cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute promyelocytic leukaemia: a study of 39 cases with identification of a hyperbasophilic microgranular variant

Thirty-nine cases of acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) were divided into two morphological subgroups, typical hypergranular APL (31 cases) and microgranular APL (eight cases, 21%). The leukaemic cells in the microgranular APL cases were characterized by striking nuclear folding or lobulation; granulation was present in most of these cells but was less abundant and finer than in typical APL. In three microgranular APL cases a distinctive small leukaemic promyelocyte with unusual nuclear lobulation and deeply basophilic cytoplasm containing few or no visable granules was the predominant leukaemic cell. This small hyperbasophilic promyelocyte was also present as a minor population of cells in the other five microgranular APL case and in 28 of the 31 typical APL cases. Ultrastructurally the most abundant promyelocytes in microgranular APL had smaller and usually fewer granules than in typical APL; other characteristic ultrastructural features of APL were found with equal frequency. The median blood leucocyte count was significantly higher in microgranular APL, 83.0 x 10(9) x 10(9)/l, than in typical APL, 1.8 x 10(9)/l (P less than 0.01). The median duration of complete remission (CR) for microgranular APL, 6.5 months, was shorter than the 21 + month median CR for typical APL. The morphological characteristics of microgranular APL may mimic those of myelomonocytic leukaemia; however, the presence of cells with multiple Auer rods, large inclusions of Auer-like material and the small hyperbasophilic promyelocytes are important distinguishing features. In equivocal cases cytochemistry, electron microscopy and cytogenetic studies may verify the diagnosis.
Electronic Health Records and the Increasing Complexity of Medical Practice

To the Editors:—We read the Letter to the Editor by Drs. Kern and Kaushal regarding our Editorial and Comment on the use of electronic health records (EHRs) in health care nodding in agreement.1 EHRs are rapidly becoming ubiquitous,2 and their effect on quality is yet to be fully understood. It is vital that we study the impact of EHRs, be it neutral, positive, or negative. Our only point of disagreement is what constitutes the “standard of care.” EHR use has been essentially mandated. Three-quarters of physicians currently use an EHR, a 25 % absolute increase from last year.2 EHRs are the standard of care. That said, EHRs are far from perfect, and our new “standard” is anything but; there are over 200 certified EHRs available being variably implemented and used. It is imperative to study differences in EHRs and EHR use and stay focused on the ultimate goal of delivering high-value, high-quality care for our patients.
Pulsed laser glazing

Abstract An analysis of the parameters of the pulsed laser glazing process is presented and the effect of the shape of the pulse on the heat transfer efficiency is pointed out. The efficiency of the process is discussed in terms of the temporal and spatial profile of the pulse. Shorter pulses are more efficient but may lead to vaporization. Bulk samples are surface melted while plasma-sprayed coatings are either shallow densified or fully densified and cladded to the substrate material. The influence of the process parameters on the nature of coatings and substrates is discussed. Ways to improve the laser beam coupling efficiency and uniformity are indicated. Results obtained with an optical integrator which consists basically of a gold-coated hemisphere are shown.
Consideration For Minicomputer Applications To Large Optical Design Programs

Historically, the practice of lens design predates the electronic computer. As a result, in the early days of the computer, the lens design application presented a computational workload that strained the available computers. As the computers gained speed and capacity, the computation appetite of the lens design application similarly increased, up to a point. Eventually, the power of the computer evolved far beyond the needs of lens design. The task has changed from obtaining time on the most powerful computer available to selecting the most appropriate computer from a vast list of candidates.
Genome-Wide Signatures of ‘Rearrangement Hotspots’ within Segmental Duplications in Humans

The primary objective of this study was to create a genome-wide high resolution map (i.e., >100 bp) of ‘rearrangement hotspots’ which can facilitate the identification of regions capable of mediating de novo deletions or duplications in humans. A hierarchical method was employed to fragment segmental duplications (SDs) into multiple smaller SD units. Combining an end space free pairwise alignment algorithm with a ‘seed and extend’ approach, we have exhaustively searched 409 million alignments to detect complex structural rearrangements within the reference-guided assembly of the NA18507 human genome (18× coverage), including the previously identified novel 4.8 Mb sequence from de novo assembly within this genome. We have identified 1,963 rearrangement hotspots within SDs which encompass 166 genes and display an enrichment of duplicated gene nucleotide variants (DNVs). These regions are correlated with increased non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR) event frequency which presumably represents the origin of copy number variations (CNVs) and pathogenic duplications/deletions. Analysis revealed that 20% of the detected hotspots are clustered within the proximal and distal SD breakpoints flanked by the pathogenic deletions/duplications that have been mapped for 24 NAHR-mediated genomic disorders. FISH Validation of selected complex regions revealed 94% concordance with in silico localization of the highly homologous derivatives. Other results from this study indicate that intra-chromosomal recombination is enhanced in genic compared with agenic duplicated regions, and that gene desert regions comprising SDs may represent reservoirs for creation of novel genes. The generation of genome-wide signatures of ‘rearrangement hotspots’, which likely serve as templates for NAHR, may provide a powerful approach towards understanding the underlying mutational mechanism(s) for development of constitutional and acquired diseases.
Teachers' Perceptions of Students With Speech Sound Disorders: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

Purpose This study examined 2nd-grade teachers' perceptions of the academic, social, and behavioral competence of students with speech sound disorders (SSDs). Method Forty-eight 2nd-grade teachers ...
Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Nebulized Metaproterenol Solution in Bronchial Asthma*

A 5-percent solution of the sympathomimetic bronchodilator, metaproterenol sulfate (Alupent) was evaluated by comparison with an 0.5-percent solution of isoproterenol in a double-blind crossover study before and after 60 days of inhalation of metaproterenol administered at least four times daily via a hand-bulb nebulizer. Data from tests of pulmonary function obtained in 27 asthmatic patients indicated that metaproterenol sulfate in this dose form surpassed isoproterenol in the duration of effect after seven weeks of continuous administration. Side effects did not necessitate the interruption of metaproterenol therapy. No evidence of the development of tolerance to the drug was shown by any of the patients at the end of the study.
A k -Median Algorithm with Running Time Independent of Data Size

We give a sampling-based algorithm for the k-Median problem, with running time O(k(\frac{k^2}{\epsilon} log k)2 log(\frac{k}{\epsilon} log k)), where k is the desired number of clusters and e is a confidence parameter. This is the first k-Median algorithm with fully polynomial running time that is independent of n, the size of the data set. It gives a solution that is, with high probability, an O(1)-approximation, if each cluster in some optimal solution has Ω(\frac{n\epsilon}{k}) points. We also give weakly-polynomial-time algorithms for this problem and a relaxed version of k-Median in which a small fraction of outliers can be excluded. We give near-matching lower bounds showing that this assumption about cluster size is necessary. We also present a related algorithm for finding a clustering that excludes a small number of outliers.
Dysphagia in the pediatric AIDS population.

Failure to thrive is frequently reported in children with AIDS. The records of 55 children with AIDS were reviewed. At some point in their illness, 25 of these children presented with dysphagia that contributed to their failure to thrive. The various etiologies of the dysphagia are presented and treatment strategies are discussed.
Influence of clinical history on perception of abnormalities in pediatric radiographs

Rationale and Objectives . We tested whether having clinical information would improve perception or simply decision making. Methods . Sixty-four pediatric chest and abdominal radiographs, half of which had abnormalitis, were presented to nine radiologists under one of two conditions. In one condition, history consistent with abnormalities actually present for positive cases was provide for positive and matched negative cases before inspection. In a second condition, this information was provided only after inspection was completed and the radiograph was no longer available. Because detailed visual memory is short-lived, the image information was no longer avalable when the history was provided after inspection. A control condition measured detection without history. Results . Detertion was significantly better with history provided before inspection. Detection did not differ for history provided after inspection and inspection without history. Conclusion . The only difference between conditions with history was in whether history influenced perception; history afected decision making in both conditions. Clinical history affected perception in interpreting radiographs, not simply decision making.
THE CDC MODEL OF URBAN REDEVELOPMENT: A Critique and an Alternative

ABSTRACT: This paper questions the viability of an urban redevelopment model that relies on small community development corporations (CDCs) and proposes an alternative. Because most CDCs are severely undercapitalized, they can not keep up with accelerating decay. Their existence, and the emphasis placed on their supposed successes, allow elites to blame poor neighborhood CDCs rather than external conditions for redevelopment failure. The model also emphasizes that CDCs be community–based, but because their resource base is controlled from outside the neighborhood there is really very little community control over CDCs. CDCs may even delegitimize more empowerment–focused community organizing attempts by making them appear radical. Consequently, the CDC development process may actually disorganize poor communities by creating internal competition or disrupting social networks. An alternative model of neighborhood redevelopment is proposed which emphasizes community organizing, community–controlled planning, and high–capacity multi–local CDCs held accountable through a strong community organizing process.
Meat sharing among the Gombe chimpanzees: harassment and reciprocal exchange

Sharing food with nonkin is detrimental to a food donor's fitness, unless it is matched by compensatory benefits. I evaluated two explanations for nonkin meat sharing among wild chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii. Reciprocal exchange proposes that a possessor relinquishes food in exchange for past or future sharing or for items of a different currency (e.g. grooming, alliances or copulations). The second hypothesis is the sharing-under-pressure/harassment model, which proposes that an individual shares to avoid the costs of defending a food item against persistent beggars. At Gombe National Park, Tanzania, I collected dyadic grooming and association data during focal follows of adult male chimpanzees. I videotaped meat-eating bouts, subsequently extracting detailed begging and sharing data. There was mixed support for the reciprocal exchange hypothesis. Sharing with males was not influenced by overall association and grooming rates. Female sexual receptivity did not affect the probability of sharing, nor did sharing increase the probability of mating. Meat possessors shared larger amounts, and were more likely to share actively with frequent female grooming partners. However, this pattern may have resulted from increased harassment by these individuals. In contrast, the sharing-under-pressure hypothesis was consistently supported: the possessor's feeding rate decreased with the number of beggars, the probability of sharing increased with the occurrence and duration of harassment, and harassment decreased following sharing events. I conclude that the pattern of meat sharing among the Gombe chimpanzees is largely explained by the sharing-under-pressure hypothesis, while the significance of reciprocal exchange remains unclear.
Relationship of environmental pCO2 to selected blood parameters of Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum)

Blood samples from sub-adult coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) were correlated with environmental conditions. Carbon dioxide tensions, pH and bicarbonate levels were determined in the blood for fish acclimated to environmental pCO2 levels of 2.49 and 2.74 mmHg. Fish were removed from the high pCO2 environment and placed in one with a low pCO2. Their blood pH and pCO2 were monitored during the course of acclimation. After 27 days of acclimation to a low pCO2 environment, a group of fish was sampled and compared to a group of fish acclimated to a high pCO2 environment. It was found that pCO2 in the environment affects the rate of diffusion of carbon dioxide from the blood to the water. Under the environmental conditions prescribed in these experiments no significant change in bicarbonate was noticed. It is postulated that a bicarbonate chloride exchange is not a major pathway for the removal of carbon dioxide from the blood of O. kisutch.
Abnormal vitelline envelope induced by unphysiological doses of ecdysterone in Aedes aegypti

. The oocytes of 3-day-old unfed Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are in a state of oogenic arrest, but microgram doses of ecdysterone stimulate their accumulation of a variable amount of yolk. We now find that these doses also induce the deposition of plaques of vitelline envelope by the follicle cells, and with transmission electron microscopy we have compared their formation with that in normal blood-fed females. Plaques in the experimental animals were abnormally large and irregular in shape and distribution. In part, these abnormalities were attributable to the fact that the follicle cells remain in close contact with the oocyte, whereas the space between follicle cells and oocyte increase significantly in the blood-fed female. Deposition of the plaques occurred earliest after the injection of 5 μg ecdysterone, but even at this high dose the amount of plaque material deposited was less than in the blood-fed controls. Induction of the deposition of abnormal vitelline envelope in unfed females was most clearly demonstrated after two injections, 1 μg ecdysterone each, 14h apart; 24h after the second injection, the plaques had prematurely fused into a thin disorganized envelope. When females were injected with ecdysterone immediately after a blood-meal, vitelline envelope plaques formed prematurely, and their structure became increasingly abnormal with time. This early onset of activity was characteristic of follicle cells adjacent both to the oocyte and to nurse cells. Thus, the factors that normally control the formation and organization of the vitelline envelope are absent in the unfed female stimulated with high doses of ecdysterone, while in the blood-fed females, excessive ecdysterone apparently interferes with the timing and orderly sequence of envelope formation.
EDTA a Novel Inducer of Pisatin, a Phytoalexin Indicator of the Non-Host Resistance in Peas

Pea pod endocarp suppresses the growth of an inappropriate fungus or non-pathogen by generating a "non-host resistance response" that completely suppresses growth of the challenging fungus within 6 h. Most of the components of this resistance response including pisatin production can be elicited by an extensive number of both biotic and abiotic inducers. Thus this phytoalexin serves as an indicator to be used in evaluating the chemical properties of inducers that can initiate the resistance response. Many of the pisatin inducers are reported to interact with DNA and potentially cause DNA damage. Here we propose that EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is an elicitor to evoke non-host resistance in plants. EDTA is manufactured as a chelating agent, however at low concentration it is a strong elicitor, inducing the phytoalexin pisatin, cellular DNA damage and defense-responsive genes. It is capable of activating complete resistance in peas against a pea pathogen. Since there is also an accompanying fragmentation of pea DNA and alteration in the size of pea nuclei, the potential biochemical insult as a metal chelator may not be its primary action. The potential effects of EDTA on the structure of DNA within pea chromatin may assist the transcription of plant defense genes.
Short-term viral exposure and memory.

An important feature of the immune response to intracellular pathogens is the activation of pathogen-specific effector CD8 T cells, which recognize pathogen-derived peptide antigens in association with the host cells' own class I major histocompatibility complex-encoded glycoproteins on the cell surface. The pathogen is controlled, and ultimately cleared, by either the cytolytic destruction of the host cells harboring the organism or through various cytokine-mediated functions that limit pathogen replication within the host cell. Once the primary infection is controlled, a pool of circulating memory CD8 T cells is established, which responds rapidly upon reinfection with the same pathogen. These characteristics of the immune response are an important consideration in the design and delivery of vaccines based upon the optimal activation and expansion of protective pathogen-specific CD8 T cells. The kinetics of this response have been well characterized in mice responding to systemic infections, most notably the mouse viral pathogen, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus,1 vesicular stomatitis virus,2 liver stage malaria3 and the intracellular bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes.4 The general features of the response include the rapid activation of naive antigen-specific CD8 T cells and their subsequent proliferation within secondary lymphoid tissues, within which they reach a peak corresponding to the onset of pathogen clearance. This is followed by a rapid contraction of antigen-specific CD8 T cell numbers to levels of 5–15% of the peak numbers, and these levels persist for life.
Increased prevalence of renal and urinary tract anomalies in children with congenital hypothyroidism.

Objective We investigated the prevalence of congenital renal and urologic anomalies in children with congenital hypothyroidism to determine whether further renal and urologic investigations would be of benefit. Study design Prevalence of congenital hypothyroidism was obtained from the New York State Congenital Malformation Registry. The occurrence of urinary tract anomalies were calculated for children with congenital hypothyroidism and compared to children without congenital hypothyroidism. In addition we obtained congenital hypothyroidism data from New York State newborn screening, and the cases were matched to Congenital Malformation Registry. Results Analysis of Congenital Malformation Registry data showed 980 children with congenital hypothyroidism and 3 661 585 children without congenital hypothyroidism born in New York State (1992-2005). Children with congenital hypothyroidism have a significantly increased risk of congenital renal and urological anomalies with the odds ratio (OR) of 13.2 (10.6-16.5). The other significantly increased defects in congenital hypothyroidism were cardiac, gastrointestinal, and skeletal. Analysis of matched data confirmed an increase of congenital renal and urologic anomalies with OR of 4.8 (3.7-6.3). Conclusions Children with congenital hypothyroidism have an increased prevalence of congenital renal and urologic anomalies. We suggest that these children should be evaluated for the presence of congenital renal and urologic anomalies with renal ultrasonography, and that further studies of common genes involved in thyroid and kidney development are warranted.
Rapid high-performance liquid chromatography method to quantitate elaterinide in juice and reconstituted residues from a bitter mutant of hawkesbury watermelon.

A C18 reversed-phase HPLC method has been developed to analyze the concentration of 2-O-β-d-glycopyranosyl-cucurbitacin E (synonym, elaterinide) in juice or reconstituted residues of juice derived from a bitter mutant of Hawkesbury watermelon, Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai. The method requires only two steps (homogenation and filtration) for sample preparation prior to column injection and, thus, is amenable to processing large numbers of test samples. Percent elaterinide in juice samples from whole fruit, processed in various ways, ranged from 0.0230 to 0.0808%. Error differences in percent elaterinide for repetitive analyses within the same lot of juice ranged from 1.2 to 5.6%. Keywords: HPLC analysis; corn rootworm; elaterinide; cucurbitacin E glycoside; Hawkesbury watermelon; Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.; Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai.
New frontiers in headache therapy.

There are numerous headache therapies available for our patients, more for migraine than for any of the other primary headache disorders. Only four medications have been approved for migraine prevention in the last few decades in the US and onabotulinumtoxinA was recently approved in the UK and the US for chronic migraine. We have been more fortunate in the acute care arena where in the US we have had seven triptans and one nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication approved by the FDA and currently available. There are several other acute care medications in various stages of development and there are two new methods of administering a triptan and others under investigation. We are always looking for faster, easier and more efficient administration of medications with fewer adverse events, as optimal migraine therapy requires these characteristics. What follows is a brief review of the progress in development for four of the many new acute care medications being investigated: the CGRP antagonist tablet telcagepant, the sumatriptan iontophoretic patch, sumatriptan powder for use in the OptiNose apparatus and the dihydroergotamine oral inhaler. I will not include transcranial magnetic stimulation, a 5-HT1F agonist, large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel openers, glial modulators or other medications and devices in early stages of development [1].
Said Another Way. Is the ADN Graduate Prepared to Practice in Community Settings

The downsizing and closing of acute care facilities and the movement to community-based healthcare services are decreasing the need for RNs in acute care facilities. In the past, the associate-degree nurse (ADN) has filled the majority of positions in acute care. With the trend to provide health services in community setting, will the ADN be prepared for positions in community facilities? ADN educators must reevaluate how they are educating students for practice. The author reviews the 1995 recommendations from the Pew Health Professions Commission and relevant current directives from the National League for Nursing.
Honderich on mental events and psychoneural laws

The paper discusses Ted Honderich's ‘Hypothesis of Psychoneural Correlation’, one of the three fundamental ‘hypotheses’ of his Theory of Determinism. This doctrine holds that there is a pervasive system of psychoneural laws connecting every mental event with a neural correlate. Various questions are raised and discussed concerning the formulation of the thesis, Honderich's concepts of ‘mental’ and ‘physical’, and the possible grounds for accepting the thesis. Finally, Honderich's response to Donald Davidson's well‐known arguments for psychophysical anomalism is discussed.
Acute kidney injury: Urine output in AKI--the canary in the coal mine?

Ralib et al. report that urine output (UO) 6 h predicts a composite outcome of mortality and dialysis requirement in critically ill patients. Their findings validate UO as a marker of acute kidney injury, but raise the question of whether the diagnostic thresholds should be more stringent.
Ultrastructure of the bone marrow in three murine strains with non‐malignant lymphoproliferative syndromes NZBxW, BXSB, and MRL/1pr

Three mouse strains, NZBxW, BXSB, and MRL/1pr have well documented congenital lymphoproliferative syndromes and lupus-like disease. We studied the ultrastructures of the marrows of these mice searching for a model for intramedullary lymphopoiesis. In MRL/1pr, the strain with the most severe disease, the marrow was largely populated by large lymphocytes associated with dark branching stromal cells. These stromal cells are apparently of a recently recognized cell type which has been associated with extremely accelerated eosinophilopoiesis and erythropoiesis. They did not appear in the lymph nodes and spleens of the MRL/1pr mice or in the marrows of the other strains. BXSB marrows showed some non-proliferant lymphocytic infiltrates and heightened erythropoiesis while NZBxW marrows resembled controls. We suggest that the dark stromal cells in the MRL/1pr marrows were important in supporting the production or differentiation of lymphoid precursor cells.
The skulls of our ancestors: Implications regarding speech, language, and conceptual thought evolution

Summary Anatomical studies compared the vocal tracts and skulls of immature and mature humans with those of other species and with the fossil skulls of ancestral human forms. The results offered an explanation of human vocal tract evolution and its possible relationship to the evolution of speech, language, and conceptual thought.
Flame Transfer Function Measurement and Instability Frequency Prediction Using a Thermoacoustic Model

The dynamic response of a turbulent premixed flame to an acoustic velocity perturbation was experimentally determined in a lean-premixed, swirl-stabilized, lab-scale gas turbine combustor. Fuel was injected far upstream of a choked inlet to eliminate equivalence ratio oscillations. A siren-type modulation device was used to provide acoustic perturbations at the forcing frequency of 100 ∼ 400 Hz. To measure global heat release rate, OH*, CH*, and CO2 * chemiluminescence emissions were used. The two-microphone method was utilized to estimate inlet velocity fluctuations, and it was calibrated by direct measurements using a hot wire anemometer under cold-flow conditions. Gain of the flame transfer function (FTF) shows a low pass filter behavior, and it is well-fitted by a second-order model. Phase difference increases quasi-linearly with the forcing frequency. Using the n-τ formulation, gain and phase of FTF were incorporated into an analytic thermoacoustic model in order to predict instability frequencies and corresponding modal structures. Self-excited flame response measurements were also performed to verify eigenfrequencies predicted by the thermoacoustic model. Instability frequency predicted by the thermoacoustic model is supported by experimental results. Two instability frequency bands were measured in the investigated gas turbine combustor at all operating conditions: f ∼ 220 Hz and f ∼ 350 Hz. Results show that the self-excited instability frequency of f ∼ 220 Hz results from the fact that the flames amplify flow perturbations with f = 150 ∼ 250 Hz. This frequency range was observed in the flame transfer function measurements. The other instability frequency of f ∼ 350 Hz occurs because the whole combustion system has an eigenfrequency corresponding to the 1/4-wave eigenmode of the mixing section. This was analytically and experimentally demonstrated. Results also show that the flame length, LCH*max , plays a critical role in determining self-induced instability frequency.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
An adaptive method for energy-efficiency in battery-powered embedded smart cameras

With the introduction of battery-powered wireless embedded smart cameras, it has now become viable to deploy large numbers of spatially-distributed cameras with more flexibility in terms of camera locations. However, many challenges remain to be addressed to build operational, battery-powered, wireless smart-camera networks. Battery life is limited, and video processing tasks, such as foreground detection and tracking, consume considerable amount of energy. Thus, it is essential to design and implement lightweight algorithms and methods to increase the energy efficiency of each camera node, and thus the overall life-time of the camera network. We present an adaptive method based on tracking that significantly decreases the energy consumption of the embedded camera. The microprocessor on the camera board is sent to an idle state depending on the amount of activity in the scene. The amount of time the camera remains in idle mode is adaptively changed based on the speeds of tracked objects. Instead of continuously capturing and processing every frame, the camera drops frames during idle mode while preserving the tracking performance and thus system reliability at the same time. We present experimental results showing the energy-efficiency of the proposed method, and the gain in battery life. The proposed methodology provides 25% to 37% savings in the energy consumption, and 45:83% to 65% increase in the battery life depending on the number of objects in the scene and their speeds.
Comment on "Canonical Programming of Nonlinear and Time-Varying Differential Equations"

A recent note by Soudack [1] discusses the application of Levine's method of canonical analog programming [2] to nonlinear and time-varying differential equations. Assuming that only the ai(t) are time-varying, Soudack states that canonical programming cannot be applied to the differential equation E ai(t) piy(t) = E bj(t) piu(t) (1) unless the condition m < n-q (2) is satisfied, where q is "the order of the highest derivative where a nonlinearity occurs, or is the highest derivative multiplied by a time-varying coefficient."
Ecological relationships between seedling emergence and litter cover in the earliest stage of plant succession on sandy soil

The relationships between seedling emergence and litter cover were studied in the earliest successional stage of a plant community. During a period of 3 years, changes in vegetation cover and species composition were assessed on three permanent quadrats with virgin sandy soil substrates A successional pattern from summer annual grasses to winter annual herbacoeus plants to biennial and perennial plants was confirmed, and invasion and replacement of the component species were conspicuous. The spatial distributions of seedlings and litter were heterogeneous in winter, and some patches consisting of both seedlings and litter were observed. There was a strong positive correlation between distribution patterns of seedlings and litter; seedling density increased with increasing litter cover. The results suggest that the litter cover of the previous stage plays an imporrant role in promoting successional changes in the early stage of plant succession.
The fine structure of a lateral recess of the subarachnoid space in the rat

This study reports an electron microscopic investigation to the spinal meninges of the rat as they exist between the dorsal and ventral nerve roots in upper thoracic and cervical levels of the vertebral column. Between these roots, at a point where they penetrate the spinal dura, the leptomeninges are characterized by a histological pattern comparable to that elsewhere comprising the subarachnoid angle. However, this region is modified and possesses a number of heretofore unknown histological features. The most noteworthy is a lateral recess of the subarachnoid space. The meninges located between the nerve roots do not form a definite lateral boundary for the subarachnoid space. Here the subarachnoid space opens into a lateral recess which extends peripherally between the dorsal and ventral nerve roots. Conspicuous amounts of cellular debris are collected within the lateral recess. Numerous free macrophages congregate here. The lateral recess may be a communicating pathway between the central and peripheral nervous systems by way of the endoneurium of the nerve trunk.
Feedback-directed thread scheduling with memory considerations

This paper describes a novel approach to generate an optimized schedule to run threads on distributed shared memory (DSM) systems. The approach relies upon a binary instrumentation tool to automatically acquire the memory sharingrelationship between user-level threads by analyzing their memory trace. We introduce the concept of Affinity Graph to model the relationship. Expensive I/O for large trace files is completely eliminated by using an online graph creation scheme. We apply the technique of hierarchical graph partitioning and thread reordering to the affinity graph to determine an optimal thread schedule. We have performed experiments on an SGI Altix system. The experimental results show that our approach is able to reduce the totalexecution time by 10% to 38% for a variety of applications through the maximization of the data reuse within a single processor, minimization of the data sharing between processors, and a good load balance.
NMR search for charge density waves

We show that the presence of a static charge density wave (CDW) should have pronounced effects on the NMR spectrum of a metal, such as potassium. With a thermally fluctuating CDW, the effects are averaged out, but may leave a residual contribution to the linewidth. Observed NMR spectra in potassium metal rule out the presence of a static CDW, but do not rule out the existence of a thermally fluctuating CDW. Our linewidth data combined with spin-lattice relaxation data of others require that the axis of the charge density wave be parallel to the applied field and that thermal fluctuations be rapid enough to produce correlation times less than 1.3 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}$ sec at 1.5 K. We are able to account for our linewidth (0.215 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.015 G) with interactions characteristic of the uniform-density conduction-electron state.
Improvement in image quality of computed radiography systems for mammography

The image quality of three experimental computed radiography (CR) mammography systems was compared through the measurement of commonly accepted image-quality metrics such as modulation transfer function (MTF) and detective quantum efficiency (DQE). The design and configuration of the scanners in the three systems were different in that they had different signal extraction strategies for each storage phosphor screen. Efforts were also made to improve the image quality through changes in phosphor layers, phosphor particle morphology, particle size distribution, and phosphor binder ratio. The effects on overall image quality as a result of these improvements were demonstrated on these systems. It was found that there were significant variations in system MTF and DQE, depending on how the CR system was configured. Higher system MTF does not always lead to higher DQE. Screen designs as well as scanning strategies need to be taken into consideration in order to achieve image quality improvements for the application of mammography.
Functional imaging of pain: new insights regarding the role of the cerebral cortex in human pain perception

Abstract There has been a large increase in the use of brain imaging technologies to study pain. Most likely this trend will accelerate even more in the near future. Comparing among the studies that have examined the brain physiology of human pain perception the general impression is confusing. It seems that depending on the laboratory, the specifics of the technology used and the details of stimulus delivery, different results are obtained regarding the brain sites and their type of involvement (increased or decreased activity) in pain perception. This review is an attempt to allay some of this confusion by proposing a set of hypotheses that can explain most of the differences more coherently. The main conclusion of this review is rather surprising, because the arguments lead to the notion that the spinothalamic pathway may not be the major system involved in clinically relevant pain states.
Sequence variations in CREB1 cosegregate with depressive disorders in women

Major depressive disorder (MDD) constitutes a major public health problem worldwide and affects women twice as frequently as men. Previous linkage studies have identified a 451 kb region of 2q33-35 that exhibited significant evidence of linkage to Mood Disorders among women (but not men) from families with recurrent, early-onset MDD (RE-MDD), a severe and strongly familial subtype of MDD. This 451 kb region includes CREB1, an attractive susceptibility gene for MDD and related disorders. Sequence variations in the CREB1 promoter and intron 8 have been detected that cosegregate with Mood Disorders, or their absence, in women from these families, identifying CREB1 as a sex-limited susceptibility gene for unipolar Mood Disorders. These findings implicate the cAMP signaling pathway in the pathophysiology of Mood Disorders and related conditions.
The value of private versus public risk and pure altruism: an experimental economics test

In 1996, Johannesson et al. published a paper entitled ‘The Value of Private Safety versus the Value of Public Safety’. Based on the preliminary evidence from a hypothetical contingent valuation study for public and private safety, these authors argue that consumers behave as ‘pure altruists’ who consider the cost of a program that might be imposed on other voters when they determine their maximum willingness-to-pay for public safety programs. The authors conclude that further empirical research in this area is warranted. This article presents a set of laboratory economics experiments to test Johannesson et al.'s conjecture under controlled conditions in which participants face an actual risk of financial loss. The laboratory results extend those of Johannesson et al.'s, providing strong evidence of pure altruism in coercive settings involving public risks.
Models to Estimate Subgrade Resilient Modulus for Pavement Design

Subgrade soil characterization, in terms of resilient modulus, is crucial for both flexible and rigid pavement design. Resilient moduli measured through repeated triaxial load tests on cylindrical disturbed/undisturbed samples are frequently used for characterizing subgrade soil. Because of the complexities encountered with the test, in-situ and other laboratory tests would be desirable if a reliable correlation can be established. In this paper, data from two-field test programs was used in developing correlation equations to predict resilient modulus of fine- and coarse-grained soils. Undisturbed samples are extracted from 12 in-service Mississippi subgrades, using a Shelby tube, and tested in a repeated triaxial machine for M R employing AASHTO TP46-94 protocol. The results suggest two comprehensive models—one for fine-grained and another for coarse-grained soil—in correlating laboratory M R to stress state. Model parameters are then correlated with soil index properties allowing the models to capture ...
Google Video : Just Another Video Sharing Site?

Many have heard that Google bought YouTube, but did you know that it has another product called Google Video? Not only is Google Video out there, but several other sites are also in the video sharing game. This article focuses on the current sites offering video sharing, their services, their philosophy, and allowing readers to compare for themselves.
Melatonin, pituitary function and stress in humans

Abstract (1) The nocturnal rise in plasma melatonin concentration continued through two cycles with continuous light occlusion by blindfolds in normal subjects. A daytime nap did not disturb the rhythm. (2) The plasma melatonin rhythm was present in patients with pituitary-adrenal and pituitary-gonadal failure, but appeared diminished or absent in patients bearing lesions at different points in the pineal afferent pathway. (3) In other patients and subjects who showed normal response of cortisol, growth hormone or prolactin after stimuli including hypoglycemia, pneumoencephalography, exercise or administration of l -dopa during the daytime, there was no stimulation of plasma melatonin concentration. (4) Melatonin was not correlated with prolactin in blood or cerebrospinal fluid of patients with a wide range of plasma prolactin levels. (5) The adult human melatonin rhythm is relatively independent from pituitary, gonadal, and adrenal function, but may rely on a neural pathway similar to that controlling the rhythm in lower animals. The human melatonin rhythm may represent the output of a stable oscillator with a signal relatively free from acute perturbation by sleep, darkness, or stress sufficient to cause changes in other hormones.
Multi-ethnic corporations and inter-ethnic conflict

Dealing with conflict is likely to become an increasingly important problem as more multinational corporations integrate multiethnic constituencies.
Brain microsomal metabolism of phencyclidine in male and female rats

These studies examined the microsomal brain metabolism of phencyclidine (PCP) in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Several monohydroxylated metabolites of PCP were detected including cis- and trans-1-(1-phenyl-4-hydroxycyclohexyl)piperidine (c-PPC and t-PPC) and 1-(1-phenylcyclohexyl)-4-hydroxypiperidine (PCHP). The in vitro formation of these metabolites required NADPH and was inhibited by carbon monoxide. c-PPC was formed in the male and female brain microsomes at rates of 7.1 +/- 1.3 and 5.7 +/- 1.1 fmol/min per mg, respectively, while t-PPC was formed at rates of 16.2 +/- 3.3 and 16.5 +/- 4.2 fmol/min per mg. PCHP had the highest formation rate at 50.7 +/- 8.9 and 48.2 +/- 8.8 fmol/min per mg, respectively. Although previous studies with rat liver microsomes find higher levels of PCP metabolism in male rats and the formation of an irreversibly bound metabolite in male rats, the present study of brain metabolism found no sex differences in brain metabolism. The formation of PCP metabolites in male rat livers is at least partially mediated by the male-specific isozyme CYP2C11, and possibly CYP2D1. Nevertheless, the formation of the major brain metabolite, PCHP, was not inhibited by an anti-CYP2C11 or an anti-CYP2D6 antibody. However, PCHP formation was inhibited by drug inhibitors of CYP2D1-mediated metabolism, suggesting the involvement of a CYP2D isoform. These data indicate brain metabolism of PCP is significant, but unlike the liver it is not sexually dimorphic.
Increasing students security awareness: article II. What C.S. graduates don`t learn about security concepts and ethical standards

Students think that security is crime prevention, someone else's business. In fact, security is error prevention and is everybody's business.At government and industrial conferences employers complain that C.S. and C.I.S. graduates 1) don't see security as a significant factor in getting their jobs done, and2) don't have a clear conception of what constitutes ethical professional behavior.This article, demonstrates ways to integrate into existing courses activities that promote students' awareness of professional responsibilities to protect the integrity of the systems and data they work with, and of accepted professional ethical standards.
The Economics of Enhanced Recovery Pathways

The fundamental impact of a colectomy enhanced recovery pathway is the increased efficiency provided by guidelines defining the sequencing and timing of interventions. The applicability of the pathway across a broad range of disease pathology and diverse patient populations must be considered and its value assessed across the entire episode of care. The major hurdle that limits the value proposition of an enhanced recovery pathway is successful implementation and maintenance of such pathways across all members participating in patient care. Increasing understanding of the surgical stress response will help us continue to create components within enhanced recovery pathways that will reduce morbidity and effectively reduce cost in management of colorectal patients.
Selective attrition and individual song repertoire development in song sparrows

We compared the songs of young male song sparrows, Melospiza melodia, in the early ‘plastic’ phase (while the songs may still be modified, or dropped altogether) and in the later ‘crystallized’ phase. Birds in this sample dropped 1–3 songs from their plastic repertoire on their way to a crystallized repertoire of 8–11 songs. Consistent with theory of selective attrition, the songs the young birds tended to drop were songs that matched fewer neighbours and matched them more poorly than the songs they retained. At the same time, however, the birds often modified the songs they retained so that these crystallized versions were less similar to the songs of their neighbours than the plastic versions had been. They were more likely to do this for songs they shared with more neighbours. Thus, the song learning process appears to consist of two opposing processes: a tendency to copy and retain the songs of the birds who will be the young bird's neighbours in the first breeding season; and a tendency to modify at least some of these songs so that they are more individually distinctive.
Multivariate Survival Analysis (II): An Overview of Multi-State Models in Biomedicine and Engineering Reliability

In this article, we review one of the two major models in multivariate survival analysis, the multi- state model (the other is the shared frailty model). Just like the whole multivariate survival analysis (MSA) subject, this category of models has been advanced mainly in biomedical research and is still in the development stage. Since similar models based on Markov chains have been widely used in engineering reliability, we try to put this review in the perspective of both biomedicine and engineering reliability, but with a focus on biomedicine applications. Although it is concise due to page limit, this overview covers the whole spectrum of multi-state modeling evolution, from progressive models, homogenous Markov process, general Markov process, Markov extensions (non-Markov) to the general multi-state modeling. There is a very encouraging notion that it is possible to estimate transition hazards and probabilities via non- or semi-parametric approaches, even if the model is formulated as non-Markov general multi-state models. In addition, we also briefly discuss the flow-graph model, which provides a powerful tool to analyze multi-state time-to-event data expressed with semi- Markov models.
Lightweight Object-Oriented Shared Variables for Cluster Computing in Java

This paper describes a lightweight yet powerful approach for writing distributed applications in Java using shared variables. Our approach, called ShareHolder, is inspired by the flexible and intuitive model of information access common to the World Wide Web. The distributed applications targeted by our approach all share a weak consistency model, similar to a user's model of accessing e-mail, bulletin boards, chat rooms, etc. on the Internet. The ShareHolder infrastructure has several advantages. Its highly object-oriented view of shared variables simplifies their initialization and configuration. A shared variable's distribution mechanism is specified through an associated configuration object, and the programmer does not need to write any extra code to implement the sharing mechanism. These configuration objects can be initialized at run-time, allowing tremendous flexibility in dynamic control of distribution of shared variables. Finally, the programmer can easily evolve a serial application into a distributed application for cluster computing by incrementally declaring certain classes as shared.