cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Health Outcomes in High-Altitude Pulmonary Hypertension.

Abstract Robinson, Jeffrey C., Cheryl Abbott, Christina A. Meadows, Robert C. Roach, Benjamin Honigman, and Todd M. Bull. Long-term health outcomes in high-altitude pulmonary hypertension. High Alt Med Biol. 18:61–66, 2017. Background: High-altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH) is one of several known comorbidities that effect populations living at high altitude, but there have been no studies looking at long-term health consequences of HAPH. We aimed to determine whether HAPH during adolescence predisposes to significant pulmonary hypertension (PH) later in life, as well as identify how altitude exposure and HAPH correlate with functional class and medical comorbidities. Methods: We utilized a previously published cohort of 28 adolescents from Leadville, Colorado, that underwent right heart catheterization at 10,150 ft (3094 m) in 1962, with many demonstrating PH as defined by resting mean pulmonary arterial pressure ≥25 mmHg. We located participants of the original study and had living subjects complet...
Does Testing More Frequently Shorten the Time to Detect Disease Progression

PURPOSE With the rise of smartphone devices to monitor health status remotely, it is tempting to conclude that sampling more often will provide a more sensitive means of detecting changes in health status earlier over time, when interventions may improve outcomes. METHODS The answer to this question is derived in the context of a model where observations are generated from a linear-trend model with independent as well as autocorrelated autoregressive-moving average, or ARMA(1,1), errors. RESULTS The results imply a cautionary message that an increase in the sampling frequency may not always lead to a faster detection of trend changes. The benefit of rapid successive observations depends on how observations, taken closely together in time, are correlated. CONCLUSIONS Shortening the observation period by half can be accomplished by increasing the number of independent observations to maintain the same power for detecting change over time. However, a strategy to detect progression of disease sooner by taking numerous closely spaced measurements over a shortened interval is limited by the degree of autocorrelation among adjacent observations. We provide a statistical model of disease progression that allows for autocorrelation among successive measurements, and obtain the power of detecting a linear change of specified magnitude when equal-spaced observations are taken over a given time interval. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE New emerging technology for home monitoring of visual function will provide a means to monitor sensory status more frequently. The model proposed here takes into account how successive measurements are correlated, which impacts the number of measurements needed to detect a significant change in status.
Cellulose and Casein in the 19th Century

The isolation of cellulose and its conversion to cellulose nitrate and acetate are described, together with an account of the commercial exploitation of these new materials. The modification of casein, obtained from milk, is also recorded.
Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy — A Quantitative Technique for Characterizing Ligand Field Spectra

The theory of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of compacted powders was placed on a quantitative basis by Melamed (1), who considered the total scattering transmission and absorotion of radiation from individual spherical particles. In spite of the limitations prevalent in a spherical particle model, Melamed was able to show that the absorption coefficient could be evaluated quantitatively from diffuse reflectance, but the errors could be as great as 25% even when the molar extinction coefficient was large.
The Mitochondrial Translation System

The experiments of McLean et al. (1958) first showed definitively the uptake of amino acids and their incorporation into proteins through peptide linkages by mitochondria. The biosynthesis of proteins by mitochondria in vivo and in vitro is indeed a real property of these organelles. The biosynthesis of proteins in vitro is not due (1) to bacteria contaminating the mitochondrial (mt) preparations (e.g., see Beattie, 1971, for a discussion of this problem) or (2) to microsomes contaminating the preparations, a problem removed by the use of antibiotics [notably chloramphenicol (CAP) and cycloheximide (CHX)] which differentially inhibit the mt and cytoplasmic (cyt) protein-synthesizing systems (Lamb et al., 1968). Mitochondria now are well-known to be capable of transcription as well as translation and apparently contain within themselves the necessary “machinery” to carry out these processes. The degree of their “autonomy” from the nucleus and the cyt protein-synthesizing system remains to be determined, however.
Poster Abstract: Good Advice That Just Doesn't Help

Guidelines exist for designing less vulnerable "things", but how useful are they in practice? To answer this question we present high-level analysis of the state of best practices in Internet of Things. We examined six sets of best practices, combining them into a single set. We then take that union and examine their applicability to three large-scale events. We evaluate if the best practices had been followed, would these have prevented the large scale abuse of IoT devices.
Motivation, Neural Basis of

Motivated behaviors are fundamental components of vertebrate life. These behaviors control an animal's interactions with those goal objects in the environment that are important for the survival of the individual and the species; for example, food, water, or conspecifics. This article will emphasize that motivated behaviors are generated by the complex interactions of neural systems distributed throughout the brain. Pre-eminent among these are the cerebral hemispheres, the hypothalamus, and hindbrain. By means of complex sets of neural connections, these regions process a wide variety of sonsory inputs, control arousal state, and organize the different motor components that make up motivated behaviors.
Multiple Intelligences in the New Age of Thinking

A number of different theories have been proposed that delineate varieties of a concept of multiple intelligences. The core idea in such theories is that intelligence is not, strictly speaking, unitary but rather multiple. Two of the key theories are those of Howard Gardner and of Robert Sternberg.
Hormone and age-dependent regulation of alpha 2u-globulin gene expression.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the hormone and age-dependent regulation of α 2u- globulin gene expression. α 2u -globulin is the major urinary protein of the mature male rat. Rats and other rodents show an unusually high degree of proteinuria. About 50% of the total urinary proteins can be accounted for by one immunochemically distinct protein moiety with the same electrophoretic mobility as α 2 -globulin of rat serum. This urinary α 2 -globulin is different from the serum α 2 -globulin and hence this protein is named α 2u -globulin with the subscript “u” to signify its abundance in the urine. Subsequent studies have shown that α 2u -globulin is synthesized and secreted by the hepatic parenchymal cells. Because of its relatively low molecular weight, it is rapidly filtered through the kidneys where in one pass only about 15% is recycled into the plasma and the rest is excreted into the urine, and as a result, the plasma concentration of α 2u -globulin remains very low. In addition to liver and kidney, immunochemical analyses of various other tissues have shown the presence of α 2u -globulin in the salivary gland. Translational analyses in the heterologous cell free system and in Xenopus oocytes and hybridizational assay with a cloned complimentary DNA (cDNA) probe have shown that steroid hormones, insulin, and growth hormone regulate hepatic synthesis of α 2u -globulin through changes in the hepatic concentration of the mRNA for this protein. The effects of thyroidectomy and thyroxine supplementation on α 2u -globulin synthesis are also reflected by corresponding changes in the hepatic concentration of α 2u -globulin messenger RNA (mRNA).
AIRY WAVE THEORY AND BREAKER HEIGHT PREDICTION

Using a critical value for Yt> = H./ h. as a wave breaking criterion, where Hb and hb are respectively the wave breaker height and depth, applying Airy wave theory, and assuming conservation of the wave energy flux, one obtains 1/5 2 2/5 Hb = k g (TH. ) relating Hb to the wave period T and to the deep-water wave height H^ . Three sets of laboratory data and one set of field data yield k = 0.39 for the dimensionless coefficient. The relationship, based on Airy wave theory and empirically fitted to the data, is much more successful in predicting wave breaker heights than is the commonly used equation of Munk, based on solitary wave theory. In addition, the relationship is applicable over the entire practical range of wave steepness values.
Linkage of an autosomal dominant clefting syndrome (Van der Woude) to loci on chromosome Iq.

Abstract Van der Woude syndrome (VWS) is an autosomal dominant disorder in which affected individuals have one or more of the following manifestations: cleft lip, cleft palate, hypodontia, or paramedian lower-lip pits. VWS is a well-characterized example of a single-gene abnormality that disturbs normal craniofacial morphogenesis. As a first step in identifying genes involved in human development, we used a candidate-gene-and-region approach to look for a linkage to VWS. Six families with 3 or more generations of affected individuals were studied. Evidence for linkage (θ = 0.02, lod score = 9.09) was found between the renin (REN) gene on 1q and VWS. Other linked loci included CR1, D1S58, and D1S53. The genes for laminin B2 (LAMB2), a basement-membrane protein, and for decay-accelerating factor (DAF) were studied as possible candidate genes on 1q. Recombinants between VWS and both LAMB2 and DAF excluded these genes from a causal role in the etiology of VWS for the families studied in this report. Multipoint linkage analysis indicated that the VWS locus was flanked by REN and D1S65 at a lod score of 10.83. This tight linkage with renin and other nearby loci provides a first step in identifying the molecular abnormality underlying this disturbance of human development.
Mammalian Testes: Structure and Function

The male reproductive system consists of the primary sex organs, the two testes and a set of accessory sexual structures. The adult mammalian testis performs two important functions, spermatogenesis and male sex hormone production. It is an organ structurally designed to produce the haploid male gametes from diploid postnatal germ-line stem cells, i.e. type A spermatogonia. The process of morphological and functional differentiation of type A spermatogonia into the haploid male gamete, the spermatozoon, is termed spermatogenesis. In addition, the testis elaborates a steroid hormone, testosterone, that is responsible for maintaining the spermatogenic process as well as the secondary male sexual characteristics. Furthermore, testosterone is important for several different functions in various organ systems including the maintainance of muscle mass and bone density. The process of testosterone formation from its precursor, cholesterol, is termed steroidogenesis. In this chapter, we will discuss how the structure and form of the testis contributes to the processes of spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis.
Nonparametric User Behavior Prediction for Distributed EV Charging Scheduling

We propose a distributed electric vehicle (EV) charging scheduling to minimize load variance in the distribution grid and reduce EV charging cost. To predict the availability and load demand of the EVs, we use nonparametric diffusion-based kernel density estimator (DKDE) to model the stochasticity of charging load. DKDE is based on smoothing properties of linear diffusion process which is more adaptive to the training dataset and results in optimal bandwidth selection comparing to Gaussian kernel density estimator (GKDE). Then, we formulate the optimal charging problem as a sharing problem which is solved efficiently by alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). Using real data numerical simulation, we evaluate DKDE prediction accuracy and verify the EV charging scheduling performance.
Damage Precursor Identification in Composite Laminates using Data Driven Approach

Institute for Predictive Performance Methodologies (IPPM) at The University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI)
Demonstration of Enhanced Optical Pressure on a Structured Surface

The interaction of electromagnetic waves with condensed matter and the resultant force is fundamental in the physical sciences. The maximum pressure on a planar surface is understood to be twice the incident wave power density normalized by the background velocity. We demonstrate for the first time that this pressure can be exceeded by a substantial factor by structuring a surface. Experimental results for direct optomechanical deflection of a nanostructured gold film on a silicon nitride membrane illuminated by a laser beam are shown to significantly exceed those for the planar surface. This enhanced pressure can be understood as being associated with an asymmetric optical cavity array realized in the membrane film. The possible enhancement depends on the material properties and the geometrical parameters of the structured material. Such control and increase of optical pressure with nanostructured material should impact applications across the physical sciences.
P136 Discrete Choice Analysis of Factors That Affect Sugar Sweetened Beverage Consumption of Young Adults in California's Central Valley

Background Studies have shown sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes reduce consumption of SSBs, but also increase consumption of juice, milk and sugary sweets. Support of SSB taxes are largely determined by the amount of the tax, how the tax is used and population demographics. Objective To examine attitudes towards SSB among a predominantly young, Latino population in California. Study Design, Settings, Participants The Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) included five drink attributes—each with separate related choices. Participants could select from among two drinks which were randomly rotated. Total participation included 315 (68% Hispanic) individuals, between the ages of 18–25. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Data was analyzed using a conditional logistic regression model. Separate analyses were performed for low and high SSB consumers to determine factors participants take into consideration when making decisions about SSB consumption. Results Overall these participants prefer water and juice over regular soda (P Conclusion The expressed preference for water over soda may result in a higher reduction in caloric intake if the price of SSBs is increased. This study suggests community and school-based, anti-SSB policies and education have been effective in modifying SSB attitudes and behaviors. Strengthening SSB policies may have long lasting effects on healthy behaviors. Funding University of California, Merced.
A Virtualized Network Function for Advanced Network Flow Logging in Microsoft Azure Distributed System

Storing, viewing, and analyzing network flows in a Cloud environment is an important Virtualized Network Function (VNF) for Cloud tenants and users. It is used to store, track, and analyze traffic that belongs to Virtual Networks (VNETs), Virtual Machines (VMs), or Network Interfaces (NICs). It is used for logging ingress and egress IP traffic flows, number of bytes and packets transmitted and received, and network connections. Flow logging is critical for the investigation of firewall functionalities, security incidents, and threat detection. Moreover, it can be used for detecting connection and network anomalies such as connection outages, configuration changes, or malicious activities. Alerts can be fired for any suspicious network activities. Visualization of flows logs provides insights such as who is using a web-service or an application, when customers are logged in and out, and what are the geographical locations where connections are being initiated or terminated. In this paper, a novel method for VNF that details the framework for logging network flows in a Cloud environment is provided. The method aims at accommodating multiple and simulations Cloud tenants and enabling the logging of network flows while at the same time accommodates high incoming rates of flow events and data. One of the major benefits of this new method is that it supports high number of flows per second that facilitates flow logging of high traffic volumes. Not only customers can experience higher number of flows logged, but the flow logs are visualized and contain the number of packets and bytes transmitted and received for outbound and inbound flows, respectively.
Defecation versus pre- and post-defecation Valsalva maneuvers for dynamic MR assessment of pelvic floor dysfunction.

To compare prevalence and severity of multi-compartment pelvic floor dysfunction between supine magnetic resonance defecography with defecation (MRD) and supine dynamic MRI during Valsalva, both with and without rectal distention. This was an IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant retrospective review of consecutive patients referred for MR Defecography. MRD protocol included imaging at rest, during pre-defecation Valsalva (Pre-DV), defecation (Def), and post-defecation Valsalva (Post-DV). The Post-DV images were performed after complete evacuation either during the defecation acquisition or, in cases where patient was unable to defecate during the examination, in a conventional toilet. Size of cystocele, vaginal prolapse, anorectal (AR) descent, and enterocele were measured on all acquisitions relative to the pubococcygeal line. Rectocele size was recorded in anteroposterior dimension. The presence or absence of rectal intussusception (RI) was documented. The prevalence, absolute size, and grades of prolapse, rectocele, and RI were compared between the acquisitions using pair-wise ANOVA, Friedman, Dunn pair-wise, and Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel tests. 30 patients were included in the final analysis. Higher prevalence of cystocele, vaginal prolapse, enterocele, AR descent grade 2 or higher, rectocele grade 2 or higher, and RI were seen on Def compared to Post-DV and Pre-DV. Cystocele, vaginal prolapse, enterocele, AR descent, and rectocele sizes were significantly larger on Def compared to Post-DV by 0.7−1.95 cm (p ≤ 0.007). Prolapse in all compartments and rectocele size were significantly larger on Def compared to Pre-DV (p < 0.0001). Cystocele, vaginal prolapse, and enterocele sizes were significantly larger on Post-DV compared to Pre-DV (p < 0.0001). There were significant differences in grading of all types of prolapse and rectocele between the various acquisitions of MRD (p < 0.0001). Cystocele, AR descent, and rectocele grades were significantly higher on Def compared to Post-DV (p range ≤ 0.0002). Grading of all types of prolapse and rectocele was significantly higher on Def compared to Pre-DV (p < 0.0001). Cystocele, vaginal prolapse, and enterocele grades were all significantly higher on Post-DV compared to Pre-DV (p ≤ 0.0007). Defecation images during supine MRD elicit higher prevalence and size of prolapse of all pelvic compartments in comparison to both pre- and post-defecation Valsalva images. Post-defecation Valsalva images show larger size of anterior and middle compartment prolapse than pre-defecation Valsalva images. Functional evaluation of pelvic floor dysfunction with MRI should include image acquisition during defecation. If Valsalva images are acquired, these should be performed after the defecation acquisition and without rectal distention.
Sweep and anisotropy effects on the viscous hydroelastic response of composite hydrofoils

Abstract Composite materials have become prevalent in hydrofoil design due to their favorable characteristics. Both material anisotropy and planform sweep are factors that affect hydrofoil performance. However, the interplay between these two factors has not been studied systematically. This paper investigates this interplay in the viscous hydroelastic response of linearly tapered composite hydrofoils with a modified NACA 0009 cross-section using high-fidelity hydrostructural simulations. The simulations are based on a Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solver coupled to a structural finite-element model. Both sweep and off-axial fiber layup reduce the bending-mode natural frequencies due to the decrease in bending rigidity. Sweep reduces the form drag by suppressing trailing edge separation, but it can increase the lift-induced drag by causing the spanwise load distribution to deviate away from the ideal elliptical distribution. The spanwise load distribution can be tailored to reduce the induced drag and delay cavitation inception using sweep-induced geometric, material-induced bend-twist coupling, or both. Nevertheless, a poor combination of sweep and material configurations can accelerate static divergence, early separation, cavitation, noise, and material failures. Besides changing the structural response and resultant fluid-structure interaction, the material failure inception load and failure location depend directly on the fiber orientation due to the anisotropic characteristic of composites.
Trigger Point Injections: a Systematic, Narrative Review of the Current Literature

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a frequently encountered cause of chronic pain for patients in both primary and specialty clinics. When conservative methods fail, many patients resort to trigger point injections (TPI) or needling therapies to alleviate their pain. Though MPS has a high prevalence and injections are frequently performed, there is no consensus to date regarding the optimal solution for injection or the superiority of injection versus needling alone. This narrative review includes randomized controlled trials performed over the last 15 years that evaluated the efficacy of trigger point injections of LA (LA), botulinum toxin A (BTXa), or dry needling for the relief of MPS. A total of 13 studies were included and evaluated for reduction of pain, adverse events (AE), and other secondary outcomes. Local anesthetics, BTXa, and dry needling all significantly reduced pre-treatment pain levels, but overall there was no significant difference between groups. Botulinum toxin A was the most expensive treatment and was associated with more AEs, but they were all mild and self-limiting in nature. Dry needling had a significantly higher rate of post-treatment muscle soreness than those injections that included LA. Local anesthetic, BTXa, and dry needling are all reasonable treatments for MPS. However, given the reduced cost and lower rate of muscle soreness associated with LA injection, it may be considered first line therapy for patients with MPS requiring TPI.
Cardiorespiratory Fitness After Open Repair for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection - A Prospective Study.

Cardiorespiratory fitness (as measured by peak oxygen consumption [VO2peak]) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Limited data exist on VO2peak following repair for an acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) or proximal thoracic aortic aneurysm (pTAA). This study prospectively evaluated VO2peak, functional capacity, and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) following open repair. Participants with a history of an ATAAD (n = 21) or pTAA (n = 43) performed cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX), 6-minute walk testing, and HR-QOL at 3 (early) and 15 (late) months following open repair. The median age at time of surgery was 55-years-old and 60-years-old in the ATAAD and pTAA groups, respectively. Body mass index significantly increased between early and late timepoints for both ATAAD (p = 0.0245, 56% obese) and pTAA groups (p = 0.0045, 54% obese). VO2peak modestly increased by 0.8 mLO2·kg−1·min−1 within the ATAAD group (p = 0.2312) while VO2peak significantly increased by 2.2 mLO2·kg−1·min−1 within the pTAA group (p = 0.0003). Anxiety significantly decreased in the ATAAD group whereas functional capacity and HR-QOL metrics (social roles and activities, physical function) significantly improved in the pTAA group (p values 1 year after repair. CPX should be considered post-operatively to evaluate exercise tolerance and blood pressure response to determine whether mild-to-moderate aerobic exercise should be recommended to reduce future risk of morbidity and mortality.
How to Use the e-Learning Readiness Tool

This chapter describes the tool and provides guidance on how to use and apply the tool. The tool is designed to be applied at varying levels within the organization to get multiple perspectives on e-Learning readiness. The methods used for administering the tool may vary based on the context of the organization. The data in the surveys are then used to populate the final checklists, E, which represent a succinct way for collating and presenting the data. These checklists make reporting the findings seamless and easy for the users. The checklists also include recommendations based on literature findings. Several examples of projected responses are given as a guide for using the tool.
Paternal Inheritance of Organelle DNA in Conifers

We have been investigating the modes of inheritance of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in conifers using RFLP markers in controlled crosses. Four species were chosen: Pinus taeda (Pinaceae), Psuedotsuga menziesii (Pinacease), Sequoia sempervirens (Taxodiacease) and Calpcedrus decurrens (Cupressaceae). Controlled crosses of the four conifers tested showed strict paternal inheritance of cpDNA. MtDNA is maternally inherited in Pinus taeda, just as it is in angiosperms. In Sequoia sempervirens and Calocedrus decurrens, however, mtDNA is paternally inherited.
Developmental Psychopathology and Incompetence in Childhood

Despite the fact that it has been only over the course of the past two decades that developmental psychopathology has emerged as a new interdisciplinary science (Achenbach, in press; Cicchetti, 1984a, 1984b; Rutter & Garmezy, 1983; Sroufe & Rutter, 1984), it nevertheless has longstanding roots within a number of disciplines (Cicchetti, 1984b, in press; Gollin, 1984). Historically, a number of eminent scientists, theoreticians, and researchers have adopted the premise that knowledge about normal and abnormal development can inform each other.
Higher Education in the United States (1985-2000).

Abstract The object of this paper is to illustrate an application of hierarchies and eigenvalues developed by the first author to the area of planning in higher education. We start with a brief discussion of the role of scenario construction in planning and follow it with a discussion of the role of hierarchies in system planning. We then summarize the eigenvalue procedure in measurement and use it to study impacts in a hierarchy. We illustrate its use in elementary examples by way of validation. Finally, we use all the fore-going ideas to construct a composite and likely future for higher education in the United States around 1985.
Ontogenetic changes in dental form and tooth pressures facilitate developmental niche shifts in American alligators

Between hatching and late adulthood American alligators Alligator mississippiensis show up to 7000-fold increases in body mass. Concurrent with such changes in body size are absolute and relative modifications in rostral proportions, dental form, feeding capacities and dietary preferences. How these major anatomical changes accommodate prey-resource shifts is poorly understood. In this study, we focus on the effects of ontogenetic changes in bite-force capacities and dental form to address how these factors relate to tooth-pressure generation and diet. We derive absolute values of tooth pressure along the crowns of the most prominent teeth (the first documentation of tooth pressures throughout ontogeny and after initial tooth contact for any animal) and show that these pressures increase with positive allometry during ontogeny. In addition, we discuss how American alligator tooth-pressure values explain their capacities for seizure and oral processing of typical prey, and how tooth-pressure changes facilitate developmental niche shifts in this large-bodied taxon.
A lemma driven automatic theorem prover for recursive function theory

We describe work in progress on an automatic theorem prover for recursive function theory that we intend to apply in the analysis (including verification and transformation) of useful computer programs. The mathematical theory of our theorem prover is extendible by the user and serves as a logical basis of program specification (analogous to, say, the predicate calculus). The theorem prover permits no interaction once given a goal, but many aspects of its behavior are influenced by previously proved results. Thus, its performance on difficult theorems can be radically improved by having it first prove relevant lemmas. We describe several ways that the theorem prover employs such lemmas. Among the interesting theorems proved are the correctness of a simple optimizing compiler for expressions and the correctnessof a "big number" addition algorithm.
High-power, narrow-beam, single mode ARROW-type semiconductor diode lasers

Summary form only given. By increasing the interelement optical absorption loss in 0.98 /spl mu/m-wavelength three-core ARROW-type diode lasers we have achieved, from 20 /spl mu/m-aperture devices, a diffraction-limited beam pattern to 0.55 W peak-pulsed power with 78% of the light in the central lobe, and near diffraction-limited operation to 0.7 W.
Collision-Resolution Algorithms and Random-Access Communications

Communications engineers have a long acquaintance with the “multiple-access” problem, i.e., the problem of providing the means whereby many senders of information can share a common communications resource. The “classical” solution has been to do some form of multiplexing (e.g., time-division multiplexing (TDM) or frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) in order to parcel out the resource equitably among the senders.) A fixed division of the resources, however, becomes inefficient when the requirements of the users vary with time. The classical “fix” for the multiplexing solution is to add some form of demand-assignment so that the particular division of resources can be adapted to meet the changing requirements. Such demand-assigned multiplexing techniques have proved their worth in a myriad of multiple-access applications.
Wordlikeness and word learning in children with hearing loss

Background: The more a novel word conforms to the phonotactics of the language, the more wordlike it is and the easier it is to learn. It is unknown to what extent children with hearing loss (CHL) take advantage of phonotactic cues to support word learning. Aims: This study investigated whether CHL had similar sensitivities to wordlikeness during a word-learning task as children with normal hearing (CNH). Methods & Procedures: Sixteen CHL and 24 CNH participated in a novel word-learning task. Novel words varied by English wordlikeness. Recall was tested using a forced-choice identification task wherein foils for each trial related semantically, lexically or not at all. Receptive vocabulary and working memory were also assessed. Outcomes & Results:All children were able to identify high wordlike novel words more accurately than low wordlike novel words. The number of errors on identification of words that were moderate in wordlikeness was inversely correlated to vocabulary size (not working memory) and CHL had smaller vocabularies than CNH. When in error, CHL were more likely than CNH to select a semantically related foil. Conclusions & Implications: Although they are sensitive to extremes in wordlikeness, compared with their peers with normal hearing, CHL present with subtle differences in word learning. Clinical implications for exploiting wordlikeness in service of word learning assessment and intervention are presented.
Relative Vibrational Transition Probabilities of the CN Violet Bands

The relative intensities of the band heads in the Δv=0, +1, and −1 sequences of the B2∑−X2∑ violet bands of CN have been measured in low-dispersion emission spectra excited in a graphite-tube electric furnace. In the furnace the CN radicals are in thermal equilibrium at a known temperature so that their distribution among the vibrational and rotational energy levels can be calculated. This permits relative vibrational transition probabilities to be derived from the measured intensities of the band heads. Various factors which affect the observed intensities were investigated and corrections for them obtained. These factors include the variations in rotational line structure comprising the band heads, the effect of overlapping rotational lines of neighboring bands, and the effects of self-reversal and self-absorption. The vibrational transition probabilities obtained are compared with theoretical data calculated by different methods.
Sudden bending of a cracked laminate

A dynamic approximate laminated plate theory is developed with emphasis placed on obtaining effective solution for the crack configuration where the 1/square root of r stress singularity and the condition of plane strain are preserved. The radial distance r is measured from the crack edge. The results obtained show that the crack moment intensity tends to decrease as the crack length to laminate plate thickness is increased. Hence, a laminated plate has the desirable feature of stabilizing a through crack as it increases its length at constant load. Also, the level of the average load intensity transmitted to a through crack can be reduced by making the inner layers to be stiffer than the outer layers. The present theory, although approximate, is useful for analyzing laminate failure to crack propagation under dynamic load conditions.
Ovarian Pathology in Chronic Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

One hundred and sixty-six ovaries of the women of childbearing age suffering from chronic pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) were studied histologically and compared with normal ovaries. The number of mature follicles, cystic atretic follicles, follicular cysts, corpora lutea of menstruation, regressing corpora lutea, and corpus luteum cysts were calculated for each ovary. The main difference between ovaries in chronic PID and normal controls was increase in the number of cystic follicles and follicular and corpus luteum cysts in PID. This phenomenon is explained by the altered blood supply in PID-involved ovaries covered by adhesions containing numerous blood vessels. Chronic PID did not influence the growth of follicles, and their ability to ovulate.
The Advocates of Peace in Antebellum America

This book chronicles the political and intellectual development of the two major antebellum peace movements. The American Peace Society, a moderate peace group, aimed to work through the institutions of church and state to achieve peace. The New England Nonresistant Society constituted a radical group which advocated the individual's complete separation from all institutions and strict adherence to the example of Christ's life and teachings.
On KP generators and the geometry of the HBDE

Abstract Sato theory provides a correspondence between solutions to the KP hierarchy and points in an infinite dimensional Grassmannian. In this correspondence, flows generated infinitesimally by powers of the “shift” operator give time dependence to the first coordinate of an arbitrarily selected point, making it a tau-function. These tau-functions satisfy a number of integrable equations, including the Hirota bilinear difference equation (HBDE). Here, we rederive the HBDE as a statement about linear maps between Grassmannians. In addition to illustrating the fundamental nature of this equation in the standard theory, we make use of this geometric interpretation of the HBDE to answer the question of what other infinitesimal generators could be used for similarly creating tau-functions. The answer to this question involves a “rank one condition”, tying this investigation to the existing results on integrable systems involving such conditions and providing an interpretation for their significance in terms of the relationship between the HBDE and the geometry of Grassmannians.
Trends in cancer mortality in Kanawha County, West Virginia, 1950-1984.

Abstract There has been much concern about possible adverse health effects related to exposure to toxic chemicals among residents of Kanawha County in southern West Virginia. An epidemiological study of trends in cancer mortality from 1950–1984 among the general population of Kanawha County in southern West Virginia was mounted. Cabell County, West Virginia was chosen to be a comparison county for Kanawha in addition to West Virginia and the total United States. The cancer mortality rates for white males and females were calculated using NCHS mortality data and Census Bureau population data available on the Mortality and Population Data System (MPDS) at the University of Pittsburgh. Mortality rates for cancer in Kanawha and Cabell Countries were evaluated over the time period 1950–1984 with an age-period-cohort (APC) analysis. In this analysis, poisson regression models were fit using the statistical program GLIM (Generalized Linear Models) to determine the separate effects of age, period of death, and birth cohort on the specific cancers of interest (lung, liver, bladder, CNS, leukemia, lympho-reticulosarcoma, all cancers). There were no significant country differences for cancer death rates between Kanawha and Cabell Countries except for leukemia among white males [O.R. = 1.27, 95% (C.I. = 1.03−1.6)], and for lympho-reticulosarcoma [O.R. = 1.66(1.24−2.07)], suggesting a possible occupational exposure. For leukemia, aleukemia, the effect observed seems to have declined. In contrast, the elevation of lympho-reticulosarcoma rates has remained in recent years (1970–1984).
Elastomeric films from structured latexes

A model structured latex that is capable of forming a self-curable elastomeric film under mild temperature conditions was developed. In this model latex system, a small amount of dimethyl meta-isopropenyl benzyl isocyanate (TMI®) was copolymerized with n-butyl acrylate (BA) onto poly(butadiene-co-styrene) [(P(Bd-S)] seed latex particles. In the final stage of the film formation process, the latex particles coalesce with each other, and interdiffusion of PBA-based polymer chains in the shell layers of adjacent structured particles occurs. At this stage, the isocyanate groups in the P(BA-TMI) shell layer would begin to crosslink by either a moisture-cure reaction via trace amounts of water remaining in the latex film or by a post-added crosslinker that contains amine groups. Improved elastomeric properties of the latex film are expected from this kind of “interphase” crosslinking structure. However, latex films prepared from the model P(Bd-S)/P(BA-TMI) core/shell latexes were cracked and brittle, which was explained by the formation of a highly crosslinked/grafted core/shell interphase zone. Saturation of the residual double bonds in the P(Bd-S) seed latex particles by hydrogenation was found to be an effective way to reduce the development of the interphase zone and the degree of crosslinking during the second-stage polymerization. An elastomeric film with good mechanical and anti-aging properties was formed from this hydrogenated-P(Bd-S)/P(BA-TMI) structured latex. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 64: 1143–1152, 1997
Simplified assay for transamidinase activities of rat kidney homogenates.

Abstract A simplified assay for transamidinase activities of rat kidney homogenates has been developed. Arginine and glycine are used as the substrates and the ornithine formed is measured by means of a ninhydrin color reaction.
Relations between pneumatic parameters of ideal gas in a column with uniform permeability

This report was conceived as a source for the relations between five pneumatic parameters of carrier gas-inlet and outlet pressure, inlet and outlet velocity, and average velocity. Any pair of these parameters can be independent while the remaining three can be expressed as functions of the independent pair. As the total number of the independent pairs is ten, thirty different functions describing relations between arbitrary independent pairs and dependent parameters can be identified. All thirty were derived below together with the complete set of bounds for variations of independent parameters. To derive some relations, a third order rational equation had to be solved. Some properties of that solution are discussed. A simple case of vacuum operations with zero outlet pressure has also been considered.
Effects of Sample Delivery on Analyte Capture in Porous Bead Sensors

Sample delivery is a crucial aspect of point-of-care applications where sample volumes need to be low and assay times short, while providing high analytical and clinical sensitivity. In this paper, we explore the influence of the factors surrounding sample delivery on analyte capture in an immunoassay-based sensor array manifold of porous beads resting in individual wells. We model using computational fluid dynamics and a flow-through device containing beads sensitized specifically to C-reactive protein (CRP) to explore the effects of volume of sample, rate of sample delivery, and use of recirculation vs. unilateral delivery on the effectiveness of the capture of CRP on and within the porous bead sensor. Rate of sample delivery lends to the development of a time-dependent, shrinking depletion region around the bead exterior. Our findings reveal that at significantly high rates of delivery, unique to porous bead substrates, capture at the rim of the bead is reaction-limited, while capture in the interior of the bead is transport-limited. While the fluorescence signal results from the aggregate of captured material throughout the bead, multiple kinetic regimes exist within the bead. Further, under constant pressure conditions dictated by the array architecture, we reveal the existence of an optimal flow rate that generates the highest signal, under point-of-care constraints of limited-volume and limited-time. When high sensitivity is needed, recirculation can be implemented to overcome the analyte capture limitations due to volume and time constraints. Computational simulations agree with experimental results performed under similar conditions.
Specific heat studies of the spin-peierls transition☆☆☆

Abstract An experimental study is presented of the specific heat of the spin—Peierls systems TTF-TBT(M), M = Cu, Au. The linear term, γT, expected for the uniform one-dimensional antiferromagnet at low temperatures is observed above the Peierls transition. Specific heat anomalies associated with the transition are found at Tp(Cu) = 12.4K and Tp(Au) = 2.06K. The transition for TTF-BDT(Cu) is mean-field like; whereas the transition for TTF-BDT(Au) is broadened by one-dimensional fluctuation effects.
Reporter gene expression for monitoring gene transfer

The use of reporters such as green fluorescent protein (GFP) and firefly luciferase permit highly sensitive and nondestructive monitoring of gene transfer and expression. Modifications in GFP which increase intensity and thermostability, as well as alter its spectral qualities, have facilitated the use of GFP in a variety of gene transfer methods. Improvements in imaging technologies and their increased application in biological research have allowed the expanded use of luciferase-based reporters in gene transformation, particularly in genetic screens and in monitoring temporal changes in gene expression.
Sensitivity analysis and model assessment: mathematical models for arterial blood flow and blood pressure.

The complexity of mathematical models describing the cardiovascular system has grown in recent years to more accurately account for physiological dynamics. To aid in model validation and design, classical deterministic sensitivity analysis is performed on the cardiovascular model first presented by Olufsen, Tran, Ottesen, Ellwein, Lipsitz and Novak (J Appl Physiol 99(4):1523–1537, 2005). This model uses 11 differential state equations with 52 parameters to predict arterial blood flow and blood pressure. The relative sensitivity solutions of the model state equations with respect to each of the parameters is calculated and a sensitivity ranking is created for each parameter. Parameters are separated into two groups: sensitive and insensitive parameters. Small changes in sensitive parameters have a large effect on the model solution while changes in insensitive parameters have a negligible effect. This analysis was successfully used to reduce the effective parameter space by more than half and the computation time by two thirds. Additionally, a simpler model was designed that retained the necessary features of the original model but with two-thirds of the state equations and half of the model parameters.
Management of the Altered Airway in the Head and Neck Cancer Patient

Tracheostomy was first used in the 1800s to relieve the upper airway obstruction of diphtheria and croup. In the 1940s it was used to treat the respiratory complications of poliomyelitis. Since that time it has been used increasingly in situations where airway obstruction or compromised pulmonary function is anticipated rather than already present. With the development of tracheostomy, surgical management of cancer of the larynx and pharynx became a realistic treatment option for control of lesions located within or adjacent to these structures. ’ Anticipatory protection and preservation of the airway are necessary for the massive postoperative edema associated with oropharyngeal head and neck surgical procedures. When tracheostomy is done before the planned operation, the presence of an endotracheal tube in the operating field is eliminated, and preservation of the airway is insured.’ Table 1 lists those surgical procedures requiring temporary tracheostomy. ‘,*
Using Sustainability Reports as a Method of Cause­ Related Marketing for Competitive Advantage

This study explores the impact of sustainability reporting on consumer behavio1'. In this study, the authors measure consumer perception and behavior using the constructs value congruence, trust, loyalty, and pur­ chase intention. To test otheur research model and hypotheses they collected survey data during an online experimental simulation. During the simulation participants were presented with information about a.fictional retailer of digital music, movies, and MP3 players. Consumer behavior data were collectedji-om participants before and after presenting information about the sustainability report ofthefictitious retaile1'. The results oft he study suggest sustainability reporting has a significant and positive impact on consumer behavior. Therefore, it may prove to be an effective method of cause-related marketing used to al/ract conscientious consumers.
Biological Sciences: N-Terminal Sequences of Immunoglobulin Heavy and Light Chains from Three Species of Lower Vertebrates

IT has been established that immunoglobulin heavy (H) and light (L) chains have a variable amino terminal region of about 110–120 residues1–9. This region presumably makes up the antibody binding site and is responsible for the high degree of antigenic specificity that is a characteristic feature of these molecules. In spite of the growing body of amino-acid sequence data on immunoglobulin H and L chains, the genetic mechanisms by which an almost infinite array of specific antibodies can be expressed in response to antigenic stimulation remain to be established. It has been proposed, as one possible explanation, that the genes coding for the immunoglobulin polypeptide chains, are present in the germ line10–11. This study was prompted by this concept, as well as the structural similarities that have been demonstrated among various H and L chains, suggesting that genes coding for these chains evolved from a common ancestral gene12,13. We have investigated immunoglobulins from three lower vertebrates in the hope that sequence data of the variable region of these chains will provide an insight into the genetic mechanisms responsible for antibody variability.