cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evidence for an adrenal origin of plasma estrogens in alcoholic men.

Alcoholic men have high plasma-estrone concentrations but it is not known whether these are of gonadal or adrenal origin. To answer this question, we measured plasma concentrations of testosterone, androstenedione, estradiol, estrone, and cortisol in 11 alcoholic men during sequential gonadal and adrenal suppression and stimulation. Basal testosterone in the 11 alcoholic men studied did not differ from that of the 22 age-sex matched controls. It declined 75% with gonadal suppression (fluoxymesterone 80 mg/day), remained unchanged with added adrenal suppression (dexamethasone 8 mg/day), and returned to normal with gonadal stimulation (human chorionic gonadotropin 5000 U/day). Basal estradiol levels in the alcoholic men also were normal and responded to suppression and stimulation in a manner that mirrored the testosterone responses. Basal estrone in the alcoholic men was double control values (p<0.05), declined 40% in response to gonadal suppression rose and fell an additional 75% in response to adrenal suppression. While estrone doubled in response to gonadal stimulation, it rose threefold more in response to adrenal stimulation (adrenocorticotropic hormone 80 U/day). Basal androstenedione was normal and responded as expected to manipulation of gonadal and adrenal function. Based upon these responses to sequential gonadal and adrenal suppression and stimulation in alcoholic men we propose that in alcoholic men: (1) Plasma testosterone is of gonadal origin and the low concentrations observed are principally due to gonadal failure; (2) Estradiol is of gonadal origin and normal levels observed are maintained by more efficient formation from the decreased testosterone available, and (3) Estrone is partially of gonadal but chiefly of adrenal origin. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that in alcoholics with liver disease and portosystemic shunts that excessive conversion of androstenedione to estrone occurs at extrahepatic peripheral sites.
The long-Term Dynamics of Societal Problem-Solving: A Content-Analysis of British Speeches from the Throne, 1689–1972*

Content analysis of British political documents. 1689–1972. indicates cycles of political issues that differ from the 1689–1795 (Mercantilist) period to the 1795–1972 (Capitalist) period. Within each period there is a long cycle of changing issues whose interpretation is a variation of the Bales-Parsons A-G-I-L scheme; however, cycle length and issue sequence were found to differ between periods. These issue cycles are explained in terms of the Bales-Parsons dynamic tension model. Cohort succession and coalition formation/dissolution are hypothesized to be the underlying processes that drive these issue cycles. During the Capitalist period, there is a substantial relationship between the issue cycle and party realignments. The latter being a particular form of coalition formation. Thebe results replicate and extend earlier findings based on American political documents.
A Combined Multiple-SLED Broadband Light Source at 1300 nm for High Resolution Optical Coherence Tomography.

Abstract We demonstrate a compact, inexpensive, and reliable fiber-coupled light source with broad bandwidth and sufficient power at 1300 nm for high resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging in real-time applications. By combining four superluminescent diodes (SLEDs) with different central wavelengths, the light source has a bandwidth of 145 nm centered at 1325 nm with over 10 mW of power. OCT images of an excised stage 30 embryonic chick heart acquired with our combined SLED light source (
Planetary Atmospheres Minor Species Sensor (PAMSS)

The Planetary Atmospheres Minor Species Sensor (PAMSS) is an ultra-trace gas sensor. This paper reports its transition from a Technical Readiness Level of 4 (TRL4) to TRL 5 and an established path forward to TRL6. This report describes tests of PAMSS in chambers that simulate a balloon flight to 30 km. Lessons learned inform a number of improvements, which are being implemented for a balloon flight planned for June 2014.
Sideband spectroscopy and dispersion measurement in microcavities.

The measurement of dispersion and its control have become important considerations in nonlinear devices based on microcavities. A sideband technique is applied here to accurately measure dispersion in a microcavity resulting from both geometrical and material contributions. Moreover, by combining the method with finite element simulations, we show that mapping of spectral lines to their corresponding transverse mode families is possible. The method is applicable for high-Q, micro-cavities having microwave rate free spectral range and has a relative precision of 5.5 × 10^(−6) for a 2 mm disk cavity with FSR of 32.9382 GHz and Q of 150 million.
Impact of tillage and residue management on dryland spring wheat development

Abstract No-till or reduced tillage practices are frequently recommended to reduce wind and water erosion and to increase soil water storage. Grazing stubble after harvest or producing crops with low residue may negate the benefits of the tillage practices. In this study, we determined the effects of tillage and residue management systems on the growth and development of the subsequent spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) crop. The study was conducted for 2 consecutive years in eastern Washington, USA. The soil was a (Chard) silt loam. Tillage treatments were conventional (spring sweep and summer cultivation) and no-till (chemical fallow). Residue management treatments were: (1) all crop residues removed at the beginning of the 21-month fallow period; (2) all surface residues removed after the first winter rainy season; (3) no residues removed. For the 1988 crop year, 3.0 Mg ha −1 of winter wheat residue and for the 1989 crop year 0.7 Mg ha −1 of barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) residue was present at the beginning of the fallow period. Growing season precipitation was 153 mm in 1988 and 91 mm in 1989. Water use efficiency and grain yields were generally higher in 1989 than in 1988. No differential germination or emergence stresses owing to treatments were found in either year. In 1988, stored water at the time of planting was lower where surface residues had been removed than where they had not been removed and, by anthesis, plants in the residue removal treatments began to show signs of water stress. Relative water content of flag leaves of these plants was lower than when residue was not removed and the plants also lost more tillers. At maturity, the reduced number of heads m −2 and seeds per head led to a reduction in final grain yield of about 0.5 Mg ha −1 . In 1989, a better crop year, no significant treatment differences were observed at any stage of development. These results illustrate the importance of proper residue management, especially in moisture limiting environments.
An ongoing concern: Helping children comprehend death

This article addresses the need for anticipatory guidance about death and death education with young children. Children often experience the death of an immediate family member before the age of ten. This number increases if one considers the loss of friends, pets, and other loved ones. However, children experience a death with little or no anticipatory guidance or knowledge about death. Anticipatory guidance can assist the child in having a better understanding of a death when it occurs. Talking about death with children can be difficult for adults. However, it is important to address the topic and realize the impact anticipatory guidance in relation to death can have in assisting with childhood bereavement, anticipatory grief, and anticipatory adaptation. By providing anticipatory education related to death symptoms such as grief, anger, and/or fear, regressive or aggressive behaviors can be prevented or lessened when a death occurs. Age appropriate developmental levels for understanding the concept of death, resources for death education, and literature that can be used for death education are presented. Any resource used for death education with children should be carefully reviewed by the adult for its appropriateness prior to its use.
Retention of dieldrin and DDT in the tissues of dogs fed aldrin and DDT individually and as a mixture.

Abstract Three groups of 6 adult male beagle dogs were fed aldrin 3 and/or DDT 4 by capsule on 5 days of the week for 10 months, as follows. Group 1: 0.6 mg/kg aldrin; group 2: 24 mg/kg DDT; and group 3: 0.3 mg/kg aldrin plus 12 mg/kg DDT. Group 4 served as control. After this feeding period the dogs were observed for an additional period of 12 months. Hyperexcitability and tremors were noted in some of the dogs treated with 0.6 mg/kg aldrin, and with 0.3 mg/kg aldrin plus 12 mg/kg DDT. There were no significant serum cholinesterase or aliesterase changes. The concentrations of dieldrin 5 in the fat, liver, and blood of the dogs were of similar magnitude for an individual tissue, whether the animals were treated with 0.6 mg/kg aldrin, or with the combined dosage of 0.3 mg/kg aldrin plus 12 mg/kg DDT. Retention of p,p′ -DDT and DDE in fat and blood was roughly 2.5–4 times greater after administration of 12 mg/kg DDT plus 0.3 mg/kg aldrin than after administration of 24 mg/kg DDT without aldrin. The concentrations of p,p′ -DDT and DDE in liver tissue were similar in both groups of animals.
Enceladus' plume: Compositional evidence for a hot interior

Abstract The combined observations of Saturn's moon Enceladus by the Cassini CAPS, INMS and UVIS instruments detected water vapor geysers in which were present molecular nitrogen (N 2 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), propane (C 3 H 8 ), acetylene (C 2 H 2 ), and several other species, together with all of the decomposition products of water. We propose that the presence of N 2 in the plume indicates thermal decomposition of ammonia, and hence high temperatures in the interior of the moon (e.g., 500 to 800 K). Such an environment also appears to be suitable for the production of methane (CH 4 ) from carbon monoxide (CO), or carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The presence of C 2 H 2 and C 3 H 8 strongly suggest that catalytic reactions took place within a very hot environment. The internal environment of Enceladus is inferred to be or have been favorable for aqueous, catalytic chemistry. This permits the synthesis of many complex organic compounds that could be detected in future Cassini observations.
Embryonic origin of mate choice in a lizard with temperature-dependent sex determination.

Individual differences in the adult sexual behavior of vertebrates are rooted in the fetal environment. In the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius), a species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), hatchling sex ratios differ between incubation temperatures, as does sexuality in same-sex animals. This variation can primarily be ascribed to the temperature having direct organizing actions on the brain. Here we demonstrate that embryonic temperature can affect adult mate choice in the leopard gecko. Given the simultaneous choice between two females from different incubation temperatures (30.0 and 34.0° C), males from one incubation temperature (30.0° C) preferred the female from 34.0° C, while males from another incubation temperature (32.5° C) preferred the female from 30.0° C. We suggest that this difference in mate choice is due to an environmental influence on brain development leading to differential perception of opposite-sex individuals. This previously unrecognized modulator of adult mate choice lends further support to the view that mate choice is best understood in the context of an individual's entire life-history. Thus, sexual selection results from a combination of the female's as well as the male's life history. Female attractiveness and male choice therefore are complementary. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 48: 29–38, 2006.
Donor-transmitted parvovirus infection in a kidney transplant recipient presenting as pancytopenia and allograft dysfunction.

: Parvovirus B19 is a nonenveloped single-stranded DNA virus that commonly causes a benign childhood infection typically manifesting as a ‘slapped-cheek’ rash. In immunodeficient hosts, this infection can cause persistent anemia and occasionally pancytopenia. Recently, direct renal involvement has been reported in renal transplant recipients leading to various forms of glomerulopathy and allograft dysfunction. Most cases are primary infections and are donor transmitted through the transplanted organ. Clinical and virological response to intravenous immunoglobulin (Ig) is usually excellent. We describe a case of donor-transmitted parvovirus infection in a 23-year-old male who received his first cadaver renal transplant. The patient had an uncomplicated postoperative course with immediate graft function. Eight weeks after transplantation, he presented with fever, polyarthralgia, pancytopenia, and allograft dysfunction. Serological studies revealed elevated IgM titers against parvovirus B19. A renal biopsy was performed, which showed no evidence of acute rejection but with moderate degree of tubular damage. Parvovirus B19 viral DNA was detected in the renal tissue via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The patient received a 10-day course of intravenous Ig (400 mg/kg/day) with excellent response. His blood count normalized and the allograft improved to baseline function. The incidence of parvovirus infection in renal transplant patients is probably underestimated, because patients are not routinely screened for it and anemia and/or pancytopenia in these patients are often ascribed to immunosuppressive drugs. Because this infection is treatable, we conclude that parvovirus B19 infection should be actively considered in transplant patients presenting with pancytopenia and allograft dysfunction.
The evolution of Alzheimer disease, the reproductive schedule, and apoE isoforms☆☆

Alzheimer disease (AD)-like neuropathology increases progressively during aging in most primates, and, in some species, is concurrent with reproductive decline in females and cognitive impairments. We consider how the schedule of AD may have evolved in early humans in relation to the apolipoprotein E (apoE) allele system, which is not found in other primates, and to the increasing duration of postnatal care. The delay of independence and the increasing length of maturation required that the schedule of AD-like neurodegeneration be slowed, otherwise parental caregivers would already have become impaired. We hypothesize that the uniquely human apoE epsilon3 allele evolved from the epsilon4 of primate ancestors during human evolution in relation to the rapid increases of brain size and the emergence of grandmothering. In discussing theses possibilities, we review the diverse bioactivities of apoE, which include involvement in hormone systems. The evolution of menopause is also considered in relation to the protective effect of estrogen on AD.
Vasodilator and inotropic drugs for the treatment of chronic heart failure: Distinguishing hype from hope

Abstract During the past 10 years, more than 80 orally active vasodilator and inotropic agents have been tested in the clinical setting to evaluate their potential utility in the treatment of chronic heart failure. Although the initial reports of all of these drugs suggested that each represented a major therapeutic advance, only three agents—digoxin, captopril and enalapril—have produced consistent longterm hemodynamic and clinical benefits in these severely ill patients. Most of the other drugs that have been tested have not (to date) distinguished themselves from placebo therapy in large-scale, controlled trials, even though these agents produce hemodynamic effects that closely resemble those seen with digitalis and the converting-enzyme inhibitors. These observations suggest that the hemodynamic derangements that characteristically accompany the development of left ventricular dysfunction cannot be considered to be the most important pathophysiologie abnormality in chronic heart failure. Although cardiac contractility is usually depressed in this disease, positive inotropic agents do not consistently improve the clinical status of these patients., Similarly, although the systemic vessels are usually markedly constricted, drugs that ameliorate this vasoconstriction do not consistently relieve symptoms, enhance exercise capacity or prolong life. Hence, correction of the central hemodynamic abnormalities seen in heart failure development, and future advances in therapy are likely to evolve only by attempting to understand and modify the basic physiolosic derangements in this disorder.
Solid-phase synthesis of irreversible human rhinovirus 3C protease inhibitors. Part 1: Optimization of tripeptides incorporating N-terminal amides.

Abstract The optimization of a series of irreversible human rhinovirus (HRV) 3C protease (3CP) inhibitors is described. These inhibitors are comprised of an l -Leu- l -Phe- l -Gln tripeptide containing an N-terminal amide moiety and a C-terminal ethyl propenoate Michael acceptor. Examination of approximately 500 compounds with varying N-terminal amides utilizing solid-phase synthesis and high-throughput assay techniques is described along with the solution phase preparation of several highly active molecules. A tripeptide Michael acceptor containing an N-terminal amide derived from 5-methylisoxazole-3-carboxylic acid is shown to exhibit potent, irreversible anti-3CP activity (kobs/[I]=260,000 M−1 s−1; type-14 3CP) and broad-spectrum antirhinoviral properties (average EC50=0.47 μM against four different HRV serotypes). ©
Variability in the interpretation of chest radiographs for the diagnosis of pneumonia in children.

BACKGROUND: Although chest radiography is commonly used to establish the diagnosis of pneumonia in children, the reliability of radiographic findings among radiologists is not well described. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of radiographic features commonly described by radiologists in childhood pneumonia. METHODS: Prospective case-based study. One hundred and ten radiographs of children evaluated in a pediatric emergency department for suspicion of pneumonia were interpreted by six radiologists at two academic children's hospitals. Radiologists were blinded to the clinical history. Reliability of standardized radiographic features was evaluated using the kappa statistic. RESULTS: The radiographic finding of an alveolar infiltrate demonstrated substantial reliability among radiologists (κ = 0.69). The presence of ‘any infiltrate’ and pleural effusion demonstrated moderate reliability (κ = 0.47 and k=0.45, respectively). Other radiographic features were less reliable: air bronchograms (κ = 0.32), hilar adenopathy (κ = 0.21), and interstitial infiltrate (κ = 0.14). Similarly, the finding of alveolar infiltrate demonstrated substantial intra-rater reliability upon review of ten duplicate radiographs, whereas interstitial infiltrate was less reliable. CONCLUSION: The radiographic finding of an alveolar infiltrate is very reliable among pediatric radiologists, whereas the finding of an interstitial infiltrate is less reliable. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2012; © 2011 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus and systemic hypertension

Nineteen patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) were treated with intraventricular shunts. Ten of the 14 who improved and 14 of the total group had systemic hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension in both the improved and whole NPH groups was significantly greater than in a control group with dementia (N = 122) and the published prevalence of hypertension in the US population for this age group. Four possible mechanisms for this association are discussed.
A Nonrecursive Causal Model of the Health Care Delivery System

The phrase “health care delivery system” is often used in both the popular and scientific literature. However, most research only examines one aspect of the system. We specify a causal system that links client characteristics and the structure, process, and outcomes of medical care. We also specify reciprocal effects among three outcomes of medical care: health status, client satisfaction, and visiting the docior. For each effect, we test a medical model hypothesis and two critiques of the medical model; a moderate critique and a radical critique.
Human CD4+ T cells induced by synthetic peptide malaria vaccine are comparable to cells elicited by attenuated Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites

Peptide vaccines containing minimal epitopes of protective Ags provide the advantages of low cost, safety, and stability while focusing host responses on relevant targets of protective immunity. However, the limited complexity of malaria peptide vaccines raises questions regarding their equivalence to immune responses elicited by the irradiated sporozoite vaccine, the “gold standard” for protective immunity. A panel of CD4 + T cell clones was derived from volunteers immunized with a peptide vaccine containing minimal T and B cell epitopes of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein to compare these with previously defined CD4 + T cell clones from volunteers immunized with irradiated P. falciparum sporozoites. As found following sporozoite immunization, the majority of clones from the peptide-immunized volunteers recognized the T* epitope, a predicted universal T cell epitope, in the context of multiple HLA DR and DQ molecules. Peptide-induced T cell clones were of the Th0 subset, secreting high levels of IFN-γ as well as variable levels of Th2-type cytokines (IL-4, IL-6). The T* epitope overlaps a polymorphic region of the circumsporozoite protein and strain cross-reactivity of the peptide-induced clones correlated with recognition of core epitopes overlapping the conserved regions of the T* epitope. Importantly, as found following sporozoite immunization, long-lived CD4 + memory cells specific for the T* epitope were detectable 10 mo after peptide immunization. These studies demonstrate that malaria peptides containing minimal epitopes can elicit human CD4 + T cells with fine specificity and potential effector function comparable to those elicited by attenuated P. falciparum sporozoites.
Multi-Wafer Atomic Layer Epitaxy Reactor for Device Quality GaAs

Reactor design considerations are discussed relevant to the two main problems, carbon contamination and low growth rate, facing Atomic Layer Epitaxy (ALE) of GaAs. A new reactor design addressing these problems is described. It utilizes the concept of rotating the substrate between streams of reactant gases. The growth chamber provides baffles and gas jets to shear off and sweep away the thermal boundary layer after exposure to the reactive gas streams. Construction is based on modification of a commercially available low pressure MOCVD reactor equipped with a. load lock. The reactor is capable of processing three, two-inch wafers. A background carbon concentration of about 1015cm−3 and a 77°K mobility of 30,000 cm2/V-sec were achieved. Self limited growth was observed for a growth temperature as high as 600 °C. Controlled p- and n-type doping was accomplished by changing growth conditions and adding silane.
Technological Change and Caloric Costs: Sisal Agriculture in Northeastern Brazil1

This study of the consequences of the introduction of sisal agriculture to Northeastern Brazil exemplifies a fruitful area of collaboration between nutritionists and anthropologists. The process by which sisal leaves are transformed into exportable fiber is analysed with emphasis on the human energy expenditure required. Two representative household energy budgets are examined in detail to determine the impact of sisal labor. Energy costs of sisal laborers are so great in relation to wages that systematic deprivation of adequate calories to the non-productive dependents of sisal workers is necessary. The rapidly growing children are especially affected. This process is exhibited statistically in a sampled population by relative retardation in growth rate among children of sisal workers.
Music perception ability of children with executive function deficits

This study examined differences in music perception between children with executive function deficits (EF deficits) and typically-developing children. The role of executive functions in music perception ability was also examined. Participants included 71 children (40 males), aged 9–11 years. The study utilized a between-subjects control group design in which executive functions were measured by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), and music perception ability was measured by several music listening tasks of tone and timing discrimination. The children with EF deficits performed significantly poorer than their typically-developing peers when discriminating between duration of tones and when discriminating between rhythm patterns. However, pitch and melodic perception did not show performance decrement. The executive function of working memory was the only independent predictor of duration and rhythm perception ability as shown in multiple regression models. In conclusion, there are ...
The Presidency in Perspective

It is an axiom of American history that the Constitution came from the framers "a bundle of compromises." Not so generally recognized is the confirmation which is lent this observation by those clauses of the Constitution most nearly affecting the office and powers of the President. The vagueness of the constitutional grants of power to the President has always furnished matter for comment, sometimes favorable, sometimes otherwise, depending on the commentator's bias. "The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America"; "the President shall be Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy"; with the advice and consent of the Senate he shall make treaties and appoint to office; he shall have power to "grant pardons for offenses against the United States," he shall "recommend . . . such measures to Congress, as he shall judge necessary and expedient"; and so on and so forth. Yet, in order to exercise any of these powers-in order, indeed, to subsist-he must have money, and can get it only when and if Congress appropriates it. Likewise, he is dependent on Congress for the very agencies through which he must ordinarily exercise his powers, and Congress is the judge as to the necessity and propriety of such agencies. Again, he is bound to "take care that the laws" which Congress enacts are "faithfully executed"-for this purpose all his powers are in servitude: and Congress has the power to investigate his every official act, and can, by a special procedure, if it finds him guilty of "high crimes and misdemeanors," impeach him and throw him out of office. Moreover, by the standard set by the prerogative of the British monarch in 1787, his "executive power" and his power to protect that power were seriously curtailed. The power to "declare war" was vested in Congress; the Senate was made a participant in his diplomatic powers; he was given a veto upon all legislative acts, but this the houses may override by a two-thirds vote.
Behavior transfer for value-function-based reinforcement learning

Temporal difference (TD) learning methods [22] have become popular reinforcement learning techniques in recent years. TD methods have had some experimental successes and have been shown to exhibit some desirable properties in theory, but have often been found very slow in practice. A key feature of TD methods is that they represent policies in terms of value functions. In this paper we introduce behavior transfer, a novel approach to speeding up TD learning by transferring the learned value function from one task to a second related task. We present experimental results showing that autonomous learners are able to learn one multiagent task and then use behavior transfer to markedly reduce the total training time for a more complex task.
Static lumped parameter model for nested PZT cellular actuators with exponential strain amplification mechanisms

A static lumped parameter model is proposed for the design and analysis of nested piezoelectric cellular actuators with exponential strain amplification mechanisms. Piezoelectric ceramic material, such as Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT), has large stress and bandwidth, but its extremely small strain, i.e. only 0.1%, has been a major bottleneck for broad applications. We have proposed a "nested rhombus" multi-layer mechanism for PZT actuators, which increases strain exponentially through its hierarchical cellular structure, for over 20% effective strain. To drive a large load, however, care must be taken in the design of the strain amplification structure. Through kinematic and static analysis this paper addresses how the output force and displacement are attenuated by the joint stiffness and beam compliance involved in the strain amplification mechanism. An insightful lumped parameter model is developed to quantify the performance degradation and facilitate design trade-offs. A prototype nested PZT cellular actuator that weighs only 15 g has produced 21% effective strain (2.49 mm displacement from 12 mm actuator length) and 1.7 N blocking force.
Perceptual and acoustic evidence of speaker adaptation to a thin pseudopalate.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a thin pseudopalate on the speech of normal adults. It was hypothesized that speech would be initially altered, but speakers would adapt quickly to the device. Eleven speakers produced words without the pseudopalate and at six intervals with the appliance in place. Consonant acoustics were changed initially, but returned to baseline within ∼30 minutes. Perceptually, consonant identification and distortion ratings were unchanged when wearing the pseudopalate. Results suggest an initial alteration to speech detectable acoustically, but rapid adaptation, for most speakers. Investigators using thin pseudopalates must recognize that speech is altered, at least initially, and account for this in their procedures and interpretation of results.
Ab initio post‐Hartree–Fock studies on molecular structure and vibrational IR spectrum of formaldehyde

High-level ab initio studies using the 6-31 IG(3df, 2p) basis set with electron correlation included at the second-order Moller–Plesset perturbation theory are reported. At this level, full geometry optimization was performed, followed by calculation of the vibrational IR spectrum. Predicted molecular parameters (bond lengths, bond angles, dipole moment, rotational constants) and vibrational IR spectra (harmonic wavenumbers, absolute intensities) of formaldehyde and its deuterated species agree very well with the experimental data. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Transmit Precoding for MIMO Systems with Partial CSI and Discrete-Constellation Inputs

In this paper, we consider the transmit linear precoding problem for MIMO systems with discrete-constellation inputs. We assume that the receiver has perfect channel state information (CSI) and the transmitter only has partial CSI, namely, the channel covariance information. We first consider MIMO systems over frequency-flat fading channels. We design the optimal linear precoder based on direct maximization of mutual information over the MIMO channels with discrete-constellation inputs. It turns out that the optimal linear precoder is a non-diagonal non-unitary matrix. Then, we consider MIMO systems over frequency selective fading channels via extending our method to MIMO-OFDM systems. To keep reasonable computational complexity of solving the linear precoding matrix, we propose a sub-optimal approach to restrict the precoding matrix as a block-diagonal matrix. This approach has near-optimal performance when we integrate it with a properly chosen interleaver. Numerical examples show that for MIMO systems over frequency flat fading channels, our proposed optimal linear precoder enjoys 6-9 dB gain compared to the same system without linear precoder. For MIMO-OFDM systems, our reduced-complexity sub-optimal linear precoder captures 3-6 dB gain compared to the same system with no precoding. Moreover, for those MIMO systems employing a linear precoder designed based on Gaussian inputs with gap approximation technique for discrete-constellation inputs, significant loss may occur when the signal-to-noise ratio is larger than 0 dB.
Probabilistic fracture mechanics by Galerkin meshless methods – part I: rates of stress intensity factors

This is the first in a series of two papers generated from a study on probabilistic meshless analysis of cracks. In this paper (Part I), a Galerkin-based meshless method is presented for predicting first-order derivatives of stress-intensity factors with respect to the crack size in a linear-elastic structure containing a single crack. The method involves meshless discretization of cracked structure, domain integral representation of the fracture integral parameter, and sensitivity analysis in conjunction with a virtual crack extension technique. Unlike existing finite-element methods, the proposed method does not require any second-order variation of the stiffness matrix to predict first-order sensitivities, and is, consequently, simpler than existing methods. The method developed herein can also be extended to obtain higher-order derivatives if desired. Several numerical examples related to mode-I and mixed-mode problems are presented to illustrate the proposed method. The results show that first-order derivatives of stress-intensity factors using the proposed method agree very well with reference solutions obtained from either analytical (mode I) or finite-difference (mixed mode) methods for the structural and crack geometries considered in this study. For mixed-mode problems, the maximum difference between the results of proposed method and finite-difference method is less than 7 . Since the rates of stress-intensity factors are calculated analytically, the subsequent fracture reliability analysis can be performed efficiently and accurately.
Walking During Leisure-Time in Relation to Perceived Neighborhoods

Are researchers correct to assume individuals who walk during leisure-time do so mostly in their neighborhood? To address this question, we examined relationships between leisure-time walking and boundaries of participant- and researcher-defined neighborhoods. Door-to-door interviews were completed with 415 adults residing in a Midwestern, U.S. city. Participants self-reported physical activity and drew on a map their perceived neighborhoods and their typical leisure-time walking routes. We found that 134 participants walked in their neighborhoods at least once during the past week on the route they drew. Routes were used for 82.9% of the leisure-time walks and 67.9% of the route was within perceived neighborhood boundaries. Almost all of the routes (98.2%) were within a straight-line 2,000 m buffer around participants’ homes. The present study suggests leisure-time walking is neighborhood-based and certain researcher-defined areas are adequate when exploring this behavior. Route characteristics described...
New Directions in the Synthesis of Glycopeptide Mimetics

Structural and functional mimetics of naturally occurring glycopeptides are attractive synthetic targets owing to their potential as biological tools and therapeutic agents. The syntheses of C- and S-glycopeptides, glycopeptoids, and oxime- (figure) and thioether-linked glycopeptides have now been realized, and many of these mimetics are currently undergoing biological evaluation.
Computational Capacity-Based Codesign of Computer Systems

This paper proposes a fast, novel approach for the HW/SW codesign of computer systems based on a computational capacity model. System node bandwidths and bandwidths used by the SW load underlie three sets of linear equations: a model system representing a load running on a computer, a design equation and objective function with goals as inputs, and a capacity sensitivity equation. These are augmented with nonlinear techniques to analyze multirate HW nodes as well as to synthesize system nodes when codesign goals exceed feasible engineering HW choices. Solving the equations rapidly finds the optimal costs of a broad class of architectures for a given computational load. The performance of each component can be determined globally and for each computational phase. The ideas are developed theoretically and illustrated by numerical examples plus results produced by a prototype CAPE tool implementation.
Coming to terms with Vietnam: the Viet/American Cervical Cancer Prevention Project.

The Viet/American Cervical Cancer Prevention Project embraces a dual mission. We seek to develop sustainable, cost-effective cervical cancer prevention services for women in Vietnam. Because the problem of cervical cancer in Vietnam is in part a legacy of the Second Indochinese War, we also seek to examine obstacles to reconciliation by presenting what most acknowledge to be a remedy in advance of what some will perceive to be an accusation. Certain research and commercial interests have produced obstacles to our dual mission in Vietnam. The Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has failed to endorse Pap screening for developing countries and is conducting clinical trials which may further disaffect medically underserved groups. Visual screening techniques combined with immediate ablative treatment methods are incompatible with the requirements of “first do no harm.” Because the Pap smear will probably be a component of any future human papillomavirus (HPV)-based or visual- based screening programs, it serves the interests of those promoting noncytologic screening methods to also support the development of Pap screening services. Research on HPV screening in developing countries raises concerns of commercial exploitation. Because Pap screening is feasible wherever cervical screening is appropriate, it is inappropriate to delay the development of Pap screening services pending research into HPV vaccines or alternative screening technologies. Quality management is the point at which public health and diagnostic pathology intersect and will remain an indispensable element of cervical screening programs irrespective of the screening test(s) eventually used. Pap screening in developing countries is an ethical imperative without a substantial political constituency and will benefit from the engagement of organized cytology. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2005;33:344–351. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Influence of a superficial layer in the quantitative spectroscopic study of strongly scattering media.

We have experimentally investigated the meaning of the effective optical absorption @ma ~eff ! # and the reduced scattering @ms9 ~eff ! # coefficients measured on the surfaces of two-layered turbid media, using the diffusion equation for homogeneous, semi-infinite media. We performed frequency-domain spectroscopy in a reflectance geometry, using source‐detector distances in the range 1.5‐ 4.5 cm. We measured 100 samples, each made of one layer ~thickness in the range 0.08 ‐1.6 cm! on top of one semi-infinite block. The optical properties of the samples were similar to those of soft tissues in the near infrared. We found that the measured effective optical coefficients are representative of the underlying block if the superficial layer is less than ;0.4 cm thick, whereas they are representative of the superficial layer if it is more than ;1.3 cm thick. © 1998 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 170.5280, 170.6510, 170.7050, 300.0300, 300.6340.
A note on the use of aggregate data in individual choice models: Discrete consumer choice among alternative fuels for residential appliances

Abstract In order to exploit the usefulness of qualitative models of individual choice and the availability of aggregate energy demand data, this paper develops a maximum likelihood technique for incorporating aggregate data into individual choice models. The paper treats the use of aggregate data as a measurement error problem; it develops consistent estimators of individual taste by correcting for the implied measurement error. Using the maximum likelihood technique, a number of individual choice models are estimated for residential demand for space heaters, water heaters, ranges and clothes dryers. The extent of asymptotic bias generated by the uncorrected use of aggregate data is documented.
Performance Analysis of High Performance Computing Applications on the Amazon Web Services Cloud

Cloud computing has seen tremendous growth, particularly for commercial web applications. The on-demand, pay-as-you-go model creates a flexible and cost-effective means to access compute resources. For these reasons, the scientific computing community has shown increasing interest in exploring cloud computing. However, the underlying implementation and performance of clouds are very different from those at traditional supercomputing centers. It is therefore critical to evaluate the performance of HPC applications in today’s cloud environments to understand the tradeoffs inherent in migrating to the cloud. This work represents the most comprehensive evaluation to date comparing conventional HPC platforms to Amazon EC2, using real applications representative of the workload at a typical supercomputing center. Overall results indicate that EC2 is six times slower than a typical mid-range Linux cluster, and twenty times slower than a modern HPC system. The interconnect on the EC2 cloud platform severely limits performance and causes significant variability.
The Only Child and Educational Opportunity for Girls in Urban China

Using data from the authors' 1998-99 survey of 1,040 eighth graders in Wuhan, China, this study explores the differences between single-girl and single-boy families with regard to parental expectation and investment in children's education, children's own educational aspirations, and mathematics performance. The authors found that contrary to the known intrafamily discrimination against girls common among families of pre-one-child generations and still common among contemporary rural families with more than one child, there are no gender differences related to education between single-girl and single-boy families in modern urban China. The authors found equally high educational aspirations and similar mathematical performance for male and female only children. They suggest that this gender equality in education is an unintended consequence of the one-child-per-family policy and that under China's current social and economic conditions, girls are better off living in one-child families in the big cities of...
Natural History of Streptococcus sanguinis in the Oral Cavity of Infants: Evidence for a Discrete Window of Infectivity

The heterogeneous group of oral bacteria within the sanguinis (sanguis) streptococci comprise members of the indigenous biota of the human oral cavity. While the association of Streptococcus sanguinis with bacterial endocarditis is well described in the literature, S. sanguinis is thought to play a benign, if not a beneficial, role in the oral cavity. Little is known, however, about the natural history of S. sanguinis and its specific relationship with other oral bacteria. As part of a longitudinal study concerning the transmission and acquisition of oral bacteria within mother-infant pairs, we examined the initial acquisition of S. sanguinis and described its colonization relative to tooth emergence and its proportions in plaque and saliva as a function of other biological events, including subsequent colonization with mutans streptococci. A second cohort of infants was recruited to define the taxonomic affiliation of S. sanguinis. We found that the colonization of the S. sanguinis occurs during a discrete “window of infectivity” at a median age of 9 months in the infants. Its colonization is tooth dependent and correlated to the time of tooth emergence; its proportions in saliva increase as new teeth emerge. In addition, early colonization of S. sanguinis and its elevated levels in the oral cavity were correlated to a significant delay in the colonization of mutans streptococci. Underpinning this apparent antagonism between S. sanguinis and mutans streptococci is the observation that after mutans streptococci colonize the infant, the levels of S. sanguinis decrease. Children who do not harbor detectable levels of mutans streptococci have significantly higher levels of S. sanguinis in their saliva than do children colonized with mutans streptococci. Collectively, these findings suggest that the colonization of S. sanguinis may influence the subsequent colonization of mutans streptococci, and this in turn may suggest several ecological approaches toward controlling dental caries.
Atlas construction from high angular resolution diffusion imaging data represented by Gaussian Mixture fields

Groupwise image registration is an essential part of atlas construction which is a very import and challenging task in medical image analysis. In this paper, we present a novel atlas construction technique using a groupwise registration of high angular resolution diffusion (MR) imaging datasets each of which is represented by a Gaussian Mixture field. To solve the registration problem, an L 2 distance is used to measure the similarity between two Gaussian Mixtures, which leads to an energy function whosegradient can be computed in closed form. A projection method is developed to construct a “sharp” (not blurred) atlas from the result of this groupwise registration. Synthetic and real data experiments are presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method.
ΕΦΗΡΜΟΣΜΕΝΑ ΜΑΘΗΜΑΤΙΚΑ. — Remarks on stability concepts of solutions of dynamical systems

The study of the stability situation of physical and social phenomena, which are modeled as dynamical systems, is based on a variety of stability concepts, and this variety makes the study complicated and the stability results questionable in many cases.
Cacophony and Change in Youth After School Activities: Findings from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development

This paper describes the configuration and changes in young adolescents’ participation in structured after school activities. Using data from the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development the 983 youth studied in both the first and the second waves of this research (fifth and sixth grade, respectively) were found to engage in structured after school activities at high levels. Fewer than 12% did not participate in any activities. Participation in multiple activities was the norm for these youth and the configuration of activities changed between grades. The breadth of participation in structured after school activities suggests, first, that it would be ideal to have broad community collaboration in regard to youth programming to ensure that youth receive excellent programming, no matter where they turn; and, second, that youth development researchers and practitioners need to consider new approaches to conceptualizing and evaluating the possible role of any one after-school program in promoting exemplary development.
Identification of the Polyketide Biosynthetic Machinery for the Indolizidine Alkaloid Cyclizidine

The cyclizidine biosynthetic gene cluster was identified from Streptomyces NCIB 11649, which revealed the polyketide biosynthetic machinery for cyclizidine alkaloid biosynthesis. Both in vivo mutagenesis study and in vitro biochemical analysis provided insight into the timing and mechanism of the biosynthetic enzymes that produce cyclizidine-type indolizidine alkaloids.
Importing montagovian dynamics into minimalism

Minimalist analyses typically treat quantifier scope interactions as being due to movement, thereby bringing constraints thereupon into the purview of the grammar. Here we adapt De Groote's continuation-based presentation of dynamic semantics to minimalist grammars. This allows for a simple and simply typed compositional interpretation scheme for minimalism.