cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute fatty liver in the second trimester of pregnancy

Abstract Objective: Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is an uncommon, potentially fatal disorder that usually occurs in the late third trimester of pregnancy. We present the first reported case of acute fatty liver in the second trimester of pregnancy. Methods: We report the clinical and laboratory findings in a patient with AFLP who presented in the second trimester of pregnancy. Results: A 37-year-old G5P4 woman presented at 22 weeks gestation (by 18 weeks ultrasound) with nausea and vomiting. She was normotensive, had no proteinuria, had elevated SGOT and SGPT (266 and 261, respectively), negative hepatitis studies and a normal platelet count. She was managed conservatively for presumed cholelithiasis until 24 weeks gestation when she was transferred to our facility because of worsening SGPT and SGPT (368 and 505, respectively), jaundice (total bilirubin of 8.9 mg/dL), hypoglycemia, and laboratory evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) (PT = 18.6, PTT = 56, hypofibrinogenemia and presence of fibrin split products). Ultrasound showed singleton fetus (EFW 450 g) with total placenta previa. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed decreased hepatic density consistent with AFLP. Delivery of a nonviable fetus was effected after transfusion of fresh frozen plasma. Postoperatively, the patient had rapid resolution of DIC, jaundice, and hypoglycemia; liver transaminases normalized 5 days postoperatively and the patient was discharged home in good condition 5 days later. Conclusion: It has been traditionally stated that AFLP occurs in the late third trimester of pregnancy. This case demonstrates that, even in the second trimester of pregnancy, the diagnosis of AFLP should be considered as a cause of deteriorating liver function, jaundice, and DIC.
Spectrophotometry of AM Herculis at minimum

Spectrophotometric observations of AM Her during its 1980 minimum are reported. The M dwarf in the system is revealed by its TiO bands and domination of the spectrum longward of 6000 A. The blue region of the spectrum reveals a hot, magnetic white dwarf with Zeeman-split hydrogen absorption lines, and emission lines of H, He I, and Fe II. The inferred surface magnetic field of roughly 10 to the 7th gauss permits the presence of an accretion disk in the system. Velocities and intensities of the H emission lines indicate an origin in the X-ray-heated atmosphere of the M dwarf. The continuum light variation in the red appears to result from the heating of the secondary, while the blue light variation probably results from the rotation of the bright spot at the white dwarf's magnetic pole. A self-consistent geometrical model is proposed, in which the minimum state is interpreted as a lull in the rate of accretion onto the white dwarf.
Carcinoid Heart Disease A Classic Example by Echocardiography

Carcinoid heart disease is a rare, metastatic disease that occurs predominantly in the right heart. The tricuspid and pulmonic valves are affected, leading to right heart failure, which results in increased morbidity and mortality. This case report demonstrates classic echocardiography findings associated with carcinoid heart disease. Cardiac sonography is a useful tool for the detection and diagnosis of carcinoid heart disease.
Information exchange in negotiation

The research question addressed an apparent lack of supportive empirical evidence for theoretical arguments predicting a relationship between information exchange and successful negotiation outcomes. I examined the effects of two methods of information exchange, providing and seeking information about interests, on the accuracy of negotiators' perceptions of their opponent and negotiation outcomes. The first experiment examined the effects of mutual information exchange: both negotiators were provided with information or both sought information about the other party's interests. The second experiment examined the effects of asymmetric information exchange: one member of the bargaining pair was instructed to either provide or seek information; the other party was not given explicit communication instructions. Both mechanisms, providing information and seeking information, improved the accuracy of negotiators' judgments about the other party and led to more mutually beneficial, integrative negotiation agreements. It was not necessary that both negotiators provide (or seek) information: joint outcomes improved significantly even when only one member of the bargaining pair provided (or sought) information. Negotiators who provided information to the other party did not place themselves at a disadvantage vis a vis their opponent in terms of individual profit. Finally, the accuracy of negotiators' judgments was strongly related to their performance, suggesting that judgment accuracy is a key ingredient for reaching integrative negotiation agreements. I discuss the implications of these results for theories of information exchange in negotiation.
Autoregressive spectral modeling : difficulties and remedies

Abstract Many problems of non-linear mechanics can be treated only by the Monte Carlo method. An efficient approach for conducting Monte Carlo simulations relies on using digital filters. In this paper the difficulties associated with the computation of reliable digital autoregressive (AR) approximations of stochastic processes of engineering practice with troublesome spectra, such as the Pierson-Moskowitz sea waves spectrum and the Davenport wind spectrum, are investigated from a new perspective. It is known that the AR model whose coefficients are obtained as straightforward applications of the AR approximation technique can exhibit large spectral fluctuations. This symptom is explained by considering the mathematical peculiarities of the target spectra. Further, mitigation techniques that lead to reliable AR approximations are presented. Finally, a measure of the suitability of a given spectrum for AR modeling is presented. This measure can be used to predict the quality of a particular AR approximation or to select an appropriate AR system order.
Total correction of tetralogy of Fallot in infancy. Postoperative hemodynamic evaluation.

Total intracardiac repair of symptomatic tetralogy of Fallot was accomplished in twenty-nine infants under two years of age with a mortality of six per cent. All twenty-seven survivors are asymptomatic. Postoperative hemodynamic evaluation of 17 randomly selected children was performed at least 12 months following surgery. Pulmonary regurgitation was present in 12 of the 17 children but was well tolerated, with only minimal cardiac enlargement and in no case were there symptoms or important hemodynamic consequences. Growth of the pulmonary artery with respect to the aorta occurred. Normal left ventricular performance was indicated by normal ejection fraction and normal systemic arterial pressure. Intellectual and social development were indistinguishable from a "normal" group of randomly selected children as assessed by detailed psychological testing.
Identification of viruses using microfluidic protein profiling and Bayesian classification.

We present a rapid method for the identification of viruses using microfluidic chip gel electrophoresis (CGE) of high-copy number proteins to generate unique protein profiles. Viral proteins are solubilized by heating at 95 °C in borate buffer containing detergent (5 min), then labeled with fluorescamine dye (10 s), and analyzed using the μChemLab CGE system (5 min). Analyses of closely related T2 and T4 bacteriophage demonstrate sufficient assay sensitivity and peak resolution to distinguish the two phage. CGE analyses of four additional viruses—MS2 bacteriophage, Epstein—Barr, respiratory syncytial, and vaccinia viruses—demonstrate reproducible and visually distinct protein profiles. To evaluate the suitability of the method for unique identification of viruses, we employed a Bayesian classification approach. Using a subset of 126 replicate electropherograms of the six viruses and phage for training purposes, successful classification with nontraining data was 66/69 or 95% with no false positives. The c...
Thioester hydrolysis reactivity of an Fe(III)Zn(II) complex.

Glyoxalase II enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of a thioester substrate and have been found to coordinate a variety of dimetal combinations, including Fe(III)Zn(II), within the enzyme active site. Of relevance to these enzymes, the thioester hydrolysis reactivity of the Fe(III)Zn(II) compound [(BPBPMP)Fe(III)Zn(II)(μ-OAc)2]ClO4 (1) was evaluated in CH3CN/H2O (50:50; buffered) at 26.5 °C. Thioester hydrolysis in the absence and presence of 1 was monitored using 2H NMR by following the loss of the thioester −SCD3 signal. Two products are generated in the reaction involving the metal complex, D3CSSCD3 and CD3SH. Kinetic studies of this reaction as a function of pH revealed maximum rate above the pKa of a Zn−OH2 moiety of [(BPBPMP)Fe(III)(OH)(μ-OH)Zn(II)(OH2)]+, which forms from 1 in CH3CN/H2O (50:50). UV−vis and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of a single turnover thioester hydrolysis reaction in the presence of 1 equiv of 1 at pH = 9.0 suggest that the thioester does not initially interact with...
Modeling and Preliminary Experiment for Rarefied Gas Flows in Constricted Microchannels

Gaseous slip flows in 3D rectangular microchannels with constrictions have been study numerically, and the experiment using pressure-sensitive-paints (PSP) for polymer microchannel pressure measurements are proposed. Constrictions inside microchannels, either being manufacturing defects or functional design features such as micro-orifices or micro-nozzles, will change the flow pattern because of additional frictional resistance and flow separation. In current research, mass-flowrate reduction due to constrictions has been investigated numerically for air flows in the slip regime, where Knudsen number ranges from 0.003 to 0.07. The results have been compared with both straight microchannels and with 3D analytical solutions. Similar to nozzle cases at macroscale, chocked flows has been observed at the critical pressure ratio of about 1.89. A numerical model including finite inlet and outlet chambers has been used in simulations to evaluate effects of reflection waves. Slip effects have been studied for different accommodation coefficients in presence of constrictions. By implementing multi-species numerical models, thermal induced mass transport has also been studied. Preliminary experiment based on PSP measurement for polymer microchannels has able to generate high spatial resolution pressure data, which are comparable with numerical simulations. Finally, further improvement of experimental setup is discussed.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
The utility of base deficit and arterial lactate in differentiating major from minor injury in trauma patients with normal vital signs

Summary Objectives Early recognition and treatment of hemorrhagic shock after trauma limits multi-organ failure and mortality. Traditional vital signs (VS) although specific are not highly sensitive for hemorrhage detection. Metabolic parameters such as lactate and base deficit (BD) are highly sensitive indicators of blood loss by measuring tissue perfusion. Does adding information from BD and lactate to traditional VS improve the identification of trauma patients with major injuries? Methods We conducted a retrospective study of a prospectively collected database at a Level I trauma center from January 2003 to September 2005. Patients >13 years, suspected of having significant injury by mechanism, were included. Abnormal VS were defined by heart rate >100 beats/min or systolic blood pressure −2.0 mMol/L or lactate >2.2 mMol/L. Our outcome variable, major injury, was defined as any trauma patient who received a blood transfusion, or dropped their hematocrit >10 points in the first 24 h, or had an Injury Severity Score (ISS) >15. Results 1435 patients were enrolled, 242 (17%) had major injuries. Abnormal VS alone had a sensitivity of 40.9% (95% CI, 34.7–47.1%) for identifying major injury patients. When abnormal metabolic parameters were added, major injury detection increased significantly to a sensitivity of 76.4% (95% CI, 71.1–81.8%). Conclusions The addition of BD and lactate to triage vital signs increases the ability to distinguish major from minor injury.
Ambiguous authority definition in project management.

This report discusses the dual authority problem created by the implementation of the project management technique in R & D organization. The basic findings demonstrated that the use of an ambiguou...
An X-ray and dilatometric study of order and the “K-state” in iron-aluminum alloys

Abstract A dilatometric and X-ray study of certain iron-aluminum solid solution alloys has shown that the FeAl order field completely surrounds the Fe3Al order phase; this is in agreement with theoretical predictions. It has also been conclusively demonstrated that the so called “K-state”, which is produced in certain alloys on annealing at a low temperature after quenching from a high temperature or after cold working, is an ordered structure but with a very small antiphase domain size. It is proposed that ordering on slow cooling is not observed because of kinetic difficulties. Many of the anomalous properties of iron-aluminum alloys can now be explained with the aid of this new phase boundary information, and a knowledge of the nature of the “k-state”. It has also been shown that the production of the “K-state” in iron-aluminum alloys can lead to a 25 per cent increase in the flow stress.
Single line correction method to remove aircraft roll errors in hyperspectral imagery

Hyperspectral data acquired using airborne push-broom sensors frequently contain geometric distortion caused by aircraft motion. This paper presents a simple single reference line algorithm to correct push-broom imagery for geometric distortions resulting from aircraft roll during the scan period. If a straight line is not available throughout the entire image, multiple lines may be drawn to correct the entire image. The algorithm was applied to two hyperspectral urban images (Terre Haute, Indiana, USA and Provo, Utah, USA) acquired during summer 2006. The results demonstrate that this method is an effective way to correct many of the errors caused by the effect of aircraft roll on hyperspectral push-broom sensors. After performing the reference line correction one of the images was georeferenced using a DOQQ, and a RMSE value of 1.5 meters was achieved. The correction program used to implement the method was programmed in Python, and the program can be downloaded from the project's website.
SEQUENTIAL OXIDATION OF FE(100) BY WATER ADSORPTION : FORMATION OF AN ORDERED HYDROXYLATED SURFACE

The adsorption of H2O and its decomposition on clean Fe(100) have been studied using low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), temperature programmed desorption (TPD), and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Water adsorbs molecularly on the surface at 100 K and desorbs from three states at 165, 220, and 310 K. EELS and TPD data suggest that the Fe(100) surface interacts sequentially with water, forming hydrogen-bonded molecular clusters at low temperature and low coverage. As the surface is warmed, wetting occurs as the clusters break apart, and molecular water begins to dissociate. Dissociation is complete at a temperature of 250 K, forming a p(1 × 2)-OH overlayer, with the OH bond tilted from the surface normal. The hydroxyl overlayer disproportionates or decomposes resulting in water or hydrogen desorption near 310 K. Oxygen remaining on the surface following this desorption is bound in the fourfold hollow site, as has been observed for oxidation of this surface by O2.
Fabrication of Aerogel-like Structures by Agglomeration of Aerosol Particles in an Electric Field

Abstract Aerosol particles of different materials (carbon, brass, and steel) produced by laser evaporation at atmospheric pressure were exposed to an electric field. The primary particles were 1 to 10 nm in diameter depending on the target material. It is shown that number concentrations of electrically neutral particles confined in the chamber depend on the field strength. Photomicrographs show the formation of bushlike structures from aerosol particles flowing through the chamber on the electrodes, accompanied by wirelike structures spanning the distance between the electrodes, about 0.5 cm. The wirelike structures continued growing both in number and in width by adding subbranches. The overall structure which filled the volume between the electrodes has certain similarities to an aerogel, which is a nanostructured material with a high void fraction, composed of nanometer particles that are rigidly bonded. However, structures formed by the aerosol process are less rigid and show an anisotropic form, and for this reason are calledaerogel-like.
Mechanisms of septal lamination in the developing hippocampus revealed by outgrowth of fibers from septal implants. III. Competitive interactions.

Summary Embryonic septal tissues grafted alongside the hippocampal formation in neonatal rat hosts were used to test for the presence of competitive interactions between developing native axons and those from the septal grafts. When native septal afferents to the target hippocampal formation are removed at the time of implantation, axons from septal grafts visualized with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemistry enter the appropriate laminar zones in the host hippocampus. The pattern of septal implant growth differs markedly when native septohippocampal fibers are left intact. Under these conditions, implant-associated AChE staining is intense in the cortical area surrounding the graft but little or no reaction product is present in the host dentate gyrus and hippocampus proper. A similar result is obtained when implant viability is enhanced by introducing it 3 days after the cavity is made. These data illustrate an apparent hierarchy in competitive interactions for developing septal fibers. Septal afferents can inhibit the growth of other septal fibers and commissural/associational (c/a) axons can exclude septal fibers from their terminal field. Septal fibers and entorhinal afferents will develop concurrently.
Human factors research on future automotive instrumentation. A progress report

This paper describes a 2–1/2 year project concerning human factors and future driver-information systems. The project goals are to (1) develop human factors guidelines, (2) devise test methods for safety and ease of use, and (3) develop a model that predicts driver performance when using these systems.A literature review has been completed and focus groups that identified driver needs have been conducted. In addition, a method was developed to select the most beneficial systems using accident reduction, congestion relief, and driver needs/wants as the criteria. Consequently, car phones, navigation, traffic information, vehicle monitoring, and hazard warning systems were selected for further study. Preliminary versions of each have been designed and laboratory tests are in progress. Usability tests in a driving simulator and on the road are scheduled.
Operations in the second quadrant Eilenberg-Moore spectral sequence

The second quadrant Eilenberg-Moore spectral sequence has proved to be a very useful tool for computing the homology of fibre spaces. Though algebraic in nature, the spectral sequence has been given a purely geometric realization by Hodgkin, Rector [9], Smith [l I] and Heller. A consequence of their work is the existence of Steenrod operations in the spectral sequence. In this note we use these operations together with the naturality properties to introduce Dyer-Lashof type operations into the spectral sequence for fibre squares made up of infinite loop spaces. In particular, we define an action of the Dyer-Lashof operations on TorHeB(H*X, H* Y) where X, Y and B are infinite loop spaces and the module action is given by infinite loop space maps X-B and Y-B. We have, however, in the interest of compactness, omitted a cofmputational :esult from [l] which shows that these operations respect the tensor product splitting of Tor H.B(H*X, H*Y) given in those cases where the change of rings spectral sequence collapses.
Perspectives on Immunotherapy in Prostate Cancer and Solid Tumors: Where Is the Future?

The goals of any cancer therapy are to improve disease control, palliate pain and improve overall survival. We are fortunate to have in our cancer armamentarium two new immune-directed therapies which not only impact on disease control but also on overall survival. The first, sipuleucel-T, a cellular-based vaccine, was approved for prostate cancer and was shown to be safe with minimal toxicity. The second, ipilimumab, a monoclonal antibody directed to an immunologic checkpoint molecule, showed a survival benefit in patients with advanced melanoma. Benefit appeared to correlate in some cases with the development of autoimmune events, signaling that the immune system is in overdrive against the cancer. Where we are and where we will likely go are the topics to be discussed in this review.
Teacher Education in Changing Times: A Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) Perspective

Teachers' work is changing rapidly worldwide but is rarely a topic of sustained focus in the literature on teaching English as an additional language (Freeman & Johnson, 1998). Despite this lack of robust scholarly attention, ESL, bilingual, and content specialists working in primary, secondary, and tertiary contexts contend with the demands of changing demographics and educational policies. For example, in the United States, No Child Left Behind legislation has highlighted the need to provide English language learners (ELLs) with access to content based instruction and to make schools, especially those serving economically struggling communities, accountable for addressing the education of nondominant students. These goals, while on the surface laudatory, have been undercut by a lack of attention to teachers' professional development and commitment to quality native-language instruction (Darling Hammond, 1996; Lucas, 2010). Consequently, many teachers have had little or no preparation for providing the assistance that second language (L2) learners need to understand how academic language works in the types of texts they are routinely required to read and write in school (Hyland, 2003; Martin & Rose, 2003, 2008; Schleppegrell, 2004). This lack of attention to how academic English works in disciplinary texts has contributed to the persistent achievement gap between majority and minority students, a gap that only widens as students enter high school (Enright, this issue). In response, as Enright makes clear, there are calls for greater attention to academic language
Silicon nanowire pirani sensor fabricated using FIB lithography

As radio frequency microelectromechanical systems (RF-MEMS) mature as a manufacturable technology, packaging of the devices becomes increasingly important. Devices such as aluminum nitride (AlN) RF-filters require packaging which is either hermetic or under vacuum to protect the devices [1]. It then becomes critical to have a measurement of pressure inside the packaged chamber. Typically for this need, Pirani gauges are fabricated using poly silicon or metal patterned on suspended membranes [2]. These type of devices increase die area, add complexity to fabrication flows, and difficulty when attempting to suspend the membranes. In this work we fabricate and characterize a suspended silicon nanowire for use as Pirani gauge by utilizing Ga lithography and plasma reactive ion etching for defining the nanowire geometry and simultaneously releasing the wire. This method benefits from the high surface to volume ratio inherent in the nano regime, decreased thermal conductivity of amorphous silicon (from implantation) and increased electrical conductivity of Ga doping to reduce device area and fabrication complexity of a Pirani gauge.
The Immigrants and Their Gods: A New Perspective in American Religious History

Twenty years ago Jerald Brauer wrote an essay on the writing of American church history entitled, "Changing Perspectives on Religion in America." In this essay he noted that "change in perspective marks the writing of the history of religion in America." After discussing the work of Robert Baird and William Warren Sweet, the two historians whose perspectives most influenced the writing of American church history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries respectively, Brauer then directed his attention to a third and new perspective. This new perspective had developed in the post-World War II era and was the result of the work of Sidney E. Mead, Sydney E. Ahlstrom, Winthrop S. Hudson, and others. Brauer described the new perspective by pointing out how it differed from the work of Sweet. It was clear to Brauer, however, that no one historian or school of historians had yet emerged whose perspective was able to dominate the landscape in the manner that Baird and Sweet had. There really was no new single perspective, but a variety of approaches and interpretations. In other words, in the late 1960s the discipline of American church history was in a state of flux, and "a number of young historians" were, in Brauer's words, "anxious to develop a new perspective through which to view the development and nature of Christianity in America."' Twenty years have passed since Brauer wrote those words, and since then a great amount of work has been done in American religious history and a new generation of historians has emerged. Nonetheless, the discipline is still in a state of flux and no one has been able to present a perspective or interpretation that commands the landscape. I do not pretend to claim that I have found the magical interpretive key of church history past. In fact, no single interpretation or theory can explain adequately the more than three hundred years of American religious history.
Neighboring and Urbanism Commonality versus Friendship

A large number of studies have found that there is a residual correlation between urbanism and neighboring even after relevant variables have been controlled. This article suggests that such correl...
Effects of brain surgery and EEG operant conditioning on seizure latency following monomethylhydrazine intoxication in the cat.

Abstract Monomethylhydrazine (MMH) is a highly convulsive methyl derivative of hydrazine. The generalized tonic-clonic seizures elicited by this compound are unusual because of a characteristic latent period between administration and seizures. Evidence indicates that the duration of this latent period can reflect seizure susceptibility in relation to this drug. In the present study this concept was utilized to evaluate the influence of chronic electrode implantation and subsequent EEG operant conditioning on seizure susceptibility in the cat. Thirty cats were studied in three groups of 10 each. One group consisted of unoperated animals, another of operated animals with a diversity of electrode placements and experimental treatments, and the third of operated animals provided with 3 months of sensorimotor EEG operant conditioning. The EEG pattern rewarded was rhythmic, 12 to 16 cps activity, termed the sensorimotor rhythm. Seizure response was measured as the latency, in minutes postinjection, to the onset of generalized tonic-clonic seizures following intraperitoneal administration of 10 mg/kg MMH. Operated animals with either no EEG conditioning or noncontingent conditioning showed significantly shorter and more stable seizure latencies than either the unoperated group or the operated group with sensorimotor-rhythm conditioning. These data indicate that the surgical procedures used increased seizure susceptibility in this paradigm, and that sensorimotor-rhythm operant conditioning countered this effect. Furthermore, the marked variability in seizure latencies noted among unoperated and trained animals suggested individual differences in seizure susceptibility and in response to operant conditioning, respectively.
In situ disinfection of sewage contaminated shallow groundwater: a feasibility study.

Abstract Sewage-contaminated shallow groundwater is a potential cause of beach closures and water quality impairment in marine coastal communities. In this study we set out to evaluate the feasibility of several strategies for disinfecting sewage-contaminated shallow groundwater before it reaches the coastline. The disinfection rates of Escherichia coli (EC) and enterococci bacteria (ENT) were measured in mixtures of raw sewage and brackish shallow groundwater collected from a coastal community in southern California. Different disinfection strategies were explored, ranging from benign (aeration alone, and aeration with addition of brine) to aggressive (chemical disinfectants peracetic acid (PAA) or peroxymonosulfate (Oxone)). Aeration alone and aeration with brine did not significantly reduce the concentration of EC and ENT after 6 h of exposure, while 4–5 mg L−1 of PAA or Oxone achieved >3 log reduction after 15 min of exposure. Oxone disinfection was more rapid at higher salinities, most likely due to the formation of secondary oxidants (e.g., bromine and chlorine) that make this disinfectant inappropriate for marine applications. Using a Lagrangian modeling framework, we identify several factors that could influence the performance of in-situ disinfection with PAA, including the potential for bacterial regrowth, and the non-linear dependence of disinfection rate upon the residence time of water in the shallow groundwater. The data and analysis presented in this paper provide a framework for evaluating the feasibility of in-situ disinfection of shallow groundwater, and elucidate several topics that warrant further investigation.
Teacher Training for Students and Faculty in a Medical School Environment

Teaching excellence in both the basic and clinical sciences is an expectation of students and regulatory agencies (LCME). The quality of teaching may in fact have a larger impact than curriculum structure on the quality of learning. Nevertheless, many teachers in the basic and clinical sciences have not received formal pedagogical training resulting in a broad diversity in skills and educational quality. This article describes a program at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine that integrates mentored teaching with formal pedagogical training to provide a rich training environment to enhance the teaching skills of students, fellows and faculty and meet the accreditation standards of the Liaison Committee on Medical education.
Segmentation engine: a real-time image segmentation subsystem

This paper describes a system developed for segmenting multiband grayscale images into n-class labeled images at high-throughput rates. This system, which we refer to as the segmentation engine, performs supervised image segmentation using algorithms based on the statistical pattern recognition paradigm. So-called 'features' are computed for each pixel and the feature vector thus formed is presented to a statistical classifier, which uses feature information to determine the most probable class of the pixel. Algorithms are described for the following: features, automatic feature selection, classification and classifier training. While this paper describes the entire system, the algorithmic approach will be emphasized.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effect of institutional prestige on reviewers' recommendations and editorial decisions.

Objective. —To determine whether manuscripts from institutions with greater prestige are more likely to be recommended for publication by reviewers and to be accepted for publication. Design. —Retrospective study of reviewers' recommendations and editorial decisions for manuscripts from the United States received at the Journal of Pediatrics between January 1 and July 31,1992. Manuscripts were classified as major papers or as brief reports. Institutions were ranked in quintiles according to the monetary value of grants funded by the National Institutes of Health. Reviewers' recommendations were classified as reject, reconsider, or accept, and editorial decisions as accept or reject, without regard to qualifying recommendations. Results. —For the 147 brief reports, lower institutional rank was associated with lower rates of recommendation for acceptance and of selection for publication. For the 258 major papers, however, there was no significant relationship between institutional rank and either the reviewers' recommendations or the acceptance rate. Similar results were found when the manuscripts were divided into five numerically equal groups according to institutional rank. Conclusions. —Major manuscripts from institutions with greater prestige were no more likely to be recommended or accepted for publication than those from institutions with lesser prestige. In contrast, the likelihood of recommendation for acceptance and of selection for publication of brief reports appeared to correlate with the prestige of the institution. ( JAMA . 1994;272:137-138)
Manufacturing Process of Self-Luminous Glass Tube Utilizing Tritium Gas: Optimization of Phosphor Coating Conditions

Domestic research utilizing tritium will become more attractive when tritium is produced from the Wolsong Tritium Removal Facility (WTRF) in Korea, which will start to operate in late 2005. As starting domestic tritium technology research, this study is focused on the mass production of commercially available self-luminous glass tubes (SLGTs) and the design of a new product by simulation. With a low power microscope, SEM-EDX, ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) spectrometer, some commercially available SLGTs have been investigated. The inner side of the glass tubes was coated with greenish ZnS phosphor particles with sizes varying from 4–5 Μm, and Cu and Al as an activator and a co-dopant, respectively. Besides, the coating thickness is different for each product. and the thickness range of the products to be considered is 10–100 μm. With the phosphor, a binder package was also selected to meet optimal coating conditions. Cathodoluminescence (CL) device (energy: 0–10 keV, electron flux: nA) was used to simulate β-ray emitted from tritium. From the CL measurement the optimal conditions were 580–600 °C and 30 minutes. At these conditions the degradation of the phosphor by a heat is minimized. We determined all the coating conditions including the phosphor, binder package, coating thickness, and calcinating temperature for the production of SLGTs. Now we are testing our pilot-scale coating device for a mass production with selected experimental conditions
Cooling Fan-ventilated Greenhouses: a Modelling Study

Abstract A model for fan-ventilated greenhouse cooling is presented in which the primary heat transfer surfaces (cover/structure, canopy and floor) are represented as three parallel planes. Validation of the model was accomplished using data collected over 14 days. Agreement was good, with canopy temperatures over-predicted by only 0·1%, air temperatures in the canopy under-predicted by 0·5%, humidity of the canopy air under-predicted by 1·6% and transpiration rates under-predicted by 1·4%. Simulation runs suggest that when evaporative pad cooling is not used, little advantage is derived from increasing airflow rates beyond about 0·05 m 3 m −2 s −1 . When evaporative pad cooling is used, however, both air and canopy temperatures decline with increasing airflow rates up to 0·13 m 3 m −2 s −1 , the highest level considered. Increasing canopy size is predicted to be more influential in reducing air temperatures when evaporative pad cooling is used than when it is not, but its effect on canopy temperature is expected to be approximately the same whether or not evaporative pad cooling is used. With no evaporative pad cooling, the evapotranspiration coefficient (i.e., the ratio of energy used for transpiration to incoming solar energy) is predicted to range from 1·75 for an outside temperature of 36·8°C and an outside humidity ratios of 3·3 g kg −1 to 0·8 for an outside humidity ratio of 29·9 g kg −1 at the same temperature. With evaporative pad cooling, the coefficient is predicted to range from 0·6 to 0·8 at the same outside temperature and the same range of outside humidity ratios.
Identification and purification of a DNA-binding protein interacting with the promoter of 5'-nucleotidase in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Abstract The developmental management of 5 ′- nucleotidase ( 5nt ) expression in Dictyostelium discoideum has provided a focal point for studies of gene regulation at the level of transcription. To identify DNA–protein interactions involved in the 5nt regulation, EMSAs were performed using short oligonucleotides, designed to span a 357 bp promoter region. A binding activity ( R f = 0.33) was identified and shown to be specific to the nucleotide sequence between −338 and −309 bp relative to 5nt ATG. Characterization of the binding activity, including the effects of salt and temperature, provided insight into the nature and stability of the protein. The protein was purified in a series of chromatographic stages, including DEAE–Sephacel, heparin–Sepharose, DNA affinity, and gel filtration. SDS–PAGE analysis identified a polypeptide with a molecular weight of 70 kDa. Mass spectrometry revealed that the purified protein was a putative formyltetrahydrofolate synthase.
Cognitive-Behavioral and Pharmacological Treatment for Social Phobia: A Meta-Analysis

We conducted a meta-analysis using all available controlled treatment outcome studies of cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological treatments for social phobia (N= 24 studies, N= 1079 subjects). The mean social anxiety effect size for cognitive-behavioral treatments was .74 and for pharmacological treatments was .62. Both were significantly different from zero and the difference between them was not significant. Among cognitive-behavioral treatments, exposure-interventions yielded the largest effect size (ES) whether alone (ES = .89) or combined with cognitive restructuring (ES = .80). Selective serotonin reup-take inhibitors (ES = 1.89) and benzodiazepines (ES = .72) yielded the largest effect sizes for pharmacotherapy. According to cost projections, group cognitive-behavioral treatment offered the most cost-effective intervention.
EIN VIELSEITIGER WEG ZU POROSEN FESTSTOFFEN : ORGANISCH-ANORGANISCHE HYBRIDMATERIALIEN, DIE SICH UBER H-BRUCKEN AUFBAUEN

Quadratisch-planare und oktaedrische Komplexe von Nickel(II) und Platin(II) verknupfen sich uber Kopf-Kopf-Wasserstoffbruckenbindungen unter Bildung poroser Geruste mit grosen Hohlraumen, die Gastmolekule aufnehmen konnen. Vier verschiedene Komplexe mit Liganden auf Pyridinbasis (in der Mitte des Bildes gezeigt) werden vorgestellt, die entweder Gegenionen oder kleine Molekule in Kanalen enthalten. A = H-Brucken-Acceptor, D = H-Brucken-Donor, M = Metallion.
Adaptive opportunistic routing for wireless ad hoc networks

A distributed adaptive opportunistic routing scheme for multihop wireless ad hoc networks is proposed. The proposed scheme utilizes a reinforcement learning framework to opportunistically route the packets even in the absence of reliable knowledge about channel statistics and network model. This scheme is shown to be optimal with respect to an expected average per-packet reward criterion. The proposed routing scheme jointly addresses the issues of learning and routing in an opportunistic context, where the network structure is characterized by the transmission success probabilities. In particular, this learning framework leads to a stochastic routing scheme that optimally "explores" and "exploits" the opportunities in the network.
Visual Resolution of Motion Ambiguity with Periodic Luminance - and Contrast - Domain Stimuli

Visual motion processes were studied with luminance- and contrast-modulated gratings. A sine-wave luminance grating was displaced abruptly back and forth by 3/16 cycle. The display sequence is ambiguous in that each 3/16-cycle phase shift (short-path motion) could just as readily be seen as a 13/16-cycle shift (long-path motion) in the opposite direction. By varying the duration of the interval (IFI) between the two phase positions, the luminance of the IFI, or the spatial frequency of the grating, it was possible to bias the ambiguous percept in favor of short-path motions or long-path motions. A contrast-modulated grating displaced through 3/16 cycle always appeared to undergo short-path motion. Current motion models which incorporate Reichardt-type/energy mechanisms and certain types of auxiliary signal transformations which precede those mechanisms do not adequately explain the effects of IFI intensity on die perceived motion of a sinusoidal grating or the effect of IFI duration on the perceived motion of a contrast-modulated grating.
Borders, Boundaries, and Citizenship

Modern liberal democracies owe their stability and relative success to the coming together of two ideals which originate in distinct historical periods: the ideals of self-governance and territorially circumscribed nation-state. Self-governance defines freedom as the rule of law among a community of equals who are citizens of the polis and who have the right to rule and to be ruled. This ideal emerges in 5th-century Athens and is revived throughout history in episodes such as the experience of self-governing city-states in the Renaissance, the Paris commune of 1871, the anarchist and socialist communes of the Russian Revolution, and the Spanish Civil War.
Efficient scheduling algorithm for demand-assigned TDMA satellite systems

An efficient scheduling algorithm (stations burst plan) for demand-assigned time-division multiple-access (TDMA) satellite network systems is introduced. The total demand for transmitting data through a transponder may exceed the available bit-rate capacity, and a scheduler of the system wishes to utilize the system with minimum changes of slot allocations while maximizing throughputs. By implementing such a burst-plan algorithm, transmission of all demanded data traffic can be completed with minimum unused resources (idle slots). The underlying ideas adopted for the algorithm are that jobs with shorter remaining processing times should have higher priorities and that as many jobs are processed at a time as possible. The algorithm is particularly useful for deriving smooth burst plans for a satellite system with a large number of ground stations. >
Higher Hemoglobin is Associated with Less Cerebral Infarction, Poor Outcome, and Death after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE Higher-goal hemoglobin (hgb) and more packed red blood cell transfusions lead to worse outcomes in general critical care patients. There are few data on hgb, transfusion, and outcomes after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). METHODS We reviewed the daily hgb levels of 103 patients with aneurysmal SAH. Cerebral infarction was diagnosed by computed tomographic scan. We corrected for Hunt and Hess grade, age, and angiographic vasospasm in multivariate models. RESULTS Of 103 patients, the mean age was 55.3 +/- 14.5 years, 63% were women, and 29% were Hunt and Hess Grades 4 and 5; hgb values steadily declined from 12.6 +/- 1.7 g/dl the day of SAH to 10.4 +/- 1.2 g/dl by Day 14. Patients who died had lower hgb than survivors on Days 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, 11, and 12 (P < or = 0.05). Higher mean hgb was associated with reduced odds of poor outcome (odds ratio, 0.57 per g/dl; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38-0.87; P = 0.008) after correcting for Hunt and Hess grade, age, and vasospasm; results for hgb on Days 0 and 1 were similar. Higher Day 0 (odds ratio, 0.7 per g/dl; 95% CI, 0.5-0.99; P = 0.05) and mean hgb (odds ratio, 0.57 per g/dl; 95% CI, 0.38-0.87; P = 0.009) predicted a lower risk of cerebral infarction independent of vasospasm. There were no associations between hgb and other prognostic variables. CONCLUSION We found that SAH patients with higher initial and mean hgb values had improved outcomes. Higher hgb in SAH patients may be beneficial. The efficacy and safety of blood transfusions to increase hgb in patients with SAH may warrant further study.
Effect of alginic acid on the movement of strontium-85 and calcium-45 across surviving ileal segments.

RECENTLY, Skoryna et al.1 reported that the gastrointestinal absorption of calcium and strontium by the intact animal was influenced by a compound polymer of mannuronic and guluronic acids (alginic acid) obtained from brown algae (Phaeophyceae). The pattern of absorption was found to be similar for the two ions, but with different rates of absorption. Following the simultaneous injection of sodium alginate along with radioactive calcium and strontium into the intestine, Skoryna et al. reported that the absorption of radiostrontium was reduced from 50 to 80 per cent, while no significant reduction was observed in radiocalcium absorption. It would be repetitious to mention the importance of such a compound as alginic acid in the area of biospheric contamination, if it would selectively reduce the absorption of strontium while allowing calcium to be available to the body.
Sensor-based Coverage of Unknown Environments: Incremental Construction of Morse Decompositions

The goal of coverage path planning is to determine a path that passes a detector over all points in an environment. This work prescribes a provably complete coverage path planner for robots in unknown spaces. We achieve coverage using Morse decompositions which are exact cellular decompositions whose cells are defined in terms of critical points of Morse functions. Generically, two critical points define a cell. We encode the topology of the Morse decomposition using a graph that has nodes corresponding to the critical points and edges representing the cells defined by pairs of critical points. The robot simultaneously covers the space while incrementally constructing this graph. To achieve this, the robot must sense all the critical points. Therefore, we first introduce a critical point sensing method that uses range sensors. Then we present a provably complete algorithm which guarantees that the robot will encounter all the critical points, thereby constructing the full graph, i.e., achieving complete c...