to attain cordial relations between the opposite poles.
Pathways to Voluntarism: Family Socialization and Status Transmission Models

Participation in voluntary associations is usually explained by a Weberian theory tat uses human capital variables; however, Durkheimian heory suggests the importance of parental socialization and family status variables. Using a three-wave panel study, this article models the changes in social participation that people experience while moving from high sdchol to parenthood. Voluntary participation is accountedfor in part by the transmission of socioeconomic status, butfamily socialization through example and value modeling are often more important. Ven self-oriented (occupation and profession) and community-oriented (service, church, community, fratemal, and neighborhood) types of participation are distinguished, the status transmission theory explains self-oriented but not community-oriented participation. Family socialization explains community-oriented but not self-oriented participation. Thus, thories of voluntarism must be differentiated
Stability and Changes in Living Arrangements: Relationship to Nursing Home Admission and Timing of Placement

Objectives. To examine whether stability of living arrangements and changes in household composition — both types and frequency — infl uence nursing home placement or timing to entry among older people. Methods. Data from the fi rst 5 waves of the Assets and Health Dynamics of the Elderly (1993 – 2002) on 8,093 persons aged 70 years or older at baseline are used in probit and hazard models to predict nursing home entry and time to entry. Results. Stable living arrangements carry different risks of institutionalization. Those living continuously alone or with others were at highest risk; at lowest risk were those living continuously with a spouse or the same child (lowest overall). Changes in household composition were protective against nursing home entry and slowed time to entry; types of change were not infl uential when number of changes was taken into account.
Hemoglobin spectroscopy to evaluate hemodynamic function during tachycardias: The future of ICD discrimination algorithms?

m s w Inappropriate shocks remain an important problem associated with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy. Results from multicenter trials show that about one third of shocks are inappropriate, and this proportion has been stubbornly stable over the years. The concern regarding inappropriate therapies was heightened by studies showing increased mortality associated with shocks, including inappropriate ones. Although a causative effect of shocks n mortality has not been demonstrated, there is a clear onsensus that avoiding unnecessary and painful shocks is n important goal of ICD therapy. A number of strategies have been employed to reduce nappropriate ICD shocks, including higher programmed ates for ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular fibrillation VF) detection, prolonged detection times, antitachycardia acing for VTs at rates as high as 250 beats/min, and dvanced discrimination algorithms. Prospective, multienter studies have shown that these strategies can signifcantly reduce shock rates. 6 Morphology algorithms to detect differences between ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias are now commonplace. Although conceptually similar, comparative effectiveness studies have shown some important differences between these algorithms. Despite these differences, all discriminators currently in use rely on analysis of electrograms, through either timing or morphology. There has long been interest in identifying non–electrogram-based metrics that could be incorporated into arrhythmia discrimination algorithms. Recent data suggest that digital heart sounds, for example, could potentially be useful for arrhythmia classification. The hemodynamic response during an arrhythmia could be of even greater value both for discrimination and for therapy selection. Early pacemaker lead studies showed high failure rates with the use of blood-borne sensors such as pH or O2 saturation.
Clinical requirements engineering

In this paper, the author makes a case for integration of requirements engineering (RE) with clinical disciplines. To back his case, he looks at two examples that employ a clinical RE approach, first, that of introducing email into the life of a brain-injured individual, and second, introducing digital darkroom tools into his life. The former uses a Brownfield approach by starting with an existing clinical process, cognitive rehabilitation, and then defining an RE process that fits. The latter uses a Greenfield approach that postulates a new clinical RE process that focuses on the problems some of us have using digital darkroom tools.
Accountability for medical error: moving beyond blame to advocacy

Accountability in medicine, once assigned primarily to individual doctors, is today increasingly shared by groups of health-care providers. Because patient safety experts emphasize that most errors are caused not by individual providers, but rather by system breakdowns in complex health-care teams, individual doctors are left to wonder where their accountability lies. Increasingly, teams deliver care. But patients and doctors alike still think of accountability in individual terms, and the law often measures it that way. Drawing on an example of delayed lung cancer diagnosis, we describe the mismatch between how we view errors (systems) and how we apportion blame (individuals). We discuss "collective accountability," suggesting that this construct may offer a way to balance a "just culture" and a doctor's specific responsibilities within the framework of team delivery of care. The concept of collective accountability requires doctors to adopt transparent behaviors, learn new skills for improving team performance, and participate in institutional safety initiatives to evaluate errors and implement plans for preventing recurrences. It also means that institutions need to prioritize team training, develop robust, nonpunitive reporting systems, support clinicians after adverse events and medical error, and develop ways to compensate patients who are harmed by errors. A conceptual leap to collective accountability may help overcome longstanding professional and societal norms that not only reinforce individual blame and impede patient safety but may also leave the patient and family without a true advocate.
Attitudes of oncology nurses concerning pharmacogenomics

Background: The use of genome-guided drug therapy will certainly influence clinical practice within healthcare. However, in spite of the benefits of pharmacogenomic testing, little is known regarding what clinicians think about this promising technology. Objective: The purpose of article was to identify themes within the attitudes of nurses in the field of oncology. Materials & methods: The sample included 246 responses to an open-ended question. A thematic analysis of these responses was completed. Results: The analysis uncovered six themes. Conclusion: Therefore, future research on the assessment of attitudes of oncology nurses concerning pharmacogenomics should incorporate these themes.
Genome-Wide Assessment of Outer Membrane Vesicle Production in Escherichia coli

The production of outer membrane vesicles by Gram-negative bacteria has been well documented; however, the mechanism behind the biogenesis of these vesicles remains unclear. Here a high-throughput experimental method and systems-scale analysis was conducted to determine vesiculation values for the whole genome knockout library of Escherichia coli mutant strains (Keio collection). The resultant dataset quantitatively recapitulates previously observed phenotypes and implicates nearly 150 new genes in the process of vesiculation. Gene functional and biochemical pathway analyses suggest that mutations that truncate outer membrane structures such as lipopolysaccharide and enterobacterial common antigen lead to hypervesiculation, whereas mutants in oxidative stress response pathways result in lower levels. This study expands and refines the current knowledge regarding the cellular pathways required for outer membrane vesiculation in E. coli.
Time-Inconsistent Preferences and Venture Capital Contracting

Agency explanations of the venture capital process routinely assume that entrepreneurs and venture capitalists have time-consistent (“TC”) preferences, and thus perfect self-control. Given the growing evidence on self-control problems, from both experiments and field studies, it is natural to ask how our understanding of the venture capital process would change if one were to relax the TC assumption. This paper begins this process. It develops a model of venture capital contracts in which time-inconsistent (“TI”) parties may repeatedly procrastinate undertaking onerous tasks - e.g., innovators may procrastinate finishing the innovation, and venture capitalists may procrastinate monitoring and advising entrepreneurs. Similarly, TI entrepreneurs and venture capitalists may overindulge in self-dealing. The time-inconsistent contracting model developed in the paper helps explain why venture capital contracts include incentive and governance mechanisms that are much more high-powered than those used in innovation-intensive publicly traded companies, which not only have many of the same types of moral hazard problems, but are also more complex and less transparent. The model also helps explain some of the standard features of contracts between venture capitalists and their investors.