cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image zooming with contour stencils

We introduce "contour stencils" as a simple method for detecting the local orientation of image contours and apply this detection to image zooming. Our approach is motivated by the total variation along curves: small total variation along a candidate curve suggests that this curve is a good approximation to the contours. Furthermore, a relationship is shown between interpolation error and total variation. The contour stencil detection is used to develop two image zooming methods. The first one, "contour stencil interpolation," is simple and computationally efficient, yet competitive in a comparison against existing methods. The second method approaches zooming as an inverse problem, using a graph regularization where the graph is determined by contour stencil detection. Both methods extend naturally to vector-valued data and are demonstrated for grayscale and color images.
Changes in Adolescents' Perceptions of the Aged: The Effects of Intergenerational Contact.

Changes in adolescents’ perceptions of people over 60 years old occurred following two months of daily intergenerational contact in a naturalistic setting (i.e., the school lunch period). Sixth‐, seventh‐, and eighth‐graders’ perceptions of the aged became less negative and less stereotyped. Boys had more negative stereotyped perceptions of the aged than girls, and the girls indicated greater willingness to interact with the elderly. Girls changed their perceptions of the aged more than boys, and younger adolescents changed their perceptions more than older adolescents. Most of the changes in perceptions occurred in response to two types of items: those focusing on physical characteristics and those dealing with aspects of insecurity. These results and suggestions for future research are discussed in relation to previous studies on educational experiences that shape adolescents’ attitudes and stereotyped perceptions toward aging and the aged.
Selection of dietary protein and carbohydrate by rats: changes with maturation.

Weaning (21-day-old; 40-50 g) male rats given simultaneous access to foods, containing 18 percent casein and 15 or 70 percent carbohydrate (dextrin), tended to consume only 29-35 percent as much protein as carbohydrate (i.e., protein/carbohydrate ratios were 0.29-0.35). With maturation, when animals weighed 100 g or more, about half continued this pattern of nutrient choice, but the others abruptly began to consume considerably larger proportions of protein, exhibiting protein/carbohydrate ratios as high as 0.80-1.00. Each adult animal's protein/carbohydrate ratio tended to vary only slightly (s.e. = 3 percent of means). Adult protein/carbohydrate ratios were not correlated with fasting brain 5-HT or 5-HIAA levels. These marked differences among rats in eating behavior would not be observed when--as is usually the case--animals are given access to only one diet.
Observer design for discrete type-1 and type-2 TSK fuzzy systems

This paper proposes a new observer design methodology for type-1 and type-2 Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) fuzzy systems. The design methodology does not require a common Lyapunov function and is therefore applicable to systems with non-detectable consequents. Our observers include fuzzy observers as well as constant gain observers. The observers are exponentially stable and the designer can specify the rate of exponential convergence. The observer designs can be tested using linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The design methodology is demonstrated using two examples, the Tora system and the inverted pendulum. The results show that the observer design provides good estimates of the state even if the system has non-detectable consequents.
Interest-sensitive wealth and the life-cycle hypothesis: implications for fiscal policy

Abstract Summers (1981) shows interest-sensitive labor wealth has a substantial effect on the interest elasticity of consumption in a life-cycle model. Sweeney (1988) shows interest-sensitive non-labor wealth also affects consumption choice, if altruistic bequests do not dominate consumer choice. Yet, most life-cycle models exclude interest-sensitive non-labor wealth. This paper embeds interest-sensitive non-labor wealth in a life-cycle model, derives a Slutsky equation for consumption, and simulates the interest elasticity of consumption. The simulations indicate that non-labor wealth can have a sizable impact on consumption choice in life-cycle models. This suggests that the common practice of excluding interest-sensitive non-labor wealth from life-cycle models could produce misleading macroeconomic policy conclusions.
Bone mineral density in adolescents.

Bone densitometry is becoming more widely available and is no longer limited to studying the elderly. Rapid, safe, and accurate methods of measuring BMD now allow serial determination of this important factor in fracture risk and will undoubtedly become even more accessible in the future. Likewise, our knowledge about the mechanisms and genetics of bone resorption and bone formation is rapidly expanding. Therefore, efforts to prevent osteoporosis in later life by maximizing peak BMD during adolescence and young adulthood must be directed at identifying young people who are at risk because of low body weight, inactivity, inadequate calcium intake, sex hormone deficiency, or because of disease or treatments associated with reduction of BMD. If BMD is found to be low, efforts to enhance bone formation (eg, weight gain, weightbearing exercise, increased calcium intake, and effective treatment of the underlying illness) should be encouraged. Antiresorptive agents, such as sex hormones, should be used cautiously, since they can have significant side effects and may not produce the expected results. Pediatricians must keep in mind the axiom: osteoporosis ... the only cure is prevention.
Design and evaluation of affinity labels of functionalized amino acid anticonvulsants.

Studies have shown that functionalized amino acids (FAA) exhibit outstanding activity in the maximal electroshock-induced seizure (MES) test in rodents. Affinity labels patterned in part after the potent antiepileptic (R)-N-benzyl-2-acetamido-3-methoxypropionamide ((R)-2) have been prepared as mechanistic probes to learn the pharmacological basis for FAA function. The chemical reactivity of the affinity labels with nucleophiles was assessed, and the labels were evaluated in in vitro radioligand assays and in the MES tests in rodents. The affinity labels did not bind to receptors known to effect seizure spread. Three affinity labels, (R,S)-N-benzyl-2-acetamido-6-isothiocyanatohexanamide ((R,S)-5), (R)-N-(4-isothiocyanatobenzyl)-2-acetamido-3-methoxypropionamide ((R)-6), and (R)-N-(3-isothiocyanatobenzyl)-2-acetamido-3-methoxypropionamide ((R)-7), possessed excellent in vivo anticonvulsant activity and exhibited maximal activity at later time periods than typically observed for FAA. The anticonvulsant activ...
Oral administration of the flavanol (-)-epicatechin bolsters endogenous protection against focal ischemia through the Nrf2 cytoprotective pathway.

Consumption of flavan-3-ols, notably ()-epicatechin (EC), has been highly recommended in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) due to reports that flavan-3-ols boost antioxidant activity, support vascular function, and prevent cardiovascular disease. To date, in vivo efficacy and mechanisms of action for many CAM therapies, including EC, remain elusive in brain ischemia. In contrast to its purported direct antioxidant role, we hypothesized protection through activation of the endogenous transcriptional factor Nrf2. To screen cellular protection and investigate Nrf2 activation, we adopted a pretreatment paradigm using enriched primary neuronal cultures from mice and washed out EC prior to oxygen glucose deprivation to attenuate direct antioxidant effects. EC protected primary neurons from oxygen glucose deprivation by increasing neuronal viability (40.2 14.1%) and reducing protein oxidation, effects that occurred concomitantly with increased Nrf2-responsive antioxidant protein expression. We also utilized wildtype and Nrf2 C57BL/6 knockout mice in a permanent model of focal brain ischemia to evaluate glial cell regulation and complex sensorimotor functioning. EC-treated wildtype mice displayed a reduction or absence of forelimb motor coordination impairments that were evident in vehicle-treated mice. This protection was associated with reduced anatomical injury (54.5 8.3%) and microglia/macrophage activation/recruitment (56.4 13.0%). The protective effects elicited by EC in both model systems were abolished in tissues and neuronal cultures from Nrf2 knockout mice. Together, these data demonstrate EC protection through Nrf2 and extend the benefits to improved performance on a complex sensorimotor task, highlighting the potential of flavan-3-ols in CAM approaches in minimizing subsequent stroke injury.
Constructions and complexity of secondary polytopes

Abstract The secondary polytope Σ( A ) of a configuration A of n points in affine (d − 1)-space is an (n − d)-polytope whose vertices correspond to regular triangulations of conv( A ). In this article we present three constructions of Σ( A ) and apply them to study various geometric, combinatorial, and computational properties of secondary polytopes. The first construction is due to Gel'fand, Kapranov, and Zelevinsky, who used it to describe the face lattice of Σ( A ). We introduce the universal polytope u(A) ⊂ Λd R n, a combinatorial object depending only on the oriented matroid of A . The secondary Σ( A ) can be obtained as the image of u(A) under a canonical linear map onto R n. The third construction is based upon Gale transforms or oriented matroid duality. It is used to analyze the complexity of computing Σ( A ) and to give bounds in terms of n and d for the number of faces of Σ( A ).
FlashTrie: Hash-based Prefix-Compressed Trie for IP Route Lookup Beyond 100Gbps

It is becoming apparent that the next generation IP route lookup architecture needs to achieve speeds of 100-Gbps and beyond while supporting both IPv4 and IPv6 with fast real-time updates to accommodate ever-growing routing tables. Some of the proposed multibit-trie based schemes, such as Tree Bitmap, have been used in today's high-end routers. However, their large data structure often requires multiple external memory accesses for each route lookup. A pipelining technique is widely used to achieve high-speed lookup with a cost of using many external memory chips. Pipelining also often leads to poor memory load-balancing. In this paper, we propose a new IP route lookup architecture called FlashTrie that overcomes the shortcomings of the multibit-trie based approach. We use a hash-based membership query to limit off-chip memory accesses per lookup to one and to balance memory utilization among the memory modules. We also develop a new data structure called Prefix-Compressed Trie that reduces the size of a bitmap by more than 80%. Our simulation and implementation results show that FlashTrie can achieve 160-Gbps worst-case throughput while simultaneously supporting 2-M prefixes for IPv4 and 279-k prefixes for IPv6 using one FPGA chip and four DDR3 SDRAM chips. FlashTrie also supports incremental real-time updates.
The biological properties of peptides derived from fibrinogen.

Abstract The action of thrombin on fibrinogen results in the release of two acidic peptides and fibrin monomers. Fibrin monomer, under proper conditions of salt concentration, pH, etc., can then aggregate to an insoluble macromolecule, the fibrin clot. The release of acidic peptides, called A and B, is mandatory prior to clot formation. A study in vivo and in vitro has shown that certain of these peptides have potent biological activities in the stimulation of smooth muscle contraction. The injection of anti-inflammatory drugs into rats induces in the skin an enzyme(s) capable of converting fibrinogen to fibrin via a different mechanism. This enzyme(s) has been shown ‘not’ to be thrombin, and only one peptide is released from the fibrinogen. The physiological activity of this peptide has also been evaluated.
Deep-inelastic neutral-current cross sections

We derive expressions for deep-inelastic neutral-current cross sections in terms of charged-current cross sections and the first moment of electroproduction structure functions. We assume a general class of gauge models and the parton model, but no details of the parton distributions. The result is useful for examining the structure of right-handed particle multiplets.
The thermolability of ragweed pollen extract and its corresponding reagin

Abstract Ragweed pollen extracts have been found to be highly thermolabile. Approximately 75 per cent of their reagin-neutralizing activity is destroyed within fifteen minutes at 56° C., 90 per cent within one hour, and over 95 per cent in four hours. The reagin-neutralizing activity of four similar ragweed pollen extracts prepared in 1939, 1937, 1933, and 1929 and since stored at 4° to 8° C. were found to be as 100 :16 :4.5 :1.2, respectively, indicative of a fairly rapid deterioration. Despite the widely differing biologic activities of these four extracts, their protein nitrogen contents, and the ratios of protein nitrogentotal nitrogen, were of the same order of magnitude. This does not necessarily exclude the possibility that the reactive constituent is a protein. Short ragweed pollen reagin has also been found to be highly thermolabile. On heating at 56° C. approximately 50 per cent of the skin-sensitizing activity was destroyed within one-half hour, approximately 90 per cent within two hours, and approximately 99 per cent within four hours.
Extracting signal from noise: kinetic mechanisms from a Michaelis-Menten-like expression for enzymatic fluctuations.

Enzyme-catalyzed reactions are naturally stochastic, and precision measurements of these fluctuations, made possible by single-molecule methods, promise to provide fundamentally new constraints on the possible mechanisms underlying these reactions. We review some aspects of statistical kinetics: a new field with the goal of extracting mechanistic information from statistical measures of fluctuations in chemical reactions. We focus on a widespread and important statistical measure known as the randomness parameter. This parameter is remarkably simple in that it is the squared coefficient of variation of the cycle completion times, although it places significant limits on the minimal complexity of possible enzymatic mechanisms. Recently, a general expression has been introduced for the substrate dependence of the randomness parameter that is for rate fluctuations what the Michaelis–Menten expression is for the mean rate of product generation. We discuss the information provided by the new kinetic parameters introduced by this expression and demonstrate that this expression can simplify the vast majority of published models.
Ileal teratoma with multiple congenital anomalies

Abstract Gastrointestinal teratoma is a rare neoplasm seen most often as gastric teratoma in children. This is a report of a neonate who had a ruptured omphalocele, ileal teratoma, and multiple associated anomalies. According to an English-language literature review this is the first case report of an ileal teratoma. J Pediatr Surg 35:1370-1371. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Partitioning of zirconium between clinopyroxene and magmatic liquids of intermediate composition

Abstract The partitioning of Zr between clinopyroxenes and hydrous, intermediate magmatic liquids was investigated in a series of experiments at 9–10 kbar and 950°–1000°C. The mean of seven measurements of the clinopyroxene/melt partition coefficient is 0.27, in good agreement with estimates based on phenocryst/ matrix concentration ratios in natural rocks.
Equilibrium Coverage of Copper by Chemisorbed Hydrogen

SEVERAL instances have been given in the literature1–3 in which copper will catalyse the para-ortho hydrogen conversion. This process requires the chemisorption of hydrogen, regardless of the reaction mechanism which may be prevailing.
ACADEMIC RESEARCH INSIDE ORGANIZATIONS: INPUTS, PROCESSES, AND OUTCOMES

Although many opinions have been expressed about the potential merits and pitfalls of conducting academic research inside organizations, empirical research on the question is nearly nonexistent. Consequently, the present study examined the origins, processes, and outcomes of 141 academic research projects that were conducted in (nonacademic) organizations and published in 4 top-tier industria organizational psychology and management journals over a 3-year period. Three outcomes were assessed: implementation of research findings, academic organizational relationship continuation, and research impact (as measured by other-author citations). Results suggested a number of relationships between the way projects began, the relative contributions of organizations and authors to the research process, and eventual outcomes. Suggestions for future research are offered.
Role of tactual-kinesthetic feedback in transfer of perceptual learning in the golden hamster

Golden hamsters were preexposed to circles and triangles in an otherwise visually sparse environment where opportunity to manipulate the forms was varied for the early experience groups. Although early experience with these stimuli enhanced their later discriminability over that shown by control animals that received no early experience, opportunity to manipulate the forms produced no additional gain in perceptual learning relative to Ss not allowed to manipulate the preexposed shapes.
MRI-measured water mobility increases in response to chemotherapy via multiple cell-death mechanisms

Numerous pre-clinical and clinical reports have demonstrated that the MRI-measured apparent diffusion coefficient of water (ADC) increases early in the response to a wide variety of anti-cancer therapies. It has been proposed that this increase in ADC generally results from an increase in the tumor extracellular volume fraction leading to a greater degree of unrestricted water motion. Furthermore, an increase in extracellular volume has been ascribed to the cell shrinkage that occurs early in the process of programmed cell death. However, other modes of death can be initiated soon after beginning therapy. These other modes of death include mitotic catastrophe and necrosis, and may also involve changes in the fraction of water with unrestricted motion. This work examines whether MRI-measured ADC is altered in response to therapies that induce cell death via non-apoptotic mechanisms and correlates ADC changes with cell death modalities regionally within the tumor. Apoptotic responses were limited to the tumor periphery in apoptosis-proficient tumors. Apoptosis was not observed in deficient tumors. Mitotic catastrophe was observed after treatment at the periphery and deeper into the tumor. Necrosis was the predominant response in the center of the tumor. ADC changes were moderate in the periphery and larger in the center. The results indicate that early and significant changes in ADC can occur in concert with mitotic catastrophe and lytic necrosis in the absence of apoptosis. Hence, changes in ADC may be a generalized measure of cytotoxic response to chemotherapy.
Localization of a metal-dependent epitope to the amino terminal residues 33-40 of human factor IX

Metal binding sites within the Gla domain of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors have been divided into nonspecific metal sites and calcium-specific sites. We demonstrate here that five residues within the Gla domain of factor IX are responsible for the reactivity with the metal-dependent factor IX monoclonal antibody, A-7. First we demonstrate that modifying any one of three residues within this site in factor IX abolishes the binding of A-7. To confirm the specificity of the antibody, the Gla domain of factor VII was changed at residues 32, 33, 34, 38 and 39 to the homologous residues of human factor IX. These changes were sufficient to generate a factor VII Gla domain with an A-7 binding site of the same affinity as that in factor IX. The site identified is one of the two major surfaces of the Gla domain and may represent the metal-dependent binding site.
The effect of book income adjustment in the 1986 alternative minimum tax on corporate financial reporting

Abstract This study examines the effect of the book income adjustment provision in the 1986 alternative minimum tax ( AMT ) on financial accounting practices. A model is developed to identify firms that are more susceptible to the book income adjustment. The changes in financial accounting practices for firms affected by the AMT are then examined. Our results indicate that firms that are likely to be affected by the book income adjustment shift timing and permanent differences across years to reduce the impact of the AMT .
A new method to assess passive and active ankle stiffness during quiet upright stance.

Abstract Both passive and active ankle torque contribute to postural stability during quiet upright stance, yet directly measuring their relative contributions is difficult. Here, a new method was developed to estimate passive and active ankle stiffness (ST) and damping (DA). In contrast to earlier approaches, the proposed method does not require external mechanical or sensory perturbations. Instead, the method is based on the assumption that upright stance is intermittently controlled, and that active ankle torque is in-phase coherent with ankle angular acceleration. Thus, identifying the local maxima of ankle angular accelerations facilitates the identification of time windows that include substantial active ankle torque. After identifying these local maxima and associated windows, estimates of passive and active ankle ST and DA were obtained using linear regression analyses. Consistent with earlier work, passive ankle torque was estimated to account for 94–97% of the total ankle torque, and to have linear relationships with ankle angle and angular velocity. Predicted values of passive and active ankle stiffness were also consistent with earlier reports. This new approach may be a useful tool to efficiently investigate passive and active joint stiffness during quiet upright stance.
Large-core single-mode rib SU8 waveguide using solvent-assisted microcontact molding

This paper describes a novel fabrication technique for constructing a polymer-based large-core single-mode rib waveguide. A negative tone SU8 photoresist with a high optical transmission over a large wavelength range and stable mechanical properties was used as a waveguide material. A waveguide was constructed by using a polydimethylsiloxane stamp combined with a solvent-assisted microcontact molding technique. The effects on the final pattern's geometry of four different process conditions were investigated. Optical simulations were performed using beam propagation method software. Single-mode beam propagation was observed at the output of the simulated waveguide as well as the actual waveguide through the microscope image.
Unmanned aerial systems: collaborative innovation to support emergency response

The utility and function of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have continued to evolve in recent years, stimulated by conception of commercial (i.e., civil) opportunities. The onset of large-scale disaster events (e.g., wild fires, accidents, weather events, and nuclear, biological, chemical) contamination), can result in significant loss of life, damage to property and critical infrastructure, and disruption of service. The increasing effectiveness of UAS establishes a compelling case for providing expedited, economical, and flexible response to gain improved awareness of an emergency event and its effects. To reach the full potential of this technology, stakeholders from across the industry will need to make a concerted effort to collaboratively address potential concerns and issues.
Two-phase species-time relationships in North American land birds

The species–time relationship (STR) is a macroecological pattern describing the increase in the observed species richness with the length of time censused. Understanding STRs is important for understanding the ecological processes underlying temporal turnover and species richness. However, accurate characterization of the STR has been hampered by the influence of sampling. I analysed STRs for 521 breeding bird survey communities. I used a model of sampling effects to demonstrate that the increase in richness was not due exclusively to sampling. I estimated the time scale at which ecological processes became dominant over sampling effects using a two-phase model combining a sampling phase and either a power function or logarithmic ecological phase. These two-phase models performed significantly better than sampling alone and better than simple power and logarithmic functions. Most community dynamics were dominated by ecological processes over scales <5 years. This technique provides an example of a rigorous, quantitative approach to separating sampling from ecological processes.
Endogenous cycle of the swine coccidium Eimeria debliecki Douwes, 1921.

SYNOPSIS. A pure strain of Eimeria debliecki (University of Illinois strain A) established from a single oocyst was used to determine the endogenous cycle. Young parasite-free pigs 2 weeks to 3 months old were used throughout the study. The endogenous cycle was found to take place in the small intestine where the parasites were located in the distal portion of the striated simple columnar epithelial cells of the villi. The first generation schizonts were found in only the jejunum (15% of small intestine). The second generation schizonts and gametes occurred in the jejunum and ileum (70% of small intestine), a slight posterior progression occurring with each stage. The entire cycle required 6.5 days. The schizogonous cycle comprised 2 generations. The first generation schizonts required 2.5 days to reach maturity, measured 8-12 μ, contained 16 merozoites measuring 12-15 μ and had a polar residual mass. The second generation schizonts required 2 days to reach maturity, measured 13-16 μ, contained 32 rotund merozoites measuring 6–8 μ, and had only a few granules of residual material. Gametogony took place in 1.5 days. The macrogametes measured 12-16 μ, and the microgametocytes measured 9-14 μ with microgametes measuring 5–6 μ.
Effects of barefoot trimming on hoof morphology.

Objective To monitor changes in hoof morphology in response to barefoot trimming. Methods Seven horses were trimmed every 6 weeks according to barefoot trimming principles, which involved levelling the hoof to live sole, lowering the heels, bevelling the toe and rounding the peripheral wall, while leaving the sole, frog and bars intact. A 4-month period was allowed to lower the heels sufficiently to achieve a hoof shape representative of the barefoot trim. This was regarded as the starting point for morphological adaptations in response to maintenance of the trim. Hoof morphology was measured from lateral, dorsal and solar view photographs and lateromedial radiographs taken at 0, 4 and 16 months. Changes from 0 to 4 months represented differences between a natural hoof shape and the trim, while changes from 4 to 16 months represented adaptive effects during hoof growth. Results Establishment of the barefoot trim involved significant shortening of the toe, heel and medial and lateral walls, with increases in angulation at the toe, medial and lateral walls, but not at the heel. Maintenance of the trim resulted in a palmar/plantar migration of the heels, with increases in support length, heel angle and solar angle of the distal phalanx (P3). Conclusions Bevelling the toe and engaging the frog and bars in the weight-bearing function of the foot resulted in elevation of the heel angle and solar angle of P3. These changes may be beneficial in treating under-run heels and negative solar plane angulation of P3.
Image-consistent surface triangulation

Given a set of 3D points that we know lie on the surface of an object, we can define many possible surfaces that pass through all of these points. Even when we consider only surface triangulations, there are still an exponential number of valid triangulations that all fit the data. Each triangulation will produce a different faceted surface connecting the points. Our goal is to overcome this ambiguity and find the particular surface that is closest to the true object surface. We do not know the true surface but instead we assume that we have a set of images of the object. We propose selecting a triangulation based on its consistency with this set of images of the object. We present an algorithm that starts with an initial rough triangulation and refines the triangulation until it obtains a surface that best accounts for the images of the object. Our method is thus able to overcome the surface ambiguity problem and at the same time capture sharp corners and handle concave regions and occlusions. We show results for a few real objects.
GENETIC PROPERTIES OF MUTATIONS AT THE PEP4 LOCUS IN SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

ABSTRACT Yeast cells that inherit mutations at the PEP4 locus exhibit a pronounced phenotypic lag in the expression of the mutant phenotype imparted by these mutations. This lag appears to extend to all of the enzymes that are affected by the pep4-3 mutation. For at least two of the enzymatic activities, phenotypic lag shows mitotic cosegregation. Phenotypic lag is found for meiotic progeny and for mitotic segregants from heterokaryons. The phenotypic lag in the expression of the carboxypeptidase Y deficiency is abolished by nonsense mutations in either PRC1 , the structural gene for carboxypeptidase Y, or PRB1 , the structural gene for proteinase B. Models to explain these observations are proposed.
Hospice use in Alabama, 2002-2005.

Abstract Context The literature predominately describes hospice utilization among Medicare recipients, with a limited number of reports describing use among all age groups. Objectives This study aimed to describe and compare patterns of hospice use among decedents of all ages in Alabama using a population-based approach. Methods We obtained death certificates for Alabama residents who died from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2005 (n=178,420). To ascertain hospice use, we linked death certificates to the hospice administering care using state-mandated listings of deaths reported by hospices. Additionally, each decedent's residence at death was geocoded and area-level socioeconomic status (SES) measures were added. Results From 2002 to 2005, a total of 43,638 Alabamians died while under hospice care, representing a quarter (24.5%) of all deaths in the state. During this four-year span, the rate of hospice use increased by nearly 15% (22.2%–25.6%). As expected, rates of hospice use increased with age at death. For the SES indicators for poverty, education, and income, rates of hospice use increased as SES improved. However, this pattern was found to vary by race and metro/nonmetro status. Conclusions In addition to revealing racial, geographic, and other disparities in hospice care across Alabama, our results indicate usage rates in Alabama trail behind those observed nationally. We also identified previously unreported interactions between race, urbanization level, and poverty classification. Future studies should explore whether such relationships exist elsewhere and the rationale for their occurrence.
Use of patient-reported outcome measures in foot and ankle research.

Background In the orthopaedic literature, there is a wide range of clinical outcome measurement tools that have been used in evaluating foot and ankle procedures, disorders, and outcomes, with no broadly accepted consensus as to which tools are preferred. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and distribution of the various outcome instruments used in the foot and ankle literature, and to identify trends for use of these instruments over time. Methods We conducted a systematic review of all original clinical articles reporting on foot and/or ankle topics in six orthopaedic journals over a ten-year period (2002 to 2011). All clinical patient-reported outcome rating instruments used in these articles were recorded, as were study date, study design, clinical topic, and level of evidence. Results A total of 878 clinical foot and ankle articles that used at least one patient-reported outcome measure were identified among 16,513 total articles published during the ten-year period. There were 139 unique clinical outcome scales used, and the five most popular scales (as a percentage of foot/ankle outcome articles) were the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) scales (55.9%), visual analog scale (VAS) for pain (22.9%), Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey (13.7%), Foot Function Index (FFI) (5.5%), and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) outcomes instruments (3.3%). The majority of articles described Level-IV studies (70.1%); only 9.4% reported Level-I studies. Conclusions A considerable variety of outcome measurement tools are used in the foot and ankle clinical literature, with a small proportion used consistently. The AOFAS scales continue to be used at a high rate relative to other scales that have been validated. Data from the present study underscore the need for a paradigm shift toward the use of consistent, valid, and reliable outcome measures for studies of foot and ankle procedures and disorders. It is not clear which existing validated outcome instruments will emerge as widely used and clinically meaningful. Clinical relevance These data support the need for a paradigm shift toward the consistent use of valid and reliable outcome measures for foot and ankle clinical research.
A stand-alone PC-based advising aid for students

Next to grading, student advising involves some of the most tedious and onerous tasks that faculty encounter. This paper describes a modest approach to utilizing computers to make the advising process more productive, and pleasant for both faculty and students. The advising software, which features a graphical user interface, allows students to request only courses for which they have appropriate prerequisites, corequisites and standing. The program also offers rule-based advice to students regarding special circumstances that it spots. The software is designed for straightforward modification, without programming, to accommodate addition or deletion of courses, prerequisites, corequisites and rules.
The Primal-Dual Method for Bounded Variables

This paper presents an extension of the primal-dual method to linear programming problems with bounded variables. Moreover, an attempt is made to give an expository description of the ideas and motivations underlying the computational steps of the primal-dual method.
A single-chip variable supply voltage power amplifier

A single-chip implementation of a variable supply voltage power amplifier (PA) is presented. The circuit is design in SiGe BiCMOS technology and is composed of a differential power amplifier designed for WCDMA operation and a "buck" DC-DC converter. The combined system varies the supply voltage of the PA from 2.7 V to 1.2 V and maintains system linearity while the output power is not at its maximum. The system achieves an average battery current reduction of 30% and an average efficiency improvement of 46% compared to a fixed supply voltage approach, while occupying a 2 mm /spl times/ 2.5 mm die area.
Development of a self-consistent, truly multi-physics, algorithm based upon the courant-insensitive, space-time, conservation-element/solution-element method

This work reports on the theoretical aspects and current development status of a self-consistent, truly multi-physics algorithm. The algorithm is based upon the courant insensitive, space-time, conservation-element / solution-element (CICE/SE) methodology [1-2]. Previous attempts for electromagnetic solutions have applicability only in constant material domains with PEC boundary conditions [3]. Recent work by the authors [4-5] has extended this algorithm for solution of the generalized Maxwell equations, including dispersive materials. This sets the problem space of solution to any physical system that may be cast into conservative, hyperbolic form. The numerical solution is shown to be extremely accurate on highly non-uniform meshes and reduces to the classical 2,2-FDTD error properties in the uniform cartesian grid limit. Validation problems and comparison with the ubiquitous baseline FDTD algorithm will be presented in ID (2D space-time). Results show that the 2nd order CE/SE method has accuracy equivalent to 4th-6th order FDTD for equal grids with highly discontinuous coefficients (e.g. permittivity). Progress on extensions to multi-spatial dimensions and PIC/Vlasov solutions will also be reported. Applications for generic multi-scale physic simulations, along with head-to-tail calculations for vacuum electronic device simulation (including simultaneous heat transfer at body walls) will also be discussed.
Maintenance and transformation in the U.S. nuclear weapons complex

With the end of "Cold War" the U.S. nuclear weapon design laboratories has new work to do and their budgets remained intact. The paper discusses the different programs and proposals regarding the maintenance and transformation in the U.S. nuclear weapons.
Current views on cell metabolism in SDHx-related pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma

Warburg's metabolic hypothesis is based on the assumption that a cancer cell's respiration must be under attack, leading to its damage, in order to obtain increased glycolysis. Although this may not apply to all cancers, there is some evidence proving that primarily abnormally functioning mitochondrial complexes are indeed related to cancer development. Thus, mutations in complex II (succinate dehydrogenase (SDH)) lead to the formation of pheochromocytoma (PHEO)/paraganglioma (PGL). Mutations in one of the SDH genes (SDHx mutations) lead to succinate accumulation associated with very low fumarate levels, increased glutaminolysis, the generation of reactive oxygen species, and pseudohypoxia. This results in significant changes in signaling pathways (many of them dependent on the stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor), including oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, specific expression profiles, as well as genomic instability and increased mutability resulting in tumor development. Although there is currently no very effective therapy for SDHx-related metastatic PHEOs/PGLs, targeting their fundamental metabolic abnormalities may provide a unique opportunity for the development of novel and more effective forms of therapy for these tumors.
A constant slew rate Ethernet line driver

An analog bias circuit consisting of two transistors, three current sources, and one resistor facilitates the design of an Ethernet line driver. The rise time is insensitive to process variations and temperature variations, Rise-time accuracy is 223 ppm//spl deg/C over a temperature range of 140/spl deg/C. This line driver has been fabricated in 0.35-/spl mu/m CMOS.
A SRAM-based Architecture for Trie-based IP Lookup Using FPGA

Internet Protocol (IP) lookup in routers can be implemented by some form of tree traversal. Pipelining can dramatically improve the search throughput. However, it results in unbalanced memory allocation over the pipeline stages. This has been identified as a major challenge for pipelined solutions. In this paper, an IP lookup rate of 325 MLPS (millions lookups per second) is achieved using a novel SRAM-based bidirectional optimized linear pipeline architecture on Field Programmable Gate Array, named BiOLP, for tree-based search engines in IP routers. BiOLP can also achieve a perfectly balanced memory distribution over the pipeline stages. Moreover, by employing caching to exploit the Internet traffic locality, BiOLP can achieve a high throughput of up to 1.3 GLPS (billion lookups per second). It also maintains packet input order, and supports route updates without blocking subsequent incoming packets.
Psychological preparation for pediatric hospitalization

Abstract Researchers and health care providers have given much attention to various aspects of preparing children for hospitalisation and surgery. This paper reviews the empirical and nonempirical literature from a multidisciplinary viewpoint, including some aspects neglected in previous reviews. Research and program reports on preparation themes, preparation media, timing and length of preparation, primary prevention approaches, and patient characteristics are outlined and discussed. Finally, the paper examines the research validation of preparation procedures as used in empirical studies and in actual practice. A case is made for multidimensional assessment of treatment effects and for ecological validity of research-based procedures. The extensive research and reports reviewed throughout this article point to specific questions to be resolved by further investigation and application.
Water and community development in the Little Colorado River Basin

Water has historically been a critical limiting factor affecting community development throughout the American West. Within the Little Colorado River Basin of northeastern Arizona, abundant groundwater resources enabled local agricultural communities to overcome the limitations of unstable surfacewater sources. However, industrialization has led to sharp increases in groundwater consumption in the basin and to a decline in groundwater levels and/or quality at several locations. This paper examines the broader historical and regional implications of recent groundwater changes in the basin. Emphasis is placed upon the relationship between local developments and the rapid expansion of metropolitan centers in southern Arizona.
Graphical Communication Using Hand-Drawn Sketches in Civil Engineering

Hand-drawn sketches are still an important tool used by civil engineers to graphically communicate technical information. New engineers often have inadequate experience preparing sketches by hand to effectively communicate information graphically. As a result of using computer aided drafting and digital cameras in both engineering education and professional practice, hand-sketching skills are being overlooked. Practicing engineers from an earlier generation generally appreciate the importance of being able to quickly prepare sketches to communicate a concept to a client or to quickly gather and transmit information from field observations. With limited experience in hand sketching, current students may not see the benefits of such skills. To increase student graphical communication skills and develop an appreciation for hand sketching, opportunities to develop and practice hand-sketching skills can be incorporated within the undergraduate curriculum. Examples of hand-sketching exercises intended to help i...
Enhanced HLW Glass Formulations for the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant

Current estimates and glass formulation efforts are conservative vis-a-vis achievable waste loadings. These formulations have been specified to ensure that glasses are homogenous, contain essentially no crystalline phases, are processable in joule-heated, ceramic-lined melters and meet WTP Contract terms. The WTP’s overall mission will require the immobilization of tank waste compositions that are dominated by mixtures of aluminum, chromium, bismuth, iron, phosphorous, zirconium, and sulfur compounds as waste-limiting components. Glass compositions for these waste mixtures have been developed based upon previous experience and current glass property models. DOE has a testing program to develop and characterize HLW glasses with higher waste loadings. This work has demonstrated the feasibility of increases in waste loading from 25 wt% to 33–50 wt% (based on oxide loading) in the glass depending on the waste stream. It is expected these higher waste loading glasses will reduce the HLW canister production requirement by 25% or more.
SpeedBoost: Anytime Prediction with Uniform Near-Optimality

We present SpeedBoost, a natural extension of functional gradient descent, for learning anytime predictors, which automatically trade computation time for predictive accuracy by selecting from a set of simpler candidate predictors. These anytime predictors not only generate approximate predictions rapidly, but are capable of using extra resources at prediction time, when available, to improve performance. We also demonstrate how our framework can be used to select weak predictors which target certain subsets of the data, allowing for ecient use of computational resources on dicult examples. We also show that variants of the SpeedBoost algorithm produce predictors which are provably competitive with any possible sequence of weak predictors with the same total complexity.
Contesting Community: The Limits and Potential of Local Organizing, by DeFilippis, J., Fisher, R., & Shragge, E.

Contesting Community: The Limits and Potential of Local Organizing, focuses on community organizing at the local level, examines practice and theory relevant to local organizing, and analyzes the c...
Defensin gene variation and HIV/AIDS: a comprehensive perspective needed

Both α- and β-defensins have anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity. These defensins achieve human immunodeficiency virus inhibition through a variety of mechanisms, including direct binding with virions, binding to and modulation of host cell-surface receptors with disruption of intracellular signaling, and functioning as chemokines or cytokines to augment and alter adaptive immune responses. Polymorphisms in the defensin genes have been associated with susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus infection and disease progression. However, the roles that these defensins and their genetic polymorphisms have in influencing human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome outcomes are not straightforward and, at times, appear contradictory. Differences in populations, study designs, and techniques for genotyping defensin gene polymorphisms may have contributed to this lack of clarity. In addition, a comprehensive approach, where both subfamilies of defensins and their all-inclusive genetic polymorphism profiles are analyzed, is lacking. Such an approach may reveal whether the human immunodeficiency virus inhibitory activities of α- and β-defensins are based on parallel or divergent mechanisms and may provide further insights into how the genetic predisposition for susceptibility or resistance to human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is orchestrated between these molecules.
Philanthropy in a Different Voice: The Women's Funds

Benevolent work has proven especially attractive for women. An outgrowth of this tradition, and the focus of this paper, is the recent development of the women's funds—philanthropic organizations that were created to empower women and girls. These new organizations represent a change in the role that women have played in philanthropy. Moreover, the structure of these funds provides insights into the role of gender in organizational analysis. The women's funds represent gendered bureaucracies in which the interests of philanthropic women mitigate the tendency toward bureaucratization.