cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correspondence In Pairs Of Images Acquired By Camera Displacement In Depth

In this study, the correspondence problem is analyzed for two different camera-arrangement models based on their geometrical and topological properties. Emphasis is given to the model where the two images (image planes), acquired by moving a camera along its optical axis, are parallel to one another. The advantage of this arrangement over the one where the two images are coplanar is demonstrated, and a correspondence process regarding the motion-in-depth model is proposed.
In vitro translation of a 180,000-dalton rous sarcoma virus precursor polypeptide containing both the DNA polymerase and the group-specific antigens

Abstract Translation of 34S RNA from the Prague C strain of Rous sarcoma virus RSV (Pr-C) in a Kreb's ascites cell-free protein synthesizing system leads to synthesis of three detectable viral precursor polypeptides with electrophoretic mobilities corresponding to molecular weights of about 180,000, 70,000, and 65,000 daltons. The 180,000-dalton protein is precipitated by antiserum directed against purified 13,77 avian sarcoma virus reverse transcriptase as well as by serum against AMV group-specific (gs) antigens, but is not precipitated by serum directed against RSV (Pr-C) gp85. The 70,000- and 65,000-dalton proteins are precipitated by antiserum directed against gs antigens but not by antisera directed against polymerase, MuLV (Friend) p30, or RSV (Pr-C) gp85. Competition experiments with purified polymerase and gs antigens indicate that the 180,000-dalton protein has separate determinants for the gs antigens and polymerase.
Doppler observations of solar rotation

Daily observations of the photospheric equatorial rotation rate using the Doppler effect mode at the Sanford Solar Observatory are presented. These observations show no variations in the rotation rate that exceed the observational error of about one percent. The average rotation rate is indistinguishable from that of sunspots and large scale magnetic field structures.
Efficiency of Federal Hospitals in the United States

This study evaluates the technical efficiency of federal hospitals in the United States using a variable returns to scale, input-oriented, data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology. Hospital executives, health care policy-makers, taxpayers, and other stakeholders, benefit from studies that improve the efficiency of federal hospitals. Data for 280 federal hospitals in 1998 and 245 in 2001 were analyzed using DEA to measure hospital efficiency. Results indicate overall efficiency in federal hospitals improved from 68% in 1998 to 79% in 2001. However, based upon 2001 spending of d42.5 billion for federal hospitals potential savings of d2.0 billion annually are possible through more efficient management of resources. From a policy perspective, this study highlights the importance of establishing more specific policies to address inefficiency in the federal health care industry.
Spin-exchange optical pumping of noble-gas nuclei

Spin-exchange optical pumping of mixtures of alkali-metal vapors and noble gases can be used to efficiently polarize the nuclei of the noble-gas atoms. Liters of noble gases at standard temperature and pressure and with nuclear spin polarizations of several tens of percent are now used in many applications. The authors describe the basic phenomena that govern the spin-exchange process and review the physics of angular momentum transfer and loss in optical pumping and spin-exchange collisions.
Determination of DNA cross-linking sequence specificity of FR66979: Observations on the mode of action of the FR900482 class of anti-tumor compounds

Abstract Fe(II)-EDTA footprinting of duplex DNA cross-linked by FR-66979, the natural reduction product of FR-900482, reveals that cross-linking proceeds with 5′ dCG selectivity . This lends further support to mechanistic proposals which invoke a mitosene intermediate enroute to DNA bis-alkylation.
Introduction to the Symposium on Tournaments, Contests, and Relative Performance Evaluation

The papers in this symposium reflect several of the directions taken by current research on tournaments, contests and relative performance evaluation. The papers help us understand the implications of agent heterogeneity on the incentives of agents to perform or self-select the offers designed for them. They encompass various issues such as career concerns and promotion incentives, interim disclosure of information obtained by the principal about agent performance, exposure to risk choices, and competing for talent.
A critical review of amputation in vascular patients

Abstract A study was made of 53 patients who underwent amputation for peripheral vascular disease over a 5-year period at West Virginia University Medical Center. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 6 years. Data concerning operative deaths, risk factors, use of prosthetic devices, and ultimate self-sufficient living were obtained. The functional outcome for this group of patients was encouraging with modern prosthetic fitting and social rehabilitation. Approximately 75% of the patients were returned to a useful life with a prosthetic limb or in a wheelchair. Amputation is a less desirable alternative than successful revascularization, but with the prostheses available today, amputation does not foreshadow a dismal existence. (J VASC SURG 1984;1:653-5.)
Potential therapeutic strategy to treat substance abuse related disorders

The "Potential Therapeutic Strategy to Treat Substance Abuse Related Disorders" session was chaired by Dr. Sulie Chang, director of NeuroImmune Phamacology at Seton University. The four presenters (and their topics) were: Dr. Wen-zhe Ho (Miniway to stop HIV/HCV), Dr. Ru-Band Lu (Low dose of memantine in the treatment of opioid dependence in human), Dr. Ping Zhang (Treatment of alcohol-related disorders-Learning from stem/progenitor cell), and Chia-Hsiang Chen (Treatment of methamphetamine abuse: an antibody-based immunotherapy approach).
Surgery of paranasal sinus mucoceles

Over the years, various radical and conservative ap­ proaches have been recommended for the treatment of mucoceles.U'' Many still have a role in treatment; how­ ever, each are associated with drawbacks. Difficulties as­ sociated with current techniques include problems with postoperative radiologic imaging, the risks of general an­ esthesia, significant blood loss, external scars, and cos­ metic deformity. The objective of the more radical procedures is com­ plete removal of the mucosa within the sinus and subse­ quent obliteration or collapse. The classic Riedel proce­ dure collapses the soft tissue of the forehead, thereby ablating the frontal sinus? This operation, although as­ sociated with excellent success, results in substantial cos­ metic deformity that requires secondary surgery to cor­ rect. The osteoplastic sinusotomy approach popularized by Macbeth" and osteoplasty with fat obliteration de­ scribed by Bergara and Itoiz 5 avoid the problem of frontal sinus deformity. Additionally, these procedures still pro­ vide excellent frontal sinus exposure and access to the ethmoid sinuses. However, both operations may com­ plicate postoperative radiographic imaging and, particu­ larly following fat obliteration, the significance of persis­ tent complaints may be difficult to evaluate. Frontal si­ nus osteoplastic obliteration may also be associated with significant intraoperative blood loss." Treating mucoceles with a more conservative external approach has also been well-accepted. For instance, the Lynch 7 procedure combines an external ethmoidectomy and removal of the floor of the frontal sinus, with place­ ment of a silastic tube stent to form a wide drainage route from the frontal sinus into the nose. Modification of this procedure to provide reconstruction of the nasofrontal duct was recommended by both Sewall" and Boyden." Both surgeons recognized that the greatest obstacles to success were stenosis and lack of remucosalization of the
Growth Hormone and Sex Corticosteroid Administration in Healthy Aged Women and Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Hormone administration to elderly individuals can increase lean body mass (LBM) and decrease fat, but interactive effects of growth hormone (GH) and sex corticosteroids and their influence on strength and endurance are unknown. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of recombinant human GH or sex corticosteroids on body composition, strength, endurance, and adverse outcomes in aged persons. Design, setting, and participants: This was a 26-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallelgroup trial in healthy, ambulatory, community-dwelling US women (n = 57) and men (n = 74) aged 65 to 88 years recruited between June 1992 and July 1998. Interventions: Participants were randomized to receive GH (starting dose, 30 μg/kg, reduced to 20 μg/kg, subcutaneously 3 times/wk) + sex corticosteroids (women: transdermal estradiol, 100 μg/day, plus oral medroxyprogesterone acetate, 10 mg/day, during the last 10 days of each 28-day cycle [HRT]; men: testosterone enanthate, ...
Measurement of chromatic dispersion in installed single-mode fibre

The measurement of chromatic dispersion in single-mode fibres using a 1300 nm edge-emitting LED, a 1550 nm laser diode, and the phase shift method are described. The approach is insensitive to fibre temperature change throughout the measurement, and may enable dispersion in single-mode fibre optimised for 1300 nm operation to be characterised in the 1550 nm region, as well as in the 1300 nm region. The influence of the edge-emitting LED on the measurement is also considered, in that error can arise through selecting narrow wavelength regions of its output, and matching its wavelength coverage to the fibre zero dispersion region is important for long length characterisation. Measurements on installed SM fibres are discussed.
Effective charges and piezoelectricity

The effective charge for piezoelectricity is calculated using the bond-orbital model and Martin's internal-displacement parameters. Direct and simple calculations made with no additional parameters lead to a semiquantitative description of this effect. The qualitatively different trend with polarity shown by this charge and by the macroscopic transverse effective charge is elucidated. It is noted that this approach is essentially equivalent to the approach used by Lannoo and Decarpigny in studying the transverse effective charge, but is very different from the approaches used in other current studies of effective charges.
Two arguments against disquotationalism

Attempts to argue that the disquotational theory of truth is somehow self-refuting have appeared largely unchallenged in the literature for some time now. Focusing on presentations by Anil Gupta and Crispin Wright, I contend that such arguments only undermine a view that nobody endorses. This done, I explain why it is fruitless to focus, as these arguments do, on deflationary accounts of the expressive function of the truth-predicate. I then suggest a strategy for arguing against disquotationalism and other forms of deflationism that focuses rather on the explanatory role of truth in accounts of meaning, in particular on the way that the theories of meaning compatible with deflationism handle embedded uses of sentences.
Winter snow cover on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean at the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA): Temporal evolution and spatial variability

[1] The evolution and spatial distribution of the snow cover on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean was observed during the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) project. The snow cover built up in October and November, reached near maximum depth by mid-December, then remained relatively unchanged until snowmelt. Ten layers were deposited, the result of a similar number of weather events. Two basic types of snow were present: depth hoar and wind slab. The depth hoar, 37% of the pack, was produced by the extreme temperature gradients imposed on the snow. The wind slabs, 42% of the snowpack, were the result of two storms in which there was simultaneous snow and high winds (>10 m s−1). The slabs impacted virtually all bulk snow properties emphasizing the importance of episodic events in snowpack development. The mean snow depth (n = 21,169) was 33.7 cm with a bulk density of 0.34 g cm−3 (n = 357, r2 of 0.987), giving an average snow water equivalent of 11.6 cm, 25% higher than the amount record by precipitation gauge. Both depth and stratigraphy varied significantly with ice type, the greatest depth, and the greatest variability in depth occurring on deformed ice (ridges and rubble fields). Across all ice types a persistent structural length in depth variations of ∼20 m was found. This appears to be the result of drift features at the snow surface interacting with small-scale ice surface structures. A number of simple ways of representing the complex temporal and spatial variations of the snow cover in ice-ocean-atmosphere models are suggested.
GCMB gene, a master regulator of parathyroid gland development, expression, and regulation in hyperparathyroidism

Background The glial cell missing gene, GCMB, encodes a transcription factor, which is a master regulator of parathyroid development. We postulated that the GCMB gene might play a role in parathyroid tumorigenesis in hyperparathyroidism. Methods We used real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to study GCMB mRNA expression in parathyroid tissue: normal (n = 3), hyperplastic (n = 16), adenomas (n = 19), and cancers (n = 8). In primary parathyroid culture, the effect of CaCl2 on parathyroid hormone secretion and GCMB mRNA expression was studied by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Results GCMB mRNA expression was lower in normal (0.4 ± 0.1, mean ± standard error of mean) parathyroid glands as compared to adenoma (3.5 ± 1.7), hyperplasia (3.2 ± 1.3 primary hyperparathyroidism [n = 11] and 7.6 ± 4.8 secondary hyperparathyroidism [n = 5]), and cancer (3.6 ± 1.3) (P = .001). There was no difference in the level of GCMB mRNA expression between parathyroid adenoma, hyperplasia, and cancer. In primary culture of parathyroid adenoma (n = 9) and hyperplasia (n = 2), parathyroid hormone secretion was increased 2- to 15-fold with low calcium concentration (0.5 to 4.0 mmol/L CaCl2 from 2 to 6 hours, P Conclusions GCMB expression is upregulated in abnormal parathyroid glands of hyperparathyroidism and decreases in response to hypocalcemia. The GCMB transcription factor might mediate the effect of calcium on parathyroid cell parathyroid hormone expression/secretion.
Nature and transformation of dissolved organic matter in treatment wetlands.

This investigation into the occurrence, character, and transformation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in treatment wetlands in the western United States shows that (i) the nature of DOM in the source water has a major influence on transformations that occur during treatment, (ii) the climate factors have a secondary effect on transformations, (iii) the wetlands receiving treated wastewater can produce a net increase in DOM, and (iv) the hierarchical analytical approach used in this study can measure the subtle DOM transformations that occur. As wastewater treatment plant effluent passes through treatment wetlands, the DOM undergoes transformation to become more aromatic and oxygenated. Autochthonous sources are contributed to the DOM, the nature of which is governed by the developmental stage of the wetland system as well as vegetation patterns. Concentrations of specific wastewater-derived organic contaminants such as linear alkylbenzene sulfonate, caffeine, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid were sig...
Effect of hypothyroidism on ionic metabolism and Na-K activated ATP phosphohydrolase activity in the developing rat brain.

— The effects of neonatal hypothyroidism on electrolyte contents and the Na+ and K+ activated ATPase system was studied in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum of the developing rat. Neonatal hypothyroidism increased Na+ and CI− contents and decreased K+ and Mg2+ contents in both brain areas. Hypothyroidism also resulted in a decrease in the specific activity of the Na-K ATPase extracted by deoxycholate treatment from brain homogenate as well as in the specific activity of this enzyme in the heavy microsomal fraction. The decrease in Mg2+ content and ATPase activity is discussed in relation to the changes occurring in Na+ and K+. Both enzymic and ionic changes may underlie the biochemical and physiological abnormalities observed when the brain is deprived of thyroxine at critical stages of its development.
Peripheral Nerve Injury Induces Immediate Increases in Layer V Neuronal Activity

Background. Peripheral nerve injury leads to changes in neuronal activity in the contralateral and ipsilateral primary somatosensory cortices (S1), which may lead to enduring sensory dysfunction and pain. Plasticity in the barrel and visual cortices has been shown to occur in a layer-specific manner. However, little is known about the layer specific changes associated with limb injury. Objective. To determine the layer-specific changes in neuronal activity associated with short- term plasticity induced by peripheral nerve injury in the rat. Methods. In vivo electrophysiology recordings (multiunit activity and local field potential) and high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques were applied to characterize neuronal and hemodynamic responses across the depth of S1 contralateral and ipsilateral to the injury. Results. Within 60 minutes following injury, atypical increases in neuronal and hemodynamic responses in the deprived S1, ipsilateral to the noninjured limb, were observed in response to stimulation of the noninjured limb. The most prominent increases in neuronal activity in the deprived S1 occurred in layer V. Conclusion. Layer V neurons provide the major output of S1 and they send and receive transcallosal input. Thus, the immediate changes in neuronal firing patterns in layer V induced by the injury, can adversely affect the activity of subcortical regions and also interfere with normal cortical processing and interhemispheric communication. Therefore, a rehabilitation strategy that targets layer V neurons activity and starts immediately after the injury may benefit the functional outcome.
Influence of shape and skin of matrix-rock blocks on pressure transients in fractured reservoirs

A formulation of pressure transients in terms of the intrinsic, or core, properties of the two media that compose the fractured reservoir, establishes the influence of these properties, and reciprocally, their corroboration from - the pressure-time relationship observed in well tests and interference tests. The following reservoir characteristics are analyzed: the area of fractures transverse to flow; the dimensions, shape and properties of rectangular parallelepiped matrix-rock blocks; and a permeability reduction in the blocks surface. A restatement of the so-called pseudo-steady state inter-media flow gives to parameters alfa and lambda in the theory of a previous study the physical meaning they lacked, and allows a direct determination of the blocks minimum dimension.
Unusual presentation of a pancreatic mass in an infant: pancreatic haemangioendotheliomatosis

Primary pancreatic tumours are extremely rare in children. We report a case of a 5-month-old male with a diffuse invasive tumour of the head of the pancreas. The tumour demonstrated peripancreatic extension into the porta hepatis, which occluded the portal vein and invaded the superior mesenteric artery. It was found to be haemangioendotheliomatosis of the pancreas. Imaging, pathological findings and a brief relevant classification of haemangioma are discussed.
Computer-composite mapping for geologists

A computer program for overlaying maps has been tested and evaluated as a means for producing geologic derivative maps. Four maps of the Sugar House Quadrangle, Utah, were combined, using the Multi-Scale Data Analysis and Mapping Program, in a single composite map that shows the relative stability of the land surface during earthquakes. Computer-composite mapping can provide geologists with a powerful analytical tool and a flexible graphic display technique. Digitized map units can be shown singly, grouped with different units from the same map, or combined with units from other source maps to produce composite maps. The mapping program permits the user to assign various values to the map units and to specify symbology for the final map. Because of its flexible storage, easy manipulation, and capabilities of graphic output, the composite-mapping technique can readily be applied to mapping projects in sedimentary and crystalline terranes, as well as to maps showing mineral resource potential.
Effects of transient treatment with 6-N-propyl-2-thiouracil on testis development and function in breeder turkeys

Experiments were conducted to address recent reports of precocial testis development or testicular hypertrophy induced by the anti-thyroid agent 6-N-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) in domestic fowl and rodents. In three experiments, PTU was administered to male turkeys during different stages of development. The PTU was given in the feed at a concentration of either 0.1 or 0.5% and effects on thyroid hormones were measured. Periods of PTU treatment were 8 to 16 or 10 to 18 wk of age (Experiment 1); 0 to 8, 0 to 16, and 8 to 16 wk of age (Experiment 2); and 8 to 16 and 20 to 35 wk of age (Experiment 3). Data were collected to determine the effect of PTU treatment on testicular growth (weight), sexual maturation (semen onset and plasma testosterone concentrations), and early adult testicular function in terms of semen quantity (semen volume and sperm concentration) and quality (sperm viability and fertilizing ability). The 0.1% PTU treatment at 8 to 16 wk of age in Experiment 1 resulted in greater testis weights and sperm production than those of untreated controls at 24 wk of age. The difference was absent by 36 wk of age. Likewise, in Experiment 2, onset of semen production was advanced by about 2 wk by the 8 to 16 wk treatment as compared to untreated controls (23.3 vs 25.9 wk), although, at 32 and 36 wk of age neither the quantity nor quality of semen were significantly affected. Also in Experiment 2, 0.1% PTU treatment from 0 to 8 or 0 to 16 wk of age delayed the onset of semen production and depressed semen volumes at 32 and 36 wk of age without affecting semen quality. In Experiment 3, the mean age at the onset of semen was not significantly affected by 0.5% PTU treatment from 8 to 16 or 20 to 35 wk of age. In addition, semen volume and quality at 32 and 36 wk of age was similar to controls. It was concluded that antithyroid treatment with PTU was dependent on dose and time of treatment for effects on both sexual development and early reproductive performance. Precocial development and associated hypertrophy of the testes occurred but was transient. Thereafter, during initial reproductive function, semen quantity and quality were normal.
Performance analysis of GSM/GPRS system with channel impairment

In a wireless environment, the impairment of communication channels can affect significantly the performance of broadband wireless system. This paper presents an analytical model on the performance of a GSM/GPRS system with channel impairment. The model incorporates the interfering effects causing by the bit error rate of affected channels and the possibility of corrupted channels. Our model is based on a Markov-modulated Poisson process (MMPP) used for traffic integration of voice and data in a GPRS system. With the effect of interference embedded in the model, the result would provide valuable realistic information for the design and implementation of such systems.
Non-linear, adaptive array processing for underwater source localization and sonar interference suppression

A method is introduced where blind source separation (BSS) of acoustical sources is combined with spatial processing to remove non-Gaussian, broadband interferers from space-time displays such as bearing track recorder (BTR) displays. This differs from standard techniques such as placing nulls in the direction of interferers. The algorithm performance is compared to adaptive beamforming techniques, such as minimum variance distortionless response beamforming (MVDR). Simulations and experiments using two acoustic sources were run to verify algorithm performance.
An architecture for software-based iSCSI on multiprocessor servers

To achieve IP-converged cluster deployments, the performance and scalability of iSCSI must approach that of FC SANs. We recognize and quantify that the major overhead of iSCSI comes from TCP/IP processing. Industry has largely responded with TCP offload engines (TOEs) and iSCSI storage adapters. As an alternative, this paper shows a software implementation of iSCSI on generic OSes and processors. The trend towards chip multiprocessing (CMP) and integrated memory controllers (MCH) largely motivated our direction. With CMP, increased processing power is delivered through multiple cores per processor; on-die MCH allows memory bandwidth to scale better with processor speeds. Our approach and analysis shows the effectiveness of partitioning the workload suitable for a CMP system, allowing iSCSI to scale with the increasing processing power and memory bandwidth of servers over time.
Effective Evaluation of Multi-core Based Systems

This work proposes a practical technique to reduce the evaluation cost of multi-core based systems, when these systems are evaluated with parallel benchmarks. The proposed technique highlights the amount of redundancy in a set of parallel benchmarks and reduces this set to a subset of benchmarks such that: (i) the selected benchmarks are representative or non-redundant - i.e., the series of performance attained by any couple of representative benchmarks on different systems significantly differ, (ii) system evaluation is executed efficiently - i.e., on the system under evaluation, the average performance of representative benchmarks closely approaches the average performance of the whole suite. The proposed technique is validated with the industry-standard benchmark suites SPEC OMP2001 and SPEC OMP2012 on the largest data set of systems publicly available on the SPEC website - until the last quarter of the year 2012. For each suite, the proposed technique (i) identifies a subset of representative- benchmarks and (ii) shows how this subset of representative benchmarks - ≈ 50% of the total number of benchmarks - can be deployed to evaluate multi-core based systems with a prediction errors <; 5% at 99% confidence level.
Teaching consistent hand hygiene: How can we improve?

Background: Hand hygiene is the simplest, most effective measure for preventing nosocomial infections. However, this technique is not consistently translated into clinical practice. Educators must first evaluate current practices to determine what has been effective, what changes need to occur, how to evaluate, and what evidence provides guidelines for best practices. Methods: This article examines current practices of instructing hand hygiene and describes teaching and evaluation strategies used in a nursing fundamental didactic and laboratory course. Instructors used educational strategies, lab practice, and mock hospital simulations to teach and evaluate hand hygiene compliance in the clinical setting. The authors used Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory during both lecture and lab to analyze the effectiveness of hand hygiene education and compliance during evaluations of undergraduate nursing students. Different simulation techniques were evaluated to determine implementations for future improvement. Conclusion : Educators must continue to combine didactic courses and simulations labs to enhance the knowledge and improve skills of undergraduate nursing students. Educators must mentor each other and define clear objectives before teaching a lab simulation or lecture. More research is needed as to what specific concepts should be taught using learning and theoretical models that will ultimately improve patient safety through hand hygiene compliance when nurses go out into their practice settings.
Intrathecal analgesia in cancer pain

The incidence of cancer continues to increase worldwide. This leads to an increase in the number of patients, with pain associated to their disease or treatment. When oral pain medications fail to provide relief or result in significant toxicities, intrathecal analgesia may be a treatment option. We reviewed available preclinical and clinical studies as well as previously published review articles on the use of intrathecal analgesia and implanted drug delivery systems for cancer pain. There is good evidence for the use of intrathecal analgesia in cancer pain management. We outline recent findings in intrathecal analgesics and implantable devices. Physicians now have the ability to make better-informed decisions regarding drug selection and method of neuroaxial analgesia than in the past. There is still much that is unknown, and further research for the use of intrathecal analgesics in cancer pain is warranted.
Simulation with controlled Fourier spectrum shifting for efficient computation of power system transients

Simulators of the electromagnetic transients program (EMTP) are widely used for the accurate simulation of transients in electric power networks. EMTP simulations are inefficient in representing low-frequency transients whose Fourier spectrum is concentrated on a narrow bandwidth around the carrier frequency of either 50 Hz or 60 Hz as typically found in AC electric power networks. This is because the carrier frequency component is always tracked even if the main interest is concerned with envelope information. Recently it was proposed to modify the EMTP formulation through the introduction of analytic signals and the shift frequency as a novel simulation parameter such that efficient simulation of both high-frequency and low-frequency transients is made possible. The shift frequency allows one to specify by how much the Fourier spectrum associated with the analytic signal is shifted. In the case study presented in this paper, the added value of this technique is illustrated through the simulation of network energization, transitional steady state, and deenergization.
Strategies for improving neural signal detection using a neural-electronic interface

There have been various theoretical and experimental studies presented in the literature that focus on interfacing neurons with discrete electronic devices, such as transistors. From both a theoretical and experimental perspective, these studies have emphasized the variability in the characteristics of the detected action potential from the nerve cell. The demonstrated lack of reproducible fidelity of the nerve cell action potential at the device junction would make it impractical to implement these devices in any neural prosthetic application where reliable detection of the action potential was a prerequisite. In this study, the effects of several different physical parameters on the fidelity of the detected action potential at the device junction are investigated and discussed. The impact of variations in the extracellular resistivity, which directly affects the junction seal resistance, is studied along with the impact of variable nerve cell membrane capacitance and variations in the injected charge. These parameters are discussed in the context of their suitability to design manipulation for the purpose of improving the fidelity of the detected neural action potential. In addition to investigating the effects of variations in these parameters, the applicability of the linear equivalent circuit approach to calculating the junction potential is investigated.
Child Abuse Training and Knowledge: A National Survey of Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, and Pediatric Residents and Program Directors

OBJECTIVE. The objective of this study was to determine the level of knowledge, comfort, and training related to the medical management of child abuse among pediatrics, emergency medicine, and family medicine residents. METHODS. Surveys were administered to program directors and third-year residents at 67 residency programs. The resident survey included a 24-item quiz to assess knowledge regarding the medical management of physical and sexual child abuse. Sites were solicited from members of a network of child abuse physicians practicing at institutions with residency programs. RESULTS. Analyzable surveys were received from 53 program directors and 462 residents. Compared with emergency medicine and family medicine programs, pediatric programs were significantly larger and more likely to have a medical provider specializing in child abuse pediatrics, have faculty primarily responsible for child abuse training, use a written curriculum for child abuse training, and offer an elective rotation in child abuse. Exposure to child abuse training and abused patients was highest for pediatric residents and lowest for family medicine residents. Comfort with managing child abuse cases was lowest among family medicine residents. On the knowledge quiz, pediatric residents significantly outperformed emergency medicine and family medicine residents. Residents with high knowledge scores were significantly more likely to come from larger programs and programs that had a center, provider, or interdisciplinary team that specialized in child abuse pediatrics; had a physician on faculty responsible for child abuse training; used a written curriculum for child abuse training; and had a required rotation in child abuse pediatrics. CONCLUSIONS. By analyzing the relationship between program characteristics and residents9 child abuse knowledge, we found that pediatric programs provide far more training and resources for child abuse education than emergency medicine and family medicine programs. As leaders, pediatricians must establish the importance of this topic in the pediatric education of residents of all specialties.
Global view of inner magnetosphere composition during storm time

[1] Plasma dynamics in the inner magnetosphere are greatly affected by variations in the ion composition. The ratio of hydrogen to oxygen has been shown to be highly dependent on geomagnetic activity. To investigate this dependence, we examine the timing of the injection and subsequent evolution of O+ in the ring current during the storm of 6 August 2011 as observed by Two Wide-angle Imaging Neutral-atom Spectrometers (TWINS) instruments. To help interpret magnetospheric evolution using the global O Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) emission measured by TWINS, we have employed a multidomain modeling of the global magnetosphere using the Space Weather Modeling Framework. TWINS Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) imagers have the capability to distinguish between H and O emission and thus the major ion constituents of the ring current. Global composition measurements from TWINS spacecraft show intensifications of the oxygen ENA emission and thus an increase in the transport of ionospheric oxygen into the ring current that occur during the main phase of the storm. Both the observations and the simulation suggests that the peak in O ENA emission is correlated with the substorm injections that occurred during this time. The model also shows a very dynamic magnetosphere that allows for loss of oxygen from the Earth-magnetosphere system through plasmoids capable of transporting oxygen down the tail throughout the magnetic storm. This can possibly be a predominant pathway for loss of oxygen from the magnetosphere.
Involvement of insulin-degrading enzyme in the clearance of beta-amyloid at the blood-CSF barrier: Consequences of lead exposure

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the deposition of beta-amyloid (Aβ) peptides in the brain extracellular matrix, resulting in pathological changes and neurobehavioral deficits. Previous work from this laboratory demonstrated that the choroid plexus (CP) possesses the capacity to remove Aβ from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and exposure to lead (Pb) compromises this function. Since metalloendopeptidase insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), has been implicated in the metabolism of Aβ, we sought to investigate whether accumulation of Aβ following Pb exposure was due to the effect of Pb on IDE. Rats were injected with a single dose of Pb acetate or an equivalent concentration of Na-acetate; CP tissues were processed to detect the location of IDE by immunohistochemistry. For in vitro studies, choroidal epithelial Z310 cells were treated with Pb for 24 h in the presence or absence of a known IDE inhibitor, N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) to assess IDE enzymatic activity and subsequent metabolic clearance of Aβ. Additionally, the expression of IDE mRNA and protein were determined using real time PCR and western blots respectively. Immunohistochemistry and confocal imaging revealed the presence of IDE towards the apical surface of the CP tissue with no visible alteration in either its intensity or location following Pb exposure. There was no significant difference in the expressions of either IDE mRNA or protein following Pb exposure compared to controls either in CP tissues or in Z310 cells. However, our findings revealed a significant decrease in the IDE activity following Pb exposure; this inhibition was similar to that seen in the cells treated with NEM alone. Interestingly, treatment with Pb or NEM alone significantly increased the levels of intracellular Aβ, and a greater accumulation of Aβ was seen when the cells were exposed to a combination of both. These data suggest that Pb exposure inhibits IDE activity but does not affect its expression in the CP. This, in turn, leads to a disrupted metabolism of Aβ resulting in its accumulation at the blood-CSF barrier.
Design and implementation of a personal medication record-MyMedicationList.

A record of current medications as well as prior medication history is useful if not vital information to an individual. Such information needs to be easily accessible, yet adequately protected. MyMedicationList is a prototype application developed at the National Library of Medicine that helps users manage their medication lists and make the records readily available when needed. This personal medication list can be printed out and serve as a reminder to the individual for taking medications, or as reference information to support continuity of care at doctor’s offices or hospitals. This paper presents the design and implementation of MyMedicationList. As the personal medication record is considered a specialized Personal Health Record (PHR), the experience may be applied to general PHR design and implementation. An early version of MyMedicationList is available at http://mml.nlm.nih.gov/.
Detecting plumes in LWIR using robust nonnegative matrix factorization with graph-based initialization

We consider the problem of identifying chemical plumes in hyperspectral imaging data, which is challenging due to the diffusivity of plumes and the presence of excessive noise. We propose a robust nonnegative matrix factorization (RNMF) method to segment hyperspectral images considering the low-rank structure of the noisefree data and sparsity of the noise. Because the optimization objective is highly non-convex, nonnegative matrix factorization is very sensitive to initialization. We address the issue by using the fast Nystrom method and label propagation algorithm (LPA). Using the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), RNMF provides high quality clustering results effectively. Experimental results on real single frame and multiframe hyperspectral data with chemical plumes show that the proposed approach is promising in terms of clustering quality and detection accuracy.
Detection and phenotyping of retinal disease using AM-FM processing for feature extraction

We present the application of an Amplitude-Modulation Frequency-Modulation (AM-FM) method for extracting potentially relevant features towards the classification of diseased retinas from healthy retinas. In terms of AM-FM features, we use histograms of the instantaneous amplitude, the angle of the instantaneous frequency and the magnitude of the instantaneous frequency extracted over different frequency scales. To classify the AM-FM features, we use a combination of a clustering method and Partial Least Squares (PLS). Using 18 images from each of the four risk levels, three experiments were performed to test the algorithm's ability to differentiate the controls (Risk 0) from each of the three levels of pathology, i.e. Risk 1, Risk 2, and Risk 3. For Risk 0 versus Risk 3 an area under the receiver operating system (AROC) of 0.99 was achieved with a best sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 95%. For Risk 0 versus Risk 2, the AROC was 0.96 with 94% sensitivity and 85% specificity. For Risk 0 versus Risk 1, the AROC was 0.93 and a sensitivity/specificity of 94%/67%.
The overlap between IBS and IBD-what is it and what does it mean?

The nature and clinical implications of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-type symptoms in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who are in apparent remission have generated considerable debate. While, on the one hand, these symptoms satisfy Rome III criteria for IBS and their occurrence correlates highly with anxiety, a known trigger for IBS, on the other hand, recent studies have shown that many of these patients exhibit subtle inflammatory changes. Are these symptoms ‘true’ IBS superimposed on IBD, or an active but sub-clinical form of IBD? We propose a unifying model to explain and reconcile current knowledge on this topic, a model that could provide a conceptual framework for understanding the nature of these symptoms and point towards effective management strategies. We propose that IBS symptoms in IBD patients who are in remission be termed irritable inflammatory bowel syndrome in order to emphasize their unique presentation and etiology and to distinguish them from both IBS and IBD.
TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE BEULAH ON SEPTEMBER 19–23, 1967

Abstract One hundred fifteen tornadoes are known to have occurred in association with hurricane Beulah. The total was far greater than the number reported with any previous North Atlantic tropical cyclone in history. The spatial distribution of the tornadoes with reference to the hurricane center was examined, and it is shown that the best relationships on location of the hurricane-tornado within the parent cyclone are obtained with respect to true azimuth and are superior to those obtained using an orientation from a heading along the tropical cyclone track. With few exceptions, the tornadoes associated with hurricane Beulah occurred outside the area of known hurricane-force winds. The period of the day, the orientation of the Texas coastline in relation to the hurricane's path, and the length of time Beulah lingered near the coast may have contributed to the record number of occurrences of hurricane-tornadoes.
The Citadel Survives a Naval Bombardment: A Policy Analysis of the Economic Loss Doctrine

The citadel remains a barrier against recovery for losses that can be labeled purely “economic.” Economic losses are damages to the product itself or consequential damages to the economic interests of the injured party. This analysis begins with an examination of the products liability decisions of common law courts relating to the economic loss doctrine. The same questions are then reviewed in the admiralty context. After an examination of the important policy considerations implicated in the dispute, the article will suggest a preferred approach for courts faced with the economic loss issue. Finally, the probable impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in East River will be examined in light of the preferred approach.
Documenting pharmacist interventions on an intranet.

The process of developing and implementing an intranet Web site for clinical intervention documentation is described. An inpatient pharmacy department initiated an organizationwide effort to improve documentation of interventions by pharmacists at its seven hospitals to achieve real-time capture of meaningful benchmarking data. Standardization of intervention types would allow the health system to contrast and compare medication use, process improvement, and patient care initiatives among its hospitals. After completing a needs assessment and reviewing current methodologies, a computerized tracking tool was developed in-house and integrated with the organization's intranet. Representatives from all hospitals agreed on content and functionality requirements for the Web site. The site was completed and activated in February 2002. Before this Web site was established, the most documented intervention types were Renal Adjustment and Clarify Dose, with a daily average of four and three, respectively. After site activation, daily averages for Renal Adjustment remained unchanged, but Clarify Dose is now documented nine times per day. Drug Information and i.v.-to-p.o. intervention types, which previously averaged less than one intervention per day, are now documented an average of four times daily. Approximately 91% of staff pharmacists are using this site. Future plans for this site include enhanced accessibility to the site with wireless personal digital assistants. The design and implementation of an intranet Web site to document pharmacists' interventions doubled the rate of intervention documentation and standardized the intervention types among hospitals in the health system.
Elastic surfaces and theories of shells

Some aspects of the theories of shells byLove [3],Sanders [31],Koiter [26, 32],Budiansky [35],Naghdi [16], and others are incorporated in a theory of elastic surfaces [39, 40]. Common features of these theories reflect necessary characteristics of any theory of shells that involves a surface density of strain energy which is determined by the local deformation of the reference surface. Approximations and supplementary hypotheses may be relegated to calculations of the gross elastic coefficients of a shell.
Progress in the development of in vivo gene mutation assays

Genotoxicity research is an important part of new drug safety evaluation.In vitro cell assays applied to evaluate drug genotoxicity do not completely replicate the ADME of the drug that occur in vivo,and false positive rates are high in these assays,therefore they are not sufficient for the drug safety evaluation.It is important for the risk identification and assessment to develop some sensitive in vivo gene mutation assays.The fundamental principles,advantages,disadvantages and applications of in vivo gene mutation assays were reviewed in this article.Finally,the prospect of these in vivo assays was put forward.
Social Judgment Theory

(1982). Social Judgment Theory. Annals of the International Communication Association: Vol. 6, Communication Yearbook 6, pp. 304-329.
Social Exclusion and the Welfare State

In October 2010 German chancellor Angela Merkel declared multiculturalism a failure. Merkel’s comments came on the heels of the controversy over Thilo Sarrazin’s comments regarding the negative impact Muslims have on the German welfare state. A study done by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung 1 found that 30 percent of Germans agree that foreigners come to Germany to exploit the welfare state, that there are too many foreigners in Germany, and that the number of foreigners in Germany is dangerous. These attitudes persist in spite of countervailing evidence showing that the number of foreign born (individuals not holding German citizenship) in Germany has remained stable, even falling almost imperceptibly, from 8.8 percent of the total population in 1995 to 8.2 percent in 2007. 2 Most often discussions about immigration and anti-immigrant sentiment are framed in terms of ethnicity and race. Framing the debate in this way is important and appropriate; I suggest another rationalization for anti-immigrant attitudes. I argue that there is an economic basis for anti-immigrant attitudes that manifests as welfare chauvinism and is expressed through conflicts over the distribution and redistribution of resources in society.