cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Emission Spectrum of Benzene in the Region 2500-3000A

The ultra-violet emission band spectrum of benzene vapor has been observed with a Tesla discharge as a means of excitation. The wave-lengths of over 100 bands lying between 2400 and 3000A have been measured with an accuracy of \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5A. It is found that the measurements are in general in agreement with those of McVicker, Marsh and Stewart. All the bands except the fainest and most diffuse ones may be represented by the following equations: ${\frac{1}{\ensuremath{\lambda}},=37485+924m\ensuremath{-}161n}{\frac{1}{\ensuremath{\lambda}},=37398+924m\ensuremath{-}162n}{\frac{1}{\ensuremath{\lambda}},=37485\ensuremath{-}986m\ensuremath{-}162n}$ ${\frac{1}{\ensuremath{\lambda}},=37425\ensuremath{-}986m\ensuremath{-}162n}{\frac{1}{\ensuremath{\lambda}},=37479\ensuremath{-}991m\ensuremath{-}162n}{\frac{1}{\ensuremath{\lambda}},=36412\ensuremath{-}991m\ensuremath{-}162n}$ where $m$ and $n$ are integers.The evidence supporting the conclusion that the bands are due to benzene and not to some decomposition product is summarized. The applicability of the data to spectroscopic analysis is also discussed.
Thioguanine: a potential alternate thiopurine for IBD patients allergic to 6-mercaptopurine or azathioprine.

Thioguanine: a potential alternate thiopurine for IBD patients allergic to 6-mercaptopurine or azathioprine
Vacuum feedthrough for optical fiber cables

A vacuum feedthrough for optical fiber cables is constructed and used in a nuclear-radiation environment.
How Cholesterol-Dependent Cytolysins Bite Holes into Membranes

In a showpiece for electron microscopy (EM), Tilley et al. (2005) used single-particle cryo-EM to visualize the structural rearrangements in the bacterial toxin pneumolysin that occur when it assembles into a membrane-associated prepore and when the prepore subsequently transitions into a fully membrane-inserted pore.
Introduction: the woodwork effect.

Our collection of papers on the woodwork effect calls attention to the incremental expansion of public financing for home- and community-based long-term care support services in the United States. ...
Trait–environment relationships remain strong despite 50 years of trait compositional change in temperate forests

Temperate North American forest communities have changed considerably in response to logging, fragmentation, herbivory, and other global change factors. Significant changes in the structure and composition of seemingly undisturbed Wisconsin forest communities have occurred over the past 50 years, including widespread declines in alpha and beta species diversity. To investigate how shifts in species composition have affected distributions of plant functional traits, we first compiled extensive data on understory plant species traits. We then computed community-weighted trait means and functional diversity metrics for communities in both the 1950s and 2000s. We examined how trait values and diversity varied across environmental gradients and among Wisconsin's four main ecoregions. Trait means and diversity values reflect conspicuous gradients in species composition, soils, and climatic conditions. Over the past 50 years, values of most traits have changed as communities shifted toward species with higher leaf nutrient levels and specific leaf area, particularly in the southern ecoregions. Trait richness and diversity have declined, particularly in historically species- and trait-rich unglaciated southwestern Wisconsin. Reductions in within-site trait diversity may be diminishing the ability of these forest communities to resist or resiliently respond to shifts in environmental conditions. Despite changes in trait and community composition, trait-environment relationships measured directly via fourth-corner analysis remain strong for most plant traits. Nevertheless, accelerating ecological change (including climate change) could outstrip the ability of plant species and traits to match their environment, particularly in more fragmented landscapes.
Single phase melt processed powellite (Ba,Ca)MoO4 for the immobilization of Mo-rich nuclear waste

Cs is one of the more problematic fission product radionuclides to immobilize due to its high volatility at elevated temperatures, ability to form water soluble compounds, and its mobility in many host materials. The hollandite structure is a promising crystalline host for Cs immobilization and has been traditionally fabricated by solid state sintering methods. This study presents the structure and performance of Ba{sub 1.0}Cs{sub 0.3}A{sub 2.3}Ti{sub 5.7}O{sub 16}; A = Cr, Fe, Al hollandite fabricated by melt processing. Melt processing is considered advantageous given that melters are currently in use for High Level Waste (HLW) vitrification in several countries. This work details the impact of Cr additions that were demonstrated to i) promote the formation of a Cs containing hollandite phase and ii) maintain the stability of the hollandite phase in reducing conditions anticipated for multiphase waste form processing.
The Effect of Blade Angle Design Selection on Wave-Turbine Engine Performance

Wave rotors have been investigated over several decades in part due to their potential for increasing the maximum cycle temperature in gas turbine engines via their self-cooling mechanism. Recent activities in this field have centered on the experiments and CFD design tools developed at NASA Lewis Research Center. Because of the fundamental objectives of that program, the work to date has concentrated on wave rotors rather than wave turbines. Wave turbines differ from wave rotors in that the flow passages are curved, similar to conventional turbines, so that the unit produces net shaft power. The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis technique which is used to quantify the substantial impact which blade curvature has on the maximum gas expansion ratio, and hence on the maximum cycle temperature. Limited optimization of the overall pressure ratio allows the maximum specific power and the corresponding efficiency to be found as a function of wave turbine inlet and exit blade angles and Mach number. A potential increase in specific power of 69% and a 6.8 percentage point increase in thermal efficiency over a conventional gas-turbine engine can be achieved through the use of a wave turbine.Copyright © 1996 by ASME
Construction of an organic crystal structural model based on combined electron and powder X-ray diffraction data and the charge flipping algorithm.

Abstract The structure of an organic dye 1,5-diaminoanthraquinone (DAAQ) nanowire was studied by both electron diffraction and X-ray powder diffraction. The unit cell of the crystal was determined from a series of tilted selected area electron diffraction patterns (monoclinic: a =3.78 A, b =9.73 A, c =15.01 A and β =82.4°). By using precession electron diffraction, the following extinction conditions were determined, 0 k 0: k =2 n and 00 l : l= 2 n , which give the space group as P 2 1 / C (no. 14). The powder charge flipping algorithm was applied to resolve the phase problem and the structural model of the DAAQ crystal was built.
Experimental and Computational Study of APC-2/AS4 Thermoplastic Composite C-Rings:

The mechanical performance of APC-2/AS4 thermoplastic composite C-ring samples with different processing conditions was investigated, and experimental results were compared with numerical results u...
New generation adenoviral vectors improve gene transfer by coxsackie and adenoviral receptor-independent cell entry

New generation adenoviral vectors improve gene transfer by car-independent cell entry. Adenoviral (Ad) vectors possess many attributes that have lead to their use as gene delivery agents in human clinical trials. However, gene transfer efficiency has generally been less than that needed for meaningful clinical responses. The restricted tropism of the virus for its native receptor, the coxsackie and adenoviral receptor (CAR), is emerging as a key limitation to the use of these agents. By developing strategies to achieve Ad infection via alternate receptor pathways, enhanced and more specific gene delivery can be achieved. This new generation of tropism-modified agents holds promise for the improved clinical utility of Ad vectors for gene therapy.
EXAGGERATED BLOOD PRESSURE RESPONSE TO DYNAMIC EXERCISE PREDICTS FUTURE DIAGNOSIS OF HYPERTENSION IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

It has been reported in adults that patients who have exaggerated blood pressure (BP) response during exercise stress test are at higher risk for developing hypertension (HTN) within 2 to 6 years. Such data is lacking in the pediatric population. This is a retrospective cohort study of healthy
On magnetic reconnection regimes and associated three‐dimensional asymmetries: Hybrid, Hall‐less hybrid, and Hall‐MHD simulations

[1] Magnetic reconnection in a plane current sheet is investigated in both two and three dimensions, using three different types of simulation codes, Hall MHD, hybrid (electron fluid, kinetic ions), and a new code called Hall-less hybrid. The latter code, which is similar to the hybrid code but has the Hall term removed, enables us to clarify the differences between kinetic ion and Hall MHD approaches. The major findings of this research are (1) Sweet-Parker regime of reconnection cannot be maintained and does not reach a steady state in a kinetic plasma for physically interesting parameter regimes. (2) Fast asymptotic reconnection rate of 0.15VA0B0 is obtained both in the hybrid and Hall-less hybrid simulations with outflow boundaries. VA0 and B0 are the Alfven velocity and magnetic field strength in the upstream region. This finding has two immediate implications. First, ion kinetics are sufficient to lead to fast reconnection even in the absence of the Hall term, and second, explanation of fast reconnection in terms of quadratic disperion of whistlers needs to be reconsidered, as whistlers are dispersionless in Hall-less hybrid limit. (3) Unlike in MHD, diffusion region is different in size that the region of localized resistivity. (4) While both Hall and hybrid codes show that reconnection is inherently asymmetric in three dimensions, there are differences in the nature of the asymmetry. In Hall MHD we show that the X-line grows in the direction of the electron drift, propagating as a (reconnection) wave because the current is carried by electrons, although the wave direction can change in the presence of a substantial ion flow. However, in the hybrid simulations here, as is the case for typical conditions at the magnetopause and magnetotail, ions carry the bulk of the current, and the observed asymmetry is found to be due to ion flow and not a wave motion unless the extent of finite resistivity in the third dimension is very thin, comparable to the current sheet thickness. Thus aside from scenarios where electrons are the dominant current carriers, such as very thin current sheets that are on electron scales, we do not expect the reconnection wave to form. This result is relevant to the magnetotail where dawn-dusk asymmetries are observed in the motions of auroral brightenings and surges, as well as in the statistical location of pressure decreases, flows, and magnetic signatures associated with the near-Earth neutral line and early plasmoids. We attribute the observed dawn-dusk asymmetries to ion flows. One interesting question left for future work is the possibility that reconnection waves may form in thin electron-scale current layers that are sometimes observed embedded within a thicker sheet in the magnetotail.
A wavelet-based approach to detecting liveness in fingerprint scanners

In this work, a method to provide fingerprint vitality authentication, in order to improve vulnerability of fingerprint identification systems to spoofing is introduced. The method aims at detecting 'liveness' in fingerprint scanners by using the physiological phenomenon of perspiration. A wavelet based approach is used which concentrates on the changing coefficients using the zoom-in property of the wavelets. Multiresolution analysis and wavelet packet analysis are used to extract information from low frequency and high frequency content of the images respectively. Daubechies wavelet is designed and implemented to perform the wavelet analysis. A threshold is applied to the first difference of the information in all the sub-bands. The energy content of the changing coefficients is used as a quantified measure to perform the desired classification, as they reflect a perspiration pattern. A data set of approximately 30 live, 30 spoof, and 14 cadaver fingerprint images was divided with first half as a training data while the other half as the testing data. The proposed algorithm was applied to the training data set and was able to completely classify 'live' fingers from 'not live' fingers, thus providing a method for enhanced security and improved spoof protection.
Missed Opportunity: Spirituality as a Bridge to Resilience in Latinos with Cancer

Going through adverse life events can help a person learn how to cope with life's challenges, overcome them, learn from the adverse experiences, grow, and be positively transformed by them. Spirituality is a resource that supports adaptation and resilience to improve quality of life in patients with cancer or other chronic illnesses. For Latinos, spirituality is an important core cultural value. As such, it is crucial to pay close attention to how cultural values play a role in health-related concerns when caring for Latino cancer patients, and to how spirituality, being an important aspect of Latino culture, influences how Latinos adjust and cope with cancer. Understanding how to facilitate resilience in the face of potentially negative life events, such as cancer, can not only help Latino cancer patients in active treatment, but can also impact effectiveness of managing and coping with the consequences of cancer during survivorship.
The effects of zoo environments on public attitudes toward endangered wildlife

Slides of animals in natural, semi‐natural, and zoo settings were rated by college students on a number of semantic differential scales. Results indicate that the setting in which an animal is exhibited determines to a great extent the public's attitude toward the animal. Zoo animals are seen as significantly less dignified, confined, unhappy, unnatural, tame, dependent, etc. A factor analysis of the three environments provides further evidence that displaying animals in zoos detracts from their inherent dignity in the eyes of the public. Recommendations are made for exhibiting animals in ways which will enhance the public's appreciation of them, and advance conservation efforts.
Haiku as a Discourse Regulation Device: A Stanza Analysis of Japanese Children's Personal Narratives.

Conversational narratives of 17 Japanese children aged 5 to 9 were analyzed using stanza analysis (Gee 1985; Hymes 1982). Three distinctive features emerged: (1) the narratives are exceptionally succinct; (2) they are usually free-standing collections of three experiences; (3) stanzas almost always consist of three lines. These features reflect the basic characteristics of haiku, a commonly practiced literary form that often combines poetry and narrative, and an ancient, but still ubiquitous game called karuta, which also displays three lines of written discourse. These literacy games may explain both the extraordinary regularity of verses per stanza and the smooth acquisition of reading by a culture that practices restricted, ambiguous, oral-style discourse. The structure of Japanese children's narratives must be understood within the larger context of omoiyari “empathy” training of Japanese children. Empathy training may account for the production, comprehension, and appreciation of ambiguous discourse in Japanese society. (Cultural differences in discourse style, the relationship among oral language, literacy, and literature)
Case Study: Allegations of Abuse Created in a Single Interview

ABSTRACT Objective To illustrate how young children can be induced to make false allegations of sexual abuse. Method The author presents a case that is unusual because elaborate, detailed allegations of sexual abuse came about during a single interview, the interviewer was a baby-sitter rather than a mental health professional, and the interview was recorded on tape. Results Children can be induced to make elaborate, detailed false statements after being subjected to repetitive, suggestive, and leading questions during a single interview. Conclusions Child abuse investigators should determine the origin and evolution of allegations of abuse. Children should not be removed from their parents if is likely that the allegations against the parents are false. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 1997, 36(7):966–970.
Atypical GERD symptoms are often not due to reflux shown by pH monitor

Many patients with various symptoms thought to be from gastroesophageal reflux (GER) are empirically treated with proton pump inhibitors.
Optimal Rate Filters for Biomedical Point Processes

Rate filters are used to estimate the mean event rate of many biomedical signals that can be modeled as point processes. Historically these filters have been designed using principles from two distinct fields. Signal processing principles are used to optimize the filter's frequency response. Kernel estimation principles are typically used to optimize the asymptotic statistical properties. This paper describes a design methodology that combines these principles from both fields to optimize the frequency response subject to constraints on the filter's order, symmetry, time-domain ripple, DC gain, and minimum impulse response. Initial results suggest that time-domain ripple and a negative impulse response are necessary to design a filter with a reasonable frequency response. This suggests that some of the common assumptions about the properties of rate filters should be reconsidered
Electrical response of heterogeneous systems with inclusions of arbitrary structure.

We present an analytic approach to the electrical response of heterogeneous systems with inclusions of arbitrary structure. The exact local field acting on the inclusions, the multipole moments, and the effective dielectric function are obtained in terms of the polarization coefficients of the inclusions, the system configuration, and the applied electric field. We then provide the results for disordered systems in the mean-field approximation. The Clausius-Mossotti relation follows in the particular case of spherically symmetric pair-distributions, labeled by L=0 in this paper. The explicit results corresponding to L=1 and L=2 pair distributions are then given. We discuss in detail the relation between the contributions of all multipole moments and the form of the pair distributions. We study in particular a system of ellipsoidal inclusions and resolve an apparent discrepancy between two previous results, showing that they correspond to different pair distributions.
Outcome 3 to 5 years after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury.

Abstract Dikmen SS, Machamer JE, Powell JM, Temkin NR. Outcome 3 to 5 years after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2003;84:1449–57. Objective To investigate neuropsychologic, emotional, and functional status and quality of life (QOL) 3 to 5 years after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design Observational cohort. Setting Level I trauma center. Participants Consecutive adult admissions with TBI involving intracranial abnormalities, prospectively followed up for 3 to 5 years, with 80% follow-up. Interventions Not applicable. Main outcome measures Neuropsychologic functioning (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, California Verbal Learning Test), emotional status (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory), functional status (Functional Status Examination, Glasgow Outcome Scale, Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, employment), and perceived QOL. Results Significant functional limitations were observed in all areas. Recovery to preinjury levels ranged from 65% of cases in personal care to approximately 40% in cognitive competency, major activity, and leisure and recreation. Brain injury severity, measured by the modified Abbreviated Injury Scale, related to functional status and neuropsychologic functioning, but not to emotional or QOL measures. Length of impaired consciousness appeared to contribute to outcome more than did anatomic lesions. Conclusions The results provide representative estimates of long-term morbidity in patients with TBI involving intracranial lesions. The magnitude of morbidity was high. Although direct costs of TBI have received the most attention, the long-term consequences and their cost implications are much larger, unfold over time, and are borne by the survivors, their families, and the public subsidy system.
On monitoring the atmospheric greenhouse effect from space

We propose an analysis technique for monitoring the planetary greenhouse effect from space. 2 quantities are used as a measure of the atmospheric greenhouse effect: (1) G a , which is the reduction in the clear sky outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) due to the atmosphere; it is the radiative heating of the surface-atmosphere column; (2) G a *, which is the back radiation from the atmosphere to the surface; it is the radiative heating of the surface by the atmosphere. G a is obtained from satellite observations of OLR and surface temperature. Here, we develop a technique to obtain G a * from a combination of OLR (broadband and window channel), surface temperature, column water vapor amount and near-surface air temperature. The difference, G a – G a *, yields the net radiative cooling of the atmospheric column. While the technique is applicable for any radiometric observations, it is demonstrated here for the proposed cloud and the earth's radiant energy systems (CERES). CERES will have in addition to the broadband channel (4 to 200 µm), a channel in the atmospheric window (8-12 µm) to provide continuous radiation flux data. The potential benefits of the window channel in estimating the surface downward longwave flux, as also in addressing the water vapor feedback and continuum-related studies are explored in this paper. The success of the method in unravelling the water vapor — radiative interactions is illustrated by 2 case studies using ship and satellite data for the 1985-1990 period: (a) the seasonal and latitudinal variation in the northern tropical oceans; (b) seasonal to interannual variations averaged over the entire tropical (30°N to 30°S) pacific ocean. In both instances, the column greenhouse effect ( G a ) varies significantly on seasonal and inter annual time scales and is larger in the warmer months. Furthermore, variations in G a * exceed those in G a , such that the atmospheric cooling increases in the warmer, moist atmosphere. The water vapor continuum plays a significant role in the tropical variations of G a * and tropospheric radiative cooling. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.49.issue2.8.x
Water filtration performance of a lyotropic liquid crystal polymer membrane with uniform, sub-1-nm pores

Abstract The water filtration performance of a supported, nanostructured, lyotropic (i.e., surfactant) liquid crystal (LLC) polymer membrane containing uniform, sub-1-nm pores was examined in more detail using more extensive aqueous filtration tests and a more structurally representative nanopore model. This nanoporous membrane material is based on the radical cross-linking of an ionic, LLC monomer that forms a type I bicontinuous cubic (Q I ) phase with a 3D interconnected, annulus-like, water pore network. Previously, initial water transport studies using a limited number of solutes demonstrated initial proof-of-concept that this LLC polymer membrane can reject small molecules based on molecular size discrimination. In this study, more comprehensive transport experiments using aqueous solutions containing a wider range of different size neutral organic molecules and salt ions were undertaken. The results of these experiments showed that the LLC polymer membrane has a rejection performance in between that of a commercial, high-performance reverse osmosis (RO) membrane (Dow SW30HR) and that of a conventional porous nanofiltration (NF) membrane (Dow NF-270) with non-uniform pore sizes. Specifically, the LLC membrane was found to reject inorganic salt ions much better than a NF membrane, and on a level comparable to a RO membrane. It does not reject small neutral organic solutes as well as a RO membrane, but it was found to reject organic solutes better than a conventional NF membrane. Also, the organic solute rejection behavior was fitted using two different Donnan-steric pore models (DSPM) with different pore shapes (i.e., cylindrical and straight slit). It was determined that the Q I -phase LLC membrane has an effective pore radius between 0.29 nm and 0.45 nm. This modeling also suggested that the LLC nanopores are indeed uniform in size. Initial chemical stability and fouling experiments suggest this nanoporous LLC polymer membrane is also very resistant to chlorine degradation and protein fouling. This combination of properties makes this nanoporous LLC polymer a very promising membrane material for water desalination and other NF processes.
Yolk Steroids Decline during Sexual Differentiation in the Alligator

The leading explanation of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in reptiles postulates that (1) ovarian differentiation is directed by estrogen and that (2) estrogen is synthesized in the developing gonad following induction of aromatase expression. However, the source of steroid substrate for aromatization has not yet been identified. In addition, sex ratios vary as a function of clutch, but such biases are as yet unexplained. To address these issues, we measured estradiol, testosterone, and androstenedione in yolks of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) before, during, and after the period of gonadal differentiation in this TSD species. Eggs were collected from a wild population in Louisiana and were incubated at male- and female-determining constant temperatures in the lab, as well as at intermediate temperatures that produced both sexes. Steroids were assayed in yolk extracts after celite column chromatography. All three steroids were found to be in the range of nanograms/gram of yolk at stage 16. Androstenedione was the predominant steroid, 2- to 3-fold higher in concentration than estradiol and 15- to 20-fold higher than testosterone. The levels of these steroids declined (5- to 30-fold) between stages 16 and 25, most markedly between stages 21 and 23, regardless of incubation temperature. The chronology of this sharp decline in steroid levels in our study coincides with the timing of gonadal differentiation in this species, between stages 21 to 23 based on previous reports. Estradiol levels in yolks differed by 3-fold in some clutches relative to others, whereas, no clutch differences were apparent for either androstenedione or testosterone. These data demonstrate that alligator yolk contains high concentrations of two steroid substrates utilized for estrogen synthesis, as well as significant quantities of estradiol itself. We hypothesize that estradiol levels in yolk provide a steroid background, variable among and within clutches, on which gonadal development is initiated and proceeds. As a consequence, we suggest that yolk provides an epigenetic maternal contribution that modulates the effect of incubation temperature on hatchling sex.
Intelligibility of dual rectangular speech bands: implications of observations concerning amplitude mismatch and asynchrony

The present study examines the integration of information present in different spectral regions of speech using two 1/3-octave bands of everyday sentences (center frequencies 1- and 3-kHz). Nearly vertical slopes were employed (4000- order finite impulse response filtering) to avoid the major contribution to intelligibility made even by conventionally steep slopes (e.g., 100 dB/octave) (see [J. Acoust. Soc. Amer. 108 (2000) 1264]). Heard alone at 75 dB, the rectangular band intelligibilities were 5% (1 kHz) and 10% (3 kHz); heard together, their score was 77%. Conformity to the normal spectral profile was not required for this remarkably high degree of synergy: When the 3-kHz band was kept at 75 dB and the 1-kHz band's level was decreased systematically, intelligibility remained unchanged from 75 to 45 dB (intensity ratio of 1000:1). But when the rectangular bands were kept at their normal levels, and one band was delayed relative to the other, intelligibility dropped to half with a misalignment of only about 35 ms (approximately half the duration of the average phoneme); scores dropped further, approaching that of a single band when asynchrony approximated average phonemic durations.
A Structural Snapshot of CYP2B4 in Complex with Paroxetine Provides Insights into Ligand Binding and Clusters of Conformational States

An X-ray crystal structure of CYP2B4 in complex with the drug paroxetine [(3S,4R)-3-[(2H-1,3-benzodioxol-5-yloxy)methyl]-4-(4-fluorophenyl)piperidine] was solved at 2.14 A resolution. The structure revealed a conformation intermediate to that of the recently solved complex with amlodipine and that of the more compact complex with 4-(4-chlorophenyl)imidazole in terms of the placement of the F-G cassette. Moreover, comparison of the new structure with 15 previously solved structures of CYP2B4 revealed some new insights into the determinants of active-site size and shape. The 2B4-paroxetine structure is nearly superimposable on a previously solved closed structure in a ligand-free state. Despite the overall conformational similarity among multiple closed structures, the active-site cavity volume of the paroxetine complex is enlarged. Further analysis of the accessible space and binding pocket near the heme reveals a new subchamber that resulted from the movement of secondary structural elements and rearrangements of active-site side chains. Overall, the results from the comparison of all 16 structures of CYP2B4 demonstrate a cluster of protein conformations that were observed in the presence or absence of various ligands.
Oral and i.v.-to-p.o. switch antibiotic therapy of hospitalized patients with serious infections.

Dear Sir I read with interest the article by Waagsbro et al. on their i.v.-to-p.o. switch program experience to reduce the duration of inpatient intravenous (i.v.) antibiotic therapy [1]. Their stu...
Stability analysis for persistent CSMA/CD systems

The concepts of expected drift and first exit time are applied to address the stability issue of a generic p-persistent carrier sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) protocol that includes the nonpersistent and 1-persistent protocols as special cases. Both slotted and nonslotted operations are treated. By utilizing the zero-drift condition as an input-output balance condition, the formidable tasks of specifying the channel load lines and equilibrium contours are avoided in this approach when assessing the stability performance of a persistent CSMA/CD system. Also characterized is the packet output of the process of the generic p-persistent CSMA/CD protocol under a finite population model. Explicit expressions are provided for calculating the first moment of the packet interdeparture time so that the channel throughput and packet delay can be easily evaluated. >
Expert Voices: What Cooperating Teachers and Teacher Candidates Say About Quality Student Teaching Placements and Experiences

This study investigated characteristics and attributes of the student teaching experience to better understand what makes a quality student teaching experience. This article reflects a holistic approach by addressing the overall context of a quality student teaching experience that includes the environment, characteristics of successful cooperating teachers and teacher candidates, and the benefits and challenges of each. In this article the authors present the findings from the experiences and insights of teacher candidates and cooperating teachers whom the authors consider to be the experts. Additionally, the authors describe complexities of practicum experiences and suggest implications for teacher educators.
On the Analysis of a Transmission Line With Nonlinear Terminations Using the Time-Dependent BLT Equation

In this paper, the Baum-Liu-Tesche (BLT) equation is extended from the frequency domain into the time domain, so as to permit an analysis of a transmission line with nonlinear loads at each end of the line. To do this, we use both the voltage and current BLT equations in the time domain, together with the nonlinear v-i relationships for the termination loads, to formulate a nonlinear BLT equation for the unknown reflection coefficients at each end of the line. This equation is solved by a time-marching procedure, and its solution provides transient reflection coefficients at the nonlinear terminations. Once the reflection coefficients are determined, the load voltages and currents can be computed from the transient BLT equations. This computational procedure is illustrated with several examples.
Rapid prototyping of digital enterprises using content management systems

The World Wide Web is playing a vital role in today's digital world. Most enterprises are becoming digital. Also, students and regular web users are turning their personal Web sites into small digital enterprises. Therefore, it is necessary to make the process of developing digital enterprises as automated as possible. A feasible way to build a digital enterprise is to use an appropriate content management system, which automates most of the application requirements. A few case studies are reported in this paper to explain how the rapid prototyping process can be made easier using content management systems. These case studies include rebuilding an existing Web site (ETD) by enhancing its features and building a prototype for a proposed Web site (SEBE and SDPS).
Fluoride mouthrinse programs in fluoridated communities

A recent report of the American Fund for Dental Health/Rand Corp (AFDH/ Rand) National Preventive Demonstra­ tion Program questions the effectiveness of school-based fluoride mouthrinse pro­ grams in the United States.1'3 The study, conducted between 1977 and 1981 in ten US communities, separated geograph­ ically, reported that only a minor preven­ tive effect for fluoride mouthrinses was found in general, and almost no effect was found when fluoride mouthrinses were used in areas with fluoridated water supplies. Because the results were unexpected and contrary to conventional thinking re­ garding the effectiveness of school-based fluoride mouthrinsing, it can be expected that the AFDH/Rand study will be exam­ ined and appraised. In view of changes in the environment and dental disease pat­ terns, it seems appropriate that previous studies, on which current practices are based, also should be reviewed and eval­ uated. It is possible that the secular de­ cline in caries prevalence in the United States4 has reduced the potential effec­ tiveness of all preventive procedures.
Stable efficient solid-state white-light-emitting phosphor with a high scotopic/photopic ratio fabricated from fused CdSe-silica nanocomposites.

1 ] Two approaches to the development of solid-state lighting have been successfully implemented in commercially available white-light light-emitting diodes (LEDs). One method is the use of a phosphor conversion diode, in which a photodiode, emitting UV light, excites a phosphor (or group of phosphors), which then emits, singularly or collectively, white light.
Use and Abuse of Psychiatric Emergency Services

The pattern of use of psychiatric emergency services of a large university hospital are examined for a twelve month period. Factors associated with social isolation and poverty were found to be linked both with multiple episodes and disposition to a public facility. The implications for health planners are discussed.
Dynamical properties of quantum Hall edge states.

We consider the dynamical properties of simple edge states in integer ({nu}=1) and fractional ({nu}=1/2{ital m}+1) quantum Hall (QH) liquids. The influence of a time-dependent local perturbation on the ground state is investigated. It is shown that the orthogonality catastrophe occurs for the initial and final state overlap {vert_bar}{l_angle}{ital i}{vert_bar}{ital f}{r_angle}{vert_bar}{similar_to}{ital L}{sup {minus}(1/2{nu})({delta}/{pi}){sup 2}} with the phase shift {delta}. The transition probability for the x-ray problem is also found with the index, dependent on {nu}. Optical experiments that measure the x-ray response of the QH edge are discussed. We also consider electrons tunneling from a one-dimensional Fermi liquid into a QH fluid. For any filling fraction the tunneling from a Fermi liquid to the QH edge is suppressed at low temperatures and we find the nonlinear {ital I}-{ital V} characteristics {ital I}{similar_to}{ital V}{sup 1/{nu}}.
Mixotrophic Growth of Hydrogenomonas eutropha

Mixotrophic growth conditions were established by the addition of lactate to cultures of Hydrogenomonas eutropha growing autotrophically in a gaseous environment of H2, O2, and CO2 (6:2:1). The specific growth rate of mixotrophic cultures was double that of the autotrophic cultures, and lactate disappearance paralleled growth. Growth yields in mixotrophic cultures were significantly greater than those in heterotrophic cultures for equal quantities of lactate consumed. The magnitude of the increase in yield was directly proportional to the absolute growth rate at the time of lactate addition to the starting autotrophic culture and to the time under mixotrophic conditions. The specific activities of hydrogenase and ribulose diphosphate carboxylase decreased during mixotrophic growth; the total activities increased somewhat. The results suggested that the complete autotrophic and heterotrophic physiologies functioned simultaneously under mixotrophic contions.
Migrating to optimal RBAC with minimal perturbation

Devising a complete and correct set of roles has been recognized as one of the most important and challenging tasks in implementing role based access control. A key problem related to this is the notion of goodness - when is a set of roles good? Recently, the role mining problem (RMP) has been defined as the problem of discovering an optimal set of roles from existing user permissions. Several different objectives for optimality have been proposed. However, one problem with these definitions is that often organizations already have a deployed set of roles and wish to optimize this set. Even if an optimal set of roles is discovered, if this is widely different, it is impossible to simply throw out the deployed roles and start using the new ones as this may disrupt organizational processes and separation of duty constraints that are defined on roles. Essentially, what is missing is taking role migration cost into account when defining optimality, which would allow us to come up with the best suited set of roles.In this paper, we define a fundamentally different Role Mining Problem that takes the problem of deployed roles into account. We define the Minimal Perturbation RMP as the problem of discovering an optimal set of roles from existing user permissions that are similar to the currently deployed roles. In order to do this, we discuss the concept of similarity of roles and propose suitable definitions. Solutions also need to be parameterized to set relative weight of similarity and minimality to find the optimal set. We propose a heuristic solution based on the previously developed FastMiner algorithm that meets these requirements. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm through our experimental results.
The earth radiation budget experiment: Early validation results

The Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) consists of radiometers on a dedicated spacecraft in a 57° inclination orbit, which has a precessional period of 2 months, and on two NOAA operational meteorological spacecraft in near polar orbits. The radiometers include scanning narrow field-of-view (FOV) and nadir-looking wide and medium FOV radiometers covering the ranges 0.2 to 5 μm and 5 to 50 μm and a solar monitoring channel. This paper describes the validation procedures and preliminary results. Each of the radiometer channels underwent extensive ground calibration, and the instrument packages include in-flight calibration facilities which, to date, show negligible changes of the instruments in orbit, except for gradual degradation of the suprasil dome of the shortwave wide FOV (about 4% per year). Measurements of the solar constant by the solar monitors, wide FOV, and medium FOV radiometers of two spacecraft agree to a fraction of a percent. Intercomparisons of the wide and medium FOV radiometers with the scanning radiometers show agreement of 1 to 4%. The multiple ERBE satellites are acquiring the first global measurements of regional scale diurnal variations in the Earth's radiation budget. These diurnal variations are verified by comparison with high temporal resolution geostationary satellite data.
Reverse genetics of arenaviruses.

Arenaviruses merit significant attention both as experimental models to study acute and persistent infections and as clinically important human pathogens, including hemorrhagic fever agents such as Lassa virus.
Model-P: a basecalling method for resequencing microarrays of diploid samples

Motivation: Basecalling is a critical step of the analysis of DNA resequencing microarray data for single nucleotide polymorphism discovery and genotyping. For microarrays hybridized with DNA derived from diploid organisms, basecalling with high accuracy at high call rates is a challenging task. Current methods sometimes do not produce satisfactory results. Results: We explored using physical models based on the sequences of the probe and the target to predict feature intensities in resequencing microarrays. Based on these intensity-predicting models, a new basecalling method (Model-P), which takes into consideration the expected feature intensities for different potential genotypes, was developed. Model-P is shown to have better performance at high call rates compared with ABACUS, the current state-of-the-art method, on a test dataset and on relatively AT-rich regions. Availability: Model-P is available upon request. Contact: dkulp@cs.umass.edu
Beyond Substituted Judgment: How Surrogates Navigate End-of-Life Decision-Making

OBJECTIVES: To characterize how surrogates plan to make medical decisions for others. DESIGN: Descriptive study using semistructured qualitative interviews. SETTING: Surrogates were interviewed by telephone from their homes. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty experienced surrogate decision-makers identified to make decisions for older, chronically ill veterans. MEASUREMENTS: Surrogates were asked to describe advance care planning conversations with loved ones and how they planned to make future medical decisions. Thematic content analysis was used to identify bases for decision-making. RESULTS: Surrogates described the motivators and the content of advance care planning conversations with loved ones. Surrogates described five bases for decision-making: (1) conversations (making decisions based on their knowledge of their loved ones' preferences), (2) relying on documents (referring to their loved ones' advance care directives), (3) shared experience (believing an “inner sense” would guide decisions because of shared lived experience with loved ones), (4) surrogates' own values and preferences about life, and (5) surrogates' network (enlisting the help of others). CONCLUSION: Although ethicists and clinicians expect surrogates to use substituted judgment or patients' best interests when making decisions, these data indicate that many surrogates rely on other factors such as their own best interests or mutual interests of themselves and the patient or intend to base substituted judgments on documents with which they have little familiarity.
Frequency‐domain modelling of airborne electromagnetic responses using staggered finite differences

A 3D frequency-domain EM modelling code has been implemented for helicopter electromagnetic (HEM) simulations. A vector Helmholtz equation for the electric fields is employed to avoid convergence problems associated with the first-order Maxwell's equations when air is present. Additional stability is introduced by formulating the problem in terms of the scattered electric fields. With this formulation the impressed dipole source is replaced with an equivalent source, which for the airborne configuration possesses a smoother spatial dependence and is easier to model. In order to compute this equivalent source, a primary field arising from dipole sources of either a whole space or a layered half-space must be calculated at locations where the conductivity is different from that of the background. The Helmholtz equation is approximated using finite differences on a staggered grid. After finite-differencing, a complex-symmetric matrix system of equations is assembled and preconditioned using Jacobi scaling before it is solved using the quasi-minimum residual (QMR) method. The modelling code has been compared with other 1D and 3D numerical models and is found to produce results in good agreement. We have used the solution to simulate novel HEM responses that are computationally intractable using integral equation (IE) solutions. These simulations include a 2D conductor residing at a fault contact with and without topography. Our simulations show that the quadrature response is a very good indicator of the faulted background, while the in-phase response indicates the presence of the conductor. However when interpreting the in-phase response, it is possible erroneously to infer a dipping conductor due to the contribution of the faulted background.
Directing Retribution: On the Political Control of Lower Court Judges

The sentencing decisions of trial judges are constrained by statutory limits imposed by legislatures. At the same time, judges in many states face periodic review, often by the electorate. We develop a model in which the effects of these features of a judge's political landscape on judicial behavior interact. The model yields several intriguing results: First, if legislators care about the proportionality of punishment, judicial discretion increases with their punitiveness. Second, voters are limited by two factors in their ability to make inferences about judicial preferences based on observed sentences: the extent to which judges are willing to pander to retain office and the range of judicial discretion mandated by the legislature. Finally, legislators can sometimes manipulate judicial discretion to aid sufficiently like-minded voters in their efforts to replace ideologically dissimilar judges.
A stochastic reward net model for dependability analysis of real-time computing systems

Dependability assessment plays an important role in the design and validation of fault-tolerant real-lime computer systems. Dependability models provide measures such as reliability, safety and mean time to failure as functions of the component failure rates and fault/error coverage probabilities. In this paper we present a decomposition technique that accounts for both the hardware and software architectural characteristics of the modelled systems. Stochastic reward nets are employed as a unique modeling framework. Dependability of a railroad control computer, which relies an software techniques for fault/error handling, is analysed as an application example. >