cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is the Calorie–Income Elasticity Sensitive to Price Changes? Evidence from Indonesia

Abstract The calorie–income demand elasticity is an important parameter in the development literature and in the policy arena. Yet, there is very little evidence on the extent to which it can be considered as an unchanging parameter or a time-shifting parameter that, for example, changes with the economic conditions faced by households. In this paper I use data from the 1996 and 1999 SUSENAS surveys in Indonesia to examine whether the relationship between income changes and caloric availability has changed and if so, how. Using the same questionnaire, the SUSENAS surveys collect detailed information on more than 200 different food items consumed over the last seven days by 60,000 households at the same point in time in each survey year. I use nonparametric as well as regression methods to examine two important relationships: (a) the relationship between income and total calories; and (2) the relationship between income and calories from cereals and other foods (excluding cereals and root crops). The empirical analysis finds that the income elasticity of the demand for total calories is slightly higher in February 1999 (the crisis year with dramatically different relative prices) compared to its level in February 1996. In addition, the calorie–income elasticity for cereals as a group increases while the calorie–income elasticity for other food items decreases. The latter finding is interpreted as behavior that is consistent with the presence of a binding subsistence constraint.
Ferroelectric crystals for the low-voltage operation of surface dielectric barrier discharges

Dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) are commonly used to generate surface plasmas in atmospheric conditions due to their broad operational scope. Yet, high input voltages are typically required to breakdown atmospheric air. Ferroelectric crystals, however, can be used in place of dielectrics in order to reduce the driving voltage required to generate a DBD. Ferroelectrics are unique in that they have spontaneous polarizations that can be reversed by an applied electric field and also typically have very large relative permittivities. By using a ferroelectric with a large permittivity and small coercive fields, the applied voltage required to generate a discharge was reduced to <600 V in atmospheric air, and a visible glow and current filaments consistent with polarization switching were observed. Analysis of the discharge showed that the onset voltage follows a power law relation with its capacitance. Furthermore, poling the ferroelectric with a large DC voltage before use also reduced the onset voltage of the discharge.
Ciudad Juárez: A Perfect Storm on the US–Mexico Border

AbstractCiudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, suffered an unprecedented downfall into violence and chaos between 2007 and 2012. It came to be known in 2010 as “the most dangerous city in the world.” What can cause a city to spiral downward into bloodshed and turmoil in the way that Ciudad Juarez did? This article makes the argument that the city's descent into violence and chaos is the result of a number of poor decisions made over the course of the 40 years preceding the bloodshed of the years under examination. The border in turn, this article argues, constitutes the most important contextual variable in determining the political, economic, social and cultural decision making of the city's leadership and its people. It was the city's overreliance on the advantages that its border location conferred on it for a long time what ended up generating a series of inbuilt weaknesses in its economic development model, its social and cultural fabric, and its political landscape that would eventually cause th...
Quantitative Analysis of Staphylococcus Enterotoxin A by Differential Expression of IFN-γ in Splenocyte and CD4+ T-Cells

Staphylococcus aureus is an important bacterial pathogen that produces a range of Staphylococcal Enterotoxins (SEs) which cause gastroenteritis and superantigen activation of T cells, the mechanism of which is not well understood. The ability to rapidly detect and quantify SEs is very important in order to learn the causes of staphylococcal outbreaks and to stop similar outbreaks in the future. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) have been developed for detection of several SEs. However, these immunological methods cannot distinguish between active and inactive toxin. It is known that interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) expressed in response to stimulation by SEs contributes significantly to the pathogenesis of S. aureus infection. Nonetheless, the cellular source of IFN-γ is still unclear and the contributions of the specific splenocyte types. In our effort to understand the immunologic response to Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A (SEA) exposure, we studied IFN-γ production in mouse splenocytes. We demonstrated that short term ex vivo exposure of splenocytes or primary naive CD4+ T-cells to biologically active SEA induces differential expression of IFN-γ mRNA in a time and dose dependent manner and the expression levels reflect the levels of IFN-γ secreted protein. Positive isolated CD4+ T-cells accounted for only 10% of IFN-γ production. We also demonstrate that expression of IFN-γ can be used for rapid quantitative analysis of active SEA with a detection limit of 1 ng/mL.
Work in progress: Theoretical approach to characterizing changes in students' and engineers' conceptual understanding and personal epistemologies

Successfully preparing students to become practicing engineers requires the development of their conceptual and epistemological approaches to the world around them. This paper describes a robust, flexible and empirically testable framework developed to characterize engineering students' conceptual understanding and personal epistemologies as they develop from their sophomore year to their second year of engineering practice. The strength of the framework lies in the balances struck between firm commitments that can be confirmed or falsified, and open-endedness where existing theories are too contradictory to warrant such a commitment. The frameworks were developed through literature review drawing from the fields of cognitive science, educational psychology, science education, philosophy and learning theory.
Rate coefficients for the reactions of O(3P) with selected biogenic Hydrocarbons

The rate coefficients for the reaction of O(3P) with the biogenic hydrocarbons Δ3-carene, α-pinene, and isoprene have been measured using a direct method for the first time. O(3P) was generated from the pulsed photolysis of NO2 or O3 at 308 nm, and measured by resonance fluorescence at 131 nm. Rate coefficients at room temperature for the biogenics are similar: (3.4 ± 0.6) × 10−11, (3.7 ± 0.6) × 10−11, and (3.5 ± 0.6) × 10−11 cm3 molec−1 s−1, for Δ3-carene, α-pinene, and isoprene, respectively. The rate coefficients for the reaction of O(3P) with NO2 and ethene were also measured with the same method, and these values are within 4% and 10% of the currently recommended values, respectively. The correlation between OH and O(3P)-alkene reaction rate coefficients is updated and discussed. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Conformational contribution to the heat capacity of the starch and water system

The heat capacities of starch and starch—water have been measured with adiabatic calorimetry and standard differential scanning calorimetry and are reported from 8 to 490 K. The amorphous starch containing 11–26 wt % (53–76 mol %) water shows a partial glass transition decreasing from 372 to 270 K, respectively. Even the dry amorphous starch gradually increases in heat capacity above 270 K beyond that set by the vibrational density of states. This gradual increase in the heat capacity is identified as part of the glass transition of dry starch that is, however, not completed at the decomposition temperature. The heat capacities of the glassy, dry starch are linked to an approximate group vibrational spectrum with 44 degrees of freedom. The Tarasov equation is used to estimate the heat capacity contribution due to skeletal vibrations with the parameters Θ1 = 795.5 K, Θ2 = 159 K, and Θ3 = 58 K for 19 degrees of freedom. The calculated and experimental heat capacities agree better than ±3% between 8 and 250 K. Similarly, the vibrational heat capacity has been estimated for glassy water by being linked to an approximate group vibrational spectrum and the Tarasov equation (Θ1 = 1105.5 K and Θ3 = 72.4 K, with 6 degrees of freedom). Below the glass transition, the heat capacity of the solid starch—water system has been estimated from the appropriate sum of its components and also from a direct fitting to skeletal vibrations. Above the glass transition, the differences are interpreted as contributions of different conformational heat capacities from chains of the carbohydrates interacting with water. The conformational parts are estimated from the experimental heat capacities of dry starch and starch—water, decreased by the vibrational and external contributions to the heat capacity. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 3038–3054, 2001
Compile-time deallocation of individual objects

This paper presents a static analysis and transformation system that enables the deallocation of individual objects in Java programs. Given an input program, the compiler automatically inserts free statements to deallocate individual objects. This transformation is enabled by an inter-procedural, context-sensitive dataflow analysis that tracks the state of one object instance at a time, from the point where it is allocated, and up to the point where the object instance becomes unreachable and can be freed.For the SPECjvm98 benchmarks, free-instrumented programs generated by our compiler and executed in a virtual machine with explicit memory deallocation reclaim, on average, more than 50%of the total memory allocated by the program, and have a low run-time overhead of 1%. For several benchmarks, the analysis can free more than 85% of the total memory.
Anxiety across the transition to parenthood: change trajectories among low-risk parents

Background and Objectives: A number of sources suggest changes in anxiety across the transition to parenthood may be experienced by parents in different ways, yet no studies have examined whether new parents experience changes in anxiety in distinct subgroups. Design: We conducted a longitudinal study of 208 first-time parents (104 couples) from a low-risk population. Parents were interviewed from the third trimester of pregnancy to nine-months postpartum. Methods: The current study utilized latent class growth analysis to explore subgroups of change in symptoms of anxiety. Based on stress and coping theory, we also examined a number of personal and social prenatal predictors of subgroup membership. Results: We identified two distinct change trajectories: (1) moderate and stable and (2) low and declining. We also found prenatal depression, expected parenting efficacy, and relationship satisfaction were significantly associated with subgroup membership. Conclusions: Our results suggest a majority of new pa...
Bipolar transversal filters with large sidelobe suppression implemented using WDM technologies

A new RF-photonic transversal filter based on wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) technologies is reported. The tap-amplitudes of the bandpass filter were designed to be antisymmetric and arbitrarily reconfigurable. For 20-tap filters centred at 4.8 GHz, a sidelobe suppression of >30 dB, passband widths <470 MHz, and a linear insertion phase are demonstrated.
What causes pregnancy loss? Preexisting mental illness as an independent risk factor

Abstract Objective Maternal mental health disorders in pregnancy are common and are associated with prematurity, low birth weight and delivery complications. We explored whether existing mental illness was associated not just with fetal complications but also with fetal death. Method We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis using data from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS). The NCS is a nationally representative multistage probability study of the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the United States. We analyzed the association between a prepregnancy mental health diagnosis and subsequent miscarriage or stillbirth, using multivariable logistic regression to control for maternal age, race, health risks and other independent risk factors for fetal death. Results Patients with any mental health disorder prior to pregnancy [odds ratio (OR)=1.8], specifically those with affective disorders (OR=1.6) or substance use disorders (OR=1.4), were at significantly higher risk for fetal mortality in pregnancy. This risk remained significant even when controlling for health and behavioral risk factors that cause fetal loss. Conclusion These results are consistent with studies showing mental health to be independently associated with morbidity and mortality in heart disease, stroke and cancer. The etiology remains poorly understood, but may include neuroendocrine, behavioral and genetic mediators.
The use of graph matching algorithms to identify biochemical substructures in synthetic chemical compounds: Application to metabolomics

Metabolomics is a rapidly growing field studying the small-molecule metabolite profile of a biological organism. Studying metabolism has a potential to contribute to biomedical research as well as drug discovery. One of the current challenges in metabolomics is the identification of unknown metabolites as existing chemical databases are incomplete. We present a novel way of utilizing known mammalian metabolites in an effort to identify unknown ones. The system relies on a mammalian scaffolds database to aid the classification process. The results show that 96% of the mammalian compounds were identified as truly mammalian in a leave-one-out experiment. The system was also tested with a random set of synthetic compounds, downloaded from ChemBridge and ChemSynthesis databases. The system was able to eliminate 54% of the set, leaving 46% of the compounds as potentially unknown mammalian metabolites.
An optimal schedule for dollar cost averaging under different transaction costs

Abstract Dollar cost averaging is a popular habit adopted by investors who recognize the difficulty in consistently timing the market. Recent technological innovations allow for the direct deposit of a predetermined portion of each paycheck into a brokerage account for the purchase of equities. Since most payperiods are biweekly or monthly, the automatic and frequent purchase of small amounts of equity produces substantial transaction costs. If funds were allowed to accumulate for a time in a money market account prior to equity purchase, then transaction costs may be lowered. However, since equity returns are generally more than that earned in the money market, delayed purchases would forfeit higher returns. In this study, we determine the optimal transaction size to maximize returns. We use the classical economic order quantity framework of inventory management and extend that framework to deal with the special discounting structures commonly offered by brokerage firms. Numerical examples and sensitivity analysis of fixed and variable transaction cost structure models are presented.
Glandular trichomes of Solanum berthaultii alter host preference of the Colorado potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata

Choice and no-choice studies were conducted to determine how the glandular trichomes of the wild potato, Solanum berthaultii Hawkes, affect host preference of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say). Given a feeding choice between S. tuberosum and S. berthaultii, larvae and adults preferred the foliage of S. tuberosum, but adults were more discriminating. When foliage of S. berthaultii was appressed to S. tuberosum leaflets, fewer adults fed on the appressed leaflets. When given a choice between ‘trichome-intact’ and ‘trichome-removed’ S. berthaultii foliage, adults preferred to feed on the latter. The preference for ‘trichome-removed’ foliage and the percent of adults initiating feeding, increased with the degree of trichome removal. These studies provide evidence that the resistance of S. berthaultii is associated with feeding deterrents localized in the glandular trichomes, that S. berthaultii possesses more than one mechanism of resistance to the Colorado potato beetle, and that the expression of resistance is dependent on the developmental stage of the insect.
The Impact of Divorce on Suicide in Norway, 1951-1980.

The present study does a comparative analysis of a well-substantiated relationship based principally on American-based research: that between marital integration and suicide....Specifically it tests the generalizability of the divorce-suicide relationship in Norway using data for the period 1951-1980. Despite institutional and cultural buffers in Norway thought to account for a historically low suicide rate the author finds the recent rise in the suicide rate to be related to destabilizing trends in family life. Data are from the World Health Organization and other official sources. (EXCERPT)
Too much middleware

The movement from client-server computing to multi-tier computing has created a potpourri of so-called middleware systems, including application servers, workflow products, EAI systems, ETL systems and federated data systems. In this paper we argue that the explosion in middleware has created a myriad of poorly integrated systems with overlapping functionality. The world would be well served by considerable consolidation, and we present some of the ways this might happen. Some of the points covered in this paper have been previously explored in [BERN96].
Questions, Relatives, and Minimal Projection

This article examines the acquisition of wh-questions and relative clauses in Sesotho, a language with no. wh-movement in either questions or relatives, and in which wh-questioned subjects must be clefted. It shows that, even though children use and understand relative and cleft constructions between the ages of 2 and 3, relative complementizers are frequently missing or they surface in a form that is ambiguously either a subject agreement marker or a head-noun modifier. This raises the possibility that children are treating relative clauses as IP rather than CP structures until sufficient learning of lexical features has taken place. The article concludes with a discussion of Grimshaw's notion of extended projection and minimal projection, showing how it might be adapted to account for the Sesotho findings and extended to acquisition theory more generally.
Purification and unusual kinetic properties of a tobacco anionic peroxidase

Abstract The tobacco anionic peroxidase has been isolated from the leaves of transgenic Nicotiana sylvestris plants overproducing this enzyme. The plant expression system and the purification protocol developed allow the preparation of greater than 60 mg of homogeneous enzyme (Mr 36 kDa, pI 3.5) from 1 kg of fresh leaves, which is an order of magnitude higher than for wild-type tobacco plants. The tobacco anionic peroxidase exhibits rather unusual catalytic properties in comparison with horseradish peroxidase (HRP C). Compound I is less active than Compound II in the tobacco enzyme. The enzyme is nearly inactive towards iodide, reflecting the peculiarities of its molecular structure. In particular, the presence of the negatively charged glutamate residue 141 at the entrance of the haeme-binding pocket seems to affect the stabilities of Compounds I, II and III, leading to a different enzyme substrate specificity than that of HRP C. Investigation of thermal stability towards a number of electron donors reveals the following ‘order of stabilities’: ferrocyanide > guaiacol > 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethyl-6-benzothiazoline sulphonate) > iodide > o-dianisidine, which may indicate different binding sites and rate-limiting steps in the mechanism of the substrate oxidation.
Right atrial-left ventricular relationships in tricuspid atresia: Position of the presumed site of the atretic valve as determined by transillumination

Abstract A light was shone through the floor of the right atrium in 14 specimens of tricuspid atresia to determine the position of the presumed site of the atretic valve in relation to the ventricular chambers. The dimple was in each case a fibrous depression in the right atrium, bounded on the right and superiorly by the right atrial appendage, inferiorly and to the left by the coronary sinus and atrial septum. The presumed site of the atretic valve was noted to transmit light into the left ventricle in all 14 cases. It overrode a posterior ventricular spetal defect in two cases. Its most common position was under the noncoronary cusp of the aortic valve, the site of the right atrial portion of the membranous ventricular septum in the normal heart. The results of transilluminating the right atrial dimple in these 14 specimens suggest, therefore, that tricuspid atresia resembles double-inlet left ventricle or cor triloculare biatriatum (with rudimentary outflow chamber), differing from them mainly by atresia of the tricuspid orifice, and right-to-left shunting across a foramen ovale.
Immunopathology of Psoriasis: A Comparison with Other Parakeratotic Lesions

Characteristic in vivo binding of IgG and C3 to the stratum corneum of psoriatic lesions has been implicated as a significant event in the pathogenesis of the disease. Immunofluorescent findings of psoriatic lesions are compared with other parakeratotic and nonparakeratotic lesions. Parakeratotic lesions studied include verrucae vulgares in patients with psoriasis, verrucae vulgares in patients without psoriasis, actinic keratoses and lichen simplex chronicus. Psoriatic lesions and other parakeratotic lesions demonstrate similar immunopathological phenomena within the involved stratum corneum: (1) A high percentage of the lesions stain positively with one or more of the immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM and IgA). (2) No predominance of any immunoglobulin class is found. (3) The predominant sites of immunoglobulin deposition are within the regions of parakeratosis. (4) C3 deposition is found in a high percentage of the lesions and is present at the sites of immunoglobulin binding. By contrast only a small percentage of nonparakeratotic lesions display stratum corneum fluorescence. These data are consistent with macromolecular leakage through the lesional microvasculature and high affinity binding of immunoglobulins by parakeratotic stratum corneum. Similar immunofluorescent findings in psoriatic lesions and nonpsoriatic parakeratotic lesions suggest that immunoglobulin binding in psoriatic lesional stratum corneum is not a significant event in the pathogenesis of psoriatic lesions.
Tribo‐electrochemical surface modification of tantalum using in situ AFM techniques

A scanning-probe-based technique to observe tribo-electrochemically stimulated surface was demonstrated. The configuration consists of an electrochemical cell attached to an atomic force microscope (AFM) scanner. Under an applied electrical potential and in various chemical environments, the surface morphology, roughness, skew, bearing ratio, as well as surface adhesive forces between probes were measured, and the effects of mechano-electrochemical stimuli were evaluated. The effects of mechanical, electrochemical, and mechano-electrochemical stimuli were found to compete during AFM sliding process. Their effects do not follow a linear relationship, implying that the mechanical stimulus promotes electrochemical reactions. Similarly, electrochemically enhanced mechanical removal of surface materials is possible. SCANNING 32: 336–344, 2010. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evidence for uterine metabolism of progesterone during early pregnancy in the pig

Two experiments were conducted to examine whether the 40 or 50% decrease in systemic progesterone (P(4)) concentrations between Days 13 and 21 postmating in the pig results from decreased ovarian P(4) secretion or increased uptake of P(4) by the uterus. In Experiment I, five nonpregnant (NP) and four pregnant (P) gilts were sham-operated, and five NP gilts were hysterectomized (HYST) on Days 7 to 9 postestrus or postmating (first day of estrus or mating = Day 0). Femoral arterial blood was obtained once daily from Day 10 until the subsequent estrus (NP gilts) or Day 21 (P and HYST gilts). In Experiment II, blood was collected daily from both utero-ovarian veins of two NP and three P gilts from Days 11 to 18. Femoral arterial P(4) concentrations were similar for all gilts in Experiment I from Days 10 to 14. For NP gilts, femoral arterial P(4) declined (P < 0.01) after Day 14 to reach basal levels by Day 17. Progesterone in femoral arterial blood of P gilts declined (P < 0.01) from Days 13 to 16 and then remained constant through Day 21. Concentrations of P(4) in femoral arterial blood of HYST gilts remained constant from Days 13 to 21 and were greater (P < 0.01) than for P gilts from Days 15 to 21. In Experiment II, P(4) concentrations in utero-ovarian venous blood were similar until Day 14 between NP and P gilts. Utero-ovarian P(4) of NP gilts then declined (P < 0.01) to reach basal levels by Day 16. P(4) concentrations in utero-ovarian venous blood of P gilts increased (P < 0.05) for Days 14 to 18. These results demonstrate that ovarian P(4) secretion increases during early pregnancy in the pig. Further, the absence of a decline in P(4) concentrations in femoral arterial blood of HYST gilts suggests that the declining systemic P(4) levels observed during early pregnancy are a result of uterine uptake and(or) metabolism.
A synopsis of the genus Telebasis (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)

Abstract In this synopsis all 50 species of the primarily neotropical genus Telebasis are keyed, diagnosed, and illustrated. Helveciagrion is considered a junior subjective synonym of Telebasis, T. coccinata a junior subjective synonym of T. coccinea, and T. limoncocha a junior subjective synonym of T. griffinii. Six new species from South America are described: T. carvalhoi (holotype ♂ Brazil, Para State, Floresta Nacional de Carajas, Parauapebas, S11D-C, 6°02′59″S, 49°53′24″W, ix 2005, leg. N. Ferreira Jr., in UFRJ); T. corbeti (holotype ♂: Peru: Madre De Dios Department, Tambopata-Candamo Reserved Zone, Camp 3, Colipa, Rio Tambopata west bank, 13°08′31″S, 69°36′46″W, 17 ix 1992, leg. M. Butt, in BNHM); T. farcimentum (holotype ♂: Colombia: Valle del Cauca Department, Cali, 3°26′14″N, 76°31′21″W, 01 viii 1972, leg. N.B. Stiles, in FSCA); T. leptocyclia (holotype ♂: Brazil: Rondonia State, Abuna, 9°42′S, 65°23′W, 112 m, 09 iii 1922, leg. J.H. Williamson, J.W. Strohm, in UMMZ); T. levis (holotype ♂: Guate...
Microprocessor-based substation control

Abstract This paper describes a new approach to automating power substations. The current methods involved in the operation and control of substations are discussed and the basic functions involved are identified. The concept of integrating all these functions into one microprocessor-based control system is developed. The integrated microprocessor design presented in this paper eliminates the need for the presently used local controllers and other devices, leading to a cost-effective and highly reliable central substation controller.
Critical Sociology after 40 Years: Looking Back, Looking Forward

With these opening sentences, the founders of The Insurgent Sociologist, which later became Critical Sociology,1 gave notice to the academy writ large, and the sociology profession in particular, that a new era had begun, a challenge to orthodoxy had emerged, that would call into question business as usual within academe. Heretofore ‘scholarship’ that did little to really interrogate the world as it was, that more often than not served as apologist for governments and policies, that provided a rationale for actions and outcomes creating poverty and despair, would no longer be tolerated. The remainder of this inaugural issue laid out a program of action, in part as a result of a conference of radical sociologists in Berkeley, designed to protest and challenge the sociology profession during its annual meeting to be held in San Francisco in 1969. This included truth squads that would attend traditional sessions in order to correct misinformation, provide literature that challenged what was being presented by main-stream scholars, and organize counter sessions and workshops to begin the hard work of building a radical alternative. The guiding principles of this emerging movement can best be summarized by the acting steering committee’s manifesto ‘On Elitism and Democracy’:
Chemotaxis of the spermatozoa of Ciona intestinalis

CHEMOTAXIS of animal sperm, long thought not to occur1–4, was first proved in the marine coelenterate Campanularia5 and since then has been observed in other hydroids6,8. The species-specificities and cross reactions between sperm and reproductive structures of these species and genera have been described6, and some of the attractants have been isolated and their chemical properties reported7. In spite of circumstantial evidence for sperm chemotaxis in other phyla13,14 the sperm behaviour leading to aggregation has not been described. I now report evidence of sperm chemotaxis to egg water and egg extracts (see Table 1 for details) of Ciona intestinalis (Protochordata: Urochordata), a primitive chordate. These results imply that sperm chemotaxis either has evolved independently in groups widely separate on the phylogenetic scale or is widespread in the animal kingdom.
Data Link Communications in Tactical Air Command and Control Systems

Data links in tactical air command and control systems (ACCS's) connect the computers of command and control units to one another and to weapon systems to enable rapid exchanges of real-time tactical information. This paper, presents an overview description of the current and future ACCS data link architecture used by the Services and NATO. This architecture currently consists of various tactical digital information link (TADIL) standards and NATO link standards. In the near future, the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) will be a major component of the architecture. While the architecture of the far future is speculative, a description of some concepts being considered, such as the role of the International Standards Organization (ISO) reference model, is presented.
Image-sequence compression on a 68020-based multi-processor system

A 68020-based multiprocessor image processing system has been developed which is adaptable, flexible, extendable, modular, and fast. With the present four-processor system, it is possible to decode approximately 10 frames/s, where each frame contains 16384 pixels, using an image sequence compression algorithm developed by the authors. System components and operation are described along with present system performance; and areas for future improvements are considered. >
Fetectomy Alters Maternal Pituitary-Adrenal Function in Pregnant Rhesus Macaques

The interplay between the fetus and mother may play a key role in the regulation of primate pregnancy and parturition. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that fetectomy alters maternal pituitary-adrenal function. Between 117 and 122 days of gestation (term 5 167 days), six rhesus macaques underwent surgery for catheter implantation. At surgery the fetuses were removed while the membranes and placenta were left in situ. Six additional intact catheterized pregnant animals served as controls. Animals were maintained under a 12L:12D cycle with lights-on from 0700 to 1900 h. Beginning at least 1 wk after surgery, maternal arterial blood samples were collected at 3-h intervals for 24 h for hormone and catecholamine analysis. This sampling protocol was repeated at weekly intervals until cesarean delivery at 151‐157 days of gestation. Following fetectomy, plasma ACTH, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and cortisol levels were significantly lower (36%, 35%, and 44%, respectively) compared with control animals (P , 0.05). Despite a significant reduction in overall levels, the rhythm in maternal plasma cortisol was maintained following fetectomy. Plasma dopamine and norepinephrine were also depressed (P , 0.05), whereas epinephrine remained unaffected. Our data clearly demonstrate the role of the fetus in the regulation of the maternal pituitary-adrenal axis during gestation. This interaction plays a significant role in the regulation of maternal endocrine function that may influence the initiation of labor.
Subtherapeutic Linezolid Concentrations in a Patient with Morbid Obesity and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia: Case Report and Review of the Literature

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of subtherapeutic linezolid concentrations in a patient with morbid obesity.CASE SUMMARY:A 34-year-old male with morbid obesity (265 kg, body mass index 82 kg/m2) was admitted for severe sepsis due to respiratory failure requiring emergent intubation and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia. Admission tracheal aspirate culture revealed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for which vancomycin was prescribed. Therapy subsequently was changed to linezolid, because the patient's clinical status worsened, with significant hypoxia (partial pressure of arterial oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen [PaO2/FiO2] ratio 145), increasing leukocytosis (white blood cell count from 10,800/μL on admission to 15,400/μL on hospital day 6), and persistent fever (38.3 °C). After 48 hours of linezolid monotherapy, the patient remained febrile with continued leukocytosis, worsening hypoxemia, and a persistently positive MRSA culture from a repeat endotracheal aspirate. Linezolid seru...
Vagotomy dissociates short- and long-term controls of circulating ghrelin.

Plasma ghrelin levels are responsive to short- and long-term nutrient fluctuation, rapidly decreasing with food consumption and increasing with food deprivation or weight loss. We hypothesized a vagal contribution to both responses. Nutrient-related ghrelin suppression may be mediated by gastrointestinal load-related vagal afferent activity, or depend upon vagal efferent input to the foregut, where most ghrelin is produced. Similarly, the deprivation-induced ghrelin rise could require state-related vagal afferent or efferent activity. Here, we examined the role of the vagus nerve in the regulation of plasma ghrelin by sampling blood from rats with subdiaphragmatic vagotomy and from sham-operated controls over 48 h of food deprivation, and before and after gastric gavage of liquid diet. Vagotomy affected neither baseline ghrelin levels nor the suppression of ghrelin by a nutrient load. The food deprivation-induced elevation of plasma ghrelin levels (∼160% of baseline), however, was completely prevented by ...
A comparison of outcomes among patients with schizophrenia in two mental health systems: A health state approach

This paper introduces a health state modeling approach using clustering and Markov analysis to compare short- and long-term outcomes among health care populations. We provide a comparison to more conventional mixed effects regression methods and show that discrete state modeling offers a richer portrait of patient outcomes than the standard univariate techniques. We demonstrate our approach using primary data from a three year observational study of patients treated for schizophrenia at a VA Medical Center (VA) and in a Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) in the same urban community. Randomly selected samples of outpatients treated for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were interviewed every six months using standardized psychiatric assessments such as the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Items from the PANSS were used to define 7 discrete health states representing different levels of severity and diverse mixtures of psychiatric symptoms. Conventional analysis showed that VA patients exhibited increasingly severe symptoms, while CMHC patients remained more stable over the study period. Health state analysis reinforced these results but also identified which subpopulations of VA patients were deteriorating. In particular they showed that there was little change over time among VA patients in the best and worst health states. Instead the deterioration was caused by VA patients with: a) mild symptoms and hallucinations and b) serious positive and negative symptoms, being more likely to enter a state with severe positive and negative symptoms accompanied by moderate general distress.
Evaluation of various analogues of tilorone hydrochloride against Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus in mice.

The antiviral activity of tilorone hydrochloride and three of its analogues (11,002, 11,567, and 11,877) was assessed by oral and intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration to Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus-infected mice. Significant increases in the percentage of survival ( P 50 ) of VEE virus at doses at 250 to 1,000 mg/kg; doses of 31.25 to 250 mg/kg given i.p. were effective against 10 MICLD 50 . Oral dosages of 250 to 1,000 mg of analogue 11,567 per kg were active against 100 MICLD 50 of virus. By the i.p. route, 250 mg of 11,567 per kg protected mice against 1,000 MICLD 50 , and a dose of 125 mg/kg protected against 100 MICLD 50 . Oral treatment of VEE infection with analogue 11,567 24 h after subcutaneous inoculation of VEE virus resulted in no significant increase in the percentage of survivors. All survivors of these studies were susceptible to rechallenge 21 days after the first inoculation of virus.
A Note on the Influence of African Heritage on Segregation The Case of Dominicans

The African heritage hypothesis posits that the substantial African ancestry of Puerto Ricans explains why this group is less segregated from African-Americans than non-Hispanic whites. This pattern is unlike that of other Hispanic groups, who have been found to be highly segregated from African-Americans but modestly segregated from whites. The research presented here shows that Dominicans, another Hispanic group with substantial African ancestry, are also less segregated from African-Americans than whites. Dominicans, therefore, also appear to be conforming to the African heritage thesis by residing in neighborhoods with greater proximity to African-Americans than whites.
Spectroscopy on thick HgI/sub 2/ detectors: a comparison between planar and pixelated electrodes

Thick mercuric iodide (HgI/sub 2/) detectors are investigated as potential room temperature gamma-ray spectrometers. By using pixelated anodes the induced charge on the electrode is dependent mainly on electron movement and is almost independent of the depth of interaction. Moreover, by reading out the planar cathode signal simultaneously, the depth of interaction can be determined and any effects of electron charge loss can be corrected. By combining these two methods (pixelated anodes and depth sensing), the resolution from 1 cm thick HgI/sub 2/ devices can be improved to 1.4% FWHM when using a Cs-137 point source. These results were obtained using a modest electric field (2500 V/cm) and relatively short shaping times (4-16 /spl mu/s) for HgI/sub 2/. A comparison between conventional planar readout and single polarity charge sensing techniques with wide band-gap semiconductors is discussed.
ISYS: a decentralized, component-based approach to the integration of heterogeneous bioinformatics resources.

MOTIVATION: Heterogeneity of databases and software resources continues to hamper the integration of biological information. Top-down solutions are not feasible for the full-scale problem of integration across biological species and data types. Bottom-up solutions so far have not integrated, in a maximally flexible way, dynamic and interactive graphical-user-interface components with data repositories and analysis tools. RESULTS: We present a component-based approach that relies on a generalized platform for component integration. The platform enables independently-developed components to synchronize their behavior and exchange services, without direct knowledge of one another. An interface-based data model allows the exchange of information with minimal component interdependency. From these interactions an integrated system results, which we call ISYSf1.gif" BORDER="0">. By allowing services to be discovered dynamically based on selected objects, ISYS encourages a kind of exploratory navigation that we believe to be well-suited for applications in genomic research.
Efference copy and its limitations

Efference copy, an internal brain signal informing the visual system of commands to move the eye, was the dominant explanation for visual space constancy for over a century. The explanation is not viable, however; the signal is to small, to slow, and too unreliable to support the perception of perfect constancy. Newer theories recognize that detailed image information does not survive refixation in any case. Efference copy is a viable explanation of static position perception and sensorimotor interaction, but the rich, stable visual world is an illusion.
One center's experience with complications during the Wada test

This study aimed to define the number and type of complications associated with the Wada test at an academic medical center for comparison to previous reports. We performed a retrospective review of medical records for patients who underwent the Wada test at the University of Michigan between April 1991 and June 2013. Information was collected regarding the angiography procedure and the immediate postoperative period to assess for both clinical and angiographic complications. A total of 436 patients were identified who underwent the Wada procedure between April 1991 and June 2013, and 431 patients were included in the final analysis. Twenty-five patients (5.8%) had notable clinical events associated with the Wada test. Nine patients (2.1%) had clinical events meeting criteria for complication, which included seizures, status epilepticus, internal carotid artery vasospasm, inadvertent injection of anesthetic in the external carotid artery, and transient encephalopathy. No complications were associated with significant morbidity or mortality. This retrospective review of patients undergoing the Wada test found significantly fewer associated complications in comparison to previously published studies, with no patients experiencing long-term morbidity. The Wada test should be considered a safe diagnostic tool for lateralizing language and memory.
1998 PSA PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: THE VALUE OF SOCIOLOGY

What is the value-added character of sociology? In an era of change and unease in higher education, can a case be madefor sociology in terms of intellectual and scholarly substance rather than in terms of bureaucratic and political considerations? As a scholarly and instructional activity, what is the value of sociology beyond what other disciplines have to offer? I address these questions affirmatively in this paper by identifying and elaborating four distinctive foci of the sociological eye that together frame the window onto the world that sociology provides. These distinctive features are a focus on the relational connections among the constituent elements of the objects of sociological analysis; afocus on the socially con- textual embeddedness of those objects of analysis; a focus on vexing social conditions and processes construed as social problems; and an ironic per- spective, that is, a penchantfor discerning and illuminating the incongru- ous, unexpected, discrepant aspects of social life. I argue that thesefoci are more pronounced in sociology than in other social sciences and that together they congeal into a window onto the social world that is unique among the social sciences and humanities, thus accountingfor the value- added character of sociology.
Separation‐lndividuation difficulties and the distinction between bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa in college women

This study investigated whether patterns of late adolescent separation-individuation from parents, as measured by the Psychological Separation Inventory (PSI), are different for anorexic-like and bulimic-like young women in college. It was hypothesized that anorexic-like women would display a pattern of underseparation from both mother and father. Bulimic-like women were expected to show a pattern of underseparation on the conflictual dimension of the PSI but overseparation on the other dimensions. A total of 198 college women completed the PSI, the Eating Disorder Inventory, and a DSM-III-R symptom checklist. Using that checklist, 19 women were classified as bulimic-like (BUN), 8 as like restricting anorexics (RAN), 11 as showing a pattern resembling both bulimia and restricting anorexia (BULAN), 109 as showing limited bulimic or anorexic behaviors (SOME), and 25 as having no eating disorder symptoms (NED). Results indicated some support for the hypotheses. BUN women were overseparated in terms of attitudinal independence from both parents and underseparated in that they experienced more guilt and conflict concerning separation than did the SOME or NED women. The anorexic-like women reported considerable guilt and conflict about separation and tended to be underseparated in general. The results point to the potential value of separation-individuation issues in the distinction between restricting anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
Chronic Heroin Self-Administration Desensitizes μ Opioid Receptor-Activated G-Proteins in Specific Regions of Rat Brain

In previous studies from our laboratory, chronic noncontingent morphine administration decreased μ opioid receptor-activated G-proteins in specific brainstem nuclei. In the present study, μ opioid receptor binding and receptor-activated G-proteins were examined after chronic heroin self-administration. Rats were trained to self-administer intravenous heroin for up to 39 d, achieving heroin intake up to 366 mg · kg−1 · d−1. μ opioid-stimulated [35S]GTPγS and [3H]naloxone autoradiography were performed in adjacent brain sections. Agonist-stimulated [35S]GTPγS autoradiography also examined other G-protein-coupled receptors, including δ opioid, ORL-1, GABAB, adenosine A1, cannabinoid, and 5-HT1A. In brains from heroin self-administering rats, decreased μ opioid-stimulated [35S]GTPγS binding was observed in periaqueductal gray, locus coeruleus, lateral parabrachial nucleus, and commissural nucleus tractus solitarius, as previously observed in chronic morphine-treated animals. In addition, decreased μ opioid-stimulated [35S]GTPγS binding was found in thalamus and amygdala after heroin self-administration. Despite this decrease in μ-activated G-proteins, [3H]naloxone binding demonstrated increased μ opioid receptor binding in several brain regions after heroin self-administration, and there was a significant decrease in μ receptor G-protein efficiency as expressed as a ratio between agonist-activated G-proteins and μ receptor binding. No effects on agonist-stimulated [35S]GTPγS binding were found for any other receptor examined. The effect of chronic heroin self-administration to decrease μ-stimulated [35S]GTPγS binding varied between regions and was highest in brainstem and lowest in the cortex and striatum. These results not only provide potential neuronal mechanisms that may contribute to opioid tolerance and dependence, but also may explain why various chronic effects of opioids develop to different degrees.
The Strategic Management of Research and Development

Research and Development has changed forever. At one time, laboratories were filled with PhDs who were hired by corporations to develop new technology and address a very general, perceived future need. Today, all that has changed. R&D has become a strategic, competitive tool for corporations to gain market, as well as market share, through new products or innovative processes. In this paper we discuss the R&D challenges that corporations are facing for developing a competitive strategy in an age of global capitalism.