cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Survey on Extracting Physiological Measurements from Thermal Images

Multiple techniques are used to extract physiological signals from the human body. These signals provide a reliable method to identify the physical and mental state of a person at any given point in time. However, these techniques require contact and cooperation of the individual as well as human effort for connecting the devices and collecting the needed measurement. Moreover, these methods can be invasive, time-consuming, and infeasible in many cases. Recent efforts have been made in order to find alternatives to extract these measurements using non-contact and efficient techniques. In this paper we provide a survey that explores different approaches for extracting vital signs from thermal images as well as review applications that could potentially leverage these techniques.
Soft Computing: Fuzzy Logic, Neural Networks, and Genetic Algorithms

Soft computing is a relatively new field within computer science. It is a conglomeration of fuzzy logic, neural networks, and probabilistic reasoning. Probabilistic reasoning is further divided into belief networks, genetic algorithms, and chaos theory. What all of these subfields share is an adherence to nonexact computation. Up until now, we have been using formal Boolean logic, which says that something is either true or false, yes or no, black or white. There are no shades of gray with this type of logic.
A meta-analysis to predict the concentration of standardized ileal digestible amino acids in distillers dried grains with solubles for poultry.

ABSTRACT High variability in amino acid (AA) content and digestibility among sources of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) create challenges for nutritionists when using it in precision nutrition feeding programs. The objective of this meta-analysis was to develop prediction equations for standardized ileal digestible content (SIDC) of AA in DDGS for poultry. A meta-analysis based on 86 observations from 19 publications was conducted to develop equations for predicting SIDC of AA based on chemical composition in DDGS. A mixed model was used to develop prediction equations for SIDC of AA, and a backward selection of variables was conducted based on chemical composition of DDGS. Each total AA content was the best predictor of SIDC for all indispensable AA. The prediction equations for SIDC of Met and Lys were y = –0.12 + 1.05 × Met (R2 = 0.899) and y = –0.22 + 0.91 × Lys (R2 = 0.870), respectively. The prediction equations for SIDC of Met and Lys using data from broiler chick assays were y = –0.16 + 1.12 × Met (R2 = 0.809) and y = –0.24 + 0.90 × Lys (R2 = 0.731), respectively, and equations derived from rooster assay data for Met and Lys were y = –0.05 + 0.97 × Met (R2 = 0.996) and y = –0.20 + 0.97 × Lys (R2 = 0.982), respectively. For all the prediction equations, the intercept (=0) and slope (=1) were not different (P > 0.10) between predicted and observed SID AA values, indicating high accuracy of the models. In conclusion, equations for predicting SIDC of AA in DDGS were developed and showed that total concentration of each AA was the best predictor of SDIC. These prediction equations can be used by animal nutritionists to more accurately estimate SIDC of AA among DDGS sources in diet formulations for precision poultry nutrition feeding programs.
McHale Procedure in Patients with Neglected Hip Dislocation

Most severely involved, nonambulatory patients with neuromuscular problems develop hip dysfunction. Some patients appear with neglected hip dislocation that causes pain, limitation of hip motions, and hygiene care problems. When surgical hip reconstruction is not possible, hip arthrodesis, femoral head resection, and subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy might be effective salvage procedures. In 1990, McHale and coauthors published their technique of subtrochanteric osteotomy with femoral head resection that became a popular salvage procedure. The McHale procedure is widely used due to its effectiveness in achieving the goals of pain relief, increased range of motion, and improved seating ability. This technique has proved to be safe with few complications compared to other salvage procedures.
Implementing and Assessing InTeGrate Critical Zone Science Materials in an Undergraduate Geoscience Program

The Interdisciplinary Teaching about Earth Science for a Sustainable Future (InTeGrate) course “Critical Zone Science” (CZS) teaches undergraduate students about the services and resources provided by the critical zone (CZ), Earth’s terrestrial layer that extends from the top of vegetation to unweathered bedrock. The course was developed through the InTeGrate program, which aims to improve undergraduate geosciences education by teaching earth science within the context of societal grand challenges. CZ science provides a valuable transdisciplinary framework through which students learn the nature and methods of geosciences and apply systems thinking as they investigate grand challenges facing society. Using a CZ approach to learn about Earth systems and the services provided by the CZ has the potential to deeply engage students and develop skills necessary to consider how we can achieve environmental sustainability. While teaching the CZS course, instructors employ active learning pedagogical practices using authentic data and current research from the National Science Foundation CZ Observatory program. The CZS course was piloted across a range of institutions and most recently at the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO), a large, 4-year public and primarily nonresidential campus. Here we present a case study of implementing the course into UNO’s undergraduate curriculum, including strategies and challenges of delivering the course, and describe additional attempts to assess course outcomes, including a new summative assessment tool. Assessment data from pilot courses and the most recent UNO course offering show that students leave the course with a high interest level in earth science and sustainability and the ability to apply complex thinking skills, but additional assessment tools are needed to more effectively assess the ways in which these materials impact student learning and critical thinking skills.
Effectiveness of Flowcharting as a Scaffolding Tool to Learn Python

This Research to Practice Full Paper evaluates the effectiveness of flowcharting as a scaffolding tool to learn a programming language like Python in the setting of an urban institution that serves mostly underrepresented minority students. We found that the abilities of students to solve problems using flowcharts is a good predictor of their ability to solve problems with Python (r-squared = 0.68). This means that the majority of students who perform well using flowcharts will perform well in Python. A majority of students found flowcharting easier than Python (63%), and reported that flowcharting helped them understand how to write programs in Python (73%). However, flowcharting is not a magic bullet for learning programming because about 31% of students have difficulty solving problems with a flowcharting tool (and Python). We also found that the ability of students to read code is not highly correlated with their ability to write code in Python. In conclusion: 1) For a majority of students flowcharting is an effective scaffolding tool to learn Python; 2) The ability to read and trace code is not predictive of the ability of students to solve problems and write viable programs in Python.
Urogenital Health: Optimizing Healthy Aging

Understanding genitourinary (GU) health in the aging patient is important as it can significantly impact quality of life and overall health. Urinary incontinence and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) including frequency, urgency, hesitancy, and nocturia may be a signal that other underlying correctable diagnoses are present such as pelvic organ prolapse and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Early identification of these troublesome problems allows for appropriate treatment. Prevention, although not well tested, remains a key factor in preventing GU distress later in life.
PREDATION OF THE ENDANGERED BLUNT-NOSED LEOPARD LIZARD (GAMBELIA SILA) IN THE SAN JOAQUIN DESERT OF CALIFORNIA

Predation can significantly affect prey populations, which could be significant for recovering species threatened with extinction. As part of a study on home ranges of the endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila), I found lizards killed, or presumed killed, by predators. Predators that I could identify killing G. sila were the northern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus oreganus) and birds. The overall annual rate of predation during the active season of these lizards was 0.181, or 0.233 if lizards presumed killed are included. Based on published literature by others and other events of predation that I have published, birds and snakes seem to be the major predators of G. sila.
“There Are Hills and Valleys”: Experiences of Parenting a Son With X-Linked Retinoschisis

Purpose To explore the experiences of parents of sons with X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS). Design Mixed methods—qualitative interviews with quantitative survey. Methods Parents of sons with XLRS who were evaluated at the National Eye Institute between December 2017 and January 2019 were eligible for this study. Participation involved engaging in a semistructured interview and completing a survey assessing optimism, anxiety, personality traits, and sociodemographics using valid and reliable scales. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed thematically, and scales were scored and used descriptively. Results Eleven mothers and 8 fathers from 13 families participated. Optimism, anxiety, and personality traits fell into the normative ranges for the scales. Parents described a process of continuous adaptation to their son's condition. The initial diagnosis was characterized by shock, grief, and “devastation” for most parents. Maternal guilt was common, but usually lessened over time. As parents adjusted to life postdiagnosis, they attempted to achieve a state of normalcy while balancing a desire to protect their sons. Significant sources of stress included decisions around sports participation and driving. Among all parents, the fear of retinal detachment was an ongoing concern. Most parents did identify perceived benefits from their experiences, such as feelings of gratitude or family cohesion. Conclusions Most parents viewed XLRS as a significant challenge in their sons' lives, but one that could be overcome. Clinical encounters may be enhanced for families with XLRS by providing accurate information, preparing families for potential challenges, anticipating stressful decisions, and meeting other families with XLRS.
Agonist-specific desensitization of PGE2-stimulated cAMP signaling due to upregulated phosphodiesterase expression in human lung fibroblasts

Pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by fibroblasts persisting in an activated form, producing excessive fibrous material that destroys alveolar structure. The second messenger molecule cyclic 3′,5′-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) has antifibrotic properties, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) can stimulate cAMP production through prostaglandin E (EP)2 and EP4 receptors. Although EP receptors are attractive therapeutic targets, the effects of long-term exposure to PGE2 have not been characterized. To determine the effects of long-term exposure of lung fibroblasts to PGE2, human fetal lung (HFL)-1 cells were treated for 24 h with 100 nM PGE2 or other cAMP-elevating agents. cAMP levels stimulated by acute exposure to PGE2 were measured using a fluorescent biosensor. Pretreatment for 24 h with PGE2 shifted the concentration-response curve to PGE2 rightward by approximately 22-fold but did not affect responses to the beta-adrenoceptor agonist isoproterenol. Neither isoproterenol nor forskolin pretreatment altered PGE2 responses, implying that other cAMP-elevating agents do not induce desensitization. Use of EP2- and EP4-selective agonists and antagonists suggested that PGE2-stimulated cAMP responses in HFL-1 cells are mediated by EP2 receptors. EP2 receptors are resistant to classical mechanisms of agonist-specific receptor desensitization, so we hypothesized that increased PDE activity mediates the loss of signaling after PGE2 pretreatment. PGE2 treatment upregulated messenger RNA for PDE3A, PDE3B, PDE4B, and PDE4D and increased overall PDE activity. The PDE4 inhibitor rolipram partially reversed PGE2-mediated desensitization and PDE4 activity was increased, but rolipram did not alter responses to isoproterenol. The PDE3 inhibitor cilostazol had minimal effect. These results show that long-term exposure to PGE2 causes agonist-specific desensitization of EP2 receptor-stimulated cAMP signaling through the increased expression of PDE isozymes, most likely of the PDE4 family.
The Politics of Curricular Erasure: Debates on Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the Brazilian 'Common Core' Curriculum.

Through the critical feminist lens of intersectionality, this article examines how race, gender, and sexuality were contested through a process of curricular revision before the Base Nacional Comum...
A Numerical Approach to Deriving Long-Run Equilibrium Solutions in Spatial PositioningModels

Choi, DeSarbo and Harker (1990) have recently proposed a numerical methodology for optimal product positioning and pricing under the assumption that the incumbents react only with price changes in the short run. The current note extends this methodology to include incumbents' long-run strategy of competitive product repositioning, in addition to price reactions. This note also introduces the notion of product relocation cost to the equilibrium analysis, and applies the concept of (full and partial) adjustment processes toward an equilibrium to model various strategic behavior of firms. This methodology is illustrated using an existing set of data collected for a major telecommunication equipment manufacturer.
Influence of Opioid Prescription Policy on Overdoses and Related Adverse Effects in a Primary Care Population

In response to the opioid epidemic, many states have enacted policies limiting opioid prescriptions. There is a paucity of evidence of the impact of opioid prescribing interventions in primary care populations, including whether unintended consequences arise from limiting the availability of prescribed opioids. Our aim was to compare changes in opioid overdose and related adverse effects rate among primary care patients following the implementation of state-level prescribing policies. A cohort of primary care patients within an interrupted time series model. Electronic medical record data for 62,776 adult (18+ years) primary care patients from a major medical center in Vermont from January 1, 2016, to June 30, 2018. State-level opioid prescription policy changes limiting dose and duration. Changes in (1) opioid overdose rate and (2) opioid-related adverse effects rate per 100,000 person-months following the July 1, 2017, prescription policy change. Among primary care patients, there was no change in opioid overdose rate following implementation of the prescribing policy (incidence rate ratio; IRR: 0.64, 95% confidence interval; CI: 0.22–1.88). There was a 78% decrease in the opioid-related adverse effects rate following the prescribing policy (IRR: 0.22, 95%CI: 0.09–0.51). This association was moderated by opioid prescription history, with decreases observed among opioid-naive patients (IRR: 0.18, 95%CI: 0.06–0.59) and among patients receiving chronic opioid prescriptions (IRR: 0.17, 95%CI: 0.03–0.99), but not among those with intermittent opioid prescriptions (IRR: 0.51, 95%CI: 0.09–2.82). Limiting prescription opioids did not change the opioid overdose rate among primary care patients, but it reduced the rate of opioid-related adverse effects in the year following the state-level policy change, particularly among patients with chronic opioid prescription history and opioid-naive patients. Limiting the quantity and duration of opioid prescriptions may have beneficial effects among primary care patients.
Abstract P068: The Relationship Of Air Pollution And Menopause On The Progression Of Coronary Artery Calcification In Midlife Women: Study Of Women’s Health Across The Nation

Knowledge of the association between air pollution and atherosclerosis risk has been generated in the general population. Our study targeted middle-aged women during the menopause transition who mi...
[18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) Imaging of Pre-Manifest Huntington’s Disease:Analysis by CAP Score

419 Objectives: Huntington’s Disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive movement and cognitive abnormalities. The underlying genetic mutation is an unstable expanded DNA trinucleotide (cytosine-adenosine-guanine [CAG]) repeat within the coding region for the protein huntingtin on chromosome 4. The number of CAG repeats has been found to be inversely related to the age of onset of motor symptoms and therefore, clinical diagnosis. The cumulative toxicity of the abnormal huntingtin protein has been estimated by the CAG-Age Product (CAP score = Age x (CAG - 33.66)). Objectives: To examine relationships between regional glucose metabolic rates (SUV) and genetic risk (CAP score) in a sample of pre-manifest HD participants. Methods: Thirty-nine (13 M, 26 F, 19 - 81 years of age (43.0 ± 12.9 years)) premanifest HD participants (CAG repeat length 38 - 52 (mean = 42.7 ± 3.2) were imaged with FDG. Participants had a CAP score = 359 ± 77 (range: 220 - 542, low = 7, medium = 14, high = 18) at the time of imaging. Co-registered FDG and T1-weighted images were processed (NEURO tool, PMOD, v. 3.7) to generate cortical and subcortical volumes-of-interest (VOI, N = 78 regions) specific for the individual participant. SUVs were generated for each VOI as well as partial-volume-corrected (PVC) values based on the geometric transfer matrix (GTM) method. Volume-weighted global SUVs were calculated. Analyses employed VOI parameterized in SUV units and as globally-normalized and globally-normalized partial-volume-corrected (PVC) SUV values (i.e., SUVVOI/SUVglobal). Results: Hypometabolism was evident in the caudate and/or putamen in 25/39 pre-manifest HD participants (low = 2/7, medium = 8/14, high = 15/18). Metabolism in the bilateral caudates and putamen (SUV, normalized SUV, PVC normalized SUV) were negatively correlated (Pearson’s and Spearman’s) with the CAP score at the time of imaging. No other regions were consistently related to the CAP score across parameterizations. Conclusions: Pre-manifest HD patients show reduced FDG uptake in bilateral caudate and putamen that correlates with the cumulative toxicity estimated by the CAP score.
Millimeter-Wave Imaging at 652 Frames per Second

Millimeter-wave technology has the potential to revolutionize the field of electronic imaging due to its ability to generate images with high resolution through obscurants like fog and smoke or through materials such as garments and baggage. While millimeter-wave technology has become smaller and more commercially viable in recent years, existing millimeter-wave imaging approaches have been limited by image acquisition time, inhibiting their wide adoption. In this work, we demonstrate a new method of millimeter-wave imaging that uses the transmission of noise signals paired with an element-level 38 GHz digital receiving array to generate millimeter-wave imagery at 652 frames per second. Using a new parallel data acquisition and image formation approach, latencies were reduced by a factor of nearly 50 compared to the authors’ prior work, yielding frame rates more than 26 times faster than any other reported millimeter-wave imaging system. Such imaging capability significantly expands the opportunities for millimeter-wave commercial and scientific imaging applications including contraband detection, consumer sensing, industrial imaging, and nondestructive evaluation. We discuss the millimeter-wave hardware architecture, the imaging algorithm, and present experimental high-speed millimeter-wave imagery.
Changes in Depressive Symptoms in Response to a Significant Stressor in College

Changes in depressive symptoms in response to the experience of a first high-impact stressor (i.e., a stressor rated as both very upsetting and very disruptive) in college were examined as an indicator of student resilience. Participants were 953 college undergraduates from four institutions participating in a larger longitudinal study of student resilience and well-being; 703 of these students reported experiencing at least one high-impact stressor during their time in college. Using piecewise growth modeling analyses with timepoints (n = 8) nested within individuals (n = 703), findings showed that, on average, students reported increased depressive symptoms when experiencing a “high-impact” stressor and showed a pattern of recovery over time, whereby depressive symptoms decreased gradually following the stressor. Self-compassion moderated the effect of experiencing a high-impact stressor such that students higher in self-compassion showed a muted pattern of stress response and recovery. Experiencing subsequent high-impact stressors was associated with increased depressive symptoms and slower recovery. Indicators of availability and quality of social support were negatively associated with depressive symptoms but did not moderate stress response or recovery. Previous exposure to stress and self-reported resilience predicted neither level of depressive symptoms nor stress response or recovery. Implications for efforts to promote community well-being in higher education are discussed.
Joyfully, but Briefly

I couldn't draw because I hated the model, she was aggressively fat. She looked like she'd been floating in a river for 3 days. To be sure I prodded her with a long stick and she rolled over and leaked a foul gas that spread along the ground crippling insects. A pony dragged a carriage through the park disconcerting me joyfully, but briefly. The model crawled back into her stance, an aura of art around her, I couldn't tap into it. It smoked and drifted up to the trees, they sucked it in their lungs. They're called leaves, but they're lungs.
Corrosion and Passivation of Cermet Inert Anodes in Cryolite-Type Electrolytes

Cermets are a class of materials that offer promise as inert anodes in aluminum smelting because of the low solubilities of certain oxides in cryolite and high conductivities of the metal phase. Electrochemical dissolution of the metal phase in the cermets can lead to premature failure of the anode. The electrochemical corrosion of various metals and alloy candidate phases has been investigated with linear sweep voltammetry, galvanostatic polarizations and microprobe elemental dot map analysis. The investigation showed that nickel is an unacceptable metal for cermet anodes. Noble metals are cathodically protected from anodic dissolution while copper/nickel alloys undergo a passivation. The passivation is strictly valid with cermets only and dependent on the use of copper rich alloys and high alumina concentrations in the melt. The passivation is independent of microstructural size of the alloy particles, concentration of the alloy phase, current density, dissolved aluminum metal and time.
Consistent estimators of the parameters of a linear structural relation

Abstract 1. Summary of results. Let E and Eo be chance variables at least one of which is not normally distributed (throughout the present paper a chance variable which is constant with probability one will be considered to be normally distributed with variance zero), and whose distribution is otherwise unknown, except that it is known that with probability one, where 0 and p are unknown constants, . Let (u; v) be jointly normally distributed chance variables with unknown covariance matrix, distributed independently of (e, e0). Without loss of generality we assume that the expected values E u and E v, of u and v respectively, are both zero. Define
How Best to Supply Liquidity to a Small-Capitalization Securities Market

There is a worldwide search for better ways to supply liquidity for small-capitalization stocks. Although Nasdaq provides a liquid market for such stocks by giving broker-dealers financial incentives to generate order flow, recent allegations of dealer collusion have led to calls for reform. It is possible to design a fair, transparent computerized market that also creates incentives for broker-dealers to generate order flow by using secondary priority rules other than time. A nontrivial relative tick size is also important for providing liquidity by enforcing priority rules.
A Resource-Based View of Using Social Media for Material Disclosures

In April 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) provided explicit guidance to public companies regarding social media use for material disclosures. Social media use is explored in three time periods: (1) prior to public SEC scrutiny of social media, (2) after the SEC filed a formal complaint about the use of social media, and (3) after the April 2013 guidance. Regression is used to test how voluntary social media use for material disclosures is associated with trading volume. The exploratory examination includes a sample of 267 companies (741 observations) across the three time periods. Consistent with RBV theory, results show a positive association between social media use for material disclosures and market valuation only in the post-April 2013 guidance period, suggesting that value does accrue when regulatory oversight is explicit.
The synchrotron emission from the M87 jet

We show that the intensity changes and the spectral evolution along the M 87 jet are consistent with adiabatic changes to the particle momentum distribution function and the magnetic field. We use the deprojection of a 2 cm VLA intensity map by Sparks, Biretta, & Macchetto and spectral data by Neumann, Meisenheimer, & Roser to derive limits on the magnetic field and the total pressure. To explain the weakness of synchrotron cooling along the jet, the magnetic field strength must lie in the range 20 − 40 µG, departing from equipartition by a factor ≈1.5–5. Bulk Lorentz factors Γ jet in the range 2–5 and inclination angles ϑ LOS≲25° lead to pressure estimates close to the ISM pressure. Extrapolation of our model back towards the core shows that particle acceleration to the observed spectral shape likely occurs at distances as far as 10 pc away from the core.
Synchronized rotor angle measurement using microprocessors

The internal voltage angle of generators is an important parameter that indicates the stability, both transient and steady-state, of a generator. This paper proposes a method of measuring and then synchronizing the internal angle with the use of an optical encoder on the shaft using a microprocessor. With a synchronized angle measurement, accurate stability studies and wide-area controls could be implemented. The experimental setup up of measuring the rotor angle of a generator, and as such the internal angle, is explained in this paper.
Abstract 48: Long-Term Patterns in the Development of Multiple Cardiovascular Diseases: The Framingham Heart Study

Background: Having a first CVD event increases the risk for subsequent events; however, the long-term patterns in the development and sequence of multiple CVDs, including stroke, myocardial infarction (MI) and chronic heart failure (CHF) are unknown. The aim of this study was to identify distinct long-term patterns in the order and timing of MI, stroke and CHF occurrence. Methods: We used publicly available data from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS). The occurrence of fatal/non-fatal MI, stroke and CHF were examined separately using discrete mixture modeling implemented in SAS (Proc Traj) to identify trajectory groups for the risk of each CVD event starting at age 30. We included both first and subsequent events. Clusters of disease specific trajectory groups were examined. Baseline demographics and risk factors were compared across clusters. Results: Among 5,079 participants (ppts) in FHS, we identified 8 unique patterns in the development of CVDs (see figure). The majority, 72.5%, of Framingham ppts experienced average age- related increases in the yearly risk for all three endpoints of MI, stroke and heart failure (Average Risk group) other groups experienced early or higher risks for specific CVDs including the High CHF Risk group (6% of ppts), Early CHF group (2%), High Stroke Risk group (9%), High CHF and Stroke Risk group (1%), High MI Risk group (4%), High MI and CHF Risk group (1%), Early CHF and MI Risk group (1%). Groups in which stroke and/or HF risk was elevated had higher prevalence of smoking and greater baseline BP levels; those groups at elevated risk of MI had higher total cholesterol levels and higher BMI. Conclusions: We identified distinct patterns in development and ordering of MI, stroke and CHF associated with diverse risk factor profiles. By understanding the life-course and likely sequence of CVD events related to distinct risk factor profiles, clinicians may be able to consider personalized prevention strategies with the highest likelihood of preventing first CVD events and reducing the overall burden of CVD.
Diagnostic peritoneal lavage for blunt trauma in pregnant women

Twelve pregnant women underwent diagnostic peritoneal lavage for suspected blunt abdominal trauma. Peritoneal lavage was both safe and accurate. The lavage was negative in four patients. Two of these patients survived without clinical evidence of abdominal injuries. The absence of abdominal injuries was confirmed at autopsy in the two patients who subsequently died. Peritoneal lavage was positive for hemoperitoneum in eight patients. All eight had significant abdominal injuries.
Flow dynamics in the human carotid artery: I. Preliminary observations using a transparent elastic model

PURPOSE We developed an elastic, transparent, life-size model of the cranial vessels that allowed us to visualize carotid artery flows directly, and wish to report our observations and recorded data. MATERIALS AND METHODS The brachiocephalic arteries of 12 adult cadavers were cannulated and infused with acrylic. The heads were dissolved in alkali and, using a "lost wax" technique, a silicone model that reflected the shape and size of the original artery was produced. These models were connected to a closed circuit of flowing fluid. The fluid was rendered opaque by injecting isobaric dyes at various points in the streams. RESULTS These dye opacified slipstreams showed a relatively low flow area visible in the posterior and lateral aspect of the carotid bulb that acted as an internal buffer, and directed the more posterior lateral slipstreams anteriorly and at the same time increased their velocity. The cervical internal carotid artery was relatively straight and showed flow patterns that were essentially laminar. In the petrous internal carotid artery, the dye-opacified slipstreams began a helical flow pattern, and areas of flow reversal became apparent along the inner aspect (lesser curvature) of the bend. The central slipstreams tended to flow in a straighter line, passing close to, and sometimes striking the wall of, the outer portion (greater curvature) of the bend. In the cavernous internal carotid artery, helical flow continued. The central slipstreams struck the outer surface (greater curve) of the arterial bend. The point that the central slipstream struck the wall was more distal during systole than during diastole. At the supraclinoid section laminar flow again became established. Certain slipstreams selectively entered individual cranial branches. CONCLUSION The model we describe should allow more accurate study of complicated flow dynamics in vessels supplying the brain.
Striking a Balance: Basic Questions About Consumer Protection Law

Chapman Law Reviews annual symposium, this year entitled Responsibility and Reform: Striking a Balance in the Marketplace, is focused on an important issue in todays legal landscape: how much and what kinds of protections should be provided to consumers? Central to this issue is how to balance the protection of consumers persons and pocketbooks with the defense of their autonomy, how to keep consumers from entering into dangerous or disadvantageous transactions without stripping them of the freedom to choose for themselves which products, services, and deals will most benefit them. The panels of speakers for the symposium were focused on four separate but interrelated topics: Predatory Lending, Punitive Damages, Gun and Tobacco Liability, and Californias Unfair Trade Practices Act (Business and Professions Code Section 17200).
The Hub's Metropolis: Greater Boston's Development from Railroad Suburbs to Smart Growth

James C. O'Connell. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2013. xiii and 326 pp., maps, photos, illustrations, notes, index. $34.95 cloth (ISBN 978-0-262-01875-3).City dwellers often realize and relate to the ...
On estimation of the scale matrix of the multivariate f distribution

Let F p×phave a multivariate F distribution with a scale p×p matrix Δ and degrees of freedom k1 and k2 such that ki - p - 1 > 0, i = 1,2. The estimation of Δ under entropy and squared error loss functions are considered. In both cases a new class of orthogonally invariant estimators are obtained which dominate the best unbiased estimator.
The DØ silicon micro-strip tracker

The D0 silicon micro-strip tracker (SMT) is part of the D0 upgrade for the Tevatron RunII at Fermilab. The detector has been running successfully since the start of the RunII physics data taking. The tracking and vertexing performance match the expectation from Monte-Carlo studies. An additional inner layer (Layer0) of silicon sensors at R = 1.6cm will be installed in 2005.
Subdiffusion And Diffusion Of Lipid Atoms And Molecules: Relating The Dynamics Of Lipids To Neutron Scattering Experiments

Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) experiments, based on latest generation of neutron sources, allow us to gain insight into the complex dynamics of lipid molecules in biologically relevant phospholipid bilayers. However, the proper interpretation of the INS scattering experiments requires theoretical and computational models that correctly capture the main features of lipid dynamics at atomic and molecular levels. To this end, here we use a 0.1 microsecond all-atom molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the dynamics of lipid atoms and molecules in a hydrated diyristoyl-phosphatidycholine (DMPC) lipid bilayer. First, as predicted by theories of polymer dynamics, we identify three well separated dynamic regimes in the mean square displacement of the lipid atoms and molecules: (1) a ballistic regime where the mean square displacement increases as the square of time for t 30 nanoseconds. Next, we show that the cumulant approximation of the self-intermediate scattering function (which is the inverse Fourier transform of the dynamic structure factor measured in INS experiments) is in very good agreement with the simulation results, and allows us to connect the three time scales in the mean square displacement to the interpretation of neutron scattering results. Finally, we focus on the hydrogen atoms (which represent the main source of the incoherent INS signal) in the lipids and draw conclusions about the lipid dynamics by examining the wave-vector dependence of the intermediate scattering function.Computer time was generously provided by the University of Missouri Bioinformatics Consortium.
An Experimental Investigation Utilizing the Computer as a Tool for Stimulating Reasoning Skills

AbstractDeveloping problem solving skills in students has long been an educational goal. This study investigated the first phase of problem solving, the awareness of mental operations. Cognitive process instruction was the approach used in a fifteen hour computer class to focus the attention of students on their own thinking processes. Evaluation was made of the students' ability to recall componential operations involved in familiar tasks. The results of this evaluation indicate that improvement in problem solving is an instructional possibility.
Functional organization of glomerular maps in the mouse accessory olfactory bulb

The mammalian accessory olfactory system extracts information about species, sex and individual identity from social odors, but its functional organization remains unclear. We imaged presynaptic Ca(2+) signals in vomeronasal inputs to the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) during peripheral stimulation using light sheet microscopy. Urine- and steroid-responsive glomeruli densely innervated the anterior AOB. Glomerular activity maps for sexually mature female mouse urine overlapped maps for juvenile and/or gonadectomized urine of both sexes, whereas maps for sexually mature male urine were highly distinct. Further spatial analysis revealed a complicated organization involving selective juxtaposition and dispersal of functionally grouped glomerular classes. Glomeruli that were similarly tuned to urines were often closely associated, whereas more disparately tuned glomeruli were selectively dispersed. Maps to a panel of sulfated steroid odorants identified tightly juxtaposed groups that were disparately tuned and dispersed groups that were similarly tuned. These results reveal a modular, nonchemotopic spatial organization in the AOB.
Robotic cells with parallel machines and multiple dual gripper robots: a comparative overview

The combination of parallel machines and multiple dual gripper robots has become increasingly prevalent in modern manufacturing with robotic cells. However, there has been no previous study of the design and scheduling challenges faced by managers who employ these complex cells. The benefit of implementing dual grippers in cells with multiple robots over cells with the same number of single gripper robots is quantified in this paper. Configuration decisions are addressed by comparing different implementations of multi-robot cells to show that the method of exchanging parts between robots (shared machines versus transfer stations) has little bearing on the throughput. In contrast, it is demonstrated that the assignment of processing stages to robots can have a significant effect on a cell's potential throughput. A scheme that allows multiple robots to cooperate without colliding or suffering gridlock is described; this is realized with minimal impact on throughput. The optimality is analytically establishe...
Immunofluorescent plasma cell labeling indices (LI) using a monoclonal antibody (BU-1).

Tritiated thymidine labeling indices (LI), although useful in diagnosis and prognosis of multiple myeloma, have not found wide-spread application because autoradiographic analysis is diffucult and time consuming. Using a monoclonal antibody (BU-1) reactive with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd), we have developed an immuno-fluorescent procedure that allows DNA S-phase measurements to be determined in 4 hr. Plasma cells are easily identified by reactivity with a fluorescein isothiocya-nate-conjugated antihuman immunoglobulin, and cells in DNA S phase are detected via BU-1 and a rhodamine-conjugated antimouse immunoglobulin. Results using this method on 12 patients with multiple myeloma compare favorably (correlation coefficient 0.84), with those obtained by tritiated thymidine. This immunofluorescent slide method will facilitate application of labeling indices as a clinical test to measure disease activity in patients with multiple myeloma and other hematologic neoplasms.
Molecular heterosis as the explanation for the controversy about the effect of the DRD2 gene on dopamine D2 receptor density.

Molecular heterosis as the explanation for the controversy about the effect of the DRD2 gene on dopamine D 2 receptor density
Nerve growth factor (NGF) content in adult rat brain tissues is several-fold higher than generally reported and is largely associated with sedimentable fractions.

Abstract Initial studies had revealed that the bioactivity of nerve growth factor (NGF) in sonicates of adult rat hippocampal formation (HF) is several-fold greater in their pellet than their supernatant fractions. Such observations have prompted an analysis of NGF antigen (NGF-Ag) contents in pellets and supernatants from a variety of adult rat CNS tissues, both in the absence and the presence of exogenous β-NGF. With HF tissues, NGF-Ag in the supernatants was comparable to most literature values, but pellet NGF-Ag was 3 to 5 times that amount. All other CNS tissue sonicates also revealed 3–6 fold higher NGF-Ag in their pellets than their supernatants, hence overall NGF-Ag contents were greatly in excess of reported ones. Presentation of mouse β-NGF to a tissue, its sonicate, or its standard pellet resulted in a transfer to the final pellet of 30–50% of the added soluble NGF-Ag (and 30% of the added bioactivity). This percentage is much lower than that present in native pellets (80%), suggesting that the association of endogenous NGF with particulate matter may involve at least two compartments. Treatments of pellets with salt, alkaline pH, and/or the detergent Triton X-100 have revealed a third subset, namely additional pellet NGF-Ag that was not initially recognized by the antibody in our ELISA assay. The treatments also caused substantial release of NGF from pellet to supernatant. Further studies should clarify the nature of the association between NGF and the three subsets of pellet NGF and allow the investigation of the pellet molecules responsible for it.
Phylogeny of the radula-less dorids (Mollusca, Nudibranchia), with the description of a new genus and a new family

This paper studies the phylogenetic relationships of the nudibranch dorids that lack a radula. Numerous specimens belonging to 29 different species, representing all genera of this group and other related taxa, were examined anatomically. Details of the foregut were examined with SEM. From this anatomical study a total of 62 characters were considered. These characters have been polarized using the genus Berthella as the outgroup. Eight species of dorids with a radula and the genus Armina have been also included in the analysis for comparative purposes. The phylogeny obtained supports the hypothesis that the radula has been lost once in the Doridina and that the radula-less dorids are a monophyletic group. Cryptobranchia is monophyletic when the radula-less dorids are included. The new genus Mandelia, introduced on the basis of a new species from South Africa, is the sister group of the rest of the radula-less dorids, and is described as a new family, Mandeliidae. The radula-less dorids (currently placed in a separate superfamily) actually constitute an internal branch of other cryptobranch dorids. Phyllidia has no synapomorphies that distinguish if from Fryeria, which has one autoapomorphy, the ventral position of the anus. Therefore, both genera are regarded as synonyms. The evolution of several characters among the radula-less dorids is discussed, and the present phylogeny is compared with prior studies.
Shock Wave Impact Simulation of a Vehicle Occupant Using Fluid/Structure/Dynamics Interactions

Abstract Ground vehicles subjected to blast can result in vehicle movements and occupant injuries. The engineering mechanisms involved in such blasts include fluid dynamics, solid dynamics, and multi-body dynamics. This paper describes a parallel computer simulation methodology that can be applied to couple the structural deformation prediction of a ground vehicle system and the associated occupant kinematics during a blast event. Generic box and dummy models were used in the demonstration of this newly-developed methodology. The generic system structure consists of an outer cube representing a vehicle armor structure, and a dummy representing a crew member in a ground vehicle. Simulation results for different cases include free air blast wave propagation, blast on a metal plate and over a hemispherical dome, and blast wave interaction with a vehicle and its occupant inside.
Delayed progressive bilateral supraclinoid internal carotid artery stenosis in a patient with a ruptured basilar artery aneurysm.

Cerebral vasospasm is a common radiographic and clinical diagnosis after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Conventional treatments include medical hypertension, hypervolemia, and modest hemodilution. When medical treatments fail in severe vasospasm cases, intra-arterial vasodilation and balloon angioplasty may be useful. We present a 47-year-old woman with a ruptured basilar artery aneurysm who developed severe bilateral internal carotid artery vasospasm requiring bilateral balloon angioplasty. Prior to discharge, the patient’s bilateral stenosis had improved. Three months post-discharge, severe restenosis in her bilateral internal carotid arteries occurred; a rare event. Balloon angioplasty has been demonstrated to histologically tear and stretch collagen fibers in the vessel wall and overexpansion of vessels may lead to a neo-intimal reaction that is similar to the one seen after stent placement in the intracranial circulation. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of delayed and progressive stenosis in vessels treated with angioplasty. Follow-up vascular imaging is necessary after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Future study is required on the treatment paradigms necessary for this delayed restenosis.
Divergence of the Bethe-Salpeter wave function at the origin

Abstract We point out an error in the proof of Nishijima et al. that the Bethe-Salpeter wave function for composite particles, lying on Regge trajectories, is finite. We describe a simple counter-example drawn from non-relativistic quantum mechanics and cite others from field theory.
Sensitivity of CYP1A1 mRNA Inducibility by Dioxin Is the Same in Cyp1a2(/) Wild-type and Cyp1a2(−/−) Null Mutant Mice

Abstract In mammals, the induction of experimental porphyria by halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs) seems to be influenced by the levels of hepatic CYP1A2. The pharmacokinetics and relative rates of uptake and storage of HAHs in the liver are correlated with hepatic CYP1A2 concentrations. It is possible that these rates of HAH uptake and storage might affect the expression of other HAH-inducible genes. The differential inducibility of liver CYP1A1 mRNA by dioxin was therefore compared in Cyp1a2(+/+) wild-type mice, Cyp1a2(+/−) heterozygotes, and Cyp1a2(−/−) homozygous null mutants. Using doses of dioxin over eight orders of magnitude (from 10 −12 to 10 −4 g/kg), we could detect no differences in the sensitivity of CYP1A1 mRNA inducibility. These data indicate that the complete absence of the microsomal CYP1A2 enzyme has no measurable effect on hepatic expression of the Cyp1a1 , gene, the only other known member of the mammalian CYP1A cytochrome P450 subfamily.
A comparison study of three urban air pollution models

Abstract The predictions of three urban air pollution models with varying degrees of mathematical and computational complexities are compared against the hourly SO 2 ground-level concentrations observed on 10 winter nights of the RAPS experiment in St. Louis. The emphasis in this study is on the prediction of urban area source concentrations. Statistics for the paired comparison of predictions of each model with the observations are presented. The RAM and the ATDL model with stable diffusion coefficients overestimated the observed night-time concentrations. The results show that the performance of the ATDL model with near-neutral diffusion coefficients is comparable to the more sophisticated 3-D grid numerical model.
Preliminary calculations of ballistic bunch compression with thermionic cathode rf guns

Preliminary calculations using the computer code PARMELA indicate that it is possible to achieve peak currents on the order of 1 kA using a thermionic-cathode rf gun and ballistic bunch compression. In contrast to traditional magnetic bunching schemes, ballistic bunch compression uses a series of rf cavities to modify the energy profile of the beam and properly chosen drifts to allow the bunching to occur naturally. The method, suitably modified, should also be directly applicable to photoinjector rf guns. Present work is focusing on simultaneously compressing the bunch while reducing the emittance of the electron beam. At present, the calculated normalized rms emittance is in the neighborhood of 6.8 {pi} mm mrad with a peak current of 0.88 kA, and a peak bunch charge of 0.28 nC from a thermionic-cathode gun.