cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cardiac manifestations in polymyositis

Twenty-one patients with polymyositis were prospectively examined with echocardiography, phonocardiography and electrocardiography. Cardiac performance, estimated with echocardiography, was enhanced, as shown by a significant (P < 0.01) increase In ejection phase indexes of left ventricular function compared with values in a matched control group. Known causes of the high output state, such as anemia or thyrotoxicosis, were not clinically evident. There was no evidence of left ventricular enlargement, left ventricular wall hypertrophy, or left atrial enlargement in the echocardlogram or chest X-ray film. The echocardiogram showed systolic mitral valve prolapse in 11 of 17 patients (65 percent) with an adequately imaged mitral valve; midsystolic cllcks were present in 7 of these. One patient, who did not have prolapse, had echocardiographic evidence of a small pericardial effusion. Electrocardiographic abnormalities were present in 11 of 21 patients (52 percent) and included evidence of atrioventricular conduction disturbances, atrial and ventricular arrhythmias and left atrial abnormality. The pathophysiology of mitral valve prolapse and increased systolic left ventricular function in polymyositis remains uncertain; however, the spectrum of cardiac abnormalities, detected noninvasively in 16 of 21 of our patients (76 percent) may represent a high frequency rate of cardiac involvement in this disease.
Competitiveness, Gender, and Adjustment Among Adolescents

This study explored whether trait competitiveness in late adolescence is more detrimental to females’ than males’ social and psychological adjustment. Two types of competitiveness were studied, competing to win (CW; to dominate others) and competing to excel (CE; to surpass personal goals). Questionnaire ratings (by self and others) of 110 (53 females, 57 males, Mage 17.9 years) predominantly Caucasian (88.9%) high school students in northern Texas, USA were gathered. Males were higher on CW than females, but there were no gender differences on CE. For females, CW was associated with greater depression and loneliness, and with fewer and less close friendships. CE was associated with higher self-esteem and less depression for both genders, but was largely unrelated to social adjustment.
Active infective endocarditis: low mortality associated with early surgical treatment.

Abstract Background: Early surgical treatment is important for successful outcome in selected cases of active, either native (NVE) or prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). The aim of this study was to evaluate the early results of the surgical treatment of active NVE and PVE. Methods: During a 3-yr period (January 1 1996–December 31 1998), 57 out of 60 patients (pts) with active, either NVE (46 pts) or PVE (11 pts) underwent surgical treatment. There were 11 women (23.9%), average age of the group being 43.3±9.1 yr (18–73). They were operated on 12–35 days, mean 17.7±7.5 days (for NVE) and 5–33 days, mean 13.2±10.1 days (for PVE) after the diagnosis of endocarditis was first suspected. All pts had at least one absolute indication for early surgical treatment, the most frequent being (in NVE) worsening heart failure (19 cases) and inability to control the infection (10 cases), while in PVE it was valve dehiscence (8 cases). In 8 cases of NVE and 2 cases of PVE fresh, antibiotic sterilized aortic homograft was used to replace the aortic valve. Results: Operative mortality was 1.8% (1/57) and hospital mortality 5.2% (3/57). Three pts with PVE died before they were operated on, giving an overall mortality of 10% (6/60). Postoperative morbidity included valve dehiscence in two pts (probable late onset recurrent endocarditis — 3.5%), three episodes of acute renal failure (5.3%), four cases of respiratory insufficiency (7.0%) and one chronic pleural effusion (1.8%). All pts that were discharged from the hospital (54/60), are still alive and well 1–35 months postoperatively (mean 20.3±9.6 months), including pts with recurrent endocarditis and valve dehiscence, after they were successfully reoperated. Conclusions: Along with early diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic treatment, aggressive surgical attitude is of importance for the successful outcome in this group of seriously ill patients. Our data indicate that early surgical treatment in cases of active endocarditis may be associated with low mortality and morbidity.
A personal airbag system for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle

Abstract Airbag-based methods for crew impact attenuation have been highlighted as a potential simple, lightweight means of enabling safe land-landings for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, and the next generation of ballistic shaped spacecraft. To investigate the feasibility of this concept during a nominal 7.62 m/s Orion landing, a full-scale personal airbag system 24% lighter than the Orion baseline has been developed, and subjected to 38 drop tests on land. Through this effort, the system has demonstrated the ability to maintain the risk of injury to an occupant during a 7.85 m/s, 0° impact angle land-landing to within the NASA specified limit of 0.5%. In accomplishing this, the personal airbag system concept has been proven to be feasible. Moreover, the obtained test results suggest that by implementing anti-bottoming airbags to prevent direct contact between the system and the landing surface, the system performance during landings with 0° impact angles can be further improved, by at least a factor of two. Additionally, a series of drop tests from the nominal Orion impact angle of 30° indicated that severe injury risk levels would be sustained beyond impact velocities of 5 m/s. This is a result of the differential stroking of the airbags within the system causing a shearing effect between the occupant seat structure and the spacecraft floor, removing significant stroke from the airbags.
Cell growth on liquid microcarriers

Anchorage-dependent cell growth is demonstrated on microcarriers of fluorocarbon fluid formed by emulsification and stabilized with polylysine.
Susceptibility of spores of the microsporidian Nosema algerae to sunlight and germicidal ultraviolet radiation.

Abstract Spores of the microsporidian Nosema algerae exposed to 1, 2, and 4 hr of sunlight and 121 μW/cm2 of germicidal ultraviolet light were fed to first-instar Anopheles albimanus. Twenty days after feeding, the incidence and intensity of infection (spores/mosquito) were recorded from adult mosquitoes. While sunlight-treated spores showed no significant decline in incidence of infection after 1-, 2-, and 4-hr exposures, intensity of infection decreased significantly after the 2- and 4-hr exposures. Incidence of infection of mosquitoes fed bactericidal ultraviolet light-treated spores declined 48.2, 76.2, and 99.9% after 1-, 2-, and 8-min exposures, respectively. Measured by intensity of infection, activity of bactericidal light-treated spores decreased 87.2% after 1 min, 91.7% after 2 min, and 99.9% after 8 min. Levels of radiation required to inactivate spores of N. algerae fell within the range reported for other Microsporidia.
Biogenic volatile organic compound emissions (BVOCs). II. Landscape flux potentials from three continental sites in the U.S.

Landscape flux potentials for biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) were derived for three ecosystems in the continental U.S. (Fernbank Forest, Atlanta, GA; Willow Creek, Rhinelander, WI; Temple Ridge, CO). Analytical data from branch enclosure measurements were combined with ecological survey data for plant species composition and biomass. Other quantitative flux measurements at the leaf and landscape level were incorporated to scale the results from the enclosure measurements to the landscape level. Flux estimates were derived by using a one week ambient temperature and light record (30 min time resolution) and adjusting all emission rates to these conditions with temperature and light correction algorithms.
A radioisotopic tracer study of carbon formation in ethanol-air diffusion flames

Experimental results have been obtained which show that carbon formation in ethanol-air diffusion flames occurs preferentially from the nonhydroxylated carbon atom of the ethanol molecule. The ratio of the contribution to solid carbon of the nonhydroxylated carbon atom to that of the hydroxylated atom equals 2:1. These findings support a proposed carbon formation mechanism, which is based on previous experimental observations and theoretical considerations. In order to define the overall reaction paths of each of the carbon atoms a radioisotopic tracer technique is developed. Ethanol-1- 14 C and ethanol-2- 14 C fuels are burned in a specially designed diffusion burner, and the radioactivities of collected samples of solid carbon are measured. A comparative analysis of the specific activities of the fuels and carbon samples defines the contribution of each of the carbon atoms to solid carbon. The technique proves to be a useful, quantitative tool for carbon formation research. In addition to the well-defined conclusions of the investigation, the particular numerical results suggest that carbon formation may be controlled by the selective one-to-one addition of two- and one-carbon fragments present in the flame—a new and intriguing explanation of the carbon formation pnenomenon. This novel suggestion is discussed in light of the present and previous experimental observations.
The Organization of Craft Production at Vijayanagara, South India

This article examines the production of two classes of goods, textiles and ceramics, in the medieval South Indian empire of Vijayanagara. A general model for the organization of specialized craft production is presented in which productive organization is linked to political/administrative regulation of product manufacture, distribution, and use. Three modes of productive organization are defined: administered production, centralized production, and noncentralized production. Historic documentation is used to examine Vijayanagara textile production, and a centralized productive organization is proposed. Vijayanagara ceramic manufacture is assessed through archeological and ethnographic data, and a noncentralized production system is proposed.
When to Control for Covariates? Panel Asymptotics for Estimates of Treatment Effects

The problem of when to control for continuous or high-dimensional discrete covariate vectors arises in both experimental and observational studies. Large-cell asymptotic arguments suggest that full control for covariates or stratification variables is always efficient, even if treatment is assigned independently of covariates or strata. Here, we approximate the behavior of different estimators using a panel-data-type asymptotic sequence with fixed cell sizes and the number of cells increasing to infinity. Exact calculations in simple examples and Monte Carlo evidence suggest this generates a substantially improved approximation to actual finite-sample distributions. Under this sequence, full control for covariates is dominated by propensity-score matching when cell sizes are small, the explanatory power of the covariates conditional on the propensity score is low, and/or the probability of treatment is close to 0 or 1. Our panel-asymptotic framework also provides an explanation for why propensity-score ma...
Daily sampling of PM2.5 in Atlanta: Results of the first year of the Assessment of Spatial Aerosol Composition in Atlanta study

[1] A monitoring network was established in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, to measure fine particulate mass (PM2.5) and composition for approximately one year, beginning in March 1999. Annual average mass concentrations ranged from 19.3–21.2 μg/m3, maximum 24-hour concentrations were 44.3–51.5 μg/m3, and maximum 1-hour concentrations were 73.3–87.9 μg/m3. Peak mass concentrations occurred typically (but not always) at the Tucker site, which was located approximately 12 miles ENE of downtown. Mass concentrations varied significantly with season and time of day. Approximately 75% of the mass was identified using various chemical speciation analyses. Of the identifiable portion, carbonaceous material, sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate were the largest constituents.
Azimuth falloff effects in two-antenna SAR measurements of ocean wave spectra

Estimates of ocean wave spectra obtained from conventional synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images suffer from the azimuth falloff effect which limits the range of azimuth wavenumbers that can be observed by such systems. This effect was earlier predicted to be modified by the use of a second receive antenna which is displaced from the first in the along-track direction. The authors present experimental evidence which is consistent with these theoretical predictions and suggests that the azimuth falloff limitations inherent in conventional SAR systems can be overcome by the use of two or more appropriately spaced antennas.
A note on principal ideals and smooth curves

Abstract Let A be the coordinate ring of an affine piece of a smooth curve, V , defined over a field K. This paper investigates, for each positive integer n, the principal ideals of A of degree n. The main tool is the “Picard bundle” of V of degree n. For K of characteristic zero, V a “general” curve of genus g( V ) , and n V ) , the Lang-Swinnerton-Dyer version of Modell's conjecture implies there are but finitely many linear equivalence classes of principal ideals of A of degree n. Conjectured conditions for V to be “general” are explicit and effectively computable.
The Economics of Transnational Living1

Migrants' long-distance economic relations with their homelands have been the subject of an extensive, albeit fragmented, multidisciplinary inquiry. Most existing studies have been primarily concerned with the north-south flow of monetary remittances that migrants send to their homelands. Using a transnational perspective informed by economic sociology tenets, this article argues that this north-south, monetary-centered approach is too limited, for it fails to heed the multiple macroeconomic effects of migrants' transnational economic and noneconomic connections and, thus, underestimates migrants' agency and their influence at the global level. Using the concept of transnational living, the study presents new vistas of transnational migration that question accepted notions about the relationship between labor mobility and capital mobility.
Giant resonances at complex excitation energies.

We discuss the continuum response of finite nuclei in the giant resonance region in the context of a nonspectral random-phase approximation which straightforwardly includes correct continuum boundary conditions. Strongly collective discrete low-energy excitations of the nucleus are associated with poles with large residues in the random phase approximation particle-hole propagator at real excitation energies. Giant resonances, by comparison, are associated with similar poles at complex excitation energies where the imaginary part of the pole position corresponds to the escape width of the excitation. We illustrate these points with calculations of the isoscalar quadrupole response in $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$. Here giant resonances are readily identified as sharp peaks in the particle-hole propagator in the complex excitation energy plane and the relation of the peaks to the continuum response (for real excitation energies) is demonstrated. Our numerical method allows extraction of transition densities for the giant resonances with continuum effects automatically included and these are used to compute (e,e') and (\ensuremath{\pi},\ensuremath{\pi}') responses; illustrative comparisons with data are made.
Decision modeling for foreclosed property acquisition by community development corporations in the United States

Over the past several years, increased rates of mortgage foreclosures in the United States have had significant impacts on economies around the world. As part of the societal response to this problem, nonprofit community development corporations acquire foreclosed properties in troubled neighborhoods and redevelop them to maintain stability. This paper addresses a decision problem faced by these organizations on what types of properties to acquire given limited available resources. We develop dynamic and stochastic programming models to assist such organizations in choosing foreclosed properties for acquisition and redevelopment, taking into account uncertain market conditions that change over time. We first analytically study a dynamic programming model under some special cases, and then seek insights for the general stochastic model through a multistage stochastic programming formulation and its numerical analysis. Although our analysis is based on a problem in the United States with potential implications for the global economy, our research is applicable to non-U.S. government actors at the local and regional level as well.
Multipurpose inspection task simulator

Abstract Experimentation using a computer simulation of a system has many advantages over more traditional techniques. In this project, computer graphics are used to create an inspection task simulator. The simulator allows for easy manipulation of variables known to affect inspection performance, quick construction of visual stimuli, a choice of randomly generated or intentionally input faults on the stimuli, controlled % defective, feedback options and automatic collection of inspection data. The inspection task simulator has possible applications in experimentation, training and selection of inspectors.
Numerical Computation of Hypersonic Viscous Flow over a Sharp Leading Edge

C = Chapman-Rubesin constant, /iw Tao/fj,aoTw e = specific internal energy E = total energy, e + (u + v)/2 k = coefficient of thermal conductivity M = Mach number p = pressure Pr = Prandtl number Rex = Reynolds number T = temperature Tg = gas temperature at the wall u, v = velocity components in x, y directions v = rarefaction parameter, MQO(C/JR^je)°' x, y = distances along and normal to plate y = specific heat ratio by = Kronecker delta A = mean free path of the gas \L = viscosity coefficient p = density X = strong interaction parameter, M^v
Consumer age role norms, then and now

Recent research has led some scholars to suggest we are moving toward an “ageless society.” This survey project replicates a 1980 study to measure changes in age role adherence and prescriptions. The Age Role Scale scores for six behavior-domain subscales and in total were almost identical to those from the original study. These findings reveal no significant change in age role norms and adherence over the 17-year interim period, contradicting the proposition that age roles are becoming a less important influence on consumer behavior. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Optical and infrared properties of glancing angle-deposited nanostructured tungsten films

Nanotextured tungsten thin films were obtained on a stainless steel (SS) substrate using the glancing-angle-deposition (GLAD) method. It was found that the optical absorption and thermal emittance of the SS substrate can be controlled by varying the parameters used during deposition. Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations were used to predict the optical absorption and infrared (IR) reflectance spectra of the fabricated samples, and good agreement was found between simulated and measured data. FDTD simulations were also used to predict the effect of changes in the height and periodicity of the nanotextures. These simulations show that good control over the absorption can be achieved by altering the height and periodicity of the nanostructure. These nanostructures were shown to be temperature stable up to 500°C with the addition of a protective HfO2 layer. Applications for this structure are explored, including a promising application for solar thermal energy systems.
Academic Library Web Sites for Distance Learners in Greater Western Library Alliance Member Institutions

SUMMARY Through the library Web site, academic libraries present extensive resources and a suite of services to support distance learners. The Web site is a vital communication link between the distance student and the reference-based instructional component that the librarian provides. This article examines Web sites and distance learning library services pages of Greater Western Library Alliance members.
Influence of the dietary carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin on visual performance: application to baseball

Macular pigment (MP) is composed of the yellow, blue-absorbing carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. Although distributed throughout the visual system, MP is heavily concentrated in the central retinal area (eg, screening the foveal cones). Because light must pass through MP before reaching the receptors, it filters significant amounts of short-wave energy. Individual variation in peak absorbance is large and ranges from 0.0 to 1.6 optical density units depending largely on dietary intake. Several important functions of MP have been proposed. MP may serve to protect the retina from damage by absorbing actinic short-wave light (analogous to internal sunglasses) or by inactivating highly reactive free radicals and oxygen triplicates that are the by-product of light-driven cellular activity. MP may also serve, as proposed more than a century ago, to improve the retinal image through optical mechanisms. Recent data suggest that the MP carotenoids reduce glare discomfort and disability, shorten photostress recovery times, enhance chromatic contrast, and increase visual range (how far one can see in the distance). Lutein and zeaxanthin within the brain might also increase temporal processing speeds. This article reviews the influences of MP on visual function by exploring the implications of these visual improvements for baseball players. Am J Clin Nutr doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.034876.
How Does Calf-muscle Fatigue and Age Affect Vibration-perturbed One-leg Stance?

This study investigated the effect of muscle fatigue on vibration-perturbed one-leg stance in healthy young and older women. Force-plate measurements were obtained before and up to 15 min after fatiguing exercise of one leg. The study indicates an immediate but short-lasting effect of fatiguing exercise on vibration-induced centre of pressure (CP) oscillations in terms of increased amplitude. It also indicates that the influence of fatiguing exercise on the CP movements over time differs between young persons (20-26 years of age) and older persons (50-60 years of age). The normal learning effect due to repeated one-leg stance was not disturbed by the fatiguing exercise in the group of older persons in our study regarding sagittal CP velocity and frontal amplitude which was the case in the group of young persons. These results raise questions regarding postural control strategies and interpretation of force-plate data. Fatiguing exercise did not influence the shift of CP caused by vibration thus indicating...
Topics in Multivariate Approximation Theory.

Abstract : Lectures delivered at the S.R.C. Numerical Analysis Summer School and Workshop at the University of Lancaster, England, July 19 - August 20, 1981. Topics include tensor products, multivariate polynomial interpolation, esp. Kergin Interpolation, and the recent developments of multivariate B-splines. (Author)
Sparse channel estimation for cooperative underwater communications: A structured multichannel approach

This paper examines structured methods to perform multichannel estimation for underwater acoustic communication networks. Much of the receiver/protocol design for cooperative communications requires channel state information at the receiver. The proposed multichannel estimation algorithm exploits relationships between the multipath channels of cooperating transmitting nodes to a destination node. A simplified channel model is proposed from a geometry-based ray-tracing model. From an approximation of the channels between the relays and the destination, an iterative scheme is derived. The proposed method exploits the sparse nature of underwater acoustic channels and in so doing improves performance over unstructured methods. The efficacy of the proposed method is evaluated via simulations, i.e. comparing the mean-square error of the estimated channel with its Cramer-Rao bound.
Adaptive fuzzy morphological filtering of images

In this paper we introduce a neural network implementation of fuzzy mathematical morphology operators and apply it to image denoising. Using a supervised training method and differentiable equivalent representations for the fuzzy morphological operators, we derive efficient adaptation algorithms to optimize the structuring elements. We can then design fuzzy morphological filters for processing multi-level or binary images. The convergence behavior of basic structuring elements for the opening filter and different signals, and its significance for other structuring elements of different shape is discussed. To illustrate the performance of the fuzzy opening filter we consider the removal of impulse noise in multi-level and binary images.
Eye movement abnormality associated with cyclosporin.

A 50 year old man developed diplopia 2 months after an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for mantle cell lymphoma. He was receiving cyclosporin for graft versus host disease prophylaxis and ganciclovir for a positive cytomegalovirus blood culture. Neurological examination within 24 hours of developing diplopia showed apathy, distractibility, and a postural tremor. He tended to keep his eyes …
Optimal Replacement and Management Policies for Beef Cows

Beef cow replacement studies have not reflected the interaction between herd management and the culling decision. We demonstrate techniques for modeling optimal beef cow replacement intervals and discrete management policies by incorporating the dynamic effects of management on future productivity when biological response is uncertain. Markovian decision analysis is used to identify optimal beef cow management on a ranch typical of the Sandhills region of Nebraska. Issues of breeding season length, winter nutrition, and replacement are investigated. Results illustrate the importance of nutrition management in the replacement decision.
Ventricular Diastolic Suction at Normal Arterial Pressures

It has been shown previously that an empty ventricle can suck in a small amount of fluid during diastole, but the question of whether a normal ventricle does so was not answered. In the present experiments it was demonstrated that even a ventricle with a more nearly normal endsystolic residual volume draws blood into its cavity and that this ventricular vis a fronte is augmented by the action of epinephrine.
Differential binding of Escherichia coli DNA polymerases to the β-sliding clamp

Escherichia coli strains expressing the mutant beta159-sliding clamp protein (containing both a G66E and a G174A substitution) are temperature sensitive for growth and display altered DNA polymerase (pol) usage. We selected for suppressors of the dnaN159 allele able to grow at 42 degrees C, and identified four intragenic suppressor alleles. One of these alleles (dnaN780) contained only the G66E substitution, while a second (dnaN781) contained only the G174A substitution. Genetic characterization of isogenic E. coli strains expressing these alleles indicated that certain phenotypes were dependent upon only the G174A substitution, while others required both the G66E and G174A substitutions. In order to understand the individual contributions of the G66E and the G174A substitution to the dnaN159 phenotypes, we utilized biochemical approaches to characterize the purified mutant beta159 (G66E and G174A), beta780 (G66E) and beta781 (G174A) clamp proteins. The G66E substitution conferred a more pronounced effect on pol IV replication than it did pol II or pol III, while the G174A substitution conferred a greater effect on pol III and pol IV than it did pol II. Taken together, these findings indicate that pol II, pol III and pol IV interact with distinct, albeit overlapping surfaces of the beta clamp.
The role of neuropeptides in asthma.

abnormality of neural control.’ In the early 20th century, however, immunologic responses were described, and theories of asthma pathogenesis involving release of immune mediators gained favor over theories based on neural mechanisms. Recently, with increased knowledge about the complexity of airway innervation and the identification of biologically active neuropeptides, there has been renewed interest in the role that neural mechanisms may play in asthma. The purpose of this article is to review evidence relating to the presence and effects of neuropeptides in the lung and to examine their potential significance in the pathophysiology and treatment of asthma.
Supreme Court Litigants and Strategic Framing

Although litigants invest a huge amount of resources in crafting legal briefs for submission to the Supreme Court, few studies examine whether and how briefs influence Court decisions. This article asks whether legal participants are strategic when deciding how to frame a case brief and whether such frames influence the likelihood of receiving a favorable outcome. To explore these questions, a theory of strategic framing is developed and litigants’ basic framing strategies are hypothesized based on Riker’s theory of rhetoric and heresthetic as well as the strategic approach to judicial politics. Using 110 salient cases from the 1979–89 terms, I propose and develop a measure of a typology of issue frames and provide empirical evidence that supports a strategic account of how parties frame cases.
Robustness of feedforward neural networks

Methods are developed for measuring the sensitivity of links and nodes of a feedforward neural network, and for implementing a technique to ensure the development of neural networks that satisfy well-defined robustness criteria. Experimental observations indicate that performance degradation in the authors' robust feedforward network is significantly less than a randomly trained feedforward network of the same size by an order of magnitude. >
Reciprocal interaction of human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus infections.

Many individuals with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are coinfected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Since HCV and HIV are transmitted by parenteral exposure and both viruses have long clinical latent periods, persons with a history of illicit injection drug use and receipt of blood or blood products, such as factor VIII or IX, are commonly infected with both viruses. It has been estimated that 100,000 to 240,000 of the estimated 900,000 HIV-infected persons in the United States also are infected with HCV, and a similar proportion are coinfected in Europe (T. Benfield, 12th World AIDS Conf., abstr. 22261, 1998). Therefore, it is important to understand how these two viruses modify one another’s disease course and affect efforts to treat and prevent these common infections. HCV RNA LEVELS
Interactive graphics an aid to health planning and decision making

One of the major functions of State and Federal Public Health agencies is the collection and maintenance of large amounts of data. The utilization of this data for research and planning may be impaired by such factors as: lack of organization and accessibility of the data, users lack of knowledge of statistical and operations research techniques, inability to determine important variables from a large selection, and the need to present results in a form which is understandable and useful to the general public.This paper presents interactive graphics approaches which are designed to aid the public health planner and administrator through presentation of data in map and table form. Interactive graphics is a form of real time computing in which all or part of the input and output operations are handled through a graphics terminal. The systems described below present statistics for different civil divisions and allow the user to display and compare data from a large set of variables. These variables include locational data such as the position of emergency medical services, hospitals, cities and towns; quantities such as travel distance, travel time, service area, and service population; and summary statistics. The display is controlled either through light pen activated commands or the use of a "button board". The systems have been applied to problems in administrative area designation and emergency service placement.The use of interactive graphics allows the public health planner and administrator to handle large data bases with minimal expertise. Data may be reviewed quickly and useful variable selected. These systems also allow for the maximum use of the administrators experience and knowledge of the areas particular needs and qualitative factors by allowing direct interface to the data. These systems require a minimal amount of training to use, thus allowing interested public groups to use them to develop and compare different solutions to health planning and administrative problems.
Global warming, convective threshold and false thermostats

[1] We demonstrate a theoretically expected behavior of the tropical sea surface temperature probability density function (PDF) in future and past (Eocene) greenhouse climate simulations. To first order this consists of a shift to warmer temperatures as climate warms, without change of shape of the PDF. The behavior is tied to a shift of the temperature for deep convection onset. Consequently, the threshold for appearance of high clouds and associated radiative forcing shifts along with temperature. An excess entropy coordinate provides a reference to which the onset of deep convection is invariant, and gives a compact description of SST changes and cloud feedbacks suitable for diagnostics and as a basis for simplified climate models. The results underscore that the typically skewed appearance of tropical SST histograms, with a sharp drop-off above some threshold value, should not be taken as evidence for tropical thermostats. Citation: Williams, I. N., R. T. Pierrehumbert, and M. Huber (2009), Global warming, convective threshold and false thermostats, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L21805, doi:10.1029/2009GL039849.
Effect of Interfacial Thermal Barrier on the Thermal Stresses near Spherical Inclusion in Matrix Subjected to Linear Heat Flow

The thermal stresses in the vicinity of a spherical inclusion within a matrix with different thermal and mechanical properties are analyzed for the condition of linear heat flow and the presence of an interfacial thermal barrier. A numerical example indicates that the existence of such a thermal barrier can have a significant effect on both the magnitude as well as sign of the thermal stresses as the result of disturbance of the temperature distribution due to the inclusion. For the case of perfect thermal contact, the results correspond to those obtained by Tauchert. It is also shown that the presence of an interfacial thermal barrier introduces an inclusion size effect on the magnitude of the thermal stresses, in addition to the direct linear dependence of the stresses on inclusion size, regardless of the existence of a thermal barrier. 6 refs.
Therapeutic Nuclear Medicine

R.P. Baum, Ed. New York, NY: Springer, 2014, 951 pages, $299 Although the excellent and rapid advances in the diagnostic aspects of nuclear medicine have perhaps made us lose sight of steady progress in the therapeutic use of radiopharmaceuticals, there has recently been an exponential resurgence
A revision of the genus Paratyndaris Fisher, 1919 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Polycestinae)

The genus Paratyndaris Fisher, 1919 is revised, and three subgenera are recognized: P. (Knulliella) Cobos, P. (Paratyndaris) Fisher, and P. (Waltersia), subg. nov. [type species: Tyndaris barberi Skinner]. The subgenus P. (Knulliella) contains six species: P. (K.) antillarum Fisher, P. (K.) chamaeleonis (Skinner), P. (K.) mojito B l , P. (K.) pulchra, sp. nov., P. (K.) similis, sp. nov., and P. (K.) suturalis Fall. The subgenus P. (Paratyndaris) contains 26 species: P. (P.) acaciae Knull, P. (P.) albofasciata Knull, P. (P.) anomalis Knull, P. (P.) cincta (Horn), P. (P.) costata, sp. nov., P. (P.) coursetiae Fisher, P. (P.) crandalli Knull, P. (P.) dozieri, sp. nov., P. (P.) grassmani Parker, P. (P.) lateralis (Barr), P. (P.) mexicana Fisher, P. (P.) mimica, sp. nov., P. (P.) nelsoni (Barr), P. (P.) olneyae (Skinner), P. (P.) paralateralis, sp. nov., P. (P.) peninsularis Westcott, P. (P.) prosopis (Skinner), P. (P.) quadrinotata Knull, P. (P.) robusta (Dozier), P. (P.) subcostata (Barr), P. (P.) tucsoni Knull, P. (P.) turbida, sp. nov., P. (P.) uniformis, sp. nov., P. (P.) variabilis Westcott, P. (P.) verityi, sp. nov., and P. (P.) westcotti, sp. nov. The subgenus P. (Waltersia) contains four species: P. (W.) barberi (Skinner), P. (W.) equihuai Westcott, P. (W.) knulli (Barr), and P. (W.) trilobata Westcott. One new synonym is proposed: P. mexicana Fisher (= P. sonorae (Barr)). All taxa included are described and information on variation, type localities, distribution, biology, and comparisons are given for each species. A key to subgenera and species is provided. Habitus photos for all species and selected generic outgroup taxa, drawings of selected key characters, distributional maps and a cladogram of hypothetical generic relationships are presented. Tables of examined taxa, characters and character states and a character state matrix are included.
A dose escalation trial of fixed dose gemcitabine and capecitabine

12026 Background: Gemcitabine can be administered as a 30-minute infusion or a prolonged, fixed-dose infusion (FDR). FDR may have improved clinical activity. Gemcitabine and capecitabine have non-overlapping mechanism of activity. This phase I trial explored the combination of FDR gemcitabine plus capecitabine. Methods: Patients received gemcitabine (G) as a fixed dose on day (D) 1 and 8 and capecitabine orally D1–14 of a 21-day cycle. Capecitabine (C) dose was fixed at 500 mg/m2 twice daily (BID) with escalating doses of G, beginning at 400 mg/m2. The trial was a standard phase I trial with cohorts of three. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as febrile neutropenia, grade 3/4 neutropenia lasting > 7 days, grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia lasting > 7 days, grade ¾ nausea/vomiting despite maximal anti-emetic therapy, grade 3/4 diarrhea, or grade 3/4 hand-foot syndrome. Results: Nine patients have enrolled to date, receiving a total of 56 courses at dose level one (G 400 mg/m2, C 500 mg/m2 BID). Median age ...
Disaggregating Devils Lake: Can Non-State Actors, Hegemony, or Principal-Agent Theory Explain the Boundary Waters Treaty?

This paper seeks to devise a theoretical explanation for recent disputes over the construction of an outlet from Devils Lake, North Dakota, in a way that affords a predictive framework for future international environmental law issues. Opponents of the outlet alleged it would violate U.S. obligations not to pollute Canadian waters under the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty (BWT) because it might introduce invasive species into waters flowing across the border into Canada. North Dakota dismissed such concerns, as did the U.S. federal government, notwithstanding requests from Canada's Ambassador and Prime Minister that the treaty compliance question be referred to the BWT's International Joint Commission (IJC). Instead of an IJC reference, the White House negotiated a political deal directly with Canadian federal, provincial, and U.S. state officials that allowed North Dakota to operate the outlet under certain conditions. The Devils Lake crisis provides an opportunity to assess the descriptive and predictive value of three competing theories: (a) that non-state actors are an increasingly visible and powerful presence in international relations; (b) that the United States, as hegemon, can do what it wants and bend the law to its will; and (c) that international institutions such as the IJC can be considered to act as either agents or trustees for the state(s) that create them. I conclude that the first two theories fail to accurately or completely explain why the Devils Lake dispute played out as it did. As for recent theories debating whether international institutions operate more like agents or trustees, I find neither label alone explains the IJC's relationship with the United States. But, by selecting those characteristics of agents and trustees that best reflect the IJC's actual construction and operation - i.e., a hybrid approach - I can generate a relatively accurate explanation for why the United States refused an IJC reference on Devils Lake when it did, along with a nuanced assessment of how the IJC may operate in the future. Adopting a hybridized approach has the added benefit of engaging recent scholarship on agents and trustees constructively. It suggests both agent and trustee characterizations might suffer from oversimplification and require further elaboration or adjustment to apply to many existing international institutions.
Increased expression of glomerular AT1 receptors in rats with myocardial infarction

Rats with congestive heart failure demonstrate striking intrarenal vasoconstriction that contributes to reduced renal excretory function. We previously demonstrated that inhibition of angiotensin a...
Involvement of central vs. peripheral mechanisms in mediating sympathoadrenal activation in endotoxic rats

The contribution of central vs. peripheral mechanisms in mediating increases in plasma norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (Epi) during endotoxicosis were studied. Plasma catecholamine responses after endotoxin were assessed in conscious animals and in animals without central regulatory mechanisms (pithed rats). In conscious rats, endotoxin (1.5 mg/kg i.v.) induced a marked elevation in plasma NE after 90 min (3-fold), but elevations were not seen in pithed rats. Endotoxin also induced a profound increase (12- to 13-fold) in plasma Epi in conscious rats, but increases were less (2- to 3-fold) and delayed in pithed rats. These results suggest that central mechanisms are essential in plasma NE response to endotoxic challenge, whereas plasma Epi response involves both central and peripheral mechanisms, with the former being dominant. In conscious adrenal-denervated animals, plasma Epi was not elevated until 90 min postendotoxin. This delayed Epi elevation was approximately one-third of the maximal response observed in conscious adrenal-intact rats. In pithed adrenal-denervated rats, plasma Epi at 90 min postendotoxin was also increased to a level comparable to that in pithed adrenal-intact rats. These results imply that a significant fraction of peripheral release of Epi with endotoxicosis is nonneurogenic.
A further study of hemagglutinin loss by vaccinia virus.

SummaryThe present study strengthens the evidence for the role of a hemagglutinin inhibitor in the loss of hemagglutinin by vaccinia virus, and answers a criticism of a previous study. It has also been demonstrated that on serial passage in the Ehrlich ascites tumor loss of hemagglutinin is not limited to the IHD strain of vaccinia virus, but occurs also with the Nelson and Levaditi strains.
The Female Sex Pheromone Gland of the Pink Bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

The female sex pheromone gland of the gelechiid moth Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), the potato tuberworm, is an eversible sac situated dorsally in the intersegmental membrane between the 8th and 9th abdominal segments (Adeeson et al. 1969). The presence of a female sex pheromone in Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) was reported by Flaschentrager et al. (1957); and the source of the pheromone was shown to be in the terminal segments of the abdomen (Berger et al. 1964). When pressure is applied to the abdomen of a female pink bollworm moth, a sac-like structure is everted which is similar in location to the pheromone gland of the potato tuberworm moth.
An economical and SLO-guaranteed cloud storage service across multiple cloud service providers

It is important for cloud service brokers to provide a multi-cloud storage service to minimize their payment cost to cloud service providers (CSPs) while providing service level objective (SLO) guarantee to their customers. Many multi-cloud storage services have been proposed or payment cost minimization or SLO guarantee. However, no previous works fully leverage the current cloud pricing policies (such as resource reservation pricing) to reduce the payment cost. Also, few works achieve both cost minimization and SLO guarantee. In this paper, we propose a multi-cloud Economical and SLO-guaranteed Storage Service (ES3), which determines data allocation and resource reservation schedules with payment cost minimization and SLO guarantee. ES3 incorporates (1) a coordinated data allocation and resource reservation method, which allocates each data item to a datacenter and determines the resource reservation amount on datacenters by leveraging all the pricing policies; (2) a genetic algorithm based data allocation adjustment method, which reduce data Get/Put rate variance in each datacenter to maximize the reservation benefit; and (3) a dynamic request redirection method, which dynamically redirects a data request from a reservation-overutilized datacenter to a reservation-underutilized datacenter to further reduce the payment. Our trace-driven experiments on a supercomputing cluster and on real clouds (i.e., Amazon S3, Windows Azure Storage and Google Cloud Storage) show the superior performance of ES3 in payment cost minimization and SLO guarantee in comparison with previous methods.
Niccolo machiavelli: moving through the future as we learn from the past

This article lays out the argument that we may best cope with the unfolding of the future by learning from the past. Here, the past represented by Niccolo Machiavelli’s world and thoughts are juxtaposed with the questions and issues raised by postmodern organization theorists. Machiavelli’s thoughts contributed to the creation of the world that concerns postmodern theorists and us. Both Machiavelli and postmodern organization theorists address change and strategies for dealing with change, including looking to needs and emotions for working with individuals in change situations and the importance of widespread involvement in governance structures. Building a better future requires learning to deal with human social realities that have been and will be shaped by past philosophers. Consciousness of past philosophers should help in that endeavor.
PODCA: A passive optical data center architecture

Optical interconnects for data centers can offer reduced power consumption, low latency, and high scalability, compared to electrical interconnects. However, active optical components such as tunable wavelength converters and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) switches suffer from high cost or slow reconfiguration times. In this paper, we propose three different Passive Optical Data Center Architectures (PODCAs), depending on the size of the network. Our key device is the Arrayed Waveguide Grating Router (AWGR), a passive device that can achieve contention resolution in the wavelength domain [1]. In our architectures, optical signals are transmitted from fast tunable transmitters and pass through couplers, AWGR, demultiplexers, and are received by wide-band receivers. Our architecture can easily accommodate over 2 million servers. Simulation results show that packet latency is below 9μs, and 100% throughput is achievable. We compare the power consumption and capital expenditure (CapEx) cost of PODCA with other recent optical data center network architectures such as DOS, Proteus, and Petabit. Results show that our architectures can save up to 90% on power consumption and 88% on CapEx.