cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementing Nutrition Education Programs in Congregate Dining Service Settings: A Scoping Review

Background and objectives Nutrition education programs implemented in congregate dining service (CDS) settings have the potential to improve healthy eating behaviors among older adult populations. However, little is understood about the types of nutrition education programs that are implemented at CDS sites and the factors that impede or promote implementation efforts. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the characteristics of CDS nutrition education programs, barriers and supports to program implementation, and opportunities to enhance implementation of programming. Research design and methods We adopted a scoping review methodology to assess the relevant literature published January 2000 - January 2020 by accessing CINAHL, SocINDEX, MEDLINE, AgeLine, and Academic Search Complete. Results We identified 18 studies that met our inclusion criteria. The majority of nutrition education programs were led by trained facilitators, included the use of interactive activities, and also incorporated written or video materials. Programs that were adapted to the needs of older participants were perceived as supports to implementation whereas participants' needs and resources (e.g., lack of resources, lower health literacy) were occasionally found to limit effective implementation of programming. Discussion and implications As the older adult population continues to access CDS sites to address their health and nutritional needs, purposeful efforts are needed to examine the specific approaches that can support nutrition education program implementation. Future research is needed to assess strategies that are effective for mitigating barriers to implementing nutrition education programming in the CDS setting.
Clinical ReviewsIntestinal tuberculosis: return of an old disease

Objective: Tuberculosis (TB) can no longer be considered a rare disease in the United States due, in part, to the AIDS epidemic. Because the signs and symptoms of intestinal TB are nonspecific, a high index of suspicion must be maintained to ensure a timely diagnosis. The aim of this article is to review the history, epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of TB. Methods: This review is based on an examination of the world literature. Results: In only 20% of TB patients is there associated active pulmonary TB. Areas most commonly affected are the jejunoileum and ileocecum, which comprise >75% of gastrointestinal TB sites. Diagnosis requires colonoscopy with multiple biopsies at the ulcer margins and tissue sent for routine histology, smear, and culture. If intestinal TB is suspected, empiric treatment is warranted despite negative histology, smear, and culture results. Treatment is medical, and all patients should receive a full course of antituberculous chemotherapy. Exploratory laparotomy is necessary if the diagnosis is in doubt, in cases in which there is concern about a neoplasm, or for complications that include perforation, obstruction, hemorrhage, or fistulization. Conclusions: This review draws attention to the resurgence of tuberculosis in the United States. An increased awareness of intestinal tuberculosis, coupled with knowledge of the pathophysiology, diagnostic methods, and treatment should increase the number of cases diagnosed, thus improving the outcome for patients with this disease.
Elevated Serum Lactate in Patients With Lymphoma: It Is Not Always Infection.

Abstract Objective To distinguish between sepsis only vs progressive lymphoma in patients with a history of lymphoma who present to the hospital with lactic acidosis. Patients and Methods We identified patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) or Hodgkin lymphoma from January 2014 to December 2015. Patients were categorized into 2 groups: sepsis only or progressive lymphoma. Two-sided Wilcoxon rank sum test and χ 1 /Fisher exact test were used to compare the continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate overall survival (OS). Results A total of 51 patients were identified; 33 (65%) patients were categorized into the sepsis only group, and 18 (35%), into the progressive lymphoma group. Values for serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) drawn during hospitalization were statistically different between the sepsis only and progressive lymphoma groups (median, 262 vs 665 U/L; P=.005), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of serum LDH level 2 or more times the upper limit of normal for progressive lymphoma were 56% (95% CI, 33% to 79%) and 85% (95% CI, 73% to 97%), respectively. Serum LDH level was independently predictive of inferior OS (hazard ratio, 27.8; 95% CI, 4.0 to 160.1; P Conclusion Serum LDH levels used in conjunction with serial serum lactate values may be reliable markers to differentiate patients with progressive lymphomatous disease from patients with lymphoma with sepsis only. The LDH levels should be obtained in all patients with lymphoma who present to the hospital with lactic acidosis.
Unlocking the single-cell mysteries of a reef-building coral.

Coral reefs are one of the most important ecosystems in the world but least understood from a cellular level. In this issue of Cell, Levy et al. unravel the single-cell gene expression of the coral holobiont and open the doors to better understand the novel diversity of cell types.
Interactions of Capsule with Antibody and Complement

Glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) is the most prominent of the capsular constituents and is the primary target for anticapsular antibody and the most likely mediator of capsule-complement interactions. The goal of this chapter is to describe (i) variability in the interactions of GXM antibodies with the capsular matrix, (ii) the mechanisms for interaction of the capsule with proteins of the complement system, (iii) the nexus of the anticapsular antibody and complement system in capsule interactions, and (iv) the consequences of antibody and complement binding for modification of the capsular matrix. Differential interference contrast (DIC) systems detect optical gradients, preserve its sign, and convert the gradients into visible intensity gradients. Binding of antibody to the capsule edge to produce the annular rim could be due to localization of epitopes only at the capsule perimeter; monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) producing puffy patterns may bind to epitopes located throughout the capsule. Evidence of the importance of the complement system is provided in several reports of the course of cryptococcosis in normal versus complement deficient mice. Activation of the alternative pathway leads to conversion of C3 to C3b, which in turn, binds to the cryptococcal cell. Incubation of acapsular cryptococci in adsorbed serum leads to deposition of C3 onto the cell wall, but C3 binding occurs via the slow kinetics characteristic of the alternative pathway. In contrast, encapsulated cryptococci are unable to adsorb the antibodies from normal serum that mediate the rapid, early deposition of C3 onto acapsular cryptococci.
A Dynamic Model of Selection and Mutation

The previous chapters of this book have considered static and dynamic analyses of recombination and mutation, in order to compare the two operators. However, since selection is a crucial component of evolutionary algorithms, it is important to investigate the effects that selection can have on the earlier findings. To this end we now introduce models of evolutionary algorithms that include selection. We will focus primarily on fitness-proportional selection (Holland 1975), due to its mathematical simplicity; however, it would not be difficult to extend the work to other selection mechanisms. This chapter investigates selection and mutation. The next chapter (Chap. 12) investigates selection, mutation, and recombination.
Estimating Production Uncertainty in Stochastic Frontier Production Function Models

One of the main purposes of the frontier literature is to estimate inefficiency. Given this objective, it is unfortunate that the issue of estimating “firm-specific” inefficiency in cross sectional context has not received much attention. To estimate firm-specific (technical) inefficiency, the standard procedure is to use the mean of the inefficiency term conditional on the entire composed error as suggested by Jondrow, Lovell, Materov and Schmidt (1982). This conditional mean could be viewed as the average loss of output (return). It is also quite natural to consider the conditional variance which could provide a measure of production uncertainty or risk. Once we have the conditional mean and variance, we can report standard errors and construct confidence intervals for firm level technical inefficiency. Moreover, we can also perform hypothesis tests. We postulate that when a firm attempts to move towards the frontier it not only increases its efficiency, but it also reduces its production uncertainty and this will lead to shorter confidence intervals. Analytical expressions for production uncertainty under different distributional assumptions are provided, and it is shown that the technical inefficiency as defined by Jondrow et al. (1982) and the production uncertainty are monotonic functions of the entire composed error term. It is very interesting to note that this monotonicity result is valid under different distributional assumptions of the inefficiency term. Furthermore, some alternative measures of production uncertainty are also proposed, and the concept of production uncertainty is generalized to the panel data models. Finally, our theoretical results are illustrated with an empirical example.
Ultrasound elastography using three images

Displacement1 estimation is an essential step for ultrasound elastography and numerous techniques have been proposed to improve its quality using two frames of ultrasound RF data. This paper introduces a technique for calculating a displacement field from three frames of ultrasound RF data. To this end, we first introduce constraints on variations of the displacement field with time using mechanics of materials. These constraints are then used to generate a regularized cost function that incorporates amplitude similarity of three ultrasound images and displacement continuity. We optimize the cost function in an expectation maximization (EM) framework. Iteratively reweighted least squares (IRLS) is used to minimize the effect of outliers. We show that, compared to using two images, the new algorithm reduces the noise of the displacement estimation. The displacement field is used to generate strain images for quasi-static elastography. Phantom experiments and in-vivo patient trials of imaging liver tumors and monitoring thermal ablation therapy of liver cancer are presented for validation.
Responding to Renewed Emphasis on Handwriting

T current demands for legible handwriting (Norton, 1980) must concern both middle and secondary English teachers. During the past several decades, teachers have neglected to teach proper handwriting techniques. They have lowered handwriting standards either because of lack of knowledge of proper instructional techniques or the attitude that instruction should only be for the lower grades. Little teaching of handwriting for students in the middle and secondary grades traditionally occurs. The renewed emphasis on handwriting demonstrates the importance of legible handwriting and proper instructional techniques at the middle and secondary school levels. It is a myth that some people have acceptable handwriting while others do not. Students with normal gross and fine motor movements of the arms, hands, and fingers can learn to write correctly when teachers pro-
Chapter 32 Labor econometrics

Summary This paper presents and extends the index function model of Karl Pearson (1901) that underlies all recent models in labor econometrics. In this framework, censored, truncated and discrete random variables are interpreted as the manifestation of various sampling schemes for underlying index function models. A unified derivation of the densities and regression representations for index function models is presented. Methods of estimation are discussed with an emphasis on regression and instrumental variable procedures. We demonstrate how a variety of substantive models in labor economics can be given an econometric representation within the index function framework. Models for the analysis of unemployment, labor force participation, job turnover, the impact of interventions on earnings (and other outcomes) and hours of work are formulated as special cases of the general index function model. By casting these diverse models in a common mold we demonstrate the essential commonalities in the econometric approach required for their formulation and estimation.
Sensor networks with random versus uniform topology: MAC and interference considerations

A new communication-theoretic framework for evaluating the performance of static ad hoc wireless networks (e.g., sensor networks) in terms of bit-error-rate (BER) has been introduced (Tonguz, O.K. and Ferrari, G., Carnegie Mellon University, ECE Dept., Tech. Rep. TR-043-2003, 2003; Ferrari and Tonguz, MILCOM, 2003; GLOBECOM, 2003); in it, for simplicity, it was assumed that the nodes lie at the vertices of a uniform square grid structure. Although this framework provides good insights into the performance of a sensor network, the square grid assumption makes it rather idealistic. In fact, the positions of nodes in a real sensor network are more likely to be random. We extend the framework to analyze the performance of an ad hoc wireless network with random topology, and we compare the obtained results with those obtained in the case of the uniform grid topology.
Jack Tales and Mountain Yarns: As Told By Orville Hicks

Reviewed Medium: book Year: 2009 Pages: 200 Details: Illustrated by Sherry Jenkins Jensen and Afterward by Thomas McGowan Publisher: Parkway Publishers ISBN: 1-933251-64-6 (hard cover). Prices: $19.95 USD(hard cover).
Extraction of monomethylmercury from seawater for low‐femtomolar determination

Humans are exposed to toxic monomethylmercury (MMHg) principally by the consumption of marine fish. However, and due in part to analytical limitations, little is known about the distribution, sources, and biogeochemical cycling of MMHg in the ocean, where aqueous concentrations are in the femtomolar range and often less than current limits of detection. Here, we present a simple method for extraction and analysis of MMHg in seawater that has a detection limit of about 2 fM for a 2-L sample, which is a 10-fold improvement over current approaches. The technique, which is readily adaptable to a shipboard laboratory, involves purging and quantification of dimethylmercury (DMHg) from an unaltered 2-L water sample followed by acidification to 1% with H2SO4 for > 6 h, pH neutralization, derivatization of MMHg in the seawater matrix with an ethylating agent, and purge-and-trap analysis with gas-chromatographic cold-vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The method was developed and validated with analyses of seawater from the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, in addition to two fresh waters. This technique can be used to quantify, differentiate, and develop an improved understanding of the biogeochemistries of MMHg and DMHg in the ocean.
OKT3 prophylaxis in liver transplantation.

In a randomized prospective study of liver transplant recipients, we compared prophylaxis with OKT3, steroids, and azathioprine to cyclosporine, steroids, and azathioprine. Seventy-two percent of patients receiving OKT3 prophylaxis were rejection free in the first 14 days compared to 41% in the cyclosporine group (P=0.02). However, after 14 days through a mean of 6.3 months, the overall incidence of rejection did not differ between the two groups (74% for the cyclosporine group and 48% for the OKT3 group). There was no increase in the rate of infectious complications noted in the OKT3-treated group. Thirty-nine percent of the OKT3-treated patients developed anti-OKT3 antibodies. Eight patients in the OKT3 group required reuse of OKT3 for rejection. Six of these continued to have greater than 10% CD3-positive cells with retreatment. Five were rescued successfully. With a mean survival of greater than 674±209 days in the OKT3-treated group and 626±242 days in the cyclosporine-treated group, no overall differences in graft and patient survival, liver function, renal function, late rejection incidence, or infectious complications were evident between the two groups. We conclude that OKT3 offers no long-term benefit compared to cyclosporine prophylaxis and should be reserved for treatment of rejection in patients in whom cyclosporine may be contraindicated.
Antibiotic prophylaxis in dentoalveolar surgery.

In England during the 1930s, it became evident that bacteremia from dental procedures could cause the distant infection of bacterial endocarditis [1,2]. With the onset of the antibiotic era, health care providers assumed that if antibiotics could cure an infection, they may also be able to prevent them. Work began more than 40 years ago to investigate how antibiotics may be able to prevent potentially devastating infections such as bacterial endocarditis. Therefore, the concept of using antibiotics as a prophylactic measure to prevent infection from dentally induced bacteremia has existed since at least 1955 [3]. Distant infections resulting from seeding of bacteria caused by dental manipulations have been a matter of controversy. Indeed, the incidence of bacteremia with dental treatment (including surgical procedures) is not vastly different from the bacteremia that can be generated by chewing and by home oral hygiene procedures. In addition, the net benefit of antibiotic prophylaxis is hard to quantify because only a few of the many patients who are given prophylactic antibiotics may actually benefit from them. This fact must be weighed against the potentially adverse side effects of the antibiotics themselves (allergy, toxicity, superinfection, and selection of resistant organisms) [4]. Nevertheless, the empiric use of antibiotic prophylaxis for dental procedures, especially surgical procedures, has become a wellestablished practice among dental professionals. This practice began for prevention of bacterial endocarditis, but has spread to include patients at risk of developing infections of prosthetic joints, those with depressed immune systems from a variety of causes, those with synthetic implants of various kinds, and to prevent postoperative infection in a variety of patients undergoing intraoral procedures. Failure to provide prophylaxis when a distant or significant postoperative infection occurs has become a major source of malpractice lawsuits across the country [5]. Since there are far more attorneys than dentists in the United States, antibiotics are often readily prescribed with a lack of true medical indication. For some conditions (bacterial endocarditis and patients with prosthetic joint replacements), there are consensus guidelines published by reputable organizations. The dentist must be aware of these well-known conditions and guidelines. For other conditions, the indications and literature are conflicting or unclear. In addition, the dental practitioner who consults with the patient’s physician for guidance may receive inadequate, conflicting, or widely varying protocols [6]. The purpose of this article is to review current medical and dental literature and attempt to arrive at a rational guideline for the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in dentoalveolar surgery. Those conditions and procedures not requiring the use of antibiotics will also be discussed. Finally, there is a brief discussion concerning the global overuse of antibiotics and its consequences.
Money, income and prices under fixed exchange rates: Evidence from causality tests and VARs

This paper investigates the impact of changes in monetary variables on the domestic and foreign sectors, the determinants of central bank policy, and the response to foreign monetary changes in Mexico and India. Multivariate Granger-causality tests, variance decompositions and impulse response functions are utilized to examine propositions regarding causal relationships among key economic variables. The results indicate that domestic monetary policy did not affect output in either country. A substantial balance of payments offset to changes in domestic credit was found in India, but not for Mexico. The Mexican central bank pursued an accommodative monetary policy, but did not sterilize. In India, the central bank sterilized, but did not respond to income or price fluctuations. Output responded in each country to changes in foreign money.
Development of phenylalanine hydroxylase activity in guinea pig liver

Abstract Phenylalanine hydroxylase activity in liver obtained from fetal guinea pigs 2–14 days before birth was approximately 30% of that present in newborn and adult animals. Activity was present in liver from fetal monkey and fetal mouse. Kidney tissue obtained from guinea pigs, mice and rats showed phenylalanine hydroxylase activity in amounts ranging from 10 to 50% of that found in liver from the same animals.
Glycosidic fraction of flue-cured tobacco leaves: its separation and component analysis.

The fraction containing glycosidic components was separated from flue-cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) leaves by a facile method. Some components of the fraction were isolated and elucidated to be syringin, coniferin, cichoriin, benzyl-β-D-glucoside, Blumenol A-β-D-glucoside, and 5,6-epoxy-5,6-dihydro-3-hydroxy-β-ionyl-β-D-glucoside. Syringin and coniferin were detected in the Nicotiana species for the first time.
Breadth of emergency medical training in Pakistan.

This is a copy of an article published in the Prehospital and Disaster Medicine © 2013 Cambridge University Press. The final publication is available at http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=PDM doi: 10.1017/s1049023x12001859
The generalizability of context effects on word recognition: A reconsideration of the roles of parafoveal priming and sentence context

In three experiments, subjects named target words preceded by congruous, incongruous, or neutral sentence contexts. There was no evidence that the recognition of the target word was affected by the semantic characteristics of a word presented immediately to the right of it. The nature of the preceding sentence context did affect target-naming speed. However, the magnitude of the context effect was considerably smaller in these experiments, in which nonterminal target words were used, than in previous experiments in which the target word was always the final word of the sentence, was highly predictable from the context, and was often semantically related to words in the sentence. The implications of these two findings for theories of reading and context effects are discussed.
Geochemical exploration for copper-nickel deposits in the cool-humid climate of northeastern Minnesota

Abstract Water was used as a medium for geochemical exploration to detect copper-nickel mineralization along the basal zone of the Duluth Complex. Ni2+ is the most important pathfinder for the detection of the mineralized rocks, followed by Cu2+ and SO42− and to a lesser extent Mg2+ and SiO2. A normalized sum plot using these species defines the mineralization more consistently than a single-element plot, mainly because the absence of one variable does not significantly influence the normalized sum value. A hydrogeochemical survey was conducted in an area of known copper-nickel mineralization in the cool-humid climate of northeastern Minnesota. The area is covered with glacial drift, and wetlands are abundant. Modeling of the chemistry of waters indicates that the waters are oxidizing and have a pH of 7 or less. The most important pathfinder species in the waters, Cu2+, Ni2+, and SO42−, are derived from the simple weathering of sulfide minerals and are mobile in the waters in this environment. Plots of Cu and Ni concentrations in soils show that Cu followed by Ni are the most useful indicator elements for delineating copper-nickel mineralization. The ability of soils and water to delineate the mineralization supports the use of both media for geochemical exploration in this cool-humid environment. In the wetlands, abundant water is available and soils are scarce or absent; where soils are abundant, waters are generally scarce or absent. The use of both media is recommended for geochemical exploration in this environment.
Generalization of Dewar's half-electron method for calculating energies of open-shell electronic states

Abstract Dewar's “half-electron” model for calculating electronic energies of certain open-shell doublet and triplet states is extended so as to be applicable to the lowest-energy open-shell state of any given symmetry and multiplicity.
Stochastic Optimization of Sub-Hourly Economic Dispatch With Wind Energy

We present a stochastic programming framework for a multiple timescale economic dispatch problem to address integration of renewable energy resources into power systems. This framework allows certain slow-response energy resources to be controlled at an hourly timescale, while fast-response resources, including renewable resources, and related network decisions can be controlled at a sub-hourly timescale. To this end, we study two models motivated by actual scheduling practices of system operators. Using an external simulator as driver for sub-hourly wind generation, we optimize these economic dispatch models using stochastic decomposition, a sample-based approach for stochastic programming. Computational experiments, conducted on the IEEE-RTS96 system and the Illinois system, reveal that optimization with sub-hourly dispatch not only results in lower expected operational costs, but also predicts these costs with far greater accuracy than with models allowing only hourly dispatch. Our results also demonstrate that when compared with standard approaches using the extensive formulation of stochastic programming, the sequential sampling approach of stochastic decomposition provides better predictions with much less computational time.
Investigating the age effects of family structure on adolescent Marijuana use

This study examines differences among older and younger adolescents in the influence of family structure, family relations, and peer relations on marijuana use. Data from a longitudinal sample of adolescents from the United States were stratified by age and used to assess these potential differences. Precise measures of family structure were constructed to account for the various manifestations of family forms. Multivariate analyses indicate that a recent divorce attenuates attachment among younger adolescents and leads to less family involvement among older adolescents. Moreover, older adolescents from stepparent families are less attached to their families. Changes in these family relationship variables influence associations with drug using peers, but these processes differ for the two age groups. Finally, less family involvement and greater drug using peer associations lead to greater marijuana use among younger adolescents, while only peer associations directly affect use among older adolescents.
Coordination of self-propelled particles through external leadership

We study the organization of a group of self-propelled particles induced by a mobile external leader particle. Group particles interact with each other and the leader through pairwise potentials. Simulation results in two dimensions reveal the existence of a unique variety of particle aggregation states, spanning from highly polarized tracking of the leader to coherent milling about it. Transition between aggregation states is elicited by a complex interplay among particle energy, group size, interaction strength, and leader mobility. These findings shed light on the structure and organization of biological groups influenced by external aggregation devices, environmental stimuli, or trained individuals taking the lead.
Yellow to violet energy upconversion in Nd3+ doped oxide glass

Abstract A multi-element oxide glass doped with Nd 3+ was prepared to pursue energy upconversion phenomena. Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters, Ω 2 , Ω 4 and Ω 6 , are estimated to be 2.54 ± 0.18 × 10 −20 , 0.97 ± 0.26 × 10 −20 and 1.88 ± 0.12 × 10 −20 cm 2 , respectively. When the sample was pumped with 590 nm laser we detected upconversion signals at 362, 389, 417 and 453 nm due to two-photon excitation process.
Characterizing Strains in the Tibia of Hindlimb Unloaded Rats During Combined Isometric and Eccentric Stimulated Muscle Contraction

We have conducted a series of studies for NASA sponsored by the NSBRI using the hindlimb unloaded (HU) rat model to simulate micro-gravity. Studies have focused on various questions related to specific effects on both bone and muscle in the unloaded limbs. In some cases, a muscle stimulation technique has been used to simulate resistive exercise as a countermeasure during HU. Results have been generally quite positive for bone but not as effective for muscle. Consequently, a series of successive alterations have been made to the muscle stimulation protocol parameters in an attempt to maintain benefits for bone while reducing the overall level of exercize in order to minimize fatigue effects on muscle.© 2009 ASME
Synthesis of 14C‐labeled copolymers for drug delivery studies

14C-labeled polyanhydride copolymers [(20:80/1,3-bis)(p-carboxyphenoxy)-propane(CPP):sebacic acid (SA)] (7 and 13) were synthesized according to schemes I and II: 14C-labeled sebacic acid (2,9-14C2) (5) and 14C-labeled CPP 1,3-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)-propane (labeled at C-1, C-3 of the propyl group) (11) were transformed to the corresponding mixed anhydrides (6 and 12) as prepolymers respectively by reaction with acetic anhydride. The labeled mixed anhydride prepolymers (6 and 12) were condensed with unlabeled counter-prepolymers (12′ and 6′) to give the labeled polyanhydride copolymers (7 and 13). The labeled copolymers (7 and 13) were identified and characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC).
Integrated engine-generator for aircraft secondary power.

An integrated engine-generator for aircraft secondary power generation is described. The concept consists of an electric generator located inside a turbojet or turbofan engine and both concentric with and driven by one of the main engine shafts. The electric power conversion equipment and generator controls are located in the aircraft. When properly rated, the generator serves as an engine starter as well as a source of electric power. This configuration reduces or eliminates the need for an external gear box on the engine and permits reduction in the nacelle diameter.
Convex weighting criteria for speaking rate estimation

Speaking rate estimation directly from the speech waveform is a long-standing problem in speech signal processing. In this paper, we pose the speaking rate estimation problem as that of estimating a temporal density function whose integral over a given interval yields the speaking rate within that interval. In contrast to many existing methods, we avoid the more difficult task of detecting individual phonemes within the speech signal and we avoid heuristics such as thresholding the temporal envelope to estimate the number of vowels. Rather, the proposed method aims to learn an optimal weighting function that can be directly applied to time-frequency features in a speech signal to yield a temporal density function. We propose two convex cost functions for learning the weighting functions and an adaptation strategy to customize the approach to a particular speaker using minimal training. The algorithms are evaluated on the TIMIT corpus, on a dysarthric speech corpus, and on the ICSI Switchboard spontaneous speech corpus. Results show that the proposed methods outperform three competing methods on both healthy and dysarthric speech. In addition, for spontaneous speech rate estimation, the result show a high correlation between the estimated speaking rate and ground truth values.
A back-of-the-envelope approach to boudinage mechanics

Abstract Smith has shown from linear hydrodynamic stability that pinch-and-swell boudinage is possible only in a non-Newtonian material. By assuming uniaxial stress and strain and large viscosity contrast between the competent layer and the incompetent matrix, Smith's result can be derived in a very simple way. The one-dimensional force balance also predicts growth rates, although not dominant wavelengths. However, we question the ability of even linear stability analysis to accurately predict boudin widths.
How the Built Environment Shapes Spatial Bridging Ties and Social Capital

The study examined spatial bridging ties that develop between members of a subdivision, and the relationship of such ties to different aspects of the built environment. We suggest that spatial brid...
Poisoning of Pt3Co Electrodes: A Combined Experimental and DFT Study

Density functional theory calculations and rotating ring disk electrode experiments were performed to investigate the poisoning effects of sulfur species on the catalytic properties of elemental Pt...
The packing measure of a general subordinator

Precise conditions are obtained for the packing measure of an arbitrary subordinator to be zero, positive and finite, or infinite. It develops that the packing measure problem for a subordinatorX(t) is equivalent to the upper local growth problem forY(t)=min (Y 1 (t), Y 2 (t)), whereY 1 andY 2 are independent copies ofX. A finite and positive packing measure is possible for subordinators “close to Cauchy”; for such a subordinator there is non-random concave upwards function that exactly describes the upper local growth ofY (although, as is well known, there is no such function for the subordinatorX itself).
A Logic for Rewriting Strategies

Abstract Rewriting strategies can become quite complex and are not easy to comprehend or reason about when they are expressed in operational terms. This paper develops a weakest precondition logic for reasoning about strategies programmed in the strategy language Stratego. This logic embeds the modal mu-calculus, allowing it to express properties of terms of arbitrary depth. Its use is illustrated by characterizing properties of several reduction strategies for the lambda calculus with explicit substitutions.
Interspecies Modeling of Inhaled Gases

AbstractInformation concerning factors affecting human Inhalation Toxicology can be obtained from exposure experiments performed with surrogates such as laboratory rats. An interspecies model simulating mass transport processes is in much demand to aid in the interpretation and extrapolation of the resultant data to human conditions. In this work, the mathematical model developed by Martonen et al. (1995) that describes mass transfer efficiencies of inhaled gases (e.g., ozone) in the human respiratory tract has been adapted to (and subsequently verified for) rat airways. The Weibel (1991) and Yeh et al. (1979) morphologies are used to describe the human and rat lungs, respectively. Enhanced CO2 concentrations in inhalation exposure chambers are used to produce desired breathing patterns in rats that mimic human breathing patterns as functions of increased physical activity levels. Results show that diffusion efficiencies for rats are about 100% higher than for humans in most tracheobronchial airways at co...
Drug sensitivity of hemolytic streptococci isolated from cases of scarlet fever treated with penicillin.

Summary(1) Studies of the penicillin sensitivity of group A hemolytic streptococci isolated from scarlet fever patients before, during, and following penicillin therapy indincate that, with the usual “short” courses of treatment, drug-resistant strains of the organism do not appear.(2) The likelihood of the development of penicillin resistance in cases of streptococcal infection treated with this agent appears to be very remote.(3) No penicillin-resistant strains of Strep. pyogenes (group A) were recovered in any instance before antibiotic therapy was started.
Pattern classification using polynomial networks

The use of polynomial networks is proposed for efficient implementation of the polynomial classifiers. The polynomial network is a trainable device consisting of a large number of simple processing elements. In this respect it is similar to artificial neural networks. A learning algorithm for the polynomial network is developed and its performance is compared with that of multilayer perceptrons.
Exploration of the tradeoff between effectiveness and efficiency for results merging in federated search

Federated search is the task of retrieving relevant documents from different information resources. One of the main research problems in federated search is to combine the results from different sources into a single ranked list. Recent work proposed a regression based method to download some documents from each ranked list of the different sources, calculated comparable scores for the documents and estimated mapping functions that transform source-specific scores into comparable scores. Experiments have shown that downloading more documents improves the accuracy of results merging. However downloading more documents increases the computation and communication costs.This paper proposes a utility based optimization method that enables the system to automatically decide on the desired number of training documents to download according to the user's need for effectiveness and efficiency.
Management of acute seizure episodes

Summary: Acute seizures may represent the initial manifestation of epilepsy or isolated events. Urgent treatment of these episodes is indicated to reduce the risk for permanent neurologic damage. Status epilepticus (SE), one form of acute seizure, has an estimated annual incidence of 100,000–150,000 cases per year in the United States. Management of SE focuses on terminating clinical and electrical seizure activity while providing supportive care and identifying the precipitating factors. Physician preference and patient-related factors may dictate the choice of pharmacologic treatment of SE. However, benzodiazepines, which enter the brain rapidly and offer the opportunity for most rapid seizure cessation, are the foundation for SE management. At our institution, first-line treatment consists of i.v. lorazepam followed by a long-acting antiepileptic drug (AED). When i.v. access cannot be attained, high AED blood levels can be rapidly achieved with rectally administered diazepam (DZP). For management of acute repetitive seizures, it is desirable to have an effective drug that can be safely administered by caregivers outside of the hospital setting. Clinical trial data indicate that rectal administration of a prepackaged viscous DZP solution fulfills these criteria. In these studies, rectal DZP gel reduced seizure frequency and recurrence compared to seizure control, improved patient and family quality of life, and was cost-effective because it reduced the need for emergency and inpatient treatment.
Multiple Sclerosis: A Paradigm Shift

1. An Overview Of Physical Rehabilitation For Multiple Sclerosis Patients (Kraft and Brown) 2. Epidemiology and Etiology of Multiple Sclerosis (Kurtzke) 3. Immunology and Pathology of Multiple Sclerosis (Cui) 4. Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis and Its Imitators (Bowen) 5. Neuroimaging of Multiple Sclerosis (Simon) 6. Neuropsychological Functioning in Multiple Sclerosis (Ehde and Pepping) 7. Diagnosis and Management of Depression in Multiple Sclerosis Ehde and Bombardier) 8. Pain in Multiple Sclerosis (Ehde and Jensen) 9. Health Promotion and Wellness (Bombardier and Wadhwani) 10. A Practical Approach to Immunomodulatory Therapy of Multiple Sclerosis (Burks) 11. Management of Spasticity (Haselkorn) 12. Variables Impacting Social Participation and Vocation Yorkston, Klasner and Johnson) 13. Helping Patients Make Vocational Decisions (Johnson and Fraser)
A generalization of the equations governing the evolution of a particle distribution in a random force field

The problem of a system of charged particles moving in a random force field and its application to the study of turbulent plasmas are discussed. We point out the inapplicability of existing formalisms to many cases of astrophysical interest. A generalization of this formalism is developed from two different points of view—a Fokker‐Planck approach and a quasilinear approach. Both approaches lead to the same equation for the evolution of the particle distribution; this equation has the form of a Fokker‐Planck equation, but the terms describing the effects of the random field do not retain the interpretation which they have in usual Fokker‐Planck development. It is shown that this equation reduces to a quasilinear diffusion equation when the random field is electromagnetic.
Improving Classroom Communication: The Case of the Course Syllabus

Abstract Because syllabus-related questions are often on forms designed for students' evaluation of teacher effectiveness, we undertook a study to ascertain the value of course syllabi to college students. Educators generally suspect that students cannot recall certain syllabi information. This study aimed at finding specifically how much information students can recall from the course syllabus, how often they refer to the syllabus, which part of the course syllabus they refer to the most, and whether differences exist in recall, reference, and usage between students responding to the questionnaire early in the academic term and those responding to the questionnaire later in the academic term. Specific strategies are presented to enhance the communication value of course syllabi in today's classroom.
ac response of the flux-line liquid in the high-Tc superconductors.

We use a hydrodynamics theory to discuss the response of a viscous flux-line liquid to an ac perturbation applied at the surface of the sample. The theory incorporates viscoelastic effects and describes the crossover between liquidlike and solidlike response of the vortex array as the frequency of the perturbation increases. A large viscosity from flux-line interactions and entanglement leads to viscous screening of surface fields. As a result, two frequency-dependent length scales are needed to describe the penetration of an ac field. For large viscosities the imaginary part of the ac permeability can exhibit, in addition to the well-known peak associated with flux diffusion across the sample, a low-frequency peak corresponding to the transition from solidlike to liquidlike behavior.
Pharmacologic loading in the treatment of acute mania.

The rapid and safe reduction of manic symptoms is an important initial goal of the pharmacologic treatment of acute mania. The pharmacokinetics and studies of pharmacologic loading of lithium, valproate, and carbamazepine were reviewed. In addition, the feasibility of administering other agents with potential efficacy in mania, e.g., atypical antipsychotics and new anticonvulsants, was discussed. Further double-blind, controlled studies with adequate sample sizes comparing loading strategies with more gradual titration schedules of candidate antimanic agents are needed.
Vernacularization, globalization, and language economics in non-English-speaking countries in Africa

Research into language policy in Africa has addressed the impact of colonial language policies on efforts to formulate and implement post-colonial language policies aimed at vernacularization, defined as the use of indigenous African languages in higher domains such as education. What seems to have received very little attention to date, however, is the effect of globalization, through the medium of English, on vernacularization not only in Anglophone but also in non-English-speaking countries in the African continent. Focusing on the latter territories, this paper explores this issue from the perspective of recent theoretical developments in the field of language economics, an area of study whose focus is on the theoretical and empirical ways in which linguistic and economic variables influence one another. It argues that the spread of English to these historically non-English-speaking territories in Africa represents the second challenge to largely symbolic language policies aimed at promoting vernacularization, the first one being other western languages (e.g. French, Portuguese, Spanish). Drawing on language economics, the paper argues that the prospects for the indigenous languages will continue to be bleak, especially in the era of globalization, unless these languages are viewed as a commodity rather than as a token for cultural preservation, and are associated with some of the advantages and material gains that have for decades been the preserve of western languages. Resistance against, and successful case studies of, vernacularization informed by language economics in various parts of the world are presented in support of the proposed argument for the promotion of Africa’s indigenous languages in education.
“As the Dew Is Dried Up by the Morning Sun, So Are Mankind’s Sins at the Sight of Himalaya”

Suggested citation for this article: Potter P. “As the dew is dried up by the morning sun, so are mankind’s sins at the sight of Himalaya.” Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2008 Jun [date cited]. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/14/6/1009.htm
The impact of a shift in organizational role on ethical perceptions: A comparative study

This study investigates ethical decision-making by considering the differences in ethical judgments between undergraduate business and MBA students on selected ethical issues facing employees and managers of today's businesses. The study further investigates differences in ethical judgments between undergraduates and MBAs in terms of a perceived position as an employee or as a manager. The findings indicate that undergraduate students tend to be more ethical than MBA students and that both groups tend to be more ethical when they perceive themselves as managers rather than employees. The authors discuss the implications for both business practitioners and educators.
Sentence size and syllable timing in aphasia

Abstract Syllable durations were evaluated in sentences of two lengths produced by patients with fluent and nonfluent aphasia. The fluent group exhibited deviant timing in final syllables in both stimulus sizes and an inability to distinguish between medial and final syllables in long stimuli. The nonfluent patients exhibited deviant final syllable duration in long sentences only. These outcomes are consistent with the notion that differential underlying mechanisms account for timing deficits in fluent and nonfluent aphasia. Some possibilities are suggested.
High-throughput matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry method for quantification of hepcidin in human urine.

Levels of the peptide hormone hepcidin negatively correlate with systemic iron status and are increased in disorders in which iron metabolism is secondarily dysregulated, such as the anemia of chronic disease. Consequently, the ability to measure hepcidin in the clinical setting may have diagnostic value for a broad range of indications. We describe a novel quantitative MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry assay for hepcidin in human urine which involves, i) direct enrichment from minute volumes (5 μL) of minimally treated urine on the surface of a functionalized chip, ii) quantification by the use of a stable isotope labeled internal standard and iii) analysis by MALDI-TOF. Performance features include: a wide linear range (1–1000 nM; LOQ 2.5 nM), high accuracy (90–110% recovery) and precision (intra-day CV 12.11%; inter-day CV 13.21%), and a strong correlation upon inter-laboratory cross validation with an existing immunoassay. The assay is simple, accurate, efficient, and the high throughput performance features of the assay make large-scale clinical research studies feasible.
Events, Laws of Nature, and Invariance Principles

I have often discussed this and related subjects but I still find it difficult to call attention to all the relevant points — points which we all should remember. Actually, in the first part of the discussion, I would prefer to replace in the title, so kindly suggested by Dr. Zichichi, the “Events” by “Initial Conditions”.