cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reliability Data Analysis for Life Test Designed Experiments with Sub-Sampling

The ability to model lifetime data from life test experiments is of paramount importance to all manufacturers, engineers and consumers. The Weibull distribution is commonly used to model the data from life tests. Standard Weibull analysis assume completely randomized designs. However, not all life test experiments come from completely randomized designs. Experiments involving sub-sampling require a method for properly modeling the data. We provide a Weibull nonlinear mixed models (NLLMs) methodology for incorporating random effects in the analysis. We apply this methodology to a reliability life test on glass capacitors. We compare the NLLMs methodology to other available methods for incorporating random effects in reliability analysis. A simulation study reveals the method proposed in this paper is robust to both model misspecification and increasing levels of variance on the random effect. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of dietary protein level on exercising horses.

Six mature Quarter Horse mares were used in a crossover design to assess the effect of dietary protein level on metabolic response to exercise. After a 2-wk adaptation period to either a 12.9% (control) or an 18.5% CP (high-protein) diet, each mare performed a standard exercise test. The test consisted of a 15-min exercise period at 4.5 m/sec on a 9% grade motorized treadmill. Exercise resulted in an increase in heart rate (P less than .001), but there was no difference (P less than .05) between dietary treatments. In the jugular vein, lactate increased (P less than .01) from 6.3 to 52.0 mg/100 ml in the control group and increased from 6.3 to 45.6 mg/100 ml in the high-protein group. There was an interaction (P less than .05) between diet and exercise for lactate. Plasma NH3 increased (P less than .001) during exercise, but not until the 15th min, at which time NH3 increased over fourfold in both groups. Dietary protein did not affect NH3; however, urea-N was higher (P less than .001) in horses receiving the high-protein diet. Plasma alanine increased from 13.6 to 30.3 mumol/100 ml and glutamine increased from 49.3 to 62.5 mumol/100 ml in the control group. In the high-protein group, alanine increased from 10.2 to 25.8 mumol/100 ml, whereas glutamine increased from 39.3 to 49.2 mumol/100 ml. Our study detected no metabolic evidence for a detrimental effect of excess dietary protein in horses exercising on a graded treadmill at 4.5 m/sec for 15 min.
Performance study of a cluster runtime system for dynamic interactive stream-oriented applications

Emerging application domains such as interactive vision, animation, and multimedia collaboration need specialized runtime systems that provide support mechanisms to enable plumbing, cross module data transfer, buffer management, synchronization and so on. Using Stampede, a cluster programming system that is designed to meet the requirements of such applications, we quantify the performance of such mechanisms. We have developed a timing infrastructure that helps tease out the time spent by an application in different layers of software, viz., the main algorithmic component, the support mechanisms, and the raw messaging. Several interesting insights have surfaced from this study. First, memory allocation does not take up a significant amount of the execution time despite the interactive and dynamic nature of the application domain. Second, the Stampede runtime adds a minimal overhead over raw messaging for structuring such applications. Third, the results suggest that the thread scheduler on Linux may be more responsive than the one on Solaris. Fourth, the messaging layer spends quite a bit of time in synchronization operations. Perhaps the most interesting result of this study is that general-purpose operating systems such as Linux and Solaris are quite adequate to meet the requirements of emerging dynamic interactive stream-oriented applications.
Genetic Structure of the Mating-Type Locus of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Portions of the cloned mating-type (MT) loci (mt(+) and mt(-)) of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, defined as the approximately 1-Mb domains of linkage group VI that are under recombinational suppression, were subjected to Northern analysis to elucidate their coding capacity. The four central rearranged segments of the loci were found to contain both housekeeping genes (expressed during several life-cycle stages) and mating-related genes, while the sequences unique to mt(+) or mt(-) carried genes expressed only in the gametic or zygotic phases of the life cycle. One of these genes, Mtd1, is a candidate participant in gametic cell fusion; two others, Mta1 and Ezy2, are candidate participants in the uniparental inheritance of chloroplast DNA. The identified housekeeping genes include Pdk, encoding pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, and GdcH, encoding glycine decarboxylase complex subunit H. Unusual genetic configurations include three genes whose sequences overlap, one gene that has inserted into the coding region of another, several genes that have been inactivated by rearrangements in the region, and genes that have undergone tandem duplication. This report extends our original conclusion that the MT locus has incurred high levels of mutational change.
Ultraviolet interstellar extinction from a comparison of ∊ Persei and ζ Persei

Hall’s and Stebbins and Whitford’s extinction pair has been used to determine interstellar extinction in the ultraviolet. The extinction shows a feature suggestive of graphite. Previous observations of Stecher (1965) are confirmed. The results are presented in the figures.
Using community health workers

In this article, we use semistructured interviews and documents produced by Ethiopian government officials and international health donors to examine two key features of the nation's community health worker (CHW) program: (1) the process and criteria of selecting community health workers; and (2) policies, rhetoric, and experiences of payment and empowerment. We examine these from the varied perspectives of district health officials, Health Extension Workers, and leaders and members within Ethiopia's so-called Women's Development Army, whom we interviewed during 2012–14. According to national policymakers and policy documents, the goals of the Women's Development Army are twofold: first, to reduce mortality and second, to produce “model” women, who discipline themselves and their neighbors to enact healthy behaviors. The Army is supposed to simultaneously “empower” these women to be more autonomous from husbands and more active in development-oriented work. Yet one of the key criteria sought by district-level health officials—willingness to “accept what we teach them and implement what we tell them”—highlights that Army leaders are to remain subordinate to government health officials. Many female members of the Women's Development Army expressed ambivalence about their selection, particularly as the position was unpaid. Some questioned why women were expected to volunteer when men had previously been paid to do similar work. These data emphasize the differences in goals, aims, and experiences among various actors involved in CHW programs, and the need for researchers to address whether or not respondents are comfortable to express perspectives that might question dominant goals and discourses.
The Glitter of Distant Seas

It has long been known that Saturn's largest moon, Titan, has a thick nitrogen atmosphere, which obscures the underlying surface. In his Perspective, Lorenz highlights the report by Campbell et al., who have used the giant Arecibo and Green Bank radio telescopes as a radar to probe Titan's hidden surface. The surface appears to be distinct from those of the icy satellites of Jupiter, in both brightness and polarization. The new data show sharp spikes in the reflected microwave spectrum, indicating large, smooth areas of radar-dark material. These features suggest the widespread existence of lakes or seas of liquid hydrocarbons on Titan.
Leucine Regulates Translation Initiation in Rat Skeletal Muscle Via Enhanced eIF4G Phosphorylation

The BCAA, leucine, stimulates protein synthesis in skeletal muscle in part through enhanced initiation of mRNA translation. However, understanding how leucine regulates protein synthesis remains elusive. The intent of the present investigation was to examine the effect of leucine, independent of other regulatory agents, on key events in translation initiation in skeletal muscle and to elucidate the extent to which signaling through the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) accounts for the effect of the amino acid on protein synthesis. Hindlimb preparations from postabsorptive rats were perfused with medium containing food-deprived (1X) or superphysiologic (10X) concentrations of leucine with all other amino acids at 1X concentration. Protein synthesis was significantly greater in both gastrocnemius and soleus perfused with 10X compared with 1X leucine. The stimulatory effects of leucine on protein synthesis were unaffected by a specific inhibitor of PI3-kinase (LY 294002). Moreover, signaling through mTOR, as monitored by the phosphorylation status of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)4E binding protein-1 (4E-BP1) or the 70-kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase (S6K1), was not further enhanced by 10X compared with 1X leucine. However, binding of eIF4E to eIF4G and eIF4G(Ser-1108) phosphorylation in the eIF4E immunoprecipitate were enhanced as was eIF4G(Ser-1108) phosphorylation in the total tissue extract after perfusion with medium containing 10X leucine. Collectively, these observations illustrate an experimental model whereby leucine in the absence of other regulatory agents stimulates eIF4E. eIF4G assembly and protein synthesis directly in skeletal muscle, possibly by augmenting phosphorylation of eIF4G through a signaling pathway independent of mTOR.
ROLE OF KNOWLEDGE IN HUMAN VISUAL TEMPORAL INTEGRATION IN SPATIOTEMPORAL NOISE

Previous studies have shown how human observers’ knowledge about the signal’s spatial frequency, spatial phase, and spatial locations affects human performance in detecting and identifying signals in spatial noise. These results have led to the idea that human observers can be modeled as suboptimal Bayesian observers that use a priori information to generate probabilities or likelihoods for hypothesis. This approach has also been applied more recently to object recognition. We investigate whether human observers have the ability to use information about the temporal profile of a temporally modulated signal in temporal information processing. We measure human performance in detecting a time-varying signal embedded in spatiotemporal (dynamic) noise with and without a cue that contains information about the temporal phase of the signal. Results show improvement in performance in the phase-cued condition, suggesting that human observers act as if they have the ability to use knowledge about the temporal shape of the signal when performing temporal information processing. Human performance is consistent with a suboptimal Bayesian observer and a newly proposed Max–Min observer. The results also suggest that models based solely on the integration of the early temporal filters in the human visual system and/or any further integration (e.g., probability summation), which do not make use of knowledge about the signals’ temporal profile, are incomplete models of human visual detection in spatiotemporal noise.
Delayed Presentation of Anomalous Circumflex Coronary Artery Arising From Pulmonary Artery Following Repair of Aortopulmonary Window in Infancy

Anomalous origin of the circumflex coronary artery is extremely rare and may cause serious perioperative myocardial injury associated with correction of coexisting congenital malformations. We describe a 15-year-old female patient who underwent surgical correction of an aortopulmonary window at 13 months. Fourteen years later, she presented with dyspnea on exertion associated with angina. On cardiac catheterization, she was noted to have a step-up in oxygen saturation in the pulmonary artery and retrograde filling of the circumflex coronary artery from the left anterior descending coronary artery, with drainage into the pulmonary artery. The patient underwent surgical bypass of the anomalous circumflex coronary artery and ligation of its anomalous origin in the pulmonary artery. Her postoperative course was uneventful, with complete relief of symptoms. We have reviewed this rare congenital anomaly and its therapeutic options.
Evidence of a reduced home advantage when a team moves to a new stadium.

Home advantage is well documented for professional baseball, basketball and ice hockey in North America. One of the possible causes of this advantage is familiarity with the local playing facility. This was investigated and quantified in an analysis of 37 teams moving to new stadiums, but in the same city, from 1987 to 2001. Home advantage during the first season in a new stadium after the move was significantly less than home advantage in the final season in the old stadium (P = 0.011). The reduction was evident in all three sports. Possible confounding factors, such as crowd size and crowd density, were considered but did not appear to have an effect. It is estimated that about 24% of the advantage of playing at home may be lost when a team relocates to a new facility.
Breakage of a fetal scalp blade with retention of fragments in the infant's scalp

A term infant underwent scalp blood sampling just prior to delivery because of fetal tachycardia. Afterward, a portion of the scalp blade tip was missing and was noted in two fragments on x-ray film. Because of concern about the difficulty of removal, the fragments were left in situ. The infant progressed well.
Analysis of nonconforming stream function and pressure finite element spaces for the Navier-Stokes equations

Abstract It is shown that the standard weak form of the stream function version of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is unsuitable for derivation or analysis or nonconforming finite element approximations. A new weak form, which is suitable for both purposes (and which can also be used without difficulty for the conforming case), is given. A general analysis of convergence is presented and applied to three specific nonconforming finite element schemes, of which two use cubic trial functions and one uses quadratics. It is shown that the quadratic element is as accurate in order as the cubics and may therefore be preferred. Following this, an algorithm for pressure recovery is given with examples of acceptable test and trial spaces.
Alvimopan, for postoperative ileus following bowel resection: a pooled analysis of phase III studies

In the United States, nearly 350,000 patients undergo colorectal or small bowel resection (BR) annually.1 These patients spend an average of 11 days in the hospital and account for >$15 billion in annual national healthcare costs.1 All of these patients experience postoperative ileus (POI), a temporary impairment of gastrointestinal (GI) function.2–4 Moreover, associated GI complications are common.5 For patients who undergo BR, length of hospital stay (LOS) is dictated mostly by timing of GI recovery. To facilitate GI recovery, some specialized centers have used accelerated care pathways, although readmission rates have been increased in some cases.6–10 Reducing surgical complications and further accelerating GI recovery after BR could increase patient comfort, decrease the average LOS, and reduce costs, readmission rates, and other demands on healthcare resources.11 The etiology of POI is complex, and major intrinsic contributing factors include surgical stress (ie, from physical manipulation of the bowel), secretion of inflammatory mediators and endogenous opioids in the GI tract, and changes in hormone levels and electrolyte and fluid balance.12–15 Opioids are the most widely prescribed analgesics used to treat postoperative pain.16 However, opioids bind to mu-opioid receptors within the gut, exacerbating POI.12,14 No specific treatment currently exists for the treatment or prevention of POI. Alvimopan is a novel, oral, peripherally acting, mu-opioid receptor (PAM-OR) antagonist that has been studied in patients undergoing abdominal and pelvic surgery.17–19 In 3 phase III multicenter trials, alvimopan accelerated GI recovery after BR or total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH).17–19 Although the results favored alvimopan across studies, statistical significance and magnitude of treatment effect were not consistent with regard to the primary endpoint, a composite assessment that included toleration of solid food and first passage of flatus or stool (GI-3). Further, the individual studies were not powered sufficiently to investigate infrequent but clinically important postoperative morbidities or investigate potential differences between the 6- and 12-mg doses. Hence, a pooled analysis was performed to examine the safety and efficacy of alvimopan within the subgroup of patients who underwent BR.
Modeling Issues Associated With a Lip Seal Operating on a Textured Shaft

This paper discusses issues related with constructing a numerical model that will be used to predict the performance of a radial lip seal with surface texture on the shaft. 2-D Reynolds equation with JFO cavitation condition is solved to obtain the hydrodynamic fluid pressure of the lubricant. Finite element method is used to calculate the solid deformation. Different material properties like linear elasticity, hyperelasticity are suggested. The mutual influence between the fluid pressure and the solid deformation is also considered. Fluid pressure is relaxed due to the deformation of the lip seal. Different factors both in physics and numerical aspects that may influence the accuracy of the simulation are discussed. A simulation case is conducted and compared to previously published experiment results. Wear mechanisms and their influence on the simulation are briefly discussed.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Tunneling into the A15 compounds

Electron tunneling has been extensively studied on the high-Tc A15 compounds including Nb3Sn, Nb3Al and Nb3Ge to assess their superconducting properties as well as material characteristics. High-quality A15 tunnel junctions were fabricated routinely by the use of oxidized amorphous Si barriers, and homogeneous samples of the unstable A15 materials were prepared by the controlled film synthesis of e-beam coevaporation. A modified gap inversion analysis which includes the effect of a proximity layer near the film surface generated consistent solutions of α2F(ω) and other microscopic parameters. A common trend observed in these high-Tc materials is that the low-frequency photon strengths in the α2F(ω) tend to be strongly enhanced as their compositions approach the A15 phase boundaries.
Discovery of time series in video data through distribution of spatiotemporal gradients

We propose a novel algorithm to extract time series from video to characterize the type of motion embedded in the video. Our method relies on describing the motion exposed in a video as a collection of spatiotemporal gradients. Each gradient models high variation in the respective region of the video both in space and time with respect to its spatiotemporal neighborhood. Rather than obtaining a coarse sampling of the motion by taking one event per frame, we obtain a continuous function by considering all the events that fall in the short-time slicing window of time length equal to the value of the temporal variance. The result is a composed time series that represents the motion in the video independent of rotation and scale. As an empirical demonstration of the viability of our method, we are able to cluster human motions contained in 114 videos into hand-based motions and foot-based motions with the precision of 86.0% and 75.9% respectively.
A MOLECULAR MECHANICS (MM3(96)) FORCE FIELD FOR METAL-AMIDE COMPLEXES

A molecular mechanics (MM3(96)) force field is reported for modeling metal complexes of amides in which the amide is coordinated through oxygen. This model uses a “points-on-a-sphere” approach whic...
Determinants of Neighborhood Change : A Multilevel Analysis

This study hypothesizes that neighborhood change is produced by interactions of factors at the neighborhood, municipal, and metropolitan scales. I present a multilevel analysis of neighborhood chan...
Interventional oncology: the future

Interventional radiology techniques to treat oncological disease have already shown value in adults. The adoption and development of interventional oncology (IO) in children have been more limited and challenging. This relates to the approval process for new devices and agents, oncology group protocol limitations and the inherent hesitation of trying new treatments in children. This paper will discuss how new procedures are developed and approved, and the new therapies that will become available to better treat pediatric malignancies. Bringing the benefits of IO to children will require initiative on the part of pediatric diagnostic and interventional radiologists as well as the cooperation of our clinical colleagues.
Construct validity of the universal nonverbal intelligence test (UNIT)

Data from 104 public school children were analyzed to determine the psychometric and conceptual soundness of a new model-based measure of intellectual functioning: the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT; Bracken & McCallum, in press). The UNIT was designed to assess the construct of intelligence for at-risk children who are limited English language proficient. The UNIT and subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson-Revised Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ-R; Woodcock & Johnson, 1989) were administered in counterbalanced order using standardized procedures. Spearman-Brown reliability coefficients provided evidence of the UNIT'S reliability: Global score coefficients ranged from .86 (Reasoning Quotient) to .93 (Symbolic Quotient). Confirmatory factor analyses of the UNIT provided evidence for a two-factor structure. Exploratory factor analyses of the UNIT with the WJ-R yielded support for the UNIT'S measurement of memory and reasoning constructs, although the many subconstructs assessed by the WJ-R and the UNIT preclude a simple interpretation. Correlations among UNIT global scores with age and with composite scores of the WJ-R provide additional evidence of the UNIT'S construct validity.
Recovery of parameters of cancellous bone by acoustic interrogation

The parameter recovery problem for cancellous bone by acoustic interrogation is investigated numerically. Biot’s equations coupled with boundary integral equations are used to model ultrasound propagation through a bone sample immersed in a water tank. The mathematical formulation for two-dimensional orthotropic bone is presented, but numerical results are only discussed in the isotropic case. The inversion procedure consists in minimizing some error on the pressure at measurement points located outside the bone sample. For this purpose, two different minimization algorithms are considered. A number of numerical tests are performed for a range of frequencies, which demonstrate the model’s ability to recover some bone parameters with satisfactory accuracy.
Large temperature drop across the Eocene–Oligocene transition in central North America

The Eocene–Oligocene transition, about 33.5 million years ago, was a major global climate event. The end of the Eocene was unusually warm with no significant ice on Antarctica but the Oligocene saw the arrival of a permanent Antarctic ice-sheet. Two papers this week relate to the continental effects of this global change. Dupont-Nivet et al. examined sedimentary records from the Tibetan plateau and find a drop in atmospheric water, which caused cooling and aridification coincident with Antarctic cooling. Previous studies attributed this phenomenon to the rapid uplift of the Tibetan plateau, but this new work suggests that regional Tibetan climate was influenced by global events. In an unrelated paper on the same climate transition, Zanazzi et al. explore the cooling in North America at the time. Using stable isotope measurements from fossil teeth and bones to create a proxy temperature record, they find a large drop in mean annual temperature of 8.2 °C — a greater fall than seen in the oceans. This continental transition may explain why many cold-blooded reptiles and amphibians became extinct whereas mammals — able to regulate their body temperature — escaped relatively unscathed. An analysis of fossil tooth enamel and fossil bones is used to derive a continental temperature record for the Eocene–Oligocene transition, and reports a large drop in mean annual temperature over roughly 400,000 years. This cooling explains the decline in cold-blooded terrestrial animals, whereas most mammals in the region were unaffected. The Eocene–Oligocene transition towards a cool climate (∼33.5 million years ago) was one of the most pronounced climate events during the Cenozoic era1. The marine record of this transition has been extensively studied. However, significantly less research has focused on continental climate change at the time, yielding partly inconsistent results on the magnitude and timing of the changes2,3,4,5,6,7,8. Here we use a combination of in vivo stable isotope compositions of fossil tooth enamel with diagenetic stable isotope compositions of fossil bone to derive a high-resolution (about 40,000 years) continental temperature record for the Eocene–Oligocene transition. We find a large drop in mean annual temperature of 8.2 ± 3.1 °C over about 400,000 years, the possibility of a small increase in temperature seasonality, and no resolvable change in aridity across the transition. The large change in mean annual temperature, exceeding changes in sea surface temperatures at comparable latitudes9,10 and possibly delayed in time with respect to marine changes by up to 400,000 years, explains the faunal turnover for gastropods, amphibians and reptiles, whereas most mammals in the region were unaffected. Our results are in agreement with modelling studies that attribute the climate cooling at the Eocene–Oligocene transition to a significant drop in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.
Conformal Thin-Sandwich Solver for Generic Initial Data

We present a new scheme for constructing initial data for the Einstein field equations using the conformal thin-sandwich formulation that does not assume conformal flatness or approximate Killing vectors. This includes a method for determining free data based on superposition, as well as a way to handle black hole singularities without excision. We numerically solve the constraint equations using a multigrid algorithm with mesh refinement. We demonstrate the efficacy of the method with initial data solutions for several applications: a quasicircular binary black hole merger, a dynamical capture black hole-neutron star merger, and an ultrarelativistic collision.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ritodrine afterintramuscular administration to pregnant women

To define the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ritodrine after intramuscular injection, we administered 5 or 10 mg ritodrine into the gluteus or deltoid muscles of 12 pregnant volunteers. Six women received 5 mg and six received 10 mg into each muscle group on different days. We withdrew blood samples before and 12 times in the 6 hours after ritodrine injection. Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded at each time. Ritodrine was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Peak ritodrine concentrations (mean +/- SD) after a single 5 mg injection in the deltoid or gluteus were 38 +/- 13 and 26 +/- 8 ng/ml, respectively. After a 10 mg dose in the deltoid or gluteus, peak concentrations were 59 +/- 30 and 47 +/- 22 ng/ml, respectively. Although higher, the peak plasma concentrations after injections into the deltoid were not significantly greater than those after injection into the gluteus. None of the pharmacokinetic parameters differed according to dose or injection site. The pharmacodynamic effects of ritodrine were unaffected by injection site, but ritodrine caused a dose-related increase in heart rate and systolic blood pressure and a dose-related decrease in diastolic blood pressure. After a 10 mg injection, the maximal changes in heart rate, systolic, and diastolic blood pressure were 22%, 10%, and 19%, respectively. However, mean blood pressure was not altered by either the 5 or 10 mg dose. These findings indicate that there are few differences in pharmacokinetic parameters between deltoid and gluteal injection of ritodrine. The single intramuscular injection of 5 or 10 mg ritodrine results in labor-inhibiting concentrations with clinically insignificant cardiovascular effects.
Realism and belief attribution in Heidegger’s phenomenology of religion

This essay offers a new reading of Heidegger’s early “formally indicative” view of religious life as a broad critique of popular representations of religious life in the human sciences and public discourse. While it has frequently been understood that Heidegger’s work aims at the “enactment” of religious life, the logic and implications of this have been rather unclear to most readers. Presenting that logic, I argue that Heidegger’s point parallels that of Alfred Schutz in suggesting that typical academic discussions of religion constitute a determinate, deficient way of relating to religious individuals and groups and their concerns. Those concerns appear to the researcher herself in a way that they would not if the theorist were actually entertaining them as states of affairs in the real world, leading her to attribute beliefs to a hypothetical “nobody.” Heidegger’s early notion of formal indication explains the logic behind our lack of “realism” toward certain topics of research, and his comments on the study of religious life are a paradigm case for the descriptive fallacies that phenomenology can help to address.
The Neurology Quality-of-Life Measurement Initiative

Abstract Cella D, Nowinski C, Peterman A, Victorson D, Miller D, Lai J-S, Moy C. The neurology quality-of-life measurement initiative. Objective To describe the development and calibration of the banks and scales of the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QOL) project, commissioned by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to develop a bilingual (English/Spanish), clinically relevant, and psychometrically robust health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) assessment tool. Design Classic and modern test construction methods were used, including input from essential stakeholder groups. Setting An online patient panel testing service and 11 academic medical centers and clinics from across the United States and Puerto Rico that treat major neurologic disorders. Participants Adult and pediatric patients representing different neurologic disorders specified in this study, proxy respondents for select conditions (stroke, pediatric conditions), and English- and Spanish-speaking participants from the general population. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Multiple generic and condition-specific measures used to provide construct validity evidence for the new Neuro-QOL tool. Results Neuro-QOL has developed 14 generic item banks and 8 targeted scales to assess HRQOL in 5 adult (stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and 2 pediatric conditions (epilepsy, muscular dystrophies). Conclusions The Neuro-QOL system will continue to evolve, with validation efforts in clinical populations and new bank development in health domains not presently included. The potential for Neuro-QOL measures in rehabilitation research and clinical settings is discussed.
Kinetic studies of L-aspartase from Escherichia coli: pH-dependent activity changes.

Abstract The pH dependence of the kinetic parameters of the l -aspartase-catalyzed reaction have been examined in both the amination and the deamination directions. The enzyme isolated from Escherichia coli exists in a pH-dependent equilibrium between a higher pH form that has an absolute requirement for a divalent metal ion and for substrate activation, and a low pH form that does not require activation by either substrate or metal ions. The interconversion between these enzyme forms is observed near neutral pH in the profiles examined for the reaction in either direction. This pH-dependent activation has not been observed for other bacterial aspartases. Loss of activity is observed at high pH with a p K value of 9. The pH profiles of competitive inhibitors such as 3-nitropropionic acid and succinic acid have shown that the enzyme group responsible for this activity loss must be protonated for substrate binding at the active site. An enzymatic group has also been identified that must be protonated in the amination reaction, with a p K value near 6.5, and deprotonated in the deamination reaction. This group, tentatively assigned as a histidyl residue, fulfills the criteria for the acid-base catalyst at the active site of l -aspartase.
A Cockcroft–Walton base for the FEU84-3 photomultiplier tube

Abstract The design and construction of a Cockcroft–Walton-type base for the Russian FEU84-3 photomultiplier are described. Several unique features are emphasized. Results from the tests of prototypes are presented.
Multinational firms and government revenues

Abstract Underinvoicing of intrafirm exports by a multinational firm (MNF) can increase the exporting country's revenue; overinvoicing can increase the importing country's revenue when its tariff rate is higher than its profit tax rate; and both countries' revenues may change in the same direction. Transfer pricing increases the MNF's global tax burden unambiguously when the home profit tax rate is not smaller than the foreign, and the MNF overinvoices; and can increase it in other cases. This last result arises when increase in the level of intrafirm trade which accompanies transfer pricing and/or non-wholly owned subsidiary are considered.
Disappearance rate of exogenous prolactin from serum of female rats.

The disappearance rate of prolactin from the blood of female rats was assessed by bio-assay of the serum at intervals after intravenous injection. The intradermal pigeon crop sac method of assay was used. Dilution of the serum 1 to 3 and 1 to 15 with saline prior to assay obviated the inflammatory reaction between the skin and underlying crop sac of the pigeon and reduced the incidence of nonspecific responses which occurred with undiluted serum. The presence of bovine prolactin in dilute serum induced a moderate inflammatory reaction in some pigeons; ovine, porcine and murine (rat) prolactin in dilute serum did not. The serum concentration of each prolactin tested fell quickly within 1 min after injection. The rate of disappearance slowed during the next 2–3 min, then followed an exponential course. The latter rate was used in estimating the biological half-life (t1) of ovine (10–12 min), murine (10 min), bovine (3 min) and porcine (3 min) prolactin in the blood of adult castrate female rats. The t1 of o...
Dopant Diffusion and Grain Growth in Arsenic-Implanted Poly-Si

The diffusion behavior of arsenic and.the grain growth of Si in arsenic doped poly-Si were investigated by MeV 4He2+ backscattering techniques and transmission electron microscopy. By implanting arsenic ions into poly-Si films the surface portion was made amorphous and crystallized upon annealing. In-situ mesurements showed crystal nucleation and growth at temperatures of 650 - 700°C with a dimension comparable to the thickness of the amorphous layer. Annealing at temperatures up to 850°C increased the number of the large grains, but the average grain size did not change significantly. In the unimplanted region grains retained their initial size until 885°C, although implanted arsenic was found to diffuse into this region along grain boundaries. At 885°C penetration of arsenic into the interior of grains caused significant grain growth. We also found that single implants of boron somewhat increased grain size, whereas boron codoped with arsenic appeared to reduce the effect of arsenic doping. These observations support the hypothesis that the enhanced growth rate and the electrical activity of Si near the grain boundary are closely interrelated.
Superconductivity of neutron irradiated Mo3Os

Abstract The effect of high energy neutron irradiation (E>1 MeV) on the superconducting transition temperature, Tc, of the A-15 compound Mo3Os is reported. Tc was found to decrease with increasing neutron dose, but at a rate considerably less than observed in other A-15 compounds composed of non-transition metals. The results lend support to the idea that the effect of ordering on Tc is smaller for A-15 compounds composed only of transition metals than those composed of transition and non-transition metals.
Hilbert-Schmidt disturbance due to measurement

We define quantum state disturbance in terms of Hilbert-Schmidt (HS) distance, finding according to this definition that measurements and unitary operations drive qubit states along straight lines and circles, respectively, in HS geometry. We establish conditions for additive disturbance; the straigh-line signature of quantum measurement is a direct consequence of this additivity. Also, state disturbance defined by HS distance is contrapuntally related to information gain measured by state discrimination probability. We use these quantifiers of state disturbance and information gain to elaborate the trade-off between the two. Explicitly identified in this trade-off between information gain and state disturbance is the mechanism-the measurement strength-that mediates the trade-off.
A novel, non-invasive method of respiratory monitoring for use with stereotactic procedures

Abstract Accurate monitoring of respiration is often needed for neurophysiological studies, as either a dependent experimental variable or an indicator of physiological state. Current options for respiratory monitoring of animals held in a stereotaxic frame include EMG recordings, pneumotachograph measurements, inductance-plethysmography, whole-body plethysmography (WBP), and visual monitoring. While powerful, many of these methods prevent access to the animal's body, interfere with experimental manipulations, or require deep anesthesia and additional surgery. For experiments where these issues may be problematic, we developed a non-invasive method of recording respiratory parameters specifically for use with animals held in a stereotaxic frame. This system, ventilation pressure transduction (VPT), measures variations in pressure at the animal's nostril from inward and outward airflow during breathing. These pressure changes are detected by a sensitive pressure transducer, then filtered and amplified. The output is an analog signal representing each breath. VPT was validated against WBP using 10% carbon dioxide and systemic morphine (4 mg/kg) challenges in lightly anesthetized animals. VPT accurately represented breathing rate and tidal volume changes under both baseline and challenge conditions. This novel technique can therefore be used to measure respiratory rate and relative tidal volume when stereotaxic procedures are needed for neuronal manipulations and recording.
The collection building reader

(1993). The collection building reader. Library Acquisitions: Practice & Theory: Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 390-391.
Users lost (summary): reflections on the past, future, and limits of information science

The paper is the acceptance address for the 1997 ACM SIGIR Gerard Salton Award for Excellence in Research. In the preamble, the approach of dealing with the broader context of information science when considering information retrieval (IR) is justified. The first part contains personal reflections of the author related to the major events and issues that formed his professional life and research agenda. The second, and major part, considers the broad aspects of information science as a field: origin, problems addressed, areas of study, structure, specialties, paradigm splits, and education problems. The third part discusses the limits of information science in terms of internal limits imposed by the activities in the field and external limits imposed by the very human nature of information processing and use. Throughout, issues related to users and use are transposed, as being of primary concern.
Standardization of radium-223 by liquid scintillation counting.

Abstract Liquid scintillation (LS) counting was undertaken as part of the primary standardization of 223Ra. Radium-223 decays with a half life of 11.43 d through a chain of shorter-lived daughter radionuclides, resulting in five alpha decays and three beta decays. The CIEMAT/NIST method of tritium efficiency tracing was employed, with the beta efficiencies being calculated using the program CN2004, developed by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). The total calculated LS efficiency, considering all daughter radionuclides, was approximately 598%. Separate experiments were performed to rule out loss of the 3.96 s 219Ra daughter from the cocktail and possible counting loss of the 1.78 ms 215Po daughter due to LS counter dead-time. No loss was observed in either experiment. In the final experiment an expanded uncertainty (k=2) of 0.55% was achieved. Results were in excellent agreement with confirmatory measurements performed by 2πα proportional counting. However, results are not in agreement with methods based on gamma ray measurements.
Regulation of plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor production by growth factors and cytokines in rat calvarial cells

Fetal rat osteoblast-enriched calvarial cells were used to study the effects of various growth factors and cytokines on plasminogen activator (PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activities and the possible relationship of these effects to bone resorption. Confluent cultures were exposed to various factors under serum-free conditions, and levels of PA and PAI activities were examined in both conditioned medium (CM) and cell layer using the125I-fibrin plate assay, fibrin zymogram, and reverse fibrin zymogram. According to the125I-fibrin plate assay or zymogram, incubation of cells with acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF), basic FGF (bFGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) elevated the PA activity in the CM as well as in the cell layer extract. Incubation with interleukin 1α (IL-1α), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) produced no change in PA activity in either CM or cell layer. Addition of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) to calvarial cells resulted in nearly undetectable PA activity in CM with the fibrin plate assay but increased PA activity on the fibrin zymogram after PAI was separated from PA by SDS-PAGE. A reverse fibrin zymogram indicated that PAI activity was greatly enhanced in TGFβ-treated CM. TGFβ treatment also increased PA activity in the cell layer of calvarial cells. Treatment of calvarial cells with bFGF and PDGF slightly increased PAI secretion into medium. This increase, however, was not as dramatic as the increase of PA induced by these two agents. IL-1α and TNFα did not change PAI concentration in CM. No detectable PAI activity was found in the cell layer in control and treated groups. The PA found in the CM and cell layer of rat calvarial cells was the urokinase type; the PAI stimulated by TGFβ was the endothelial cell type, PAI-1. The regulation of PA activity by growth factors and cytokines did not correlate with their resorption-stimulating activities. Thus, PA secreted by osteoblasts may not be the only factor involved in the initiation of bone resorption. Delineation of the function of PA and PAI in the physiology of bone tissue awaits further studies.
“Trabajando Duro Todos Los Días”: Learning From the Life Experiences of Mexican‐Origin Migrant Families*

Abstract: The agricultural economy in the United States has relied heavily on migrant farmworkers and, in particular, on Latinos. However, migrant families remain one of the most disadvantaged groups in the United States. This research focuses on a subsample of migrant families of Mexican origin (n= 13), who participated in the Rural Families Speak multistate study. Qualitative findings described numerous challenges that Mexican-origin migrant families continue to experience. Results were also illustrative of the resilience of migrant families, which is influenced by specific Latino cultural values and is reflected in the successful adaptation of these families to the challenges associated with a migrant lifestyle.
Measurement Of The X-Ray-Induced Light Photons Emitted From Radiographic CaW0 4 Intensifying Screens

Abstract For calcium tungstate intensifying screens employed in film-screen imaging systems, Coltman found that approximately 1000 light photons of average energy 2.7 eV were produced for each 50 keV x-ray absorbed. Of this number, he found that only about 55% are emitted from the output side of a 109 mg/cm2 screen. We have developed a method based on counting single photons to determine this number for various thicknesses of calcium tungstate screens. Monoenergetic x rays in the energy range from 17-69 keV produce upon absorption, a shower of individual photon pulses which are detected by a low noise photomultiplier. After amplification and discrimination against the noise background of the phototube, the resultant pulses are counted in a 70 MHz sealer or a 150 MHz counter. The detection system has a pulse resolving time of less than 15 ns. The data are then corrected for the quantum efficiency of the detector and normalized to the number of absorbed x rays which is determined in a separate experiment. For calcium tungstate screens with thicknesses of 30, 50, 86, and 123 mg/cm2 , the average numbers of light photons emitted per absorbed x ray are measured for 8 x-ray ener­ gies between 17- and 69-keV. The values for 50 keV are less than the values found by Coltman. Studies of the causes of this discrepancy are in progress.IntroductionRecent improvements in the performance of video camera tubes and optical systems have revived interest in a fairly old approach to photoejlectronic imaging for diagnostic radiology: an intensifying screen optically coupled to a video camera tube. ' ' As shown in Figure 1, x rays which pass through the patient interact with a radiographic intensifying screen generating a shower of light photons which are focussed on a video camera tube. Video camera tubes are available currently with resolutions of more than 2000 TV lines (TVL/RHr and even 8-10,000 TVL/RH can no longer be considered exotic. * ' In addition, there has been substantial progress in improving/the quantum detection efficiency of the photosensors. New heterojunction surfaces,as used in the saticon tube for example,have quantum efficiencies of nearly 100%. Furthermore, optical systems have be­ come more compact and efficient and have object areas up to 500 mm in diameter, numerical apertures (N.A.)/as low as .12, and resolutions of up to 7 line pairs per mm across an appreciable portion of the total field.