cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison between analysis time and inter-analyst reliability using spectral analysis of kinematic data and posture classification.

Abstract This study compares the time needed to analyze data and the inter-analyst variability using observational posture classification vs. spectral analysis of upper limb kinematic measurements made using an electrogoniometer for selected industrial jobs. Eight trained analysts studied four jobs using both methods. An incomplete fixed block experimental design was used, whereby each analyst used one method for each job. The four jobs included (1) punch press operation, (2) packaging, (3) parts hanging, and (4) construction vehicle operation. The posture classification analysis method involved visually classifying upper extremity joint angles into specific zones relative to the range of motion for every one-third second (10 frames) of videotape. Spectral analysis required the analysts to identify cycle break points. The electrogoniometer signals were synchronized with each cycle, and power spectra for each joint were computed. The average difference in RMS joint deviation among analysts was 0.9° (SD=0.61°) for spectral analysis and 7.1° (SD=2.53°) for posture classification. The average difference in mean joint angle was 0.8° (SD=0.59°) for spectral analysis and 11.4° (SD=1.58°) for posture classification. Repetition frequency differed an average of 0.05 Hz (SD=0.054 Hz) for spectral analysis and 0.07 Hz (SD=0.058 Hz) for posture classification. Posture classification took a factor of 6.3 more time than cycle break point assignment for spectral analysis. Even considering the additional time needed for sensor attachment for direct measurement, posture classification took an average factor of 1.29 more time than spectral analysis using electrogoniometer data.
Can playscapes promote early childhood inquiry towards environmentally responsible behaviors? An exploratory study

This paper investigates young children’s exploratory play and inquiry on playscapes: playgrounds specifically designed to connect children with natural environments. Our theoretical framework posits that playscapes combine the benefits of nature and play to promote informal science exploration of natural materials. This, in turn, is expected to lead to environmental science literacy, which in turn is likely to strengthen a child’s ecological identity and lead to environmentally responsible behaviors (ERBs). The following questions are of specific interest: to what extent do children go beyond observations and explorations and use science-specific representations and language during their play on playscapes? What locations on the playscape afford science-specific activities? And how do these activities relate to their play on the playscape? In an attempt to answer these questions, we describe data obtained from a video analysis of preschoolers visiting a playscape. As a means of initial comparison, we also...
The effects of different buffers on the oxidation of DNA by thiols and ferric iron

Because buffers can act as metal ligands, they can effect several reactions necessary for DNA oxidation by ferric iron and thiols, such as iron reduction. Therefore, these reactions were studied in Hepes and phosphate buffers and unbuffered NaCl. Reduction of Fe3+ by dithiothreitol (DTT) and cysteine was observed in either Hepes or NaCl solutions, but not in phosphate buffer. Thiyl radicals were observed in Hepes, but there was much less thiyl radical production in the saline or phosphate solutions. Redox cycling between either DTT or cysteine and Fe3+ also resulted in dioxygen consumption in Hepes buffer. Reduction of Fe3+ and O2 resulted in the formation of an oxidant capable of producing 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in calf-thymus DNA. The highest levels of 8-OHdG were detected when DTT or cysteine and Fe3+ were incubated in Hepes, while much less DNA oxidation was detected when the experiment was done in a saline solution, and almost no DNA oxidation occurred in the phosphate buffer. These results demonstrate that the use of different buffers can greatly affect the ability of thiols to promote iron-dependent oxidations.
Detection and differentiation of Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium genavense by polymerase chain reaction and restriction enzyme digestion analysis.

Mycobacteria are acid-fast, facultative intracellular bacilli that are highly resistant to environmental conditions and can survive in soil for months.4,14 Mycobacterium avium causes a slow spreading, granulomatous infection seen predominantly in birds and in humans with AIDS.14 Once organisms are ingested, they disseminate to the intestine and internal organs, resulting in chronic weight loss, diarrhea, emaciation, and eventually death. Tubercles developing at the site of infection in the intestinal wall allow for constant shedding into the environment.4 Recently a new species of mycobacteria, Mycobacterium genavense, has been identified and shown to cause infection in birds, in immunocompromised humans, and in other animals including dogs.2,6,8,9,11 In Switzerland, an epidemiologic study undertaken between 1986 and 1995 identified M. genavense as the most common etiologic agents of mycobacteriosis in birds.7 In both birds and humans, M. avium and M. genavense result in nearly identical clinical signs following infection and have primarily been differentiated through sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene.2,8,10 Moreover, dual infections have been reported.10 Currently, there are many limits to the detection of M. avium and M. genavense infection. Culture may take up to 4 weeks and requires the use of special media because mycobacteria are slow growing and fastidious, making this method inefficient and expensive.4,5 Primary growth of M. genavense on conventional solid mycobacterial medium has not been demonstrated,2,8 which creates a serious problem for detection and diagnosis of M. genavense infection, particularly for veterinary diagnostic laboratories. Because of the potential biological hazards of liquid culture, standard mycobacterial protocols for most veterinary diagnostic laboratories are typically limited to solid media, such as Middlebrook or Lowenstein-Jensen. It is therefore possible that many M. genavense infections go undiagnosed in animals. Techniques that utilize the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have recently been developed for the detection and differentiation of mycobacterial species. Several published PCR protocols rely on sequencing of amplicons from various genes, including rRNA genes.1,12,15,16 However, the need for sequencing following amplification limits the usefulness of these protocols as rapid diagnostic assays for species differ-
Catholic Health Care in the United States: American Pluralism and Religious Meanings

This essay chronicles the development of Catholic health care in the United States during the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. The author points to the religious pluralism and the respect for that pluralism as well as to the evangelical drive for conversion evident in Catholic hospitals. This essay is a phenomenological study of this commitment to pluralism and the evangelical impulse within the contexts of health care.
Visual evoked potential changes following renal transplantation

Abstract We have followed a group of 18 uremic patients through living-related donor renal transplantation (RTX) using pattern-reversal VEPs. Recordings were made prior to and 10 weeks after surgery at high, medium and low spatial frequencies. Prior to RTX, mean latency of the P100 component of the VEP was 107 msec. Individual values did not correlate with blood urea nitrogen or creatinine. Patients requiring hemodialysis did not differ from non-dialyzed patients. Ten weeks after RTX P100 latencies were significantly shortened while N75 latencies were unchanged. Several diabetic patients exhibited the appearance of previously unrecorded wave forms. P100 latency increased significantly with increasing spatial frequency before and after transplantation. Diabetic patients demonstrated a consistent increase in P100 amplitude while non-diabetic patients demonstrated a consistent decrease in P100 amplitude after RTX. The data indicate that renal transplantation has beneficial effects on the central nervous system of uremic patients not seen with chronic hemodialysis and that these effects may be quantitatively measured using the VEP. The data further suggest that electrophysiological effects of uremia and diabetes may be additive, but reversible after RTX. Alterations in the uremic and diabetic VEP may be related to retinal or more proximal central nervous system structures.
Contrasts in Social Behavior between Central American Cichlid Fishes and Coral-reef Surgeon Fishes

The social systems and related behavior of cichlid and surgeon fishes are compared in terms of (i) physical spacing, (ii) theoretical spacing (communication), (iii) castes, (iv) group composition, (v) open versus closed groups, and (vi) reproductive behavior. Cichlids only recently invaded Central America. Despite the occurrence of about 100 species there, most are in one genus, Cichlasoma . Yet, they express a spectrum of feeding behavior, ranging from grazing herbivore through omnivore to predator, each of varying degrees of specialization. In contrast, their social behavior is remarkably conservative. There is a tendency for the generally found division of labor, with the female doing more of the direct caretaking of the eggs or fry and the male more of the defense, to lead toward polygyny. This is counterbalanced by the need for both parents to defend the fry. Communication is most accessible through a study of color patterns. While seemingly diverse, there is a common plan that entails the use of some or all of the same vertical bars and their central spots, and the appearance of yellow orange, red, or black ventrally. The coral-reef community is one of the oldest in existence. Surgeon fishes are pantropical, especially in the Pacific Ocean, and have developed distinct generic groupings within a compact family of about 75 species. Most are herbivorous, with some more specialized than others. The species fall into guilds, within which there is broad overlap in diets. The social systems differ radically, both when breeding and when not, and can be understood as consequences of their strategies of obtaining food. Wickler's classification of reproductive types within the Cichlidae is shown to be no advance over the previous dichotomy of substrate and mouthbreeding species. Poster coloration in surgeon fishes is apparently as important, or more, in extraspecific than intraspecific aggression, and poster-colored surgeon fishes show pronounced rapid color changes when fighting intraspecifically.
Computer Decision Support Software Safely Improves Glycemic Control in the Burn Intensive Care Unit: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Study

The optimal method for glycemic control in the critically burned patient is unknown. The purpose of this randomized controlled study was to determine the safety and efficacy of computer decision support software (CDSS) to control serum glucose concentration in a burn intensive care unit. Eighteen adult burn/trauma patients receiving continuous insulin infusion were initially randomized to receive glucose management by a traditional paper protocol or a computer protocol (CP) for 72 hours and then crossed over to the alternate method for an additional 72 hours. Time in target glucose range (range: 80–110 mg/dl) was higher in the CP group (47 17% vs 41 16.6%; P < .05); time over target range was not significantly reduced in the CP group (49 17.8% vs 54 17.1%; P .08); and no difference was noted in time under target range of 80 mg/dl (CP: 4.5 2.8%, paper protocol: 4.8 3.3%; P .8), less than 60 mg/dl (P .7), and less than 40 mg/dl (P 1.0). Severe hypoglycemic events (<40 mg/dl) did not differ from the CP group compared with historical controls for patients receiving no insulin (P .6). More glucose measurements were performed in the CP group (P .0003), and nursing staff compliance with CP recommendations was greater (P < .0001). Glycemic control using CDSS is safe and effective for the critically burned patient. Time in target range improved without increase in hypoglycemic events. CDSS enhanced consistency in practice, providing standardization among nursing staff. (J Burn Care Res 2011;32:000–000)
Performance of juvenile baboons on neuropsychological tests assessing associative learning, motivation and attention

Abstract The CANTAB (Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery), a system developed for human neuropsychological testing, has previously been used to assess cognitive function in two species of nonhuman primates, common marmoset monkeys and rhesus macaques. We describe the application of the system to the juvenile baboon, a nonhuman primate species offering specific investigative advantages. Juvenile baboons were trained and tested on a progressive ratio task to assess motivation, simple discrimination and simple reversal tasks to assess associative learning, and intra- and extra-dimensional set-shifting tasks to assess selective attention and attentional set-shifting, respectively. Study subjects were 8 juvenile baboons ( Papio sp.), 4 females and 4 males aged 3.0 ± 0.1 (mean + SEM) years and weight 8.2 ± 0.4 kg. All baboons were easily trained, readily learned the neuropsychological tests and exhibited a stable performance. Applying a method such as the CANTAB has significant implications for expanding on the translational utility of the baboon in studies of neurodevelopment.
Extra-Systemic Conflict as a System Steering Solution: A Habermasian Analysis of State Sponsorship for Insurgency Movements

This article attempts to forward an alternative theoretical explanation of insurgency sponsorship to standard realist and neo-realist explanations for international violence. While not discounting ...
Cell Patterning with Mucin Biopolymers

The precise spatial control of cell adhesion to surfaces is an endeavor that has enabled discoveries in cell biology and new possibilities in tissue engineering. The generation of cell-repellent surfaces currently requires advanced chemistry techniques and could be simplified. Here we show that mucins, glycoproteins of high structural and chemical complexity, spontaneously adsorb on hydrophobic substrates to form coatings that prevent the surface adhesion of mammalian epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and myoblasts. These mucin coatings can be patterned with micrometer precision using a microfluidic device, and are stable enough to support myoblast differentiation over seven days. Moreover, our data indicate that the cell-repellent effect is dependent on mucin-associated glycans because their removal results in a loss of effective cell-repulsion. Last, we show that a critical surface density of mucins, which is required to achieve cell-repulsion, is efficiently obtained on hydrophobic surfaces, but not on hy...
Peculiarities of anodic polarography in phosphate medium

Abstract The anodic polarographic wave of hydroquinone in phosphate buffer solutions of pH 6–8 shows a sharp minimum just prior to the final, unlimited increase in current resulting from the oxidation of mercury to Hg 2 HPO 4 . Phosphate buffer solutions alone, show a small anodic wave at exactly the same potential as the minimum in the hydroquinone wave. A study of the characteristics of this anodic wave demonstrate that it is caused by the oxidation of mercury to produce a monomolecular film of (Hg 2 ) 3 (PO 4 ) 2 . This film is so cohesive that it insulates the surface of the dropping mercury electrode and thus very effectively inhibits the oxidation of other aubstances.
Spontaneous emission from cylindrical atomic cloud: Collective eigenstates and non-local effects

Abstract We consider collective emission of a single photon stored in a cloud of N two-level atoms (with energy ћω ) confined inside an infinite cylinder and discuss eigenstates of this system, their decay rates and collective frequency shifts. We found that states with wave number k z ≥ ω / c do not decay and analogous to guiding modes in dielectric waveguides. Evolution of such states is qualitatively different in local (Markovian) and non-local regimes. We found that in the Markovian regime there is no photon emission. In contrast, non-local (memory) effects result in emission and reabsorption of the photon so that probability to find atoms excited oscillates with a collective Rabi frequency. Cross-over between local and non-local behavior can be observed by increasing radius of the cylinder or wave number k z of the excited atomic state. Similar behavior can also be observed in slab geometry and tested in synchrotron experiments on collective excitation of solid-state samples by increasing thickness of the nuclear layer.
Biofeedback Training for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: Factors Affecting Efficacy

Purpose: Biofeedback therapy is a valuable modality in children with dysfunctional voiding. However, it is unclear what factors contribute to the outcome. To define who may or may not benefit from biofeedback therapy we reviewed our experience with this treatment.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 77 children referred between July 2005 and September 2008 for biofeedback therapy. An MR 20 Synergy trainer (Prometheus Group, Dover, New Hampshire) provided nonanimated and animated biofeedback. Uroflowmetry was performed at the start and end of each session. A total of 67 females and 10 males with a mean age of 9.0 years (range 4.8 to 18.2) comprised the cohort group. The primary referral diagnosis was nonfebrile urinary tract infection in 52 patients (67.5%), daytime and nighttime wetting in 47 (61%), voiding postponement in 14 (18.2%) and daytime incontinence in 10 (13%). Children were categorized by an outcome of success, improvement or failure. Results were analyzed using the ...
Infrared spectroscopy of matrix-isolated polycyclic aromatic compounds and their ions. 7. Phenazine, a dual substituted polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycle

The matrix-isolation technique has been employed to measure the mid-infrared spectra of phenazine (C12H8N2), a dual substituted polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycle (PANH), in the neutral, cationic and anionic forms. The experimentally measured band frequencies and intensities are tabulated and compared with their calculated values as well as those of the non-substituted parent molecule, anthracene. The theoretical band positions and intensities were calculated using both the 4-31G as well as the larger 631G* basis sets. A comparison of the results can be found in the tables. The spectroscopic properties of phenazine and its cation are similar to those observed in mono-substituted PANHs, with one exception. The presence of a second nitrogen atom results in an additional enhancement of the cations total integrated intensity, for the 1500–1000 cm � 1 (6.7–10 lm) region, over that observed for a mono-substituted PANH cation. The significance of this enhancement and the astrobiological implications of these results are discussed. � 2005 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Studies on the electron transport system. XXVI. Specificity of coenzyme Q and coenzyme Q derivatives.

Abstract In succinic dehydrogenase complex there are three alternative pathways by which quinones mediate the oxidation of succinate by cytochrome c or oxygen. The first, mediated by menadione, 2,3-dimethoxy, 5-methyl benzoquinone and the short chain coenzyme Q analogues terminates at external cytochrome c and is antimycin insensitive. The second, mediated only by lipophilic homologues of coenzyme Q (Q 2 , Q 3 , Q 6 , Q 10 ) terminates at external cytochrome c and is antimycin sensitive. The third, mediated by coenzymes Q 2 , Q 3 , Q 6 , Q 10 and in part by Q 0 , Q 1 , plastoquinone and heptyl and heptadecyl coenzyme Q terminates at molecular oxygen, involves bound cytochrome c and is antimycin sensitive. There is a close correlation between the effects of Q analogues on the succinoxidase activity of acetone extracted SDC and the effects on the succinoxidase activity of acetone extracted electron transport particle ETP. This suggests that the reconstituted succinoxidase system of succinic dehydrogenase complex closely resembles that of electron transport particle from which it was derived. Succinic cytochrome c reductase activity of succinic dehydrogenase complex, in principle, is a measure of the segment of the electron transfer chain which has been detached from the cytochrome a terminus of the chain. This segment by virtue of changes induced by the cleavage process shows a new pattern of quinone specificity. Only derivatives of 2,3-dimethoxy, 5-methyl benzoquinone with two or more isoprenoid units in the side chain at carbon 6 are able to serve as mediators in the antimycin sensitive oxidation of succinate by cytochrome c . The antimycin insensitive pathway involving cytochrome c via other quinones involves transfer of electrons from a site in the electron transfer chain prior to the locus for antimycin action.
Visible Volume: A Robust Measure for Protein Structure Characterization

Abstract We propose a new characterization of protein structure based on the natural tetrahedral geometry of the beta carbon and a new geometric measure of structural similarity, called visible volume. In our model, the side-chains are replaced by an ideal tetrahedron, the orientation of which is fixed with respect to the backbone and corresponds to the preferred rotamer directions. Visible volume is a measure of the non-occluded empty space surrounding each residue position after the side-chains have been removed. It is a robust, parameter-free, locally-computed quantity that accounts for all spatial constraints that are of relevance to the corresponding position in the native structure. When computing visible volume, we ignore the nature of both the residue observed at each site and the ones surrounding it. We focus instead on the space that, together, these residues could occupy. By doing so, we are able to quantify a new kind of invariance beyond the apparent variations in a protein family, namely, the conservation of the physical space that is available at structurally equivalent positions for 3-D side-chain packing. Visible volume has the unique property of estimating how much space can be used at each site for different combinations of side-chains to fit in. This property, and the relation of visible volume to the degree of exposure of a residue position, qualify it as a powerful tool in a variety of applications, from the detailed analysis of protein structure to the definition of better scoring functions for threading purpose.
Post-Injury Work Outcomes Revisited

We use data for Ontario workers with permanent impairments resulting from work-related injuries to investigate the complex relationships among post-injury work outcomes: wages, accommodations, returning to the same or different employer, and duration of work absence. We argue the different aspects of post-injury work experience may be jointly determined, making post-injury job characteristics endogenous in a duration model. To explore the endogeneity issues we instrument post-injury job variables from first-stage equations and compare results from this "informed" model to a "naive" model that treats the variables as exogenous. We find that returning to one's pre-injury employer is associated with more favorable post-injury work outcomes, including higher wages, greater likelihood of job accommodations, and shorter durations of work absence relative to workers who change employers. We also find substantial differences between the naive and informed models, with accommodations having the predicted negative effect on duration only after we control for endogeneity.
Intensive inpatient therapy and survival in gestational trophoblastic disease

Abstract Metastatic gestational trophoblastic disease may be categorized into "good prognosis" and "poor prognosis" groups on the basis of the level of the pretreatment human chorionic gonadotropin titer, the location of metastases, the duration of disease, type of antecedent gestation, and the response of prior therapy. One hundred twenty-six patients with metastatic disease were treated from 1966 through 1979. All patients were treated as inpatients. Sixty-three "good prognosis" patients required an average of 65 days of intensive inpatient chemotherapy and all achieved sustained remission. Sixty-three "poor prognosis" patients were treated. Thirty-eight patients achieved sustained remission after an average of 112 days of intensive chemotherapy. Twenty-five patients (40%) succumbed to disease, after an average of 162 days of therapy. The probability of successful outcome of therapy falls rapidly after 150 days of treatment. Toxicity and deaths are reviewed.
Enhancement of excited-state population of magnesium ions upon decay of autoionizing resonances.

Decay of autoionizing resonances in atoms often leads to preferential production of excited states of the resulting ion. The population of these states can exceed the population of the ground state by more than an order of magnitude. We report measurements of the branching ratios for ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{+}$ ions resulting from the decay of selected autoionizing levels. These derive either from single excitation of a 2p electron or from two-electron excitations. For excited states of the type 2${\mathit{p}}^{5}$${(}^{2}$${\mathit{P}}_{1/2,3/2}$)3${\mathit{s}}^{2}$ns, n=4 or 5, production of ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{+}$ ions having the final configuration 2${\mathit{p}}^{6}$ns is the predominant decay feature. For ng5, the predominant decay feature is the 2${\mathit{p}}^{6}$(n+1)s configuration, indicating that shakeup is very strong in the decay of the excited state. For excited states of the type 2${\mathit{p}}^{5}$${(}^{2}$${\mathit{P}}_{1/2}$)5d and 2${\mathit{p}}^{5}$${(}^{2}$${\mathit{P}}_{3/2}$)6d, the decay behaves in a manner similar to that of the ns states. However, for the 2${\mathit{p}}^{5}$${(}^{2}$${\mathit{P}}_{1/2}$)6d state, the most prominent decay channel appears to be the 2${\mathit{p}}^{6}$11d state, which leads to the emission of an electron with the same kinetic energy as the ${\mathit{L}}_{2}$-${\mathit{M}}_{1}$${\mathit{M}}_{1}$ Auger line.
Economics of Primary Distribution Voltages of 4.16 through 34.5 Kv

Cost comparisons are given for systems with primary distribution of 4.16 and 12.5 kv, as well as the more recently introduced higher voltages of 20.8 to 34.5 kv. Load densities varying from 1,000 to 32,000 kva per square mile are considered in the study.
Organic acids, antioxidant capacity, phenolic content and lipid characterisation of Georgia-grown underutilized fruit crops

Abstract Four underutilized Georgia-grown fruit crops, namely loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), mayhaw (Crataegus sp.), fig (Ficus carica), and pawpaw (Asimina triloba), and their leaves were analysed for total polyphenols by Folin–Ciocalteau method, and antioxidant capacity by ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays. Organic acids and phenolic compounds were identified by RP-HPLC. For lipid profile, fruits were separated into two fractions – seed and fruit (i.e., without seed); lipid was extracted using the Folch method and analysed for fatty acids, phytosterols, tocopherols, and phospholipids. The major organic acid identified in all samples was malic acid (177–1918 mg/100 g FW). The predominant phenolic acids in all the fruits were gallic (1.5–6.4 mg/100 g FW) and ellagic (0.2–33.8 mg/100 g FW), and the most abundant flavonoid was catechin (12.2–37.8 mg/100 g FW). Total lipid content varied from 0.1% in mayhaw fruit to 21.5% in pawpaw seed. Linoleic acid was the predominant fatty acid in all of the samples (28.2–55.7%).
Developmental interactionism: an integrative framework for behavior therapy

Abstract It is the thesis of this paper that recent developments in the history and philosophy of science, in learning psychology, in developmental psychology, and in behavior therapy point to developmental interactionism as an integrative approach to behavioral ontogeny that maintains a role for conditioning and learning (as events) in behavior therapy. Earlier approaches to the ontogeny of behavior — environmentalism and heredity×environment interactionism — are overviewed. Developmental interactionism is presented as a relatively recent outgrowth of several confluent movements, including heredity×environment interactionism, the integrated-field perspective, evolutional thinking, Schneirla's comparative-developmental psychology, behavioral embryology, life-span developmental psychology, retreats from reductionism, and the system approach. Developmental interactionism is a thoroughgoing developmental perspective that treats development as an interactive or transactive process in which organism and environment are both active participants. The final section addresses issues in behavior therapy from the standpoint of this new view of behavioral ontogeny. Noted are signs of the beginnings of a unified clinical behavioral science.
The Impact of Initial Factors on Therapeutic Alliance in Individual and Couples Therapy

The study uses 457 clients to investigate the impact of initial client factors on the development of therapeutic alliance. Data were collected longitudinally over the early portion of treatment. Cases included both individual and couple clients, allowing for examination of differences by case type. The study used the Working Alliance Inventory-Shortened Version (Tracey & Kokotovic, 1989) to measure therapeutic alliance. Initial factors considered included age, differentiation levels, prior stress, and depression. Couple clients showed differences from individual clients, and the variability prompted further investigation into relationship satisfaction and commitment as factors influencing the development of therapeutic alliance. Results highlight the increased complexity of developing an alliance with couples, and recommendations are provided for clinicians.
EVIDENCE FOR MODULATION OF GRAFT-VS-HOST DISEASE BY INTRAUTERINE ENGRAFTED MATERNAL T LYMPHOCYTES

A four month old dizygotic triplet with pseudomonas sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy necessitating platelet tranfusions was subsequently found to have severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) with thymic dysplasia and mild cutaneous graft-vs-host disease (GvHD). T lymphocytes from the mother and both platelet donors but not from the triplets were identified in the patient's blood by HLA typing. Non-T lymphocytes displayed the same maternal and paternal haplotypes as the other triplet siblings and absorption of lymphocytotoxic HLA antibodies by the patient's platelets confirmed the patient's HLA genotype. GvHD resolved during ablative therapy with anti-thymocyte globulin and cyclophosphamide and did not recur following bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from an HLA identical triplet. One month after BMT, T lymphocytes from one platelet donor, but not from the mother, were still found in the patient's blood. Since GvHD from non-irradiated blood transfusions in SCID patients is fatal without treatment, we hypothesize that intrauterine engraftment of maternal cells and/or mild GvH reaction induced by these cells suppressed the GvHD from the platelet donor's lymphocytes. An exacerbation of the GvHD after maternal cells disappeared may have been prevented by immune function from the BMT. Thus, intrauterine engraftment of maternal T lymphocytes, which usually causes limited GvHD, may modulate the GvHD due to postnatally transplanted T lymphocyes.
Non-visual skimming on touch-screen devices

While reading on touch-screens, sighted users can quickly pan through content, skim it, and pick out bits and pieces of information before deciding to read it more carefully. In contrast, blind users have to rely on the screen reader to narrate the content to them. To go through the text quickly, blind users employ gestures that direct the screen reader to skip to the next line or the next paragraph. However, the serial audio interface of the screen reader makes it difficult for blind users to get a sense of what is important before listening to, at least, a part of the content. This makes ad hoc skimming with gestures slow and ineffective. We address this problem in this paper; specifically we propose a non-visual skimming interface that enables blind users to control the amount of content with simple pinch-in and pinch-out gestures. This interface simulates the skimming experience enjoyed by sighted people, and enables blind users to listen to the gist of content, while controlling the speed of information intake. We report on a user study demonstrating that the proposed interface significantly outperforms ad hoc skimming techniques employed by blind users. Our results suggest that the proposed approach holds promise in empowering blind users to access digitized information much faster.
M-Matrix Flux Splitting for General Full Tensor Discretization Operators on Structured and Unstructured Grids

Diagonal tensor flux approximations are commonly used in fluid dynamics. This approximation introduces an O(1) error in flux whenever the coordinate system is nonaligned with the principal axes of the tensor which is particularly common when employing curvilinear gridding. In general a consistent full tensor flux approximation leads to a significant increase in support and consequent size of the Jacobian matrix. After decomposition of a general full tensor flux into a diagonal tensor flux together with cross terms, time-split semi-implicit, stable, full tensor flux approximations are introduced with in a general finite volume formalism, enabling the standard diagonal tensor Jacobian matrix structure to be retained for single phase flow, IMPES, and standard block fully implicit formulations while ensuring spatial consistency of the discretization for both structured and unstructured grids. Stability of the scheme is proven for constant elliptic coefficients. The results presented demonstrate the benefits of the method for multiphase flow within a fully implicit framework on structured and unstructured grids.
Implementation of a multi-modal mobile sensor system for surface and subsurface assessment of roadways

There are more than 4 million miles of roads and 600,000 bridges in the United States alone. On-going investments are required to maintain the physical and operational quality of these assets to ensure public’s safety and prosperity of the economy. Planning efficient maintenance and repair (M&R) operations must be armed with a meticulous pavement inspection method that is non-disruptive, is affordable and requires minimum manual effort. The Versatile Onboard Traffic Embedded Roaming Sensors (VOTERS) project developed a technology able to cost- effectively monitor the condition of roadway systems to plan for the right repairs, in the right place, at the right time. VOTERS technology consists of an affordable, lightweight package of multi-modal sensor systems including acoustic, optical, electromagnetic, and GPS sensors. Vehicles outfitted with this technology would be capable of collecting information on a variety of pavement-related characteristics at both surface and subsurface levels as they are driven. By correlating the sensors’ outputs with the positioning data collected in tight time synchronization, a GIS-based control center attaches a spatial component to all the sensors’ measurements and delivers multiple ratings of the pavement every meter. These spatially indexed ratings are then leveraged by VOTERS decision making modules to plan the optimum M&R operations and predict the future budget needs. In 2014, VOTERS inspection results were validated by comparing them to the outputs of recent professionally done condition surveys of a local engineering firm for 300 miles of Massachusetts roads. Success of the VOTERS project portrays rapid, intelligent, and comprehensive evaluation of tomorrow’s transportation infrastructure to increase public’s safety, vitalize the economy, and deter catastrophic failures.
Mobile homes: Who lives in them and why?

Publisher Summary This chapter describes various aspects related to mobile homes. A mailed survey was conducted of new mobile-home buyers in 1974. There have been numerous case studies conducted on particular types of mobile-home residents and on some specific mobile-home communities. Most data available on mobile-home production comes from the Manufactured Housing Institute. In general, precise information about mobile-home residents and reasons for their housing choice or about the mobile-home market is not currently available. The chapter presents a descriptive view of the mobile home market. Mobile-home residents are largely high-school educated, blue-collar families. The majority of mobile-home households were small—under four persons. For the most part they consisted of two groups, young forming families or newlyweds who were buying a home for the first time, and older families who were anticipating or who had already reached retirement. Most mobile-home residents live outside urban areas. The primary reason new mobile-home purchasers give for their decision to buy is that mobile-home units are more economical than other types of housing.
Optimizing the Use of STT-RAM in SSDs Through Data-Dependent Error Tolerance

This brief presents a design strategy for spin-transfer torque (STT)-RAM to reduce the error-tolerance redundancy overhead and increase effective storage capacity without sacrificing its reliability. The key is to cohesively exploit the run-time data characteristics (e.g., access unit length and access frequency) and the fundamental read disturbance versus sensing error tradeoff in STT-RAM. It presents three specific data-dependent error-tolerance design techniques, and demonstrates their effectiveness in the context of using STT-RAM to replace DRAM in solid-state drives. Based on detailed modeling/simulations down to 22-nm node, we showed that these design solutions can increase the effective STT-RAM storage capacity by 26%, compared with conventional design practice.
Application of triangular space-time finite elements to problems of wave propagation

Abstract The displacement hp space-time formulation derived from Hamilton's weak principle (HWP) is studied for simultaneous space-time solutions. Without conventional "semi-discretizations", a special type of discretization of space-time is presented in which both space and time dependency are removed. The theoretical basis for a displacement hp -version space-time finite element is developed; and a bilinear formulation of space-time dynamics is presented in which numerical studies can be performed for h - or p -version elements of any shape. The commitment to a weak formulation of force and momentum allows appropriate solution discontinuities to develop naturally at element boundaries. To predict the steep gradients of stress in wave-like motions, triangular elements are used to cut across space and time such that discontinuities in force or momentum can be located at the element boundary. A unified theory of shape functions for space-time finite elements is developed, and the shape functions for triangular and parallelogram elements are derived in terms of a set of orthogonal functions. The assembly procedure for hp -version space-time finite elements is also discussed. To speed the rate of convergence, an extraction technique is developed to obtain forces and momenta from integrals of generalized displacements, not from their derivatives.
SU-GG-T-184: Photon Energy Spectrum Prediction of a Medical Linear Accelerator Using Scatter Radiation Analysis

Purpose: To evaluate a system to determine the photon spectrum from a 6 MV linear accelerator using narrow beam scattermeasurements,Monte Carlo simulations of the scatter, and linear algebra.Method and Materials: The relative number of photons that scatter at specific angles and distances from a polyenergetic narrow beam of photons striking a scattering medium is a small but measurable quantity. The relative number of photons from a monoenergetic beam of photons scattering in similar geometry can be modeled using Monte Carlo techniques. A system of linear equations can be established and solved for the photon energy spectrum if there are an equal number of scatter angle measurements and Monte Carlo modeled photon energies. Measurements were performed using a Farmer chamber and electrometer with an acrylic scatterer on a 6 MV linear accelerator at six scatter angles with a 1.5×1.5 cm field. Monte Carlos simulations were performed at six energies with equivalent geometry. A linear system of the form b=Ax was solved where (b) is the measured data vector, (A) is a mathematical operator matrix that consist of calculated mono‐energetic scatter fractions, and x is the unknown flux vector. Results: The operator matrix was found to be an ill‐posed matrix, so the eigenvalues of the matrix were evaluated and the significantly small eigenvalues were ignored to enhance the accuracy of the results. Errors were estimated by solving the systemfor b−Ax=0 and Ab−A∧2x=0, which theoretically should give a zero answer. The results, while coarse with only six energy bins, are consistent with published data. Conclusion: This technique produced reproducible results that can be refined with more scatter angles and energy bins. The results can potentially be applied to any poly‐energetic beam.
The effects of ozone exposure on lactate dehydrogenase release from human and primate respiratory epithelial cells.

Ozone is the most persistent, wide-spread air pollutant in the United States. Over one half of the population of the US lives in cities or suburban areas which do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone which is 0.12 ppm averaged over l h. Controlled laboratory exposures of human subjects have shown that ozone exposure produces decreased pulmonary function, hyperresponsiveness to inhaled methacholine, inspiratory pain, and airway inflammation as assessed by bronchoalveolar lavage. However, the cellular mechanisms responsible for such effects are incompletely known. The present study examined the effects of ozone exposure at 0.50 ppm for 3 h on three types of cultured respiratory epithelial cells; primary cultures of human nasal cells and primate bronchial cells, and the A549 type II pneumocyte-derived cell line. Cells were grown to confluent monolayers in plastic 6-well plates and then exposed to ozone or filtered air on a tilting platform over a heated water bath. Lactose dehydrogenase release was significantly increased following ozone exposure of all cell types; a 75% increase from human nasal cells (P = 0.0002), a 79% increase from primate bronchial cells (P = 0.003), and a 69% increase from A549 cells (P = 0.02). These data suggest that even brief ozone exposure causes membrane injury to cultured human respiratory epithelial cells.
Aldehyde dehydrogenase activity as a functional marker for lung cancer.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity has been implicated in multiple biological and biochemical pathways and has been used to identify potential cancer stem cells. Our main hypothesis is that ALDH activity may be a lung cancer stem cell marker. Using flow cytometry, we sorted cells with bright (ALDHbr) and dim (ALDHlo) ALDH activity found in H522 lung cancer cell line. We used in vitro proliferation and colony assays as well as a xenograft animal model to test our hypothesis. Cytogenetic analysis demonstrated that the ALDHbr cells are indeed a different clone, but when left in normal culture conditions will give rise to ALDHlo cells. Furthermore, the ALDHbr cells grow slower, have low clonal efficiency, and give rise to morphologically distinct colonies. The ability to form primary xenografts in NOD/SCID mice by ALDHbr and ALDHlo cells was tested by injecting single cell suspension under the skin in each flank of same animal. Tumor size was calculated weekly. ALDH1A1 and ALDH3A1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on excised tumors. These tumors were also used to re-establish cell suspension, measure ALDH activity, and re-injection for secondary and tertiary transplants. The results indicate that both cell types can form tumors but the ones from ALDHbr cells grew much slower in primary recipient mice. Histologically, there was no significant difference in the expression of ALDH in primary tumors originating from ALDHbr or ALDHlo cells. Secondary and tertiary xenografts originating from ALDHbr grew faster and bigger than those formed by ALDHlo cells. In conclusion, ALDHbr cells may have some of the traditional features of stem cells in terms of being mostly dormant and slow to divide, but require support of other cells (ALDHlo) to sustain tumor growth. These observations and the known role of ALDH in drug resistance may have significant therapeutic implications in the treatment of lung cancer.
Dobutamine thallium-201 tomography for evaluating patients with suspected coronary artery disease unable to undergo exercise or vasodilator pharmacologic stress testing

Abstract Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, safety and diagnostic accuracy of a high dose dobutamine infusion in conjunction with thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography in 144 patients (72 men and 72 women with a mean age of 65 ± 10 years) unable to perform exercise or pharmacologic vasodilator stress testing. Background. Dobutamine increases myocardial oxygen consumption by increasing heart rate, contractility and arterial blood pressure. In addition, it causes myocardial blood flow heterogeneity and thus may be a useful stress for noninvasive detection of coronary artery disease. Methods. Dobutamine was administered intravenously at incremental doses of 5, 10, 20, 30 and up to 40 μg/kg per min at 3-min intervals. After 1 min of the maximal dose, 3 mCi of thallium-201 was injected and the infusion was continued for an additional 2 min. Thallium-201 tomography was performed 5 to 10 min after termination of the infusion and 4 h later. The images were visually assessed for the presence and vascular location of perfusion defects and the extent of thallium redistribution. Coronary angiography was performed in 84 patients, with a >50% stenosis considered significant. Results. Dobutamine significantly (p = 0.0001) increased the heart rate (from 75 ± 14 beats/min to 120 ± 23 beats/min), systolic blood pressure (from 136 ± 23 mm Hg to 148 ± 35 mm Hg) and the rate-pressure product (from 10,144 ± 2,517 to 17,858 ± 4,349) from baseline to peak infusion rate, respectively. Most patients (75%) experienced side effects during the infusion, but 74% tolerated a dobutamine dose of 40 μg/kg per min and 97% a dose of 30 μg/kg per min. The more common side effects were typical (26%) and atypical (5%) chest pain, palpitation (29%), flushing (14%), headache (14%) and dyspnea (14%). The overall sensitivity of dobutamine tomography was 86% in the patients who underwent coronary angiography and 84% in those with single-vessel, 82% in those with double-vessel and 100% in those with triple-vessel disease. Seventy-eight percent of vessels with severe (≥70%) stenoses were identified with dobutamine tomography. The specificity of dobutamine tomography was 90% for patients and 86% for individual vessels. Conclusions. A high dose dobutamine infusion in conjunction with thallium tomography appears to be a well tolerated and accurate method for diagnosing coronary artery disease in patients unable to perform exercise or vasodilator pharmacologic stress testing.
Duality and Existence of Optimal Policies in Generalized Joint Replenishment

We establish a duality theory for a broad class of deterministic inventory control problems on continuous spaces that includes the classical joint replenishment problem and inventory routing. Using this theory, we establish the existence of an optimal policy, which has been an open question. We show how a primal-dual pair of infinite dimensional linear programs encode both cyclic and noncyclic schedules, and provide various results regarding cyclic schedules, including an example showing that they need not be optimal.