cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retrieval of arbitrary concentration and temperature fields by multiangular scanning techniques

Abstract A multiangular scanning absorption measurement method is proposed for the retrieval of arbitrary concentration and temperature fields. The effect of modeling errors and accumulated inversion errors on solution accuracy is examined. A generalized onion peeling strategy, supplemented by solution smoothing and zone regrouping, produces solutions of reasonable accuracy for highly asymmetric cases.
The Leaf Motif in Derek Walcott's OMEROS

The parallels between Derek Walcott's Omeros and the Iliad have been the subject of extended study by critics, and indeed the large-scale success of Walcott's poem is predicated on the effectivenes...
OXYGEN POISONING IN MAMMALS

1. Oxygen in concentrations of over 70 per cent of an atmosphere is poisonous to dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and mice. 2. The poisonous effects manifest themselves in drowsiness, anorexia, loss of weight, increasing dyspnea, cyanosis and death from oxygen want. 3. The cause of oxygen want is a destructive lesion of the lungs. 4. The lesion may be characterized grossly as an hemorrhagic edema. Microscopically there is to be seen in varying degrees of intensity (a) capillary engorgement with hemorrhage, (b) the presence of interstitial and intraalveolar serum, (c) hypertrophy and desquamation of alveolar cells, (d) interstitial and alveolar infiltration of mononuclear cells. 5. The type of tissue reaction is not characteristic of an infectious process and no organisms have been recovered at autopsy from the heart's blood or from lung puncture. 6. The poisonous effects of inhalations of oxygen-rich mixtures do not appear to be related to impurities in the oxygen, nor are they related to faulty ventilation, excessive moisture or increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the chambers in which the experimental animals were confined.
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS WITH SEROLOGIC EVIDENCE SUGGESTING SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS: CLINICAL, SEROLOGIC AND CHROMATOGRAPHIC STUDIES.

Fourteen patients with antinuclear activity demonstrable in their serum were studied in detail. All had severe, deforming rheumatoid arthritis with visceral manifestations, and eight had chronic leg ulcers. Serum protein chromatography provided evidence that, in these patients, macromolecular globulins comprised a greater proportion of the antinuclear activity than was true in systemic lupus erythematosus. The factors were considered to be a manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis possibly provoked by chronic bacterial infection.
Fast-converging adaptive algorithms for well-balanced separating linear classifier

Abstract The perception-adaline-type adaptive linear decision function converges, in a seperable case, to a separating hyperplane, but its location depends on the initial trial function, the order of presentation of paradigms (class samples) and the parameters involved and is often ill-balanced with reference to the distribution of the paradigms of the two classes. The Widrow-Hoff-type least-mean-error algorithm does not necessarily give a separating hyperplane even in a separable case, and is often too sensitive to the shapes of the clusters of paradigms. The adaptive approximation to this least-mean-error hyperplane converges extremely slowly. We propose various adaptive algorithms which converge rapidly to a separating hyperplane whose location is well-balanced with regard (1) to the distances of the centroids of the clusters from the plane and (2) to the direction of the plane relative to the line connecting the two centroids. This method shows also an exellent separation in the linearly-non-separable, quadratically-separable case.
Coupled magnetoplasma and phonon systems

Abstract A long-wavelength Hamiltonian approach for coupled plasmons and polar phonons in a degenerate semiconductor with and without a uniform d.c. magnetic field is presented. Neglecting ionic motion, and with a uniform magnetic field present, a Hamiltonian is formulated for the magnetoplasma oscillations and a Hamiltonian is presented which includes the coupling between longitudinal optical phonons and collective hybrid-cyclotron plasma resonances. Canonical transformations, which put the latter Hamiltonian into second quantized diagonal form, are given. The normal modes, obtained by diagonalizing the appropriate Hamiltonian, correspond to the zeros and the infinities of the appropriate dielectric function. In analogy with the electron-phonon case, the resonances for a compensated system of coupled electrons and holes, in the presence of a uniform magnetic field, are treated by means of a Hamiltonian. The coupling in the above problems is represented by a product of two sets of plasma frequencies, the electron and ion or the electron and hole in the latter case. In all cases the coupling is independent of the magnetic field.
Management and search of private data on storage clouds

The article presents a solution for storage and management of private data kept in Internet Storage Clouds. The solution supports operations over the data kept ciphered, including reads, writes and searches based on multiple keywords and relevance classification. The approach is based on a middleware architecture supported by homomorphic encryption techniques combined with dynamic indexing mechanisms. The solution preserves conditions of privacy without need to either decipher data during operations in the cloud or transfer the data during searches. The article further describes an implementation prototype of the solution and its evaluation. The performance obtained in different implementation scenarios is analyzed and compared to a solution promoted by AMAZON S3. The evaluation shows that the solution is viable, offers more security and control for the user and does not aggravate conditions of latency and data availability.
Responses of Stochastic Shell Structures to Non-Gaussian Random Excitations

An approach dealing with the responses of and acoustic radiation from temporally and spatially stochastic shell structures to non-Gaussian random excitations is presented in this paper. It employs the stochastic central difference method developed earlier by the author and his associate. The emphasis of the presentation is, however, on the responses of stochastic shell structures with large spatial variations and under non-Gaussian nonstationary random excitations. The shell structures are discretized by the mixed formulation, lower order triangular shell finite elements developed by the author and his associate in 1994. As a demonstration of the relative ease of use of the approach, computed results for a temporally and spatially stochastic, clamped spherical cap subjected to a central point force treated as a non-Gaussian nonstationary random excitation are included. It is concluded that a simple and relatively very efficient approach is available for analysis of responses of temporally and spatially stochastic shell structures perturbed by non-Gaussian nonstationary random excitations.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Root production and methane dynamics: Impact of wetland functional group diversity and composition

The loss of biodiversity worldwide has prompted a close investigation of the link between diversity and ecosystem functions. Most experimental studies have looked at the relationship between grassland plant diversity and aboveground productivity. Less is known about other ecosystems or how diversity affects belowground processes. Our objective was to investigate the link between plant community (diversity and composition) and key belowground processes such as root biomass production and CH4 dynamics in wetland ecosystems. We hypothesized that 1) root biomass would increase with functional group diversity due to complementarity and 2) the sediment pool of CH4 would decrease with diversity due to increased CH4 oxidation facilitated by root biomass. Four plant functional groups (facultative annuals, obligate annuals, reeds and tussocks) were planted in controlled mesocosms to represent five levels of functional diversity and every combination of functional groups at each diversity level. Unplanted mesocosms served as the zero diversity treatment. At peak biomass in 2007, porewater samplers were used to extract water at 5, 15, and 25 cm. The samples were frozen prior to headspace analysis of CH4 and CO2. Porewater was also analyzed for DOC. Afterward, we took soil cores from each mesocosm at 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm and 20-30 cm to determine the root biomass in each depth. Root biomass increased with functional diversity (F 3, 71 = 2.78, P 10-20 cm >20-30 cm. The facultative annual and obligate annual functional groups had significantly less root biomass than the other functional groups and combinations (P 0.05). However, CH4 was positively correlated with depth (F 1, 194 =19.75, P 0.05). Since this data is from the first year of sampling following mesocosm establishment, the insignificant relationship between root biomass and CH4 in the sediment pool may indicate that the microbial processes were influenced more by starting soil conditions than plant-mediated conditions.
Inmate Assaults in Texas County Jails

Local jails present unique challenges for the criminal justice researcher. The authors analyzed survey responses and existing documentation from 138 county jail administrators in Texas to determine...
Genetic determinants of cancer metastasis

Metastasis can be viewed as an evolutionary process, culminating in the prevalence of rare tumour cells that overcame stringent physiological barriers as they separated from their original environment and developmental fate. This phenomenon brings into focus long-standing questions about the stage at which cancer cells acquire metastatic abilities, the relationship of metastatic cells to their tumour of origin, the basis for metastatic tissue tropism, the nature of metastasis predisposition factors and, importantly, the identity of genes that mediate these processes. With knowledge cemented in decades of research into tumour-initiating events, current experimental and conceptual models are beginning to address the genetic basis for cancer colonization of distant organs.
The Influence of Material and Mesh Characteristics on Transmission Mode Desorption Electrospray Ionization

Adaptation of desorption electrospray ionization to a transmission mode (TM-DESI) entails passing an electrospray plume through a sample that has been deposited onto a mesh substrate. A combination of mass spectrometry and fluorescence microscopy studies is used to illustrate the critical role material composition, mesh open space, and mesh fiber diameter play on the transmission, desorption, and ionization process. Substrates with open spaces less than 150 μm and accompanying minimal strand diameters produce less scattering of the plume and therefore favor transmission. Larger strand diameters typically encompass larger open spaces, but the increase in the surface area of the strand increases plume scattering as well as solvent and analyte spreading on the mesh. Polypropylene (PP), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) materials afford much better desorption than similarly sized polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) or nylon-6,6 (PA66) substrates. Ultimately, the manner in which the electrospray plume interacts with the mesh as it is transmitted through the substrate is shown to be critical to performing and optimizing TM-DESI analyses. In addition, evidence is presented for analyte dependent variations in the desorption mechanisms of dry and solvated samples.
FACTOR ANALYSIS OF THE PERSONAL AUTHORITY IN THE FAMILY SYSTEM QUESTIONNAIRE

The factor structure of the Personal Authority in the Family System Questionnaire (PAFS-Q) has been used in numerous studies, but the factor structure has not been examined since its development in 1984. This study examined the factor structure of the PAFS-Q. Findings suggest a six-factor solution with important differences from those reported when the PAFS-Q was developed. The main differences between this study and the original factor analysis are that this study found separate Mother and Father Intimacy factors instead of a single Intergenerational Intimacy factor and the original Spousal Fusion and Spousal Intimacy factors were not separate factors in the current study. Implications and future directions for research are also discussed.
Adenosine Receptor-Mediated Accumulation of Adenosine 3′,5′-Monophosphate in Guinea Pig Thyroid Tissue

The cAMP content of guinea pig thyroid fragments was increased 2- to 3-fold by adenosine analogs. 5'-iVethylcarboxamide adenosine (NECA), the most potent, caused half-maximal stimulation at 0.7 μUM, whereas 2V6-phenylisopropyl adenosine was much less potent (half-maximal stimulation at 20 μM). Exogenous adenosine by itself was slightly active, and its activity was increased in the presence of adenosine deaminase or transport inhibitors. Although adenosine analogs are partial agonists compared to TSH or the diterpene cyclase activator forskolin, the fractional rate of cAMP accumulation is greater for NECA than for TSH. The stimulatory effect of NECA was antagonized by theophylline. These effects of adenosine and its analogs on cAMP formation in intact thyroid tissue are characteristic of stimulatory adenosine receptors.
Modeling Epidemics Spreading on Social Contact Networks

Social contact networks and the way people interact with each other are the key factors that impact on epidemics spreading. However, it is challenging to model the behavior of epidemics based on social contact networks due to their high dynamics. Traditional models such as susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model ignore the crowding or protection effect and thus has some unrealistic assumption. In this paper, we consider the crowding or protection effect and develop a novel model called improved SIR model. Then, we use both deterministic and stochastic models to characterize the dynamics of epidemics on social contact networks. The results from both simulations and real data set conclude that the epidemics are more likely to outbreak on social contact networks with higher average degree. We also present some potential immunization strategies, such as random set immunization, dominating set immunization, and high degree set immunization to further prove the conclusion.
Targeting DCs to induce regulatory T cells in vivo

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a central role in controlling immune responses, as initiators of either T-cell activation or tolerance. The functional activity of DCs, and thereby the outcome of an immune response, is determined in part by their maturation state. Immature (resting or steady-state) DCs
SU‐E‐I‐117: Quantifying Search and Classification Performance in Lesion Localization Tasks

Purpose: Search involves identifying the locations of potential lesions. Classification involves determining if an identified region is a lesion. The area (AUC) under the ROC curve is affected by both search and classification performance. The purpose of this work is to suggest a method for quantifying the two distinct contributions. Methods: The search model for free‐response data involves sampling from noise and signal site unit variance normal distributions. It predicts ROC curves that extend from (0,0) to (x,y), where (x,y) is to the lower left of (1,1). The quantity (y‐x) is proposed as a measure of search performance. It equals the perpendicular distance from (x,y) to the chance diagonal multiplied by the square root of 2. The probability that a sample from the signal distribution is greater than a sample from the noise distribution is proposed as a measure of classification performance. AUC performance is the probability that the highest sample from an abnormal image is greater than the highest sample from a normal image. Search, classification and AUC performance were calculated for mammographer data from a FROC study in which 5 radiologists interpreted 96 normal and 89 disease‐present cases in breast tomosynthesis (BT) and digital mammography (DM) modalities. Results: Search performance ranged from zero to 0.65, classification performance ranged from 0.64 to 0.98 and AUC performance ranged from 0.68 to 0.88. AUC correlated positively with search performance while classification performance was inversely correlated with search performance. All three measures were greater for the BT modality. Conclusions: The method, which is applicable to FROC or ROC data, allows separation of physically distinct contributions to AUC, and consequent identification of the weak link. The preliminary results suggest that search is generally the weak link but that radiologists may learn to compensate for poor search performance with better classification performance. This work was supported by grants from the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, R01‐EB005243 and R01‐ EB008688.
16. Applying the p curve to PNI: Are effects of stress on immunity real or incidental?

Because studies that “work” are more likely to be published than studies that do not, the accuracy of meta-analyses can be limited. A new analysis, p -curve, can supplement meta-analytic findings by testing the observed distribution of 5 or more p values against their expected distribution under the null hypothesis. Using a meta-analysis of stress and immunity (Segerstrom & Miller, 2004), the p values associated with effects for 5 common outcomes were analyzed. The effect sizes were for brief, experimental stress on number of natural killer cells (36 effects with p p = .55). This result suggests that reported changes in cytotoxic T cells after acute stress are likely to be incidental findings, although there was a significant effect size ( r = .20) in the meta-analysis. The pcurve can add information to meta-analyses and aid in evaluating the evidentiary value of other findings in psychoneuroimmunology.
Small-Angle Photoproduction and Conspiracy

In any reaction of the class π+B→V+B, or V+B→π+B, nonconspiring amplitudes with a meson helicity change (hV-hπ≠0) exhibit a dip at small angles. Normally, this would simply mean that the zero-helicity-change amplitude dominates forward production. But in photoproduction, since the photon has no longitudinal component, there is no zero-helicity-change amplitude, and in the absence of conspiracy a forward dip will appear in the differential cross section. When conspiracy is present, the dip does not appear. Thus, forward photoproduction provides a good test for conspiracy.
Aeroballistic evaluation of kinetic energy (KE) penetrators for electromagnetic (EM) gun applications

Abstract : Aeroballistic tests of candidate penetrator designs for the Cannon Caliber Electromagnetic Gun Program were performed at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Aerodynamics Range Facility. The penetrator configurations were designed by Kaman Sciences Corporation (KSC) under subcontract to United Defense LP. Three candidate penetrator configurations were tested to determine aerodynamic performance. The testing was completed in two phases. An all steel monoblock fluted flare stabilized penetrator with driving threads was evaluated in Phase I. Considering the Phase I result, a redesign was initiated and two final designs were proposed and evaluated in Phase II. The final two configurations consisted of a fluted flare design with an improved center of gravity location and a cruciform fin stabilized design. Both final configurations had the driving threads replaced with driving buttress grooves along the length of the body. Phase I testing indicated that the fluted flare design with the threaded body had nonlinear aerodynamic coefficients and a low static margin, appeared dynamically unstable at moderate angles of attack, and exhibited significant aerodynamic jump sensitivity. Phase II testing of the improved center of gravity fluted flare design showed improvements in static margin and drag, but the aerodynamics remained essentially nonlinear. The cruciform tail configuration had a significantly higher static margin, had linear aerodynamics, and was dynamically stable, but had slightly higher drag than the fluted flare design. The cruciform tail design was chosen to be the penetrator for the Cannon Caliber Electromagnetic Gun Program.
High‐commitment HR practices, employee effort, and firm performance: Investigating the effects of HR practices across employee groups within professional services firms

In this study, the authors examine the relationship between high-commitment HR practices and firm performance in professional services firms through the mediator of employee effort. In addition, they contribute to the debate in the field of strategic HRM on whether high-commitment HR practices should be used across all employee groups within a firm. Their study's results show that high-commitment HR practices positively relate to firm performance through employee effort for two employee groups within professional services firms. Further, they found that the relationship between effort and performance is contingent on the value of the employee group to firm competitive advantage, suggesting that companies may only want to expend the effort and resources on building a high-commitment HR system for employee groups that are clearly tied to creating firm competitive advantage. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Towards optimal coverage of 2-dimensional surfaces embedded in IR/sup 3/: choice of start curve

For automated spray painting robots, the choice of a start curve from which all subsequent paths will be determined, plays a critical role in ensuring uniform coverage of the target surface. In this paper, we ultimately propose a method to determine the start curve for two different procedures of coverage path construction. For the first procedure, we average the target surface normal to optimize the average error between desired and resultant deposition with the added goal of minimizing cycle time. For the second technique, we make recourse to the Gauss-Bonnet theorem to minimize the non-uniformity of paint deposition and cycle time for the entire coverage path.
Reprise: The effect of metformin on anthropometrics and insulin resistance in patients receiving atypical antipsychotic agents: A meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Atypical antipsychotics are well-established agents for the treatment of various psychiatric illnesses, although they are associated with adverse metabolic effects. There have been a few methodologically sound studies that have assessed the approach of adding metformin to atypical antipsychotics to reduce body weight. A systematic literature review of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane was performed from the earliest possible dates to December 31, 2008. Metformin was found to be associated with a decrease in weight, waist circumference, bmi, and insulin resistance (p<0.005). The data supports the consideration of metformin for the reduction of metabolic effects developed from the atypical antipsychotics in clinical practice. Ultimately, additional rigorous controlled trials with the various antipsychotics and at different time points in the development of the metabolic effects are needed.
A Review of Cutaneous Drug Eruptions

Cutaneous drug eruptions can range from an asymptomatic rash to a life-threatening emergency. Because of the high frequency, morbidity, and potential mortality associated with drug eruptions, patients with possible drug reactions should promptly be recognized, worked up, and treated. Drug reactions are common in the elderly population due to age-related alterations in metabolism, excretion of medications, and polypharmacy. This review discusses the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of drug eruptions that providers commonly encounter in the care of the geriatric population. An algorithm for an approach to patients with a suspected drug eruption is presented.
Thermodynamics Software Development on Composition Prediction of Inclusions in Molten 430 Stainless Steel

Thermodynamics software on inclusions prediction in 430 stainless steel was developed with Matlab and VC++. The inclusions’ composition could be predicted by composition of molten steel input, and equilibrium phase diagrams of MgO•Al2O3, 2MgO•SiO2, 3Al2O3•2SiO2 and 2Al2O3•2MgO•5SiO2 were displayed on the main interface simultaneously. The following predicted results by inputing experiments data at 1873 K can be gained that When Si content is 3.9×10-3and Al content is 3.5×10-4, MgO•Al2O3 spinel inclusions is unformed in case of Mg content with larger than 1.71×10-5; while MgO•Al2O3 spinel inclusions transformed into 2Al2O3•2MgO•5SiO2 inclusions in case of Mg content being less than 2.9×10-8. The predicted results of software fit well with the experiment results, Therefore, the software can provide some results for controlling the composition of inclusions in molten steel.
Magneto-controlled illumination with opto-fluidics

Imaging of micro- and nanofluidics is a challenge since the size of the channels is so small that the installment of additional optical and mechanical switches is very difficult. The size of the device and associated increase in viscous dissipation constitute another constraint. In response to these limitations, this work proposes and demonstrates the manipulation of light by adding a functional lens to control the light on demand. In the present work, this lens is realized by filling a hollow fiber with a colloid of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles. When the propagation of light is perpendicular to the magnetic field, this lens stretches the circular beam into a ribbon yielding a larger visible area. Potentially, one can apply a rotating magnetic field thus illuminating a larger spot size or creating other beam geometries. Such composite fibers might also be of value for Faraday isolation and other magneto-optic effects in optical fibers. Published by Elsevier B.V.
MOUSE COMPLEMENT: THE EFFECT OF SEX HORMONES AND CASTRATION ON TWO OF THE LATE-ACTING COMPONENTS

The titer of late-acting complement components in sera from male mice is 8–10 times higher than the titer of sera from female mice. Using assays developed to measure the serum content of two of the late-acting components, we have shown that this difference is due to the effect of androgen and estrogen on these two late-acting complement components. These two components have been tentatively identified as C'5 and C'6. Androgen and estrogen have greater effect on C'6 than on C'5. The possibility has not been excluded that still other of the late-acting complement components are affected by androgens and estrogens. The course of homograft rejection was unchanged in mice deficient in C'5 and C'6.
Superlattice Growth via MBE and Green’s Function Techniques

A model has been developed to simulate the growth of arrays consisting of a substrate on which alternating layers of quantum dots (QDs) and spacer layers are epitaxially grown. The substrate and spacer layers are modeled as an anisotropic elastic half-space, and the QDs are modeled as point inclusions buried within the half-space. In this model, the strain at the free surface of this half-space due to the buried point QDs is calculated, and a scalar measure of the strain at the surface is subsequently determined. New point QDs are placed on the surface where the previously calculated scalar strain measure is a minimum. Following available DFT results, this scalar strain measure is a weighted average of the in-plane strains. This model is constructed under the assumption that diffusional anisotropy can be neglected, and thus, the results are more in agreement with results from experiments of growth of SiGe QDs than experiments involving QDs of (In,Ga)As.
Low Cost Transportable Infant Incubator

Infants born prior to thirty seven weeks of gestation are referred to as premature. Prematurity is a significant problem in developing countries, where preterm infants make up approximately 25% of all live births. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Engineering World Health (EWH) have both expressed the necessity for a low cost, transportable infant incubation unit that can be used specifically for transit. The incubation unit is a TCNJ legacy project; several improvements were proposed to an existing design. The HVAC system was redesigned and will house the humidity and heating systems. A new humidity system has been added with both measurement and control. A new heating element has been designed using heating coils typically found in household appliances. A test baby model was designed using information about the size and thermal characteristics of a preterm infant so that the safety and efficacy of the design can be assessed. SIMULINK modeling of the incubator and a model of a baby will be used to better understand the thermodynamics of the system during operation. Manufacture, assembly, and testing of this new design will be completed during Spring 2013.
Making ENDS Meet: Community Networks and Health Promotion Among Blacks in the City of Brotherly Love

This historical inquiry illustrates the power of social networks by examining the Starr Centre and the Whittier Centre, two civic associations that operated in Philadelphia during the early 20th century, a time when Black Americans faced numerous public health threats. Efforts to address those threats included health initiatives forged through collaborative social networks involving civic associations, health professionals, and members of Black communities. Such networks provided access to important resources and served as cornerstones of health promotion activities in many large cities. I trace the origins of these two centers, the development of their programs, their establishment of ties with Black community residents, and the relationship between strong community ties and the development of community health initiatives. Clinicians, researchers, and community health activists can draw on these historical precedents to address contemporary public health concerns by identifying community strengths, leveraging social networks, mobilizing community members, training community leaders, and building partnerships with indigenous community organizations. (Am J Public Health. 2011;Published Online Ahead of Print on June 16, 2011. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300125).
Preventive health screening utilization in older Mexicans before and after healthcare reform

Objective. To assess changes in preventive screening utilization in older Mexicans, pre- and post-Seguro Popular. Materials and methods. Data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS/Enasem) 2001 and 2012 were used. Logistic and ordinary least squares regression adjusted models were used to predict preventive care in 2012 by insurance status categories in 2001-2012, as the focus explanatory variable. Results. Participants who were uninsured in 2001 and had Seguro Popular in 2012 were significantly more likely to be tested for diabetes, high blood pressure and receive a tetanus shot than the continually uninsured. Conclusions. While disparities in preventive screening between the insured and uninsured continue to exist in Mexico, Seguro Popular seems to have provided better access to health services to prevent chronic and infectious diseases for the otherwise uninsured population.
ENAMELED UTENSIL MANUFACTURERS' COUNCIL TENTATIVE STANDARD SOLUBILITY TEST FOR PORCELAIN ENAMELED COOKING UTENSILS*

The various methods for determining the degree of resistance of porcelain enameled cookingware to acid solubility are discussed. A method that overcomes many of the difficulties encountered in such a test and offers greater accuracy and reproducibility is described in detail.
Intra-individual comparison of magnesium citrate and sodium phosphate for bowel preparation at CT colonography: Automated volumetric analysis of residual fluid for quality assessment

Aim To perform an objective, intra-individual comparison of residual colonic fluid volume and attenuation associated with the current front-line laxative magnesium citrate (MgC) versus the former front-line laxative sodium phosphate (NaP) at CT colonography (CTC). Materials and methods This retrospective Health Insurance and Portability and Accountability Act-compliant study had institutional review board approval; informed consent was waived. The study cohort included 250 asymptomatic adults (mean age at index 56.1 years; 124 male/126 female) who underwent CTC screening twice over a 5 year interval. Colon catharsis at initial and follow-up screening employed single-dose NaP and double-dose MgC, respectively, allowing for intra-patient comparison. Automated volumetric analysis of residual colonic fluid volume and attenuation was performed on all 500 CTC studies. Colonic fluid volume Results Residual fluid volumes Conclusions Objective intra-individual comparison using automated volumetric analysis suggests that the replacement of NaP by MgC as the front-line laxative for CTC has not compromised overall examination quality.
VOLUNTARY CORPORATE LIQUIDATIONS

Abstract This paper examines possible motives for and consequences of voluntary corporate liquidations. Specifically, the procedural and tax differences between voluntary liquidations and other control-changing transaction devices are analyzed. An empirical investigation of successful liquidations shows that the announcement of liquidation reduces the risk of liquidating shares, that the shareholders receive substantial gains from successful liquidations, and that the average gains to the acquiring shareholders are not significantly different from zero. These findings suggest that the liquidating firms' assets have been underutilized before liquidation and that voluntary liquidations lead to higher-valued reallocations of corporate resources.
Image merging and data fusion by means of the discrete two-dimensional wavelet transform

A new technique is developed for the merging and data fusion of two images. Two spatially registered images with differing spatial resolutions and color content are merged by combining multiresolution wavelet-decomposition components from each and then reconstructing the merged image by means of the inverse wavelet transform. The wavelet merger can employ a variety of wavelet bases, but in presentation of the concept, simple orthonormal sets—Haar and Daubechies wavelets—are explored. The wavelet technique is compared with the intensity–hue–saturation merging technique by means of multispectral and panchromatic test images. The results of the comparison show the wavelet merger performing better in combining and preserving spectral–spatial information for the test images.
Dynamical modeling of high-energy-resolution x-ray optics

ABSTRACT Theoretical analysis of high-energy-resolution x-ray optics, such as backscattering 1-3 and four-bounce 4-5 monochromators and analyzers, has been carried out using computer modeling within the framework of the dynamical theory of x-ray diffraction. This analysis identifies several important techniques for the precise alignment and determination of the energy and bandwidth of the monochromat ors. The destructive contribution of mu ltiple-wave diffraction to the scattering intensity of x-ray backscattering optics has also been analyzed in details. An important method has been identified which allows this destructive contribution to be avoided. Keywords: x-ray optics, x-ray diffraction, high-energy-resolution, monochromators, analyzers, computer modeling 1. INTRODUCTION In the last decade an increasing effort has been focused to the upgrade of Inelastic X Ra y Scattering (IXS) spectrometers, aiming at improving both resolution bandwidth and spectral contrast 1 . In the long run, the ultimate objective of this activity is to bridge the dynamic gap which presently separates IXS from low energy and low momentum transfer spectroscopic techniques. The access to such spectroscopic region will allow the investigation of a wealth of still unexplored physical phenomena as diverse as slow relaxations in highly viscous materials such as glass formers, colloids and polymers, nanoscale arrangements of molecular clusters or confined liquids, and collective modes propagating through lipid membranes, etc. For achieving this objective, new concept optical schemes based on the dispersive nature of Bragg back-reflection from asymmetrically cut crystals promise to open up new avenues
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT OF GIANT KELP (MACROCYSTIS PYRIFERA, PHAEOPHYCEAE) EMBRYONIC SPOROPHYTES: A MECHANISM FOR DELAYED RECRUITMENT IN PERENNIAL KELPS?1

Delayed recruitment of microscopic stages in response to cyclical cues is critical to the population dynamics of many annual and seasonally reproducing perennial seaweeds. Microscopic stages may play a similar role in continuously reproducing perennials in which adult sporophytes are subject to episodic mortality, if they can respond directly to the unpredictable onset and relaxation of unfavorable conditions. We experimentally evaluated the potential for temporary reduction in limiting resources (light, nutrients) to directly delay recruitment of giant kelp ( Macrocystis pyrifera (L.) C.A. Agardh) gametophytes and embryonic sporophytes. Laboratory cultures were subjected to limiting conditions of light and nutrients for 1 month and then exposed to nonlimiting conditions for 10 days. Gametophytes in all treatments failed to recruit to sporophytes after 2 weeks, suggesting they are not a source of delayed recruitment in giant kelp. Sporophytes in light-limited treatments, however, survived and grew significantly slower than non‐light-limited controls. When stimulated with light, light-limited sporophytes grew from 2 to � 10 times faster than unstimulated controls depending on nutrient availability. These results suggest that limiting resources can delay recruitment of embryonic giant kelp sporophytes for at least 1 month. Flexible timing of recruitment from embryonic sporophytes may enhance persistence of continuously reproducing perennial species when macroscopic adults are subject to episodic large-scale removals.
Heterogeneity of posttraumatic stress symptoms in a highly traumatized low income, urban, African American sample

Trauma is associated with a range of outcomes; identification of homogeneous profiles of posttrauma symptoms may inform theory, diagnostic refinement, and intervention. The present investigation applies a novel analytic technique to the identification of homogeneous subgroups of post-traumatic symptomatology in a large sample of African American adults reporting high levels of trauma. Latent profiles of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity were tested using latent profile analysis. Pseudo-class draws were used to characterize class differences across types of trauma, diagnostic comorbidities, and clinically-relevant features. Participants consisted of 2915 highly traumatized African Americans living in low income, urban setting and recruited from medical clinics in Atlanta, GA. Findings supported the presence of six distinct subgroups of posttraumatic stress symptom profiles described as resilient, moderate with amnesia, moderate with diminished interest, moderate without diminished interest and amnesia severe without amnesia, and severe overall. Observed subgroups differed across numerous historical and concurrent factors including childhood trauma, current and lifetime diagnoses of PTSD and major depression, lifetime substance use diagnosis, dissociation, depressive symptoms, emotional dysregulation, negative and positive affect, and history of hospitalization and suicidality. Posttraumatic stress disorder as currently defined is comprised of homogeneous subgroups with important differences in posttraumatic stress symptom endorsement as well as concomitant differentiation of associated diagnoses and clinically-relevant associated features.
Design feature dominance in quality function deployment

A refinement to QFD methodology is proposed and illustrated that directly takes into account design feature correlation and uses concepts from portfolio theory and decision theory to build a quantitative model of a design's performance. Correlation in requirements and technology capabilities extend QFD analysis to form a decision making aid. A simple example is used to illustrate the concept of design feature dominance.
HPV for Cervical Cancer Screening: Is the Era of the Molecular Pap Smear Upon Us?

Based on the best estimates of the prevalence of human Papillomavirus infection in the United States, the overall HPV prevalence in the target population is approximately 20%. The prevalence varies greatly with age, being as high as ∼50% in the third decade to less than 5% in the sixth. These data have implications for a discussion about the utility of human Papillomavirus testing as a screening procedure. (J Histochem Cytochem 49:1197–1198, 2001)
Interrogating the interactions between myeloid derived suppressor cells and cancer stem cells in glioblastoma

Meeting abstracts Cellular and molecular regulation of the immune system is exquisitely controlled in the brain and is disrupted in neoplasia. Despite accumulation of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, glioblastoma (GBM) growth persists while the mechanisms suppressing immune function
A bayesian analysis of the three-stage hierarchical multinomial model

We consider the problem of pooling data from several multinomial populations using a three-stage hierarchical Bayesian model. The approach for pooling data from several binomial populations is well known, and without a sampling based approach some of the parameters are usually assumed known or even worse approximations are usually made with uncertainty about their accuracy. Using a Dirichlet prior to model the cell probabilities, we develop a complete hierarchical Bayesian analysis for multinomial populations without making any algebraic approximation and without assuming the hyper-parameters are fixed and known. The method requires some computation which is accomplished using the Metropolis - Hastings algorithm. We describe three applications to illustrate the benefits of the computations. The first on Bayesian predictive inference is a simulation study. For the full Bayesian model we also show in the simulation study that our method performs better than an alternative using a different proposal density....
Histogram Statistics And Tests For Image Region Comparison

an image region provide information about the intensity variation in the region. Histogram statistics and associated statistical tests are available that measure histogram similarity. Two such statistical tests are the chi-square test and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. These tests are applied here to the classification of city and two types of vegetation regions in two bands of LANDSAT image data. Most of the regions are classified correctly.
A time domain clutter filter for staggered PRT and dual- PRF measurements

In this paper, a method for clutter filtering and the estimation of spectral moments from non-uniformly sampled Doppler weather radar signals is presented. The method uses a parametric model for the received signal. The spectral moments of both clutter and precipitation echoes are estimated using the maximum likelihood estimator. Unlike the current frequency domain techniques where non-uniformly sampled signals are zero-padded to be uniform sequences, the likelihood function used in this algorithm can be constructed directly from the non- uniformly sampled data. Therefore an accurate estimation of spectral moments even in case of clutter - to - signal ratio as high as 60 dB can be obtained. The proposed method is illustrated on simulated radar signal time series and measurements collected using the staggered pulse repetition time (PRT) and dual pulse repetition frequency (PRF) transmission schemes from the CSU- CHILL and collaborative adaptive sensing of atmosphere (CASA) IP1 radars.
Atomic Physics in Confined Space: Suppressing Spontaneous Emission at Optical Frequencies and Measuring the Van der Waals Atom-Surface Interaction

The radiative properties of an atomic system depend upon the structure of the vacuum field in the surrounding space. By confining the atoms in cavities in which the mode distribution of the field is very different from its free space configuration, it is possible to strongly alter the atomic spontaneous radiation rates and transition frequencies. These Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics effects, as they are called, have been first demonstrated in the microwave domain CI] and begin now to be observed in the optical domain [2–3]. Interest in these studies is manifold. First, the quantum noise of the electromagnetic field is a basic limitation to the precision of any optical experiment. Understanding how this noise is altered in a cavity is very important in order to analyze the ultimate precision of experiments on quantum radiators placed in the vicinity of metallic boundaries [4]. Being able to suppress spontaneous emission and to prepare quasi infinitely long-lived atomic excited states is a possibility which is certainly worth considering for ultra high resolution spectroscopy experiments. At a more applied level, measuring atomic radiative rates and transition frequencies in a small metallic structure is a new way of performing atom-surface physics. By analyzing the perturbations of the atomic radiative properties, one might get useful information on the electronic properties of the metal surfaces...
Mathematical Description of Linear Dynamical SystemsReceived by the editurs July 7, 1962 and in revised form December 9, 1962.

There are two different ways of describing dyasmicel systems: (i) by means of state variables and (ii) by input/output relations. The first method may be regarded as an axiomatization of Newton's laws of mechanics and is taken to be the basic definition of a system. It is then shown (in the linear case) that the input/output relations determine only one part of a system, that which is completely observable and completely eontrollable. Using the theory of controllability and observability, methods are given for calculating irreducible realizations of a given impulse-response matrix. In particular, an explicit procedure is given to determine the minimal number of state variables necessary to realize a given transfer-function matrix. Difficulties arising from the use or reducible realizations are dlaeussed briefly.
Sparstolonin B attenuates early liver inflammation in experimental NASH by modulating TLR4 trafficking in lipid rafts via NADPH oxidase activation

Although significant research data exist on the pathophysiology of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), finding an efficient treatment regimen for it remains elusive. The present study used sparstolonin B (SsnB), a novel TLR4 antagonist derived from the Chinese herb Sparganium stoloniferum, as a possible drug to mitigate early inflammation in NASH. This study used an early steatohepatitic injury model in high-fat-fed mice with CYP2E1-mediated oxidative stress as a second hit. SsnB was administered for 1 wk along with bromodichloromethane (BDCM), an inducer of CYP2E1-mediated oxidative stress. Results showed that SsnB administration attenuated inflammatory morphology and decreased elevation of the liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Mice administered SsnB also showed decreased mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-23, while protein levels of both TNF-α and IL-1β were significantly decreased. SsnB significantly decreased Kupffer cell activation as evidenced by reduction in CD68 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP1) mRNA and protein levels with concomitant inhibition of macrophage infiltration in the injured liver. Mechanistically, SsnB decreased TLR4 trafficking to the lipid rafts, a phenomenon described by the colocalization of TLR4 and lipid raft marker flotillin in tissues and immortalized Kupffer cells. Since we have shown previously that NADPH oxidase drives TLR4 trafficking in NASH, we studied the role of SsnB in modulating this pathway. SsnB prevented NADPH oxidase activation in vivo and in vitro as indicated by decreased peroxynitrite formation. In summary, the present study reports a novel use of the TLR4 antagonist SsnB in mitigating inflammation in NASH and in parallel shows a unique molecular mechanism of decreasing nitrative stress.