cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cognitive deficits in progressive supranuclear palsy on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is associated with a variety of cognitive deficits, as well as motor and psychiatric disturbances. As clinical trials for PSP evolve, briefer screening instruments will be needed to determine cognitive effects of interventions. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) may fill this gap. Three hundred four participants diagnosed with Richardson's syndrome of PSP were evaluated with the RBANS, as well as other scales typically used in PSP. RBANS performances for these participants fell significantly below expectations for the Total Scale score and all five Indexes. Cognitive scores on the RBANS were also significantly related to other markers of PSP (e.g., motor and functional abilities, depression, global cognition). Compared to other clinical conditions from the literature, patients with PSP show impairment on tests of visuospatial perception and construction and attention. Although additional research is needed, the current study supports the clinical applicability of the RBANS in patients with PSP, as well as its potential for future clinical trials.
The Surgical Needle

A variety of modern surgical needles are available to today's surgeon. However, a surgeon's preference of surgical needles, is usually influenced by experience, ease of use, and the postoperative result, such as scar quality. This article describes the selection of needle designs available, and their intended clinical applications. Key factors in the basic design of the surgical needle include, the quality of its alloy, surface coating, and needle geometry. The needle alloy provides strength and ductility. Silicon coating maintains the sharpness and consistency of penetration of the needle. Sharpness is also determined by the angle of the point and taper ratio of the needle. Needle sizes range from extremely fine microsurgical needles to very thick needles for sternal closure. Needlepoint type is selected based on the particular tissue type where they are used. A conventional cutting needle is used for tough tissue, such as skin, whereas a reverse cutting needle is selected to reduce the risk of tissue cutout. Round-body needles are used in tissues that are easy to penetrate and in crucial procedures such as tendon repair, where suture cutout would be disastrous. A blunt-point, round-body needle dilates rather than cuts, and is preferred in abdominal fascial closure, to prevent inadvertent visceral injury and bleeding. The taper-cut needle punctures and then dilates and is used for vascular anastomosis. Although the needle and suture choice are entirely the surgeon's, this article hopefully may serve as a reference for those who are deciding on these issues critically.
Characterization of smoke for spacecraft fire safety

Abstract Conventional spacecraft smoke detectors are not optimized for detecting space smoke, which differs from that on Earth due to the fuel materials, burning conditions, particle formation/transformation processes, and lack of gravity. More effective smoke detectors can be developed with knowledge of smoke chemical compositions, size distributions, optical properties, and emission factors specific to spacecraft-relevant materials, e.g., Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), cotton, and Nomex® fabric. In normal gravity testing it is found that carbon is the main smoke component, with elemental carbon constituting ∼90% of particle mass for flaming PMMA combustion and organic matter constituting ≳80% of particle mass for other fuels and test conditions. Particles emitted from flaming PMMA are fractal-like soot agglomerates, different from the near spherical particles found for other fuels and burning conditions. Particle size distributions vary during the combustion process. When particle concentrations are near maximum, smoldering cotton generates bimodal number size distributions, while other fuels and test conditions exhibit unimodal lognormal number size distributions. Smoke particles from flaming PMMA combustion are black with single scattering albedos 0.9 at 405–781 nm. Mass extinction coefficients are 7.8 m2/g for flaming PMMA and 2.7–4.2 m2/g for smoldering combustions at 632.8 nm. CO and PM2.5 emission factors are higher for smoldering than for flaming combustions, while CO2 emission factors are higher for flaming combustions.
Control, Observation and Identification Problems for the Wave Equation on Metric Graphs

Abstract We consider control and inverse problems for the wave and Schrodinger equations on metric graphs, including graphs with cycles. We find conditions for the exact controllability of the wave equation on graphs. The complete solution of the inverse problem consists of reconstructing the graph’s topology, the lengths of all edges and coefficients of the equations. We prove the uniqueness theorem and propose a stable identification algorithm, which is based on the leaf peeling method proposed earlier for graphs without cycles (trees).
Addressing the quality of communication with older cancer patients with cognitive deficits: Development of a communication skills training module.

Objective Effective communication is an essential part of patient-centered care. The complexity of cancer care in older adults makes communication challenging, particularly when older patients have cognitive deficits and lose their autonomy. This paper describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a communication skills training module for health care providers (HCPs) who work with older adults with cancer, with or at risk of developing cognitive deficits. Method Using a pre-post single arm study design, 99 HCPs from a comprehensive cancer center in North-East USA, who worked primarily with geriatric patients, participated in the study. Participants included Advance Practice Providers (including Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants; n = 24, 24.2%); nurses (n = 23, 23.2%), social workers (n = 14, 14.1%), physicians (n = 13, 13.1%), and “other” HCPs (including occupational therapists, physical therapists, and psychologists; n = 20, 20.2%). The HCPs participated in a one-day geriatric communication skills training program in groups of 12–15 over a 2-year period. Participants complete pre-post surveys on module evaluation and perception of self-efficacy as well as pre-post video-recorded Standardized Patient Assessment (SPA) to evaluate communication skill uptake. Results Most participants evaluated the module positively; over 90% indicated that they agreed or strongly agreed with five of the six module evaluation items. HCPs’ self-efficacy in communicating with cancer patients with cognitive deficits significantly increased from pre- to post-module training. There was a significant increase in the following communication skill use from pre- to post-training: checking patient preferences, declaring agenda, and inviting agenda. Significance of results Results demonstrated a successful implementation of the program as evidenced through favorable program evaluation, significant gains in self-efficacy, as well as significant improvement in several communication skills.
Metal-Dielectric Resonators for Multimode, Ultrafast All-Optical Switching in the NIR

We experimentally demonstrate broadband, polarization-sensitive reflection modulation and picosecond relaxation-times with TiN-ZnO metal-dielectric resonators. We perform a rigorous investigation of the effects of pump-powers, probe-wavelengths, and polarizations on the device performance.
Flows and Patterns

Theories in this chapter look at how communication flows between parties and what obstacles can impede or prevent this flow. Most of these theories give us insights into the transmission of information rather than the impetus for or effects of communication. However, theories such as Latour’s Actor-Network Theory examines the effects of disrupted communication links. Theories in this section also give us insights into how communication flows can develop into long-standing patterns that create communication structures.
Nonminimal Lorentz Violation in Macroscopic Matter

The effects of Lorentz and CPT violations on macroscopic objects are explored. Effective composite coefficients for Lorentz violation are derived in terms of coefficients for electrons, protons, and neutrons in the Standard-Model Extension, including all minimal and nonminimal violations. The hamiltonian and modified Newton's second law for a test body are derived. The framework is applied to free-fall and torsion-balance tests of the weak equivalence principle and to orbital motion. The effects on continuous media are studied, and the frequency shifts in acoustic resonators are calculated.
The Effects of Using Total Physical Response to Teach Foreign Languages for K-12 Students

Learning a foreign language is quite common for children to improve their abilities. Moreover, teaching a foreign language to younger students (K-12) is also crucial to enhance their foreign language proficiency level in many societies. This review aimed to describe the effects and limitations of using Total Physical Response (TPR) in foreign language classrooms. TPR is a good teaching method to teach younger students (K-12) to learn a foreign language. This review mainly focuses on (1) the positive functions of using TPR (2) how and when to use TPR in an appropriate way (3) TPR still has some limitations.
Performance of HIV detection in Zhejiang province in China: The Pareto principle at work.

Background Timely detection of HIV infection is critical for curbing the AIDS epidemic, and building an extensive and effective HIV laboratory network is of great importance. Therefore, improving quality management of the laboratory network and optimizing detection strategies are desirable research issues. Methods We assessed the applicability of the Pareto principle to HIV detection performance. We conducted a retrospective review of basic information and numbers of screening tests among an HIV laboratory network (1,452 laboratories) in Zhejiang province in 2014 and statistically analyzed HIV testing data for different population categories. Results Approximately, 80% of the cumulative HIV screening tests and positive screening tests originated from 17.3% (251/1,452) and 11.7% (170/1,452) of the laboratories in the whole province, respectively, and similar patterns were observed at the prefectural level. We found that the top five population screening categories (25%, 5/20) had the highest contribution (approximately 80%) to not only the number of screening tests (77.2%) but also the numbers of positive (76.4%) and confirmed positive tests (81.5%). Conclusions The Pareto principle provides a method for identifying noteworthy laboratories to deliver prior quality supervision and developing highly efficient screening strategies that best suit local needs.
Theosophical Chronology in the Writings of Guido von List (1848–1919): A Link Between H.P. Blavatsky’s Philosophy and the Nazi Movement

Lavoie’s contribution discusses Austrian writer Guido von List’s (1848–1919) innovation on Blavatsky’s philosophy of time and shows how esoteric ideas were transformed in the first half of the twentieth century. List appropriated Blavatsky’s concepts of root races, cyclical time, and reincarnation to advance a non-theosophical soteriology. List embraced Western apocalypticism, maintaining that the present time is decadent and will be overthrown by a New Age (or Reich) ruled by a revived Aryan-German race. List thereby transformed Blavatsky’s chronology into a tool for the benefit of a racial ideology, changing Blavatsky’s origin of civilization from India to Germany. Many of List’s ideas were later integrated into Nazi ideology, and it is possible that Adolf Hitler himself may have been aware of some aspects of List’s philosophy.
A New ℓ0-Regularized Log-Linear Poisson Graphical Model with Applications to RNA Sequencing Data.

In this article, we develop a new l0-based sparse Poisson graphical model with applications to gene network inference from RNA-seq gene expression count data. Assuming a pair-wise Markov property, ...
Finite-Dimensional Spaces: Algebra, Geometry and Analysis Volume I

This treatise (consisting of the present Vol.I and of Vol.II, to be published) is primarily intended to be a textbook for a core course in mathematics at the advanced undergraduate or the beginning graduate level. The treatise should also be useful as a textbook for selected students in honors programs at the sophomore and junior level. Finally, it should be of use to theoretically inclined scientists and engineers who wish to gain a better understanding of those parts of mathematics that are most likely to help them gain insight into the conceptual foundations of the scientific discipline of their interest.
Fictions of Loss in the Victorian Fin De Siecle: Strange events and extraordinary combinations: Sherlock Holmes and the pathology of everyday life

Arthur Conan Doyle was happy to number himself among Lang's “new barbarians.” He always professed to prefer those of his works that fit within the romance tradition: historical novels like The White Company (1893), Micah Clarke (1893), and Sir Nigel (1906) and exotic adventure tales like The Lost World (1912) and The Poison Belt (1913). To later readers, the Sherlock Holmes tales are at once more familiar and less likely to read in terms of male romance conventions. Yet those stories display many of the same anxieties that we have been examining, anxieties concerning the erotics of interpretation, the pathologized body, and the decline of empire. If we tend not to approach the Holmes canon in this way, that is in part because the detective genre actively discourages certain forms of attention. As Fredric Jameson points out, the classic detective story is usually said to be “about” nothing beyond the logic of detection. The genre represents itself as a “form without ideological content,” concerned only with ahistorical questions of epistemology and rationality. This is certainly Holmes's view of detection, and he has been singularly successful in dictating the terms within which his cases have been understood. As a way to begin opening up the Holmes tales to other kinds of understanding, I want to set The Sign of Four (1890) against one of its unacknowledged (by Doyle, at any rate) sources, Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone (1868).
Lehigh University and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: Partnering to Transform a Steel Town into a College Town.

Since Lehigh University was founded in 1865, it has been inextricablytied to the City of Bethlehem in eastern Pennsylvania. Richin history and steeped in cultural tradition, the area continues tobe an outstanding home for the university. In the aftermath of thefall of Bethlehem Steel, Lehigh and community partners are working together to forge a prosperous future.
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT GROWTH PREDICTIONS THROUGH THE YIELD SPREAD: TIME‐VARIATION AND STRUCTURAL BREAKS

We use time-varying-parameter models and real-time data to describe the evolution of the leading properties of the yield spread for output growth in five European economies and in the USA over the last decades and until the third quarter of 2010. We evaluate the predictive performance of benchmark term-structure models and identify structural breaks in the marginal processes of term spreads and government bond yields to shed light on the dynamic characteristics of the yield curve. Econometric analysis shows that (i) the predictive content of the term spread is not always significant over time and across countries; (ii) the spread significantly contributes to the forecast performance of simple growth regressions in Europe but not in the USA in recent years; and (iii) the variance of the random shocks to the term spreads tends to fall in all countries. This decline is accompanied by vanishing leading properties from the mid-1990s. Such properties reappear after 2008. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
σ-π molecular dielectric multilayers for low-voltage organic thin-film transistors

Abstract Very thin (2.3-5.5 nm) self-assembled organic dielectric multilayers have been integrated into organic thin-film transistor structures to achieve sub-1-V operating characteristics. These new dielectrics are fabricated by means of layer-by-layer solution phase deposition of molecular silicon precursors, resulting in smooth, nanostructurally well defined, strongly adherent, thermally stable, virtually pinhole-free, organosiloxane thin films having exceptionally large electrical capacitances (up to ≈2,500 nF·cm-2), excellent insulating properties (leakage current densities as low as 10-9 A·cm-2), and single-layer dielectric constant (k)of ≈16. These 3D self-assembled multilayers enable organic thin-film transistor function at very low source-drain, gate, and threshold voltages (<1 V) and are compatible with a broad variety of vapor- or solution-deposited p- and n-channel organic semiconductors. gate insulator molecular multilayer organic dielectric self-assembly
Rare, Leptonic, and Hadronic Decays of Charmed Mesons - A Review -

We review the physics of rare, leptonic, and hadronic decays of charmed mesons based on the results submitted to this conference (EPS 95, Brussles).
Abstract 17257: The Association Between Diet Quality After Diabetes Diagnosis and Major Cardiovascular Events in Women With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction: The role of dietary choices in the prevention of cardiovascular hard-outcome among type 2 diabetes patients has not been studied well. We examined whether there is an association between dietary quality after diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and major cardiovascular events among women using long-term prospective cohort study. Hypothesis: Healthy dietary pattern after type 2 diabetes diagnosis is associated with decreased risk for major cardiovascular events among women. Methods: The women with type 2 diabetes (n=6,895, mean age 64 years old) from the Nurses’ Health Study with no baseline cancer or cardiovascular disease were selected. Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the multivariate association between the alternate Healthy Eating Index (aHEI) and the first episode of major cardiovascular events (coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke). Results: During 26 years of follow-up (75, 276 person-years), a total of the 705 major cardiovascular events (432 cases of CHD, 314 cases of stroke, 41 cases of both CHD and stroke) were documented. The age-adjusted relative risks of major cardiovascular events across quintiles of aHEI score (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5) were 1, 0.99 (95% CI, 0.80 to 1.22), 0.84 (CI, 0.67 to 1.05), 0.57 (CI, 0.44 to 0.72), and 0.66 (CI, 0.52 to 0.84) (P Conclusions: Healthier dietary habits after the diagnosis of diabetes are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events including stroke and coronary heart disease.
Chloramphenicol, protein synthesis, and the metabolism of the carcinogen N-2-fluorenyldiacetamide in rats. Inhibition by chloramphenicol of carcinogen binding.

Abstract In studies on the mechanisms whereby chloramphenicol inhibits the induction of liver cancer by the carcinogen N-2-fluorenyldiacetamide, observations were made on the effect of chloramphenicol on protein synthesis, on the need for protein synthesis of effect protein binding of carcinogen, and on the metabolism of the carcinogen in rats. After a pulse of uniformly labeled l-leucine-14C, labeling of liver proteins was not affected by 500 mg of chloramphenicol per kg injected 3 or 24 hours earlier, but was increased slightly after 7 weeks of 2% dietary chloramphenicol and was significantly higher after 0.05% dietary N-2-fluorenyldiacetamide with or without chloramphenicol. The weight of liver proteins per 100 g of body weight was larger in the two groups fed chloramphenicol, with or without carcinogen. Puromycin lowered leucine incorporation, but did not affect the binding of isotope from the active carcinogenic intermediate, N-hydroxy-N-2-fluoren-9-14C-ylacetamide. After 6 weeks of dietary N-2-fluorenyldiacetamide followed by a single intraperitoneal dose of the labeled agent, 83% of the radioactivity was excreted in the urine in 24 hours, of which 2.2, 47, and 14% were free compounds, glucosiduronic acids, and sulfuric acid esters, respectively. The main metabolites in the glucosiduronic acid fraction were N-hydroxy-N-2-fluorenylacetamide and the 3-, 5-, and 7-hydroxy derivatives, accounting for 5.8, 4.9, 5.5, and 21% of the dose, respectively. Concurrent feeding of chloramphenicol increased the N-hydroxy isomer. The total 14C in liver was alike with and without chloramphenicol. The important finding was that proteins from liver, plasma, and red cells in the chloramphenicol group contained only 32, 58, and 15%, respectively, of the isotope in controls, indicating that binding of the active carcinogenic intermediate to cellular or molecular receptors was inhibited by the antibiotic.
Generating error candidates for assigning blame in a knowledge base

The problem of identifying why a knowledge-based system (KBS) made a mistake and correcting it is the knowledge base refinement problem. This paper concentrates on the problem of credit assignment, determining which elements of a KBS are responsible for a mistake. One method for solving this problem is to propose a set of error candidates that would account for the KBS' error and then select the best set of error candidates. In this paper, we describe how a task description of a KBS is used to generate possible error candidates that would explain how the mistake occurred. We illustrate this point using generic tasks, and show how generic tasks can be represented using device models.
Ethical Behavior within an Organization Can Be Increased with Ethical Training and a Solid Corporate Culture But Engrained by Ethical Leadership

This study investigates the effects of not only ethical training but the enforcement of ethical leadership on the attitude and ethical behavior of the employee. Research is reviewed and gathered to relate ethics training and ethical corporate culture combined with ethical leadership to show the effects on the ethical behavior of those employees trained. A theory is presented, for future research that ethical training can result in an ethical corporate culture but with the addition of ethical leadership the individual’s ethical behavior increases.
Voice over Internet Protocol (IP)

This chapter provides an overview of the voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) and the many changing issues that it faces. VOIP merges the most dynamic and efficiency-creating technologies of the last several years, namely low-cost communications transmission, personal computers, and widespread deployment of the Internet. A tutorial on conventional telephony provides a foundation upon which a discussion of VOIP is built. VOIP deployment issues, including competing signaling schemes, internetworking with the public switched telephone network (PSTN), security, and quality are also discussed. Although VOIP is evolving, the fundamental issues will remain the same for a long time to come. Keywords: channel capacity; digital encoding; digital transmission; packet router; public switched telephone network (PSTN); voice communications
MECHANISMS OF GAMETIC APPROACH IN PLANTS.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the mechanisms of gametic approach in plants. The chemotactic and chemotropic reactions participate in the sexual reproduction of a widespread variety of plants. The evidence varies from the simple observation of aggregation of sperm and the apparent directed growth of various sexual structures to conclusive evidence obtained with cell-free extracts, partially purified preparations and, in the case of pollen, presumably the factor itself. Five types of systems having at least one gamete motile are considered in the chapter: (1) isogamy in which all gametes are equally and fully motile, (2) physiological and morphological anisogamy, (3) oogamy in which the egg is released from the oogonium, (4) oogamy, in which the eggs are retained within oogonia, and (5) those plants in which the egg is encased in a multicellular sex organ—the archegonium—into which the motile sperm must swim to reach the egg. The four chemotropic substances are discussed in the chapter are zygophores, antheridial hyphae, trichogynes, and pollen tubes. For each of the basic types mentioned there exists good experimental evidence that the growth of the various sexual elements is directed by chemical agents.
Individual-and Setting-Level Correlates of Secondary Traumatic Stress in Rape Crisis Center Staff

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is an issue of significant concern among providers who work with survivors of sexual assault. Although STS has been studied in relation to individual-level characteristics of a variety of types of trauma responders, less research has focused specifically on rape crisis centers as environments that might convey risk or protection from STS, and no research to knowledge has modeled setting-level variation in correlates of STS. The current study uses a sample of 164 staff members representing 40 rape crisis centers across a single Midwestern state to investigate the staff member-and agency-level correlates of STS. Results suggest that correlates exist at both levels of analysis. Younger age and greater severity of sexual assault history were statistically significant individual-level predictors of increased STS. Greater frequency of supervision was more strongly related to secondary stress for non-advocates than for advocates. At the setting level, lower levels of supervision ...
Fatigue durabiity of a novel disc nucleus repair system

Abstract Purpose of study: It has been repeatedly demonstrated that disc denucleation ultimately results in segment destabilization and progressive collapse of disc space. Microdiscectomy alone for the treatment of primary herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP) has been only partially effective because of clinically relevant recurrence. To provide stabilization to the denucleated disc, while eliminating the potential for recurrent herniations, we propose the use of an in situ polymerizable protein hydrogel device (BioDisc). When introduced as a liquid into the denucleated disc space, the implant cross-links to form a durable hydrogel that maintains disc height and segmental stability while preserving motion. Methods used: Fresh calf lumbar segments (single bone-disc-bone [BDB] segment) were modeled as a worst-case stability scenario by full removal of the posterior spinal segments. Baseline compressive properties were obtained by cyclically loading 300 to 1,200 N for 1,000 cycles, and recording compressibility and overall segment height over each cycle. The disc of each BDB segment was then thoroughly denucleated with spinal rongeurs, following an anterior, posterior of posterolateral approach, and re-evaluated under identical test conditions to assess loss of height and segmental stability. The denucleation was then repaired with BioDisc, whereupon the segment was evaluated as above. Subsequently, each BDB segment was cyclically loaded to the equivalent of 1,200 N through 10 million cycles with interval evaluations. of findings: After the removal of the disc nuclear material, BDB segments exhibited an immediate loss in disc height. Repair of the disc denucleation with BioDisc preserved the initial (predenucleation) disc height. During monotonic loading through 10 million cycles, the repaired BDB segment demonstrated a minimal reduction in overall height and retained the axial compressibility of the motion segment. Upon completion of each test, all samples were grossly inspected (by sectioning through the repaired region) and the implanted BioDisc material was observed to be intact within the nuclear space. Relationship between findings and existing knowledge: The BioDisc implant has been shown to possess suitable biomechanical properties to stabilize a denucleated intervertebral disc. Mechanical durability of the implant in a severe model construct was demonstrated through 10 million compressive loading cycles. Overall significance of findings: These data demonstrate the potential utility of BioDisc for the repair of denucleated intervertebral discs in the treatment of HNP. Disclosures: No disclosures. Conflict of interest: Umit Yuksel, and; Steven Walsh: employees of Cryolife Inc.
The impact of metformin treatment on adiponectin and resistin levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a prospective clinical study.

AbstractWomen with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are often characterized by adiposity and insulin resistance (IR). Recent studies in patients with obesity and diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMt2) indicate that adiponectin and resistin may play a role in the pathophysiology of IR. The aim of this study was to identify a possible correlation between the plasma levels of adiponectin and resistin and IR in patients with PCOS. Thirty-one women of reproductive age were enrolled in this prospective study after being diagnosed with PCOS and IR according to Rotterdam and American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria, respectively. Every patient was treated with a daily dose of 1275 mg metformin for 6 months. Adiponectin, resistin, and the primary hormonal and metabolic parameters of the syndrome were evaluated at entry and endpoint of treatment. Adiponectin plasma levels were reduced after metformin treatment, but resistin levels were not significantly affected. Our study suggests that circulating levels of adiponect...
A survey of glazing system behavior in multi‐story buildings during hurricane andrew

A focused survey of glazing system behavior in multi-story buildings in the direct aftermath of Hurricane Andrew was conducted. Seventeen buildings and four building complexes were examined between 26 August and 30 August, 1992. The buildings surveyed spanned a 32 km (19 mile) distance from Miami on the north to Cutler Ridge on the south. With few exceptions, glazing systems performed poorly and damage to building contents was extensive. The following specific observations were made: (1) impacts from windborne debris were a dominant cause of glass failure; (2) wall system anchorages sometimes failed; (3) prevention of ‘blow-through’ after internal pressurization significantly mitigated storm damage to building interiors; and (4) outer-lite-only failures occurred on some insulating glass units. Results of the survey underscore the vital importance of maintaining the integrity of a building envelope during a severe windstorm. Windborne debris must be considered in the design of architectural glazing systems, as must proper anchorages of glazing systems to building framing members.
A new approach for calculating association constants from macromolecule-ligand binding isotherms

Abstract The calculation of association constants from measurements of the average number of ligands bound to a macromolecule can be reduced to the solution of a set of linear algebraic equations. However, in practice various approximations and graphical procedures have been preferred because the equations are very ill conditioned. A method is proposed in which a formal integration transforms the equations into the Vandermonde form, for which special methods of solution are available. The required integration is carried out by spline functions in an iterative procedure. The method gave satisfactory results for synthetic data based on the association constants for the binding of copper ions to ovalbumin, provided the data were extended to very low concentrations. Also a common error in the use of the extended Scatchard method for determining association constants is analyzed.
On Computing the Cramer-Rao Bound for a Random Signal

The Cramer-Rao bound for estimating parameters of a random signal is obtained using a sampled data approach. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the result. In two limiting cases, it is shown that this bound converges to the well-known bounds for the point and Rayleigh targets.
Wireless infrared indoor communications: how to combat the multipath distortion

12 Currently, higher and higher transmission speeds are being pursuit for wireless LANs. The present investigation deals with one of the most prospective candidates for high-speed in-house wireless communications, namely, Multi-Spot Diffusing Configuration (MSDC). Since it uses optical medium for data transmission, it possesses inherent potential for achieving very high capacity level. Channel characteristics in MSDC are simulated and the causes for channel distortion are analyzed. Then, conditions for creation of a virtually ideal channel are derived. It is shown that the 3 dB-channel bandwidth can be extended up to frequencies beyond 2 GHz. The large bandwidth comes at the cost of poor power efficiency. In order to compensate for this, a novel receiver optical front-end design is proposed and its performance is analyzed. Taking advantage of unique properties of holographic optical elements, conventional optical front-end consisting of a concentrator and a filter, is replaced by a single holographic curved mirror. Utilization of such a holographic optical element improves the signal-to-shot noise ratio by up to 18.5 dB.
Psychotherapeutic approaches to chronic and episodic physical disorders

Patients experiencing chronic illnesses or psychophysiological disease in which the etiology is unclear and medical treatment less than maximally effective can be helped by therapy which takes into account relevant psychological and social factors. Social workers can, working with medical practitioners, define and develop effective psychotherapeutic approaches.
Prospective Study of the Progression of Low-Grade Dysplasia in Ulcerative Colitis Using Current Cancer Surveillance Guidelines

Background: The goal of this study was to assess the natural history of low-grade dysplasia (LGD) and its risk of progression in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients by prospective endoscopic surveillance. Methods: Forty-two UC patients with LGD were followed prospectively using a uniform approach to surveillance colonoscopy with an average of 43 biopsies per exam. The interval between colonoscopies ranged from 3–12 months. Progression was defined as development of high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or cancer at subsequent colonoscopy or at colectomy. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to identify risk factors associated with progression. Results: Patients were followed for an average of 3.9 years (range 1–13). Over that period 19% (8/42) of patients progressed to advanced neoplasia (two cancer, six HGD) while 17% (7/42) had persistent LGD and 64% (27/42) had indefinite dysplasia or no dysplasia at the end of follow-up. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the number of biopsies with LGD at baseline was associated with an increased risk of progression to advanced neoplasia (relative risk [RR] 5.8, 95% confidence interval [CI]: (1.29–26.04). Among the 15 patients who underwent colectomy, four were found to have higher-grade neoplasia on their colectomy specimen than their preoperative colonoscopy, and these patients were more likely to be nonadherent with recommendations for colectomy. Conclusions: The majority (81%) of UC patients with LGD did not progress to higher grades of dysplasia during a 4-year follow-up. Patients with three or more biopsies demonstrating LGD at a single colonoscopy were at increased risk for progression to advanced neoplasia. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2012;)
Identification of model structure for photosynthesis and respiration of algal populations

The paper introduces a methodology for model evaluation based upon (i) a controlled random search algorithm used for calibration and (ii) a recursive prediction error algorithm used as a verification tool. The method is applied to a case study in north west Georgia involving the dynamic simulation of a population of algae in a standing body of water. Efforts to identify a model structure for the dissolved oxygen dynamics associated with photosynthesis and respiration are made, with some success.
High-dose therapy/stem cell support: comparison of mice and humans.

A murine high-dose therapy/stem cell support model is described using female BALB/c mice bearing the EMT-6 mammary carcinoma. Peripheral blood cells were prepared in syngeneic donor animals mobilized by treatment with cyclophosphamide and rhG-CSF. The most effective support regimen includes administration of fluid by gavage, rhG-CSF twice per day for 12 days and peripheral blood cells administered i.v. on the day after cytotoxic therapy. Dose escalations of 2.2- to 13-fold over the usual conventional dose were possible in mice treated with single doses of cyclophosphamide, carmustine, melphalan, thiotepa, carboplatin or total body radiation, which compare favorably with dose escalations achievable in humans. Depletion and recovery rates of white blood cells and granulocytes in the mice were similar to those seen in humans. Rapid weight loss is a major factor in limiting further dose escalation. Single high-dose therapy with cyclophosphamide, melphalan, thiotepa and carboplatin, but not 5-fluorouracil, produced longer tumor growth delays than standard regimens of the same drugs. For melphalan and thiotepa, there was a direct correlation between drug dose, tumor growth delay and tumor surviving fraction. With cyclophosphamide, the tumor growth delay with high-dose therapy was greater than expected from the dose increase and the tumor surviving fraction data.
The spatial distribution of long lived gas clouds emitted by satellites in the outer solar system

Abstract Simple models are presented for the spatial distribution of gases emitted by satellites in the outer solar system with emphasis on Io and Titan. The models, valid for long lived species in regions of space outside the gravitational zone of the parent satellite are applied to observed hydrogen and sodium clouds orbiting Jupiter and to an expected hydrogen cloud around Saturn.
Electronic interactions and phase transitions at surfaces and in low dimensions

Low-dimensional and magnetic systems provide particularly clear-cut cases for the study of modified electron states that result from coupling with elementary excitations. Electronic quasiparticles of enhanced mass have been observed on the energy scale of phonons, and very recently on that of spin waves. Such mechanisms have bearing for superconducting pair formation, as spin fluctuations are being considered for high-temperature superconductivity. Phase transitions can occur if these interactions are accompanied by a nesting condition in the Fermi surface, leading to charge- or spin-density waves. The phase transition usually involves a structural distortion and is characterized by the opening of an energy gap. Special cases are the presence of multiple bands at the Fermi surface or the occurrence of thermal fluctuations. Recent progress in photoelectron spectroscopy and synchrotron-radiation instrumentation allow us to study these effects directly and resolved in k-space. Observations on surfaces, in magnetic materials, and in quasi-one-dimensional crystals are presented.
A dynamic physical model for soil temperature and water in Taylor Valley, Antarctica

We developed a simulation model for terrestrial sites including sensible heat exchange between the atmosphere and ground surface, inter- and intra-layer heat conduction by rock and soil, and shortwave and longwave radiation. Water fluxes included snowmelt, freezing/thawing of soil water, soil capillary flow, and vapour flows among atmosphere, soil, and snow. The model accounted for 96-99% of variation in soil temperature data. No long-term temporal trends in soil temperature were apparent. Soil water vapour concentration in thawed surface soil in summer often was higher than in frozen deeper soils, leading to downward vapour fluxes. Katabatic winds caused a reversal of the usual winter pattern of upward vapour fluxes. The model exhibited a steady state depth distribution of soil water due to vapour flows and in the absence of capillary flows below the top 0.5cm soil layer. Beginning with a completely saturated soil profile, soil water was lost rapidly, and within a few hundred years approached a steady state characterized by dry soil (,0.5% gravimetric) down to one metre depth and saturated soil below that. In contrast, it took 42000 years to approach steady state beginning from a completely dry initial condition.
The Law of Demand — The Roles of Gregory King and Charles Davenant

I. A sentence in King's working-journal, 483. — II. Some previous statements about King's law, 485. — III. Davenant's role, 488. — IV. Early variations of the demand schedule, 491. — V. Conclusion, 492.
On the few-group cross-section generation methodology for PBR analysis

Abstract The generation of accurate few-group nodal parameters, which strongly influences the accuracy of a reactor core criticality analysis, constitutes an important aspect of the work in developing advanced neutronics methodologies for pebble bed reactors (PBRs). As compared to other methodologies currently used for light water reactors (LWRs), the calculation at the core sub-region level for PBRs needs to account for the third spatial dimension because of the double heterogeneity of the configuration. This paper considers two modeling approaches for few-group cross-section generation: Monte Carlo (the MCNP code) and deterministic transport (the MICROX-2 code). Results from these codes are used to discuss the effect of the modeling assumptions (parameters) on the accuracy of the solution. Few-group cross-sections and spectral indices are calculated and compared for different packing fractions of the pebbles in the pebble lattice cell and different values of the moderator-to-fuel pebble ratio, temperature, and fuel burnup.
The missing fundamental in vowel height perception

Traunmuller (1981) suggested that the tonotopic distance between the first formant (FI) and the fundamental frequency (Fa) is a major determinant of perceived vowel height. In the present study, subjects identified a vowel-height continuum ranging in formant pattern from !II to lei, at five Fa val­ ues. Increasing Fa led to an increased probability of hi responses (i.e., the phoneme boundary shifted toward the lei end of the continuum). Various conditions of filtering out the lower harmonics ofthe stimuli caused only marginal shifts of the phoneme boundary. The experiments provide evidence against interpretations of Traunmuller's (1981) results that claim that vowel height is determined by the distance between F I and the lowest harmonic that is present in the basilar membrane excitation pattern. Early research on the acoustic properties ofvowels es­ tablished that the first formant frequency (F)) varies in­ versely with vowel height] (Chiba & Kajiyama, 1941/ 1958; Peterson & Barney, 1952; Potter, Kopp, & Green, 1947; Potter & Steinberg, 1950), whereas fundamental frequency (Fa) varies directly with vowel height (House & Fairbanks, 1953; Lehiste & Peterson, 1961; Peterson & Barney, 1952). Moreover, listeners are sensitive to both of these correlates: increasing F] decreases perceived height (Delattre, Liberman, Cooper, & Gerstman, 1952; Miller, 1953), whereas increasing Faincreases perceived height (Potter & Steinberg, 1950; Miller, 1953). More recently, Traunmiiller (1981) suggested that the appropriate cue for vowel height is the tonotopic distance between F) and Fa. Fant, Carlson, and Grandstrom (1974) had shown that the perceived quality of an unchanging formant pattern depended on Fa. Traunmiiller supported his hypothesis in vowel identification experiments with listeners of Bavarian German, a dialect that has five dis­ tinct height categories. Perceived vowel height was well predicted on the basis ofthe distance, in Bark, between F] and Fa. This cue is a relational one: a given Bark separa­ tion ofF, and Fais heard as the same vowel height, inde­ pendent of the absolute frequency values of F, and Fa. Traunmiiller (1981) noted that his idea was reminis­ cent ofan earlier hypothesis that vowel identity in general is specified by spatial patterns of excitation on the basi­ lar membrane (Potter & Steinberg, 1950; see also Chiba
Gender Comparisons of Unhealthy Weight-control Behaviors Among Sixth-Graders

Abstract Objective To examine gender differences in unhealthy weight-control behaviors (UWCB) and identify key psychosocial and demographic correlates of UWCB among sixth-graders. Methods A cross-sectional survey was completed by 146 boys and 153 girls at a middle school. Secondary data analyses included bivariate tests and multivariable logistic regression. Results Forty-seven percent of participants reported 1 or more UWCB, with no differences by gender ( P = .75). Factors common to boys and girls included: lower global self-esteem; lower body-esteem; and greater negative parental modeling among participants who engaged in UWCB compared to those who did not. However, multivariable models revealed gender differences. Among boys, body mass index, negative parental modeling, and global self-esteem retained statistically significant associations with UWCB after controlling for other variables in the model, whereas race and weight-related body-esteem remained significant for girls. Conclusions and Implications This research highlights the need for gender-specific UWCB prevention programs implemented in late childhood and early adolescence.
Information search process of lawyers: a call for ’just for me’ information services

The study reported in this paper is part of a programme of ongoing research based on the model of the Information Search Process (ISP) developed in a series of prior studies by Kuhlthau. This study sought to gain a better understanding of the variety of tasks that involve lawyers as a particular group of information workers, how they use information to accomplish their work, and the role mediators play in their process of information seeking and use. Findings revealed that these lawyers frequently were involved in complex tasks that required a constructive process of interpreting, learning and creating. To accomplish these complex tasks, they preferred printed texts over computer databases primarily because computer databases required well‐specified requests and did not offer an option for examining a wide range of information at one time. These lawyers called for an active potential role for mediators in ‘just for me’ services. ‘Just for me’ services would encompass designing systems to provide a wider range of access more compatible with the process of construction, applying and developing principles of classification that would offer a more uniform system for organising and accessing files, and providing direction in filtering the overwhelming amount of information available on electronic resources.
Ambiguity and precedence in syntax description

This paper describes a method of syntax description for programming languages which allows one to factor out that part of the description which deals with the relative precedences of syntactic units. This has been found to produce simpler and more flexible syntax descriptions. It is done by allowing the normal part of the description, which is done in BNF, to be ambiguous; these ambiguities are then resolved by a separate part of the description which gives precedence relations between the conflicting productions from the grammar. The method can be used with any left-to-right parser which is capable of detecting ambiguities and recognizing which productions they come from; We have studied its use with an LR(1) parser, and it requires a small and localized addition to the parser to enable it to deal with the precedence relations.