cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lower and lower Middle Pennsylvanian fluvial to estuarine deposition, central Appalachian basin: Effects of eustasy, tectonics, and climate

Interpretations of Pennsylvanian sedimentation and peat accumulation commonly use examples from the Appalachian basin because of the excellent outcrops and large reserve of coal (>100 billion metric tons) in the region. Particularly controversial is the origin of Lower and lower Middle Pennsylvanian quartzose sandstones; beach-barrier, marine-bar, tidal-strait, and fluvial models all have been applied to a series of sand bodies along the western outcrop margin of the basin. Interpretations of these sandstones and their inferred lateral relationships are critical for understanding the relative degree of eustatic, tectonic, and climatic controls on Early Pennsylvanian sedimentation. Cross sections utilizing >1000 subsurface records and detailed sedimentological analysis of the Livingston Conglomerate, Rockcastle Sandstone, Corbin Sandstone, and Pine Creek sandstone (an informal member) of the Breathitt Group were used to show that each of the principal quartzose sandstones on the margin of the central Appalachian basin contains both fluvial and marginal marine facies. The four sandstones are fluvially dominated and are inferred to represent successive bed-load trunk systems of the Appalachian foreland. Base-level rise and an associated decrease in extra-basinal sediment at the end of each fluvial episode led to the development of local estuaries and marine reworking of the tops of the sand belts. Each of the sand belts is capped locally by a coal, regardless of whether the upper surfaces of the sand belts are of fluvial or estuarine origin, suggesting allocyclic controls on deposition. Peats were controlled by a tropical ever-wet climate, which also influenced sandstone composition through weathering of stored sands in slowly aggrading braidplains. Recurrent stacking of thick, coarse-grained, fluvial deposits with extra-basinal quartz pebbles; dominance of bed-load fluvial–lowstand deposits over mixed-load, estuarine-transgressive deposits; thinning of sand belts around tectonic highs and along faults; cratonward shift and amalgamation of successive sand belts on the margin of the basin; and truncation of successive sand belts toward the fault-bound margin of the basin are interpreted as regional responses to Alleghenian tectonism, inferred to have been the dominant control on accommodation space and sediment flux in the Early Pennsylvanian basin.
Relationship between activated clotting time during percutaneous intervention and subsequent bleeding complications.

Background Approximately 50% of percutaneous coronary interventions in the United States are performed with unfractionated heparin and no IIb/IIIa agent. The operator must weigh the risks and benefits of more intensive anticoagulation during these percutaneous interventions. This study helps clarify the relationship between patient and procedural factors, such as the intensity of heparin anticoagulation as measured by activated clotting time (ACT), and the risk of blood loss and bleeding complications. Methods Four hundred twenty-nine patients undergoing elective or urgent percutaneous coronary intervention were followed up prospectively for 72 hours after intervention for clinical bleeding complications. Blood loss, defined as the difference between preprocedural and nadir postprocedural hematocrit adjusted for interval transfusions, was also tracked. In-laboratory ACTs, as well as other potential clinical and procedural predictors of blood loss and bleeding risk, were collected and analyzed. Results Maximum in-laboratory ACT was significantly related to blood loss as measured by the change in hematocrit (P =.017) and to the risk of major bleeding complications (P =.002). In multivariate analysis, patient age (P =.004), sex (P =.014), procedure length (P <.001), and additional interventions (P <.001) were significant, independent predictors of blood loss. Major bleeding complications were significantly, independently predicted by patient age (P <.001), additional interventions (P =.015), and maximum in-laboratory ACT (P <.001). Conclusions Compared with the other clinical and procedural predictors of bleeding complications, maximum in-laboratory ACT was second only to patient age in significance as a multivariate predictor of postprocedural bleeding complications. Maximum in-laboratory ACT was found to be the most significant modifiable univariate and multivariate predictor of clinical bleeding complications after percutaneous coronary intervention. Particularly in patients with nonmodifiable risk factors for blood loss and bleeding complications such as advanced age, female sex, and multiple and prolonged procedures, avoiding high intensity anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin is associated with lower bleeding risk. (Am Heart J 2002;144:501-7.)
Welfare Reform and Immigrant Participation in Welfare Programs

This article examines the impact of the 1996 welfare reform legislation on welfare use in immigrant households. Although the data indicate that the welfare participation rate of immigrants declined relative to that of natives at the national level, this national trend is entirely attributable to the trends in welfare participation in California. Immigrants living in California experienced a precipitous drop in their welfare participation rate (relative to natives). Immigrants living outside California experienced roughly the same decline in participation rates as natives. The potential impact of welfare reform on immigrants residing outside California was neutralized because many state governments responded to the federal legislation by offering state-funded programs to their immigrant populations and because the immigrants themselves responded by becoming naturalized citizens. The very steep decline of immigrant welfare participation in California is harder to understand, but could be a by-product of the changed political and social environment following the enactment of Proposition 187. It's just obvious that you can't have free immigration and a welfare state. Milton Friedman.
Subclinical atherosclerosis is related to lower neuronal viability in middle-aged adults: A 1H MRS study

Abstract Background Increased carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) is a noninvasive marker of systemic arterial disease, associated with atherosclerosis, abnormal arterial mechanics, myocardial infarction, and stroke. In the elderly, clinically elevated IMT is related to diminished attention–executive function. In this context, previous work involving paper-and-pencil measures of cognition has demonstrated that a threshold of pathology (i.e., IMT ≥ 0.9 mm) is needed before IMT consistently relates to poor neuropsychological test performance. Given the critical role of arterial health in the development of cognitive dysfunction, the goal of this study was to investigate early markers of brain vulnerability by examining subclinical levels of IMT in relation to a sensitive marker of neuronal integrity, cerebral N-acetyl-aspartate/creatine (NAA/Cr) ratio, in midlife. Methods A total of 40 participants aged 50 ± 6 years, underwent neuropsychological assessment, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H MRS) examination of occipitoparietal grey matter and B-mode ultrasound of the common carotid artery. IMT was defined as the distance between the luminal–endothelial interface and the junction between the media and the adventitia. The relation between IMT and cerebral metabolite ratios was modeled using a single multivariate multiple regression analysis adjusted for age and current systolic blood pressure. Results Increased IMT was associated with significantly lower NAA/Cr ratios (IMT beta = −0.62, p = 0.001), independent of age and systolic blood pressure ( F (3,36) = 4.928, p = 0.006). Conclusions Our study extends previous findings by demonstrating a significant relationship between IMT and NAA concentration, suggesting compromised neuronal viability even at IMT levels below thresholds for clinical end-organ damage.
Sequencing, mutational analysis, and transcriptional regulation of the Escherichia coli htrB gene.

The Escherichia coli htrB gene was originally discovered because its insertional inactivation led to an exquisitely temperature-sensitive phenotype in rich media, i.e. the ability to form colonies at temperatures below 32 degrees C, but not above 33 degrees C. The htrB gene has been sequenced. It can potentially code for two proteins, with Mr values of 35,407 Da and 8669 Da, that are encoded by overlapping, divergent open reading frames. Our data are consistent with the 35,407 Da protein being HtrB. Northern blot analysis clearly shows that the monocistronic htrB message is not under heat-shock regulation. We have also sequenced the flanking DNA and have discovered a new gene, designated orf39.9, located immediately adjacent to htrB, but divergently transcribed.
Stepwise Cope Rearrangement of Cyclo-biphenalenyl via an Unusual Multicenter Covalent π-Bonded Intermediate

Multicenter covalent π-bonding between π-conjugated radicals has been recently recognized as a novel and important bonding interaction. The Cope rearrangement of cyclo-biphenalenyl 9 is studied by exploring its potential energy surface with density functional theory (DFT), and it is found that π-bonding plays a critical role in the rearrangement process. Affected by this, the rearrangement of 9 takes place by a stepwise mechanism through an unusual π-intermediate 10, of C2h symmetry, which can be characterized as a 2×13π+2×2π system. The π-intermediate has a long inter-phenalenyl distance of R ≈ 2.8 A, which is shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii displaying multicenter covalent π-bonding between the two phenalenyl units. The energy of the π-intermediate 10 is higher than that of the σ-bonded reactant 9 by ∼2 kcal/mol according to the employed spin-restricted DFT. NMR chemical shift calculations support the σ-bonded 9 as the global minimum. The calculated activation barrier of ∼6 kcal/mol for t...
Diagnostic testing for Prader-Willi syndrome and Angelman syndrome: a cost comparison.

Purpose: Considering cost as a factor, the authors evaluated three approaches to the diagnostic testing of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and Angelman syndrome (AS). Methods: The approaches evaluated were (1) DNA methylation studies followed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for any positive DNA result, (2) FISH analysis followed by DNA testing for any negative result, and (3) simultaneous DNA testing and FISH analysis. Results: Of 136 samples submitted for chromosome analysis and DNA methylation analysis for PWS or AS, 114 had a normal chromosome analysis and methylation studies, 9 were positive for AS, 3 were positive for PWS, and 7 had an abnormal chromosome analysis, but not deletion 15q11.2-q13, and normal methylation studies. On the basis of these results, the authors compared the cost of each testing strategy. Conclusion: DNA methylation studies followed by confirmation with FISH for any positive result yields a significant cost savings compared with the other approaches.
Chemical determination of hole location in the superconducting system Ba1-xKxBiO3

Abstract Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and ion chromatography were used to analyze the gases evolved from Ba1 − xKxBiO3 samples upon dissolution in normal and 18O-enriched aqueous acid solutions. The gases detected were O2, Cl2, and ClO2. In the superconducting range of x = 0.35 to 0.5, the solid oxide phases were a minor contributor to the total gas concentration, with more than 90% of the evolved gas being Cl2 formed by the the oxidation of the hydrochloric acid solution by Bi+5. The dependence of the Cl2, ClO2, and O2 evolution on the composition of the dissolved solid shows that the holes introduced by K substitution for Ba in BaBiO3 go onto Bi sites, increasing their oxidation state, rather than into the O band.
Making climate change a priority in the NHS.

Costello and colleagues articulate the obligation of healthcare professionals to provide leadership in the struggle against climate change.1 As a nationalised system and one of the largest employers in the world, the NHS has an unrivalled opportunity to lead other industries because, in theory, …
The Expected Value of Frequency Calibration

Abstract It is possible to calibrate subjective probabilites using relative frequency information pertaining to a probability assessor's past performance. This procedure is known as frequency calibration and can be used to improve the quality of assessed probabilities. We develop a conceptual model of the probability assessment process and, on the basis of this model, show how to calculate the expected value of frequency calibration (EVFC) using standard Bayesian preposterior analysis. U.S. National Weather Service precipitation probability forecasts are used to illustrate the calculation of EVFC in the contexts of scoring rules and the familiar umbrella problem.
THE SELL DECISION

Will Rogers said that it's easy to make money in the stock market: you buy a stock and hold it until it goes up, then sell it. But “if it don't go up, don't buy it.” Towards the end of last year the stock market as measured by the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was at an all time high of 2691.49. Investment professionals of all levels of experience and points of view — as well as retail clients — were asking themselves on a daily basis, “how high is up?” On the assumption that the astute readers of this column made their buying decisions in July 1982, when the DJIA was languishing around 750 and before the bull market began its surge on August 13, 1982, we will consider the sell decision.
Development of a nondestructive evaluation method for FRP bridge decks

Open steel grids are typically used on bridges to minimize the weight of the bridge deck and wearing surface. These grids, however, require frequent maintenance and exhibit other durability concerns related to fatigue cracking and corrosion. Bridge decks constructed from composite materials, such as a Fiber-reinforced Polymer (FRP), are strong and lightweight; they also offer improved rideability, reduced noise levels, less maintenance, and are relatively easy to install compared to steel grids. This research is aimed at developing an inspection protocol for FRP bridge decks using Infrared thermography. The finite element method was used to simulate the heat transfer process and determine optimal heating and data acquisition parameters that will be used to inspect FRP bridge decks in the field. It was demonstrated that thermal imaging could successfully identify features of the FRP bridge deck to depths of 1.7 cm using a phase analysis process.
Suppression of antigen-induced arthritis in Lewis rats by oral administration of type II collagen.

Objective. To assess the effect of orally administered type II collagen (CII) in antigen-induced arthritis (AIA). Methods. Arthritis was induced in Lewis rats by immunization with methylated bovine serum albumin (mBSA) in Freund's complete adjuvant, followed by an intraarticular injection of mBSA 2 weeks later. Different doses of CII, mBSA, and an unrelated control protein, keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), were orally administered 5 times over several days prior to the induction of arthritis. Ankle joint swelling and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses were measured. Results. Joint swelling was significantly reduced at a dose of 3 μg and 30 μg of CII, but not at 300 μg. The most prominent suppression of AIA was observed when rats were fed 10 mg of mBSA, whereas oral KLH had no effect. DTH responses were significantly reduced in the mBSA-fed rats, but not in rats that were fed CII or KLH. Conclusion. Oral CII can suppress arthritis in an animal model in which immunity to collagen does not play a role. The effect is dose dependent and occurs at lower doses of CII. These results demonstrate the biologic relevance of bystander suppression associated with oral tolerance, and the potential use of this approach to treat human inflammatory joint disease.
PATTERNS AND INTENSITY OE AUTOFLUORESCENCE AND ITS RELATION TO MELANIN IN HUMAN EPIDERMIS AND HAIR

: The skin of 41 patients including 16 blacks, 15 Caucasiatis, and 10 Hispanics, was observed using a fluorescent microscope. Three patterns of autofluorescence were observed: intercellular, cytoplasmic, and a combination of inter cellular and cytoplasmic. The hair of 75 subjects, including 18 Negroes and 55 Caucasians, was observed. Two patterns were found: medullar and at the cortex. Skin from black patients was associated with the cytoplasmic pattern of autofluorescence. Compared to lighter skin, black skin was also significantly associated with increased intensity of autofluorescence indicating that autoflorescence of the epidermis parallels the link al degree of pigmentation. In the hair of 75 subjects, similar results were obtained: Negro hair exhibited more fluorescnce than Caucasian hair, and darker hair (brown to black) exhibited more fluorescence than lighter hair(blond). This may be related to melanin and its breakdown products.
NaY Zeolite-Supported Rhodium and Iridium Cluster Catalysts: Characterization by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy during Propene Hydrogenation Catalysis

Abstract Clusters of rhodium and of iridium were synthesized in the cages of the sodium form of the faujasite zeolite Y by decarbonylation of zeolite-supported [Rh6(CO)16] or [Ir4(CO)12] in H2at 200 or 300°C, respectively. Larger clusters (aggregates) of rhodium or iridium consisting of 10 to 20 atoms each on average were formed by treatment of zeolite-supported [Rh6(CO)16] or [Ir6(CO)16] in H2at 250 or 300°C. The samples were characterized by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy under vacuum and in (a) H2, (b) propene, and (c) H2/propene mixtures (with catalytic hydrogenation taking place). The EXAFS data indicate that the clusters or aggregates were intact, with the metal frames changed undetectably in the presence of any of the gases, even during catalysis and at temperatures up to 140°C. In the presence of propene only, rhodium clusters showed changes in their X-ray absorption near-edge spectra, but the iridium clusters did not. When propene was present with H2during catalysis, the near-edge spectra were essentially the same as those characterizing the metal clusters (or aggregates) in H2only. The data are consistent with the inference that the metal clusters, approximated as predominantly Ir4or Rh6(the latter not fully decarbonylated) are catalytically active themselves, as are larger aggregates of those metals.
Improved verification methodology for TRAC-PF1/NEM using NEA/OECD core transient benchmarks

Abstract This paper describes the verification methodology of TRAC-PF1/NEM based on the NEA/OECD core transient benchmarks. The necessity of verification of the coupled best-estimate codes capable to predict the transient behavior of light water reactors (LWR) is well recognized. The TRAC-PF1/NEM code, currently maintained in The Pennsylvania State University (PSU), is a coupled three-dimensional (3D) neutronics/thermal-hydraulics (T-H) best-estimate code that allows simulating the postulated design basis accidents for pressurized water reactors (PWR). The nodal expansion method (NEM) is implemented in the neutronics module of TRAC-PF1/NEM. TRAC-PF1 is a system transient analysis code allowing 3D fluid dynamics vessel modeling as well as 1D balance-of-plant representations. Rod ejection/withdrawal accidents, which constitute 3D transient problems with the moving of central or peripheral control assemblies, are analyzed in this paper. It is demonstrated that the obtained results are in the range of one neutronic node-per-assembly and one T-H cell-per-assembly reference results. It is also shown that the modifications of the thermal conductivity and heat capacity of both uranium oxide and zirconium cladding, introduced into TRAC-PF1 according to the benchmark specifications in comparison with the initial TRAC correlations, do not change the steady state and transient results. The analyzed NEA/OECD core transient benchmarks have been recently added to the developed TRAC-PF1/NEM qualification procedure. These benchmarks help to improve the verification methodology by establishing a well-defined set of test problems for future TRAC-PF1/NEM modifications and distributions.
KpnI families of long, interspersed repetitive DNAs in human and other primate genomes

KpnI restriction of DNAs from all anthropoid primates studied releases a conspicuous series of segments representing families of long, interspersed repetitive DNAs termed here the KpnI 1.2, 1.5, 1.8 and 1.9 kb families. Human KpnI 1.2 to 1.9 kb segments representative of these families were isolated and separately cloned in the KpnI site of a plasmid pBK5, specially constructed for this purpose. The KpnI clones did not cross-hybridize with cloned, primate alphoid sequences, suggesting that the KpnI families represent sequences separate and distinct from the alphoid DNAs. Secondary restriction analyses of cloned KpnI segments demonstrated microheterogeneity among individual members within the same KpnI family. Autoradiograms of capuchin monkey, AGM and human DNA cleaved with HaeIII, AluI or RsaI and hybridized to various cloned human KpnI sequences demonstrated a remarkable conservatism and relative simplicity in the organization of the KpnI families in the genomes of these widely divergent primates. The KpnI 1.2 kb and 1.5 kb families occur in high frequency (15%) among all plaques in two recombinant human genome libraries. Evidence is presented suggesting that the bulk of the KpnI families occur in the genome as clusters or congeries of higher molecular weight segments (greater than 2 kb) containing sequences homologous to the low molecular weight segments (1.2 to 1.9 kb).
Control of Largely-Deformed Nonlinear Electro/Elastic Beam and Plate Systems: Finite Element Formulation and Analysis

Adaptive structures involving large imposed deformation often go beyond the boundary of linear theory and they should be treated as “nonlinear” structures. A generalized nonlinear finite element formulation for vibration sensing and control analysis of laminated electro/elastic nonlinear shell structures is derived based on the virtual work principle. A generic curved triangular piezoelectric shell element is proposed based on the layerwise constant shear angle theory. The dynamic system equations, equations of electric potential output and feedback control force defined in a matrix form are derived. The modified Newton-Raphson method is adopted for nonlinear dynamic analysis of large and complex piezoelectric/elastic/control structures. The developed piezoelectric shell element and finite element code are validated and then applied to control analysis of flexible electro-elastic (piezoelectric/elastic) structural systems. Vibration control of constant-curvature electro/elastic beam and plate systems is studied. Time-history responses of free and controlled nonlinear electro/elastic beam and plate systems are presented and nonlinear effects discussed.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Toxic-metabolic, nutritional, and medicinal-induced disorders of cerebellum

The human cerebellum is composed of 2 hemispheres and a narrow medial section (vermis). Three pairs of dense fiber bundles (peduncles) connect the cerebellum to the brain. The cerebellum possesses widespread outgoing connections. Insult can result in neurologic deficits, including ataxia, hypotonia, dysarthria, and ocular motility problems. It is particularly susceptible to toxic effects of metabolic and medicinal insults. The cerebellum is potentially sensitive to alcohol, drug exposure, illicit drugs, and environmental poisons (mercury, lead, manganese, and toluene/benzene derivatives). The astute clinician must be aware of the multiple potential factors that can adversely affect cerebellar function.
Attitudes Toward Risk and The Risk–Return Paradox: Prospect Theory Explanations

This study attempted to explain Bowman's risk–return paradox in terms of recent research in behavioral decision theory and prospect theory. The research emphasized the role of reference, or target,...
1779 EPITHELIAL FLUX AND EPIDERMAL STORAGE OF WATER IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS

Comparatively little attention has been given to the direct measurement of water in secretory processes and products in CF. Using a newly developed non-invasive technique, we have quantified under conditions of stable thermal and mass transfer coeff. both steady state as well as dynamic hydration and dehydration phenomena in 11 disease-free persons randomly selected for age, sex and race, and in those with CF. Preliminary data indicate that the mean steady state transcutaneous water loss rate (Ess) from the intact skin of the medial forearm of 2, 6 y/o twins (Swachman scores: 73 and 75) was twice that of the disease-free group (mean ± SE: 19.1 ± 1.1 and 9.3 ± 0.6 μg·cm−2·min−1, resp.). Also, time-controlled (T:min) hydration tests using water-impermeable barriers at the skin surface indicate mean epidermal water storage (Vol; μg) follows the pattern: Vol = 122.5+4.2T+0.01T2 (r=0.995) for these children, and Vol =64.3+1.9T-0.01T2 (r=0.988) for the control group. These data are consistent with the observation that unimpeded transepidermal water diffusion is higher in CF. Older children (9 and 18 y/o; Swachman scores: 64 and 80, resp.) show little difference in Ess (each was 10.0 μg·cm−2·min−1) conmpared to the control group, however, they may also hydrate their skin more rapidly (Vol=55.9+6.9T-0.1T2 [r=0.988] and Vol= 57.7+3.6T-0.1T2 [r=0.991], resp.) for currently unknown reasons. We suggest that transcutaneous water diffusion and storage rates are elevated in CF, and that these measurements may provide new and useful information about epithelial transport abnormalities.
EFFECT OF CROWDED REARING ON NEGATIVE INCENTIVE CONTRAST EFFECT

Summary.-Female Sprague-Dawley rats were reared under crowded (12 animals per cage) or uncrowded (2 animals per cage) conditions beginning at 30 days of age. At 90 days of age, the subjects were trained to traverse a straight runway for a large or a small food reward, after which all subjects were given additional trials with the small reward. During the preshift phase, crowded and uncrowded subjects did not perform differently, but performance was more rapid with the large magnitude of reward. A trend toward a less disruptive reaction to the downshift in reward among the uncrowded than among the crowded subjects was noted. Since the uncrowded subjects also had heavier adrenal glands (and thus presumably a higher chronic level of stress), it was suggested that they had greater tolerance for the stressful reduction in reward. Animals uained initially to traverse a runway for a large magnitude of reward and then shifted to a smaller reward show rapid decrements in performance. In addition, a negative "contrast effect" is usually obtained in that such subjects respond more slowly than control subjects which have consistently received the smaller reward (cf. Black, 1968; Cox, 1975). Emotion has figured in explanations of the negative contrast effect since the original reports of shifcs in magnitude of reward by Crespi (1942). He proposed that the negative contrast effect could be accounted for by the animal's "depressive" reaction to the change in reward from its usual, "expected" value. Other investigators (Spence, 1956; Amsel, 1962) have similarly proposed that negative contrast phenomena can be explicated in terms of interfering competing responses occasioned by the animal's frustration resulting from the reduction in reward. A variable which has recently been under investigation to elucidate the effect of emotionality upon instrumental performance is the density of housing conditions under which subjects are reared. Rearing under density extremes (isolation and crowding) produces physiological alterations (e.g., heavier adrenal weights) indicative of stress and emotionality (Goeckner, Greenough, & Mead, 1973; Brain & Nowell, 1970), and it appears that differences in instrumental performance by subjects housed under crowded and uncrowded coaditions may be a reflection of differences in emotionality. Although the results
Reevaluating the Factor Structure of the Attitudes Toward Mainstreaming Scale

The factor structure of the revised Attitude Toward Mainstreaming Scale was reevaluated. The scale was developed to measure attitudes toward the integration of students with disabilities into regular classrooms. Subjects were 229 undergraduate education majors. Factor analytic procedures yielded a different factor structure than that reported in previous validation studies. Implications of the findings for the use of the Attitudes Toward Mainstreaming Scale in studies of mainstreaming are discussed.
Ego-Motion Complex Logarithmic Mapping

If a dynamic scene is acquired using a translating camera and the camera motion parameters are known, then the analysis of the scene may be facilitated in a transformed space. It is shown in this paper that by using the complex logarithmic mapping with respect to the focus of expansion, the segmentation of the scene into its stationary and nonstationary components and the determination of the depth of stationary components can be achieved easily in the transformed image sequence. An added advantage will be the invariances offered by the complex logarithmic mapping.© (1985) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
GS3: scalable self-configuration and self-healing in wireless networks

We present GS3, a distributed, scalable, self-configuration and self-healing algorithm for multi-hop wireless networks. The algorithm enables network nodes in a 2D plane to configure themselves into a cellular hexagonal structure such that cells have tightly bounded geographic radius and low overlap between neighboring cells. The structure is self-healing under various perturbations, such as node joins, leaves, deaths, movements, and state corruptions. For instance, it slides as a whole if nodes in many cells die at the same rate. Moreover, its configuration and healing are scalable in three respects: first, local knowledge enables each node to maintain only limited information with respect to a constant number of nearby nodes; second, local healing guarantees that all perturbations are contained within a tightly bounded region with respect to the perturbed area and dealt with in a one-way message diffusion time across the region; third, only local coordination is needed in both configuration and self-healing.
ESDP and the structure of world power

(2004). ESDP and the structure of world power. The International Spectator: Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 5-17.
Semigenerally covariant equations of motion—II the significance of the “tail” and the relation to other equations of motion

Abstract The semigenerally covariant equation of motion of a particle of finite mass moving in an “external” gravitational field, obtained in the previous paper, is further discussed. At first we decompose it into four scalar equations along four orthonormal vectors moving with the particle. It is shown that if the particle moves along a geodesic line in the external field, then the “tail” vanishes. The vanishing of the “tail,” on the other hand, implies a motion that tends to be geodetic, without the appearance of any runaway solution. The “tail” term is then determined for the case of slow motion (to an accuracy up to the seventh order in c −1 ) of two finite mass particles. It is shown that its structure is very similar to that obtained for the (test) charged particle moving in a static gravitational field, i.e., it depends on the velocity of the particle and the Riemann tensor of the “external” field. We then show that both the Einstein-Infeld-Hoffmann and the Havas-Goldberg equations of motion can be obtained as limiting cases of the semigenerally covariant equation when one expands the latter in c −1 and G , respectively.
Errors in a recognition memory task are a U-shaped function of word frequency

College students rated verbal items for either familiarity or meaningfulness and were then tested for their recognition memory of rated items from four critical classes: nonwords and words appearing less than 1 time, 1–10, and more than 40 times per million words of written text (Thorndike-Lorge, 1944). Following either rating task, recognition errors were found to be a U-shaped function of word frequency and nonwords were recognized least well. Although a U-shaped function was expected on the basis of what is known about word frequency effects in general, there is significant disagreement as to the mechanism(s) responsible for this relationship.
Voges-Proskauer-Positive Yeasts Isolated from Frozen Orange Concentratea

SUMMARY Seven Voges-Proskauer-positive yeasts were isolated from 290 cans of frozen concentrated orange juice representative of the 1962 season's pack. Taxonomy studies of 4 isolates showed the presence of 2 strains of Saccharomyces. Each of the identified yeast strains grew and produced diacetyl in 12° Brix orange juice and 42° Brix orange concentrate, then subsequently removed it. Reagent-grade diacetyl added to a 42° Brix sucrose solution inoculated with one of the test organisms was reduced 95% after 7 days at room temperature. The metabolic process involved in removing diacetyl from a product by yeast is not known.
Kinetics of ethidium's intercalation in packaged bacteriophage T7 DNA: Effects of DNA packing density

The kinetics of ethidium's intercalative binding to DNA packaged in bacteriophage T7 and two T7 deletion mutants have been determined, using enhancement of fluorescence to quantitate binding. At a constant ethidium concentration, the results can be described as first-order binding with two different rate constants, k (= k1 + k−1) and k (= k2 + k−2). The larger rate constant (k) was at least four orders of magnitude smaller than the comparable first-order forward rate constant for binding to DNA released from its capsid. At 25°C values of k decreased as the amount of DNA packaged per internal volume increased. This latter observation indicates that the rate of ethidium's binding to packaged T7 DNA is limited by an event that occurs inside of the DNA-containing region of T7, not by the crossing of T7 capsid's outer shell. Arrhenius plots of kM are biphasic, indicating a transition for packaged DNA at a temperature of 20°C. The data indicate that k s are limited by either sieving of ethidium during its passage through the packaged DNA or subsequent hindered intercalation.
Generalized Approach To Cooling Charge-Coupled Devices Using Thermoelectric Coolers

This paper is concerned with the use of thermoelectric coolers (TECs) to cool charge-coupled devices (CCDs). Heat inputs to the CCD from the warmer environment are identified, and generalized graphs are used to approximate the major heat inputs. A method of choosing and estimating the power consumption of the TEC is discussed. This method includes the use of TEC performance information supplied by the manufacturer and equations derived from this information. Parameters of the equations are tabulated to enable the reader to use the TEC performance equations for choosing and estimating the power needed for specific TEC applications.
Pediatric hospitalist preoperative evaluation of children with neuromuscular scoliosis

WHAT'S NEW This is the first study of a pediatric hospitalist preoperative clinic. Pediatric hospitalists frequently make significant recommendations for patients with neuromuscular scoliosis prior to spinal surgery, especially those with medical complexity. Certain clinical criteria are statistically significantly associated with a hospitalist making a preoperative recommendation. OBJECTIVE To assess (1) how frequently pediatric hospitalists make recommendations when evaluating preoperative neuromuscular scoliosis patients in anticipation of spinal fusion surgery and (2) evaluate if any clinical characteristics are associated with a higher likelihood of hospitalists doing so. METHODS We performed a case series study using retrospective chart review of 214 patients scheduled for spinal fusion surgery for neuromuscular scoliosis from November 2009 through September 2012. RESULTS We analyzed data for 214 patients aged 1 to 20 years (median, 13 years), of whom 155 (72%) received at least 1 specific preoperative recommendation, whereas 59 patients (28%) were cleared for surgery without specific recommendations. Underlying diagnosis (P = 0.024), nonambulatory status (odds ratio [OR]: 2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-3.74), and increased number of preoperative medications (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.06-1.34) were statistically significantly associated with an increased rate of receiving preoperative recommendations from the hospitalist. Comorbidities such as seizure disorder (OR: 2.68, 95% CI: 1.29-5.57) and gastrointestinal conditions (OR: 3.35, 95% CI: 1.74-6.45) were also statistically significantly associated with specific presurgical recommendations being made by the pediatric hospitalist. CONCLUSION A pediatric hospitalist preoperative program for children with neuromuscular scoliosis in anticipation of spinal fusion surgery is associated with a high rate of recommendations being made, especially in children with certain clinical characteristics. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2013;8:684–688. © 2013 Society of Hospital Medicine
Doppler echocardiographic studies of diastolic ventricular filling patterns in premature infants

Abstract Pulsed Doppler echocardiographic studies of both right and left ventricular diastolic inflow patterns were performed in 10 full-term newborn infants and serially during the first month of life in 21 premature (28 to 35 weeks' gestation) infants with no clinical cardiorespiratory disease. Results of studies performed during the first 10 days of life showed no significant difference in transmitral flow velocity or velocity-time integral measurements between full-term and preterm neonates. Values for transtricuspid velocity measurements were slightly lower in preterm infants, but E A velocity ratio and relative contribution of E and A components to the total velocity-time integral were unchanged. Within the group of preterm infants gestational age did not affect any of the diastolic flow parameters. As preterm infants aged velocity of flow increased, but no changes were noted in the relative contributions of rapid ventricular filling and atrial contraction, either in terms of velocity of flow-velocity integral measurements. Doppler assessment of diastolic ventricular filling can provide an accessible method for serial evaluation of preterm infants. Values noted in “normal” premature infants resemble those found in full-term infants.
Osteochondral Allografts : State of the Art

The use of osteochondral allografts to treat focal osteochondral lesions continues to gain popularity, supported by long-term results. Clinicians must be knowledgeable concerning the possible risks of disease transmission, graft rejection, infection, and graft failure to advise the patient and obtain an informed consent. With advancing scientific and clinical research, future operative indications will likely continue to expand. A significant amount of literature regarding storage methods has recently been published; it is hoped that continued research will lead to techniques for prolonged graft storage to prevent availability concerns.
Specific Religious Beliefs in a Cognitive Appraisal Model of Stress and Coping

Although religiousness is tied to coping, little work examines the role of specific religious beliefs in the coping process. Applying the transactional model of coping, positivity of God image and vertical religious focus were assessed in a national sample of 103 parents of children with disabilities. Controlling for general religiousness, these specific beliefs were correlated with parents' appraisals. Positive God image was associated positively with appraisals that the disability is a challenge, a benefit, and God is in control; it was associated negatively with loss appraisal. Vertical religious focus was associated positively with the appraisal that God is in control. Consistent with the model, appraisals mediated the relation between specific beliefs and coping strategies. Loss appraisal mediated the relation of vertical focus and God image with engagement coping and the appraisal that God is in control further explained the relation between vertical focus and engagement coping.
Towards a generic framework for trustworthy spatial crowdsourcing

Many studies foresee significant future growth in the number of mobile smart phone users, the phone's hardware and software features, and the broadband bandwidth. Therefore, a transformative area of research is to fully utilize this new platform for various tasks, among which the most promising is spatial crowdsourcing. Spatial crowdsourcing (SC) engages individuals, groups, and communities in the act of collecting, analyzing, and disseminating urban, social, and other spatiotemporal information. This new paradigm of data collection has shown to be useful when traditional means fail (e.g., due to disaster), are censored or do not scale in time and space.Two major impediments to the success of spatial crowdsourcing in real-world applications are scalability and trust issues. Without scale considerations, it is impossible to develop a generic multi-campaign spatial crowdsourcing system (SC-system) that can efficiently and in real-time match many requesters' tasks to numerous workers. Without trust, the SC-system cannot evaluate the credibility of the contributed data, rendering it ineffective for replacing the traditional data collection means. In this paper, we survey and study both issues of scale and trust in spatial crowdsourcing.
A kinetic analysis of protein transport through the anthrax toxin channel

Anthrax toxin is composed of three proteins: a translocase heptameric channel, (PA63)7, formed from protective antigen (PA), which allows the other two proteins, lethal factor (LF) and edema factor (EF), to translocate across a host cell’s endosomal membrane, disrupting cellular homeostasis. (PA63)7 incorporated into planar phospholipid bilayer membranes forms a channel capable of transporting LF and EF. Protein translocation through the channel can be driven by voltage on a timescale of seconds. A characteristic of the translocation of LFN, the N-terminal 263 residues of LF, is its S-shaped kinetics. Because all of the translocation experiments reported in the literature have been performed with more than one LFN molecule bound to most of the channels, it is not clear whether the S-shaped kinetics are an intrinsic characteristic of translocation kinetics or are merely a consequence of the translocation in tandem of two or three LFNs. In this paper, we show both in macroscopic and single-channel experiments that even with only one LFN bound to the channel, the translocation kinetics are S shaped. As expected, the translocation rate is slower with more than one LFN bound. We also present a simple electrodiffusion model of translocation in which LFN is represented as a charged rod that moves subject to both Brownian motion and an applied electric field. The cumulative distribution of first-passage times of the rod past the end of the channel displays S-shaped kinetics with a voltage dependence in agreement with experimental data.
Grinding Mechanisms and Energy Balance for Ceramics

An investigation is reported of the mechanisms and associated energy for grinding of ceramics. SEM observations of grinding debris indicate material removal mainly by brittle fracture. However, microscopic examination of the ground surfaces reveals extensive ductile flow with characteristic plowed grooves along the grinding direction. From an order of magnitude analysis it is shown that the energy expended by brittle fracture can comprise only a negligible portion of the total. Virtually all of the grinding energy is attributed to ductile flow by plowing. For a number of ceramic materials ground over a wide range of conditions, the grinding power is found to be nearly proportional to the rate of plowed groove area generated, which suggests a constant energy per unit area of plowed surface J s . Values obtained for J s are much bigger than the corresponding fracture surface energies and proportional to K c 3/2 H.
Solid-phase time-resolved fluorescence detection of human immunodeficiency virus polymerase chain reaction amplification products

A new assay system for the detection of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification products is presented. This single-pot sandwich assay system employs solid-support oligonucleotide-coated capture beads, a rare earth metal chelate-labeled probe, and a time-resolved fluorescence detection. The new assay system was evaluated for various reaction conditions including, DNA denaturation time, hybridization salt concentration, probe concentration, and hybridization time, all of which are important in designing an assay with a high level of sensitivity for the detection of duplex DNA. This nonisotopic assay system was applied to the detection of purified human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) DNA and sensitivity was compared with agarose gel electrophoresis and slot blot hybridization using a 32P-labeled probe. We were able to detect the amplified product from one copy of HIV DNA after 35 cycles of PCR amplification in less than 30 min using this assay, which compared with one copy by gel electrophoresis after 40 cycles of PCR amplification and one copy by slot blot hybridization after 35 cycles of PCR amplification and an overnight exposure of the autoradiogram. Thus, this assay is rapid, sensitive, and easy to use.
Gain-of-function CCR4 mutations in adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma

Adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is an aggressive malignancy caused by human T cell lymphotropic virus type-I (HTLV-I) without curative treatment at present. To illuminate the pathogenesis of ATLL we performed whole transcriptome sequencing of purified ATLL patient samples and discovered recurrent somatic mutations in CCR4, encoding CC chemokine receptor 4. CCR4 mutations were detected in 14/53 ATLL samples (26%) and consisted exclusively of nonsense or frameshift mutations that truncated the coding region at C329, Q330, or Y331 in the carboxy terminus. Functionally, the CCR4-Q330 nonsense isoform was gain-of-function because it increased cell migration toward the CCR4 ligands CCL17 and CCL22, in part by impairing receptor internalization. This mutant enhanced PI(3) kinase/AKT activation after receptor engagement by CCL22 in ATLL cells and conferred a growth advantage in long-term in vitro cultures. These findings implicate somatic gain-of-function CCR4 mutations in the pathogenesis of ATLL and suggest that inhibition of CCR4 signaling might have therapeutic potential in this refractory malignancy.