cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bio-inspired 'surprise' for real-time change detection in visual imagery

This paper describes a fast and robust bio-inspired method for change detection in high-resolution visual imagery. It is based on the computation of surprise, a dynamic analogue to visual saliency or attention, that uses very little processing beyond that of the initial computation of saliency. This is different from prior surprise algorithms, which employ complex statistical models to describe the scene and detect anomalies. This algorithm can detect changes in a busy scene (e.g., a person crawling in bushes or a vehicle moving in a desert) in real-time on typical video frame rates and can be used as a front-end to a larger system that includes object recognition and scene understanding modules that operate on the detected surprising regions.
Hurricane forecasts in the FSU models

A brief account of our studies on the hurricane forecast problem is presented here. This covers recent prediction results from the Florida State University (FSU) regional and global numerical weather prediction models. The re-gions covered are the Indian and the Pacific Oceans. The life cycle of the onset vortex (a hurricane) of the summer monsoon, typhoons over the western Pacific Ocean and tropical cyclones over the Bay of Bengal (Andhra Pradesh and the Bangladesh storms) are covered here. The essential elements in the storm formaton are the strong horizontal shear in the cyclogenetic areas, a lack of vertical shear and warn sea surface temperatures. The storm motion has a steering component largely described by the advection of vorticity by a vertically averaged layer mean wind, the recurvature of a storm appears to invoke physical processes via the advection of divergence by the divergent part of the wind especially in the outflow layers of the storm. Very high resolution global models seem to be able to handle the motion and structure during the entire life of typhoons quite reasonably. The scope for better diagnosis of the storms life cycle appears very promising in view of the realistic simulation of the life cycle.
Is there endoscopic capacity to provide colorectal cancer screening to the unscreened population in the United States

Background & Aims: Screening rates for colorectal cancer remain low compared with screening rates for other cancers. The size of the unscreened population and the capacity to provide widespread screening are unknown. We estimated the number of average-risk persons aged 50 years or older not screened for colorectal cancer, the number of procedures required for this population, and the endoscopic capacity to satisfy this unmet need. Methods: Using data from the US Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health Interview Survey, we designed a forecasting model to estimate the number of persons in the United States currently not screened for colorectal cancer and the number of examinations needed to screen these persons. Test need was compared with available capacity, based on results from the national Survey of Endoscopic Capacity, assuming different proportions of available capacity were used for colorectal cancer screening. Results: Approximately 41.8 million average-risk people aged 50 years or older have not been screened for colorectal cancer according to national guidelines. Sufficient capacity exists to screen the unscreened population within 1 year using fecal occult blood testing followed by diagnostic colonoscopy for positive tests. Depending on the proportion of available capacity used for colorectal cancer screening, it could take up to 10 years to screen the unscreened population using flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Conclusions: The capacity exists for widespread screening with fecal occult blood testing. The capacity for screening with flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy depends on the proportion of available capacity used for colorectal cancer screening.
PIECEWISE POLYNOMIAL APPROXIMATIONS FOR HEAVY-TAILED DISTRIBUTIONS IN QUEUEING ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT A basic difficulty in dealing with heavy-tailed distributions is that they may not have explicit Laplace transforms. This makes numerical methods that use the Laplace transform more challenging. This paper generalizes an existing method for approximating heavy-tailed distributions, for use in queueing analysis. The generalization involves fitting Chebyshev polynomials to a probability density function g(t) at specified points t 1, t 2, …, t N . By choosing points t i , which rapidly get far out in the tail, it is possible to capture the tail behavior with relatively few points, and to control the relative error in the approximation. We give numerical examples to evaluate the performance of the method in simple queueing problems.
Oxygen isotope effects in the photochemical reduction of uranyl fluoride by methanol

Abstract UO2F2 with an 18O marker can be photochemically reduced in methanol-water solution with no exchange of oxygen with the solvent. This evidence, with other evidence from the literature, argues for the possibility of a two-electron transfer mechanism, rather than the conventional mechanism involving the disproportionation of a U O 2 + intermediate. Experimental compensation was necessary for an anomalous difference in the UV-vis spectrum caused by substitution of 18O into UO2F2.
Advancements in RF photonics for signal processing applications on avionic platforms

The maturity of RF photonic components has reached the point where fiber optic links are being system tested to replace traditional copper coax links on avionic platforms. Many demonstrations of RF photonic links have been made with traditional and non-traditional modulation formats [1-4] to improve the RF performance of the link. While the advantages of RF photonic links in regard to size and weight are indeed important, the large instantaneous bandwidth of the fiber optic links is a key driver for the use of this technology in the airframe. As signals of interest evolve to higher frequencies, the use of RF photonics provides a path to identify and catalog these new signals. With the acceptance of the fiber optic link as a replacement to coax, the next step is to move the photonic technology to provide signal processing capability in the optical domain before converting back to an electrical signal. The current challenges are to continue to explore new photonic technologies for improved RF performance at the receive end of the link. This paper will focus on advancements in RF photonic solutions for signal processing.
TCP performance analysis and optimization over DMT based ADSL system

This paper studies the transmission control protocol (TCP) performance over a discrete multi-tone (DMT) based asymmetric digital subscriber loop (ADSL) network. The impact of DMT subchannel bit loading on the TCP throughput performance is studied. The simulation results show that there is a threshold for the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gap or bit error rate (BER) above which TCP throughput drops quickly. This threshold takes its value in a wide range depending on the TCP round-trip time as well as channel noises. This suggests that it would be insufficient to set a fixed target BER at, e.g. 10^-^7, when calculating the number of bits to be loaded in each subchannels. Instead, the bit loading should take TCP performance into account. Finally a dynamic bit loading scheme is proposed, which jointly optimizes the channel bit rate and TCP throughput performance.
Reactions of Laser-Ablated Boron Atoms with Methylamines. Matrix Infrared Spectra and MP2 Frequency Calculations for Isotopic Product Molecules

Reactions of laser-ablated boron atoms with monomethylamine in argon produce two new iminoboranes, CH3BNH and CH3NBH, as well as the related isomer, CH2BNH2. Boron reactions with dimethylamine also...
Developmental Changes in PON1 Enzyme Activity in Young Children and Effects of PON1 Polymorphisms

BackgroundParaoxonase 1 (PON1) is an enzyme that detoxifies activated organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) and is also involved in oxidative stress pathways.ObjectivesPON1 activity in newborns is lowe...
Immunoneutralization of Nerve Growth Factor in Lumbosacral Spinal Cord Reduces Bladder Hyperreflexia in Spinal Cord Injured Rats.

ABSTRACTPurpose: We investigated the effects of intrathecal application of nerve growth factor (NGF) antibodies (Ab) on bladder hyperreflexia in chronic spinalized rats.Materials and Methods: In adult female rats an intrathecal catheter was implanted at the level of the L6 to S1 spinal cord, followed by complete transection of the Th8 to 9 spinal cord. At 10 days after spinalization the intrathecal catheter was connected to an osmotic pump for continuous delivery of vehicle or NGF Ab (10 μg. daily) for 2 weeks. Awake cystometry was then performed. NGF levels in the L5 to S1 dorsal root ganglia, L6 spinal cord and bladder were also measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results: The number of uninhibited bladder contractions per voiding cycle, maximal pressure of uninhibited bladder contraction and maximal voiding pressure were significantly decreased in NGF Ab treated versus vehicle treated spinalized rats. Intercontraction interval, baseline intravesical pressure, pressure threshold for voiding...
CLASSIFICATION OF THE HEMOLYTTC STREPTOCOCCI BY THE PRECIPITIN REACTION

A method is described for the preparation from hemolytic streptococci of extracts containing a soluble precipitating substance. By the use of such extracts, it is shown that nearly all members of this family yield a common precipitable substance. So far, therefore, as concerns the precipitin reaction, the hemolytic streptococci form a practically homogeneous group.
Electrochemical reactivity of pyrolytic carbon film electrodes in organic carbonate electrolytes

Abstract The electrochemical reactivity of polyimide-derived pyrolytic carbon film electrodes in a standard organic carbonate lithium-ion battery electrolyte was studied and quantified. An oxidative heat treatment at 900 °C under CO2 atmosphere was found to lower the reactivity of disordered carbons towards electrolyte oxidation. Cyclic voltammetry and potentiostatic measurements of the carbon film electrodes demonstrate the beneficial effect of the CO2 heat treatment in the potential range between 4.2 and 4.8 V vs. Li/Li+ i.e., at potentials where high-energy Li-ion positive composite electrodes operate.
Electronic confinement effects and optical properties of multilayer slabs of silicon: Numerical model studies

The surface properties of Si(111) : H can be modeled by means of a Si slab with increasing number of layers. A slab is modeled here with a finite periodic potential for electrons, parameterized with information about atomic radii and electron binding energies. The model is then solved numerically to obtain electronic energy levels and the shape of layer orbitals. The procedure provides trends in confinement and optical absorption intensities. Results include electronic band gap excitation energies, and intensities of absorption as function of light frequency, α(ω), from calculated electric transition dipoles and density of states. Electronic orbitals obtained here and from previous ab initio calculations show patterns of periodicity due to confinement effects. These effects influence the optical properties of the surface when it is excited by visible light as described by means of absorption selection rules. Our results for the absorption coefficient are
Computing Energy Levels by Inversion of Imaginary-Time Cross-Correlation Functions †

As proposed by Ceperley and Bernu, the excited-state energies can be obtained from imaginary-time cross-correlation functions (rather than autocorrelation functions) generated by quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations. We show that, when processed by the filter diagonalization method (FDM), the same cross-correlation functions yield excited-state energies of higher accuracy and greater stability. The reason is that unlike the other methods FDM uses all the time domain information available. The superior performance of the cross-correlation FDM is demonstrated for a two-dimensional harmonic oscillator with closely lying eigenvalues. Because QMC does not take advantage of the separability in the Hamiltonian, this model system provides a challenging and generic test case.
Surface core-level shifts at vicinal tungsten surfaces

Core-level $4{f}_{7/2}$ photoemission spectra are measured for W(110) and for two stepped-surface planes along the {100} zone: W(540) and W(320). The vicinal-surface spectra are fit using a four-component Doniach-Sunjic--Gaussian function with variable parameters that allow independent variation in the peak locations and intensities based on the different nearest-neighbor coordination of surface atoms. The new experimental results differ significantly from all prior experimental studies of surface core-level shifts associated with vicinal tungsten surfaces. Surface step-atom core-level binding energies obtained from the photoemission spectra are found to be in excellent agreement with simple local-coordination models and initial-state shifts from ab initio calculations of surface core-level shifts and confirm general trends associated with application of coordination models to both low- and high-index tungsten surfaces. No compelling evidence of coordination-dependent final-state effects is observed. Effects on core-level spectra and surface core-level shifts associated with surface hydrogen dose are investigated. Vicinal surface spectra of tungsten are shown to be more sensitive to hydrogen doses than parent low-index surfaces, possibly accounting for prior difficulty in obtaining consistent core-level photoemission spectra for vicinal tungsten surfaces.
Compact apparatus for measurement of ventilatory response to carbon dioxide in newborns and infants

We developed a rebreathing system for measuring response to carbon dioxide (CO2) of newborns and infants for use at the bedside. The system based on Read's method is small, easy to operate, and includes a computer-controlled gas switching sequence, computerized calculation, and display functions. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc. We measured the CO2 response in 11 infants with or without apnea, who were born at 26–33 weeks gestation and were 12 to 215 days old at the time of the study. Our results suggest that the presence of apnea in premature infants may correspond to a low CO2 response. The method was convenient for clinical use because it allowed an investigator to carry out bedside tests in only a few minutes. With our system we were able to assess respiratory center function in newborns and infants.
Sleep EEG features of adolescents with major depression

A substantial body of research in adults has established that certain sleep polysomnographic abnormalities are commonly found in depressed patients, including sleep continuity disturbances, reduced slow-wave sleep, shortened rapid eye movement (REM) latency and increased REM density. To date the findings in depressed adolescents are equivocal. Three consecutive nights of polysomnographic recordings were obtained in 31 hospitalized depressed adolescents and 17 age-matched normal controls. The depressed adolescents had a shorter REM latency, shorter sleep latency, more REM sleep, and less stage 3 nonREM (NREM) sleep. There was a trend for melancholic and suicidal patients to have a shorter REM latency.
Linguistically based speechreading assessment.

Abstract A videotaped speechreading test, Eyes and Spoken Language , has been designed to assess how effectively a person utilizes linguistic constraints in responding to spoken language via the visual pathway. Concurrent validity and test—retest reliability has been established using responses of 68 non-hearing-impaired young adults. A significant learning effect has been demonstrated from one administration to another 2 wk later. The clinical implications of this finding are discussed.
Governance or Self-governance in Poland? Benefits and Threats 20 Years Later

The 1989–1990 revolution that took place in Poland as well as in the rest of central and east Europe led to fundamental changes at the local level. The aim of the decentralization reforms was to establish new governing structures and governance practices and to create local self-government as a strong local actor, autonomous from central control. The administrative, fiscal, and political decentralization was to change drastically the role of the central state by providing local authorities with a new set of responsibilities, fiscal resources, and the decision-making power to implement them. Such a shift also implied major clashes over power, resources, and group interests. Why then do such tensions continue to persist? What are the processes through which the central state is returning to the local level? This paper argues that the return of the central state and its increasingly visible presence at the local level is caused by persistent conflicts surrounding the form, structure, and function of the Polish state. These conflicts are aided by a weak civil society and fragmented party system. This paper will examine the case of Poland and ways through which the central state has been (and still is to the present day) imprinting its presence on local spaces of democracy and governance during the last two decades.
On the Interaction of Water Waves With a Surface-Parallel Vortex

An experimental study was performed to investigate the interaction of water waves with a surface-parallel oriented vortex at a free surface. Shadowgraph images were obtained visualizing surface deformations. The role of vortex strength and the direction of approach of the waves were investigated. For favorable waves, with flow velocity at crests parallel to vortex flow, surface deformations were weaker, lasted longer than for a vortex without waves, and were characterized at late times by the appearance of surface-normal vortices. For unfavorable waves incident on the vortex from the other side, surface deformations were stronger and dissipated more quickly.
Cartesian organization in the immediate reproduction of spatial patterns

Tachistoscopically presented patterns of five and six dots in a circular field were reproduced from immediate memory by 12 subjects. The order of the dots on horizontal and vertical axes was more accurately reproduced than their order on diagonal axes.
Algebraic ideals of semiprime Banach algebras

If A is a semiprime Banach algebra, soc A, rad A the socle and radical of A, then Soc A ∩ rad A = (0). This elementary result enables us to prove some results concerning algebraic ideal and algebraic elements modulo the socle of A. We also deduce several conditions for A equivalent to the condition dim A <+∞.
The Relationship between English Language Arts Teachers' Use of Instructional Strategies and Young Adolescents' Reading Motivation, Engagement, and Preference.

Conducted at 10 schools in four communities, this study investigated relationships of young adolescents’ reading motivation, reading preference, and reading engagement as influenced by their English Language Arts teachers’ use of instructional strategies. Students in eight sixth grade (N=196) and nine seventh grade (N=218) classes completed a post Reading Behavior Survey and the Motivation to Read Questionnaire (MRQ) and a Class Strategies Checklist at the beginning and end of the academic year. The 17 teachers also completed a pre/post Strategies Checklist and a Survey. Mean MRQ difference scores were averaged by ELA class group. Scores in nine MRQ dimensions revealed a decline except for Challenge with a slight positive increase for seventh graders. These results confirm prior research findings that as adolescents move along in grade level their reading motivation decreases. However, 11 of the 17 class groups indicated some positive change in one or more MRQ dimensions with five classes revealing positive reading motivation growth in four dimensions. Enjoyable reading activities noted by all students involved receptive and expressive oral language. Such preference may have been due to large class populations of Hispanic, subsidized lunch, and limited English proficient students who found that oral language interaction helped them understand and enjoy the readings. The most preferred reading activity during out-of-school time was that of a social nature involving text messaging. Both this current and prior research suggest that successful teachers motivate their students through classroom interaction, challenging literacy activities and discussion about what was read.
Explaining Variation in Transnational Climate Change Activism: The Role of Inter-Movement Spillover

How can we explain variation in the volume and character of transnational collective action on climate change? This paper presents original qualitative and quantitative data to document how transnational activism on climate change has changed over time. The author draws attention to the role of transnational social movement spillover—a process by which ideas, activists, and tactics are diffused from one movement to another—in explaining this evolution. The article examines the spillover of the global justice movement to the climate justice movement from 2007 to 2009, linking this spillover to changes in the nature of activism. In contrast to previous approaches, this work shows that transnational social movement spillover can result in the expansion of contention without radicalizing those actors already involved. This case demonstrates the theoretical importance of the spillover process and offers lessons for future climate activism.
Increased phosphodiesterase-5 expression is involved in the decreased vasodilator response to nitric oxide in cirrhotic rat livers

Background/Aims Cirrhotic livers have a deficient vasodilator response to nitric oxide (NO). The vasodilator effect of NO is normally limited by the degradation of its second messenger cyclic guanosine 3′, 5′ monophosphate by phosphodiesterases. We investigated (1) the phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) expression in normal and cirrhotic rat livers, (2) the location of the deficient response to NO in cirrhotic livers, and (3) the effect of the PDE-5 inhibitor Sildenafil citrate on this deficient response. Methods Normal and ascitic cirrhotic rats were subjected to liver perfusion with continuous measurement of both perfusion and sinusoidal (wedge hepatic) pressures. After incubation with N -monomethyl-l-arginine and pre-constriction with Methoxamine, concentration–response curves to the spontaneous NO donor S -nitroso- N -acetylpenicillamine were obtained in the absence or presence of Sildenafil (10 −8 M). Results PDE-5 expression (Western blot) in cirrhotic livers was higher than in normal livers ( P =0.042). Compared to normal livers, cirrhotic livers showed a decreased response to S -nitroso- N -acetylpenicillamine in the pre-sinusoidal area ( P =0.003) but not in the sinusoidal/post-sinusoidal area ( P =0.433). In the presence of Sildenafil, normal and cirrhotic livers showed similar pre-sinusoidal ( P =0.419) and sinusoidal/post-sinusoidal ( P =0.875) responses to S -nitroso- N -acetylpenicillamine. Conclusions Increased PDE-5 expression is involved in the decreased vascular response to NO in cirrhotic livers.
COMPENSATORY ADRENAL HYPERTROPHY AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF METACORTICOID HYPERTENSION

Desoxycorticosterone acetate (DCA), cortisone or cortisol elicited hypertcnsilon which, after discontinuation of treatment, persisted only in the DCAtreated group. This self-sustained hypertension is not dependent upon adrenal hypertrophy subsequent to compensatory adrenal atrophy, nor on the presence of renal lesions. DCA and cortisol, but not cortisone, caused nephrosclerosis; similar lesions accompanied by massive myocardial hemorrhages and necroses were obtained with ACTH but only after cortisone pretreatment.
Novel synthesis of a hindered trisubstituted dehydroalanine derivative and its copolymerization with methyl acrylate

The new monomer N-methy1-N-butyryldehydroalanine methyl ester was obtained in good yield by N-methylation and base catalyzed ring opening of racemic 2-propy1-4-methoxycarbonyl-2-oxazoline. The oxazoline was prepared in high yield from (R,S)-serine methyl ester hydrochloride and ethyl butyroimidate. Attempted radical and anionic homopolymerization of purified monomer failed. Radical copolymerization with methyl methacrylate was also unsuccessful, although copolymerization with the less hindered methyl acrylate did produce copolymer as determined by high resolution 13C NMR. Unsubstituted N-butyryldehydroalanine methyl ester was prepared by an alternative route and was shown to spontaneously homopolymerize to high polymer. Space-filling models of the monomers indicate steric hindrance for approach of the N-methylated monomer to the active chain end, consistent with difficult homopolymerization.
Binary Response Models for Recognition of Antimicrobial Peptides

There is now great urgency in developing new antibiotics to combat bacterial resistance. Recent attention has turned to naturally-occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that can serve as templates for antibacterial drug research. As natural AMPs have a wide range of activity against various bacteria, current research is focusing on modifying existing peptides or designing new ones to increase potency. This paper presents a computational approach to further our understanding of what physicochemical properties or features confer to a peptide antimicrobial activity. One of the contributions of this paper is the ability to rigorously test the relevance of features obtained by biological or computational researchers in the context of AMP recognition. A second contribution is the construction of a predictive model that employs relevant features and their combinations to associate with a novel peptide sequence a probability to have antimicrobial activity. Taken together, the work in this paper seeks to help researchers elucidate features of importance for antimicrobial activity. This is an important first step towards modification or design of novel AMPs for treatment. With this goal in mind, we provide access to the proposed methodology through a web server, which allows users to replicate the findings here or evaluate their own feature set.
The Effects of Task Information and Outcome Feedback on Individuals' Insight into Their Decision Models

When making business decisions, people generally receive some form of guidance. Often, this guidance might be in the form of instructions about which inputs to the decision are most important. Alternatively, it might be outcome feedback concerning the appropriateness of their decisions. When people receive guidance in making difficult judgments, it is important that they do not confuse this guidance with insight into their own decision models. This study examined whether people confuse their actual decision model with task information and outcome feedback. Subjects predicted the likelihood that various hypothetical companies would experience financial distress and then reported the decision models they believed they had used. Their reported models were compared with their actual models as estimated by a regression of the subjects' predictions on the inputs to their decisions. In a 2times2 factorial design, some subjects were provided with task information regarding the relative importance of each input to their decisions while others were not. Some subjects were provided with outcome feedback regarding the quality of their decisions while others were not. The subjects tended to confuse the task information and outcome feedback with their actual decision models. Implications for the results are discussed.
The work of the geophysical laboratory on hot springs

My active interest in the study of volcanic phenomena began in 1916 when I accompanied Dr. A. L. Day to the Lassen Park with the purpose of studying the hot springs in that locality. The earlier work was concerned with general observations on such matter as topography, temperature, and drainage, and with the processes of rock decomposition. It led to the discovery of a simple relation between the acid and the alkaline springs. Both are regarded as derived from the same source by the same general process of rock decomposition. The majority of these springs contain sulphuric acid together with what are plainly the products of its chemical action on the surrounding rocks, namely, the sulphates of the rock bases dissolved in the water, and silica and kaolin precipitated in it. Now, if the acid continues to react with the rock, obviously it is merely a matter of time, or of the existence of some other favorable condition, until the acid will be completely neutralized. When that point has been reached further rock decomposition by the agency of hot water and carbonic acid, which is everywhere escaping from the springs, will bring into solution carbonates, bicarbonates, or both, which impart to the water an alkaline character. The alkaline springs, therefore, are seen to be logically subsequent to the acid springs.
A Review and Evaluation of Doctoral Programs 2000-2004 by the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education

The results from a U.S. national survey of doctoral programs in kinesiology and physical education covering the years 2000-2004 are presented. The survey was conducted by the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education with all 61 institutions with doctoral programs (32 institutions provided complete data, 52%) invited to participate. Results of the survey included an overall final T-score used for ranking of institutions. Quantitative data on faculty (weighted 66% in the scoring) and student indices (weighted 34% in the scoring) were used to develop the final T-scores as well as T-scores for component data. In addition, average data for all variables are presented by the T-score categories of 60 and above, 50-59, 40-49, and below 40. The American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education plans to conduct this survey and reporting process at 5-year intervals.
Biochemical characterization of trinitrotoluene transforming oxygen-insensitive nitroreductases from Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824

The genes that encode oxygen-insensitive nitroreductases from Clostridium acetobutylicum possessing 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) transformation activity were cloned, sequenced and characterized. The gene products NitA (MW 31 kDa) and NitB (MW 23 kDa) were purified to homogeneity. The NitA and NitB are oxygen-insensitive nitroreductases comprised of a single nitroreductase domain. NitA and NitB enzymes show spectral characteristics similar to flavoproteins. The biochemical characteristics of NitA and NitB are highly similar to those of NfsA, the major nitroreductase from E. coli. NitA exhibited broad specificity similar to that of E. coli NfsA and displayed no flavin reductase activity. NitB showed broad substrate specificity toward nitrocompounds in a pattern similar to NfsA and NfsB of Escherichia coli. NitB has high sequence similarity to NAD(P)H nitroreductase from Archaeoglobus fulgidus. NitA could utilize only NADH as an electron donor, whereas NitB utilized both NADH and NADPH as electron donors with a preference for NADH. The activity of both nitroreductases was high toward 2,4-Dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) as a substrate. Both the nitroreductases were inhibited by dicoumarol and salicyl hydroxamate. The nitroreductases showed higher relative expression on induction with TNT, nitrofurazone and nitrofurantoin compared to the uninduced control.
A conceptual approach to the identification of essential ethics content for the undergraduate nursing curriculum

While the importance of ethics content in the nursing curriculum is recognized, few guidelines exist to aid faculty in decisions regarding 'essential' content. Comparison of documents from the Hastings Center Institute of Society, Ethics and the Life Sciences, and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing suggests that outcomes for the undergraduate nursing curriculum reflect the goals of both undergraduate and professional ethics education as identified by the Hastings Center study. Faculty are faced with the challenge of adequately addressing ethics in an already filled undergraduate curriculum. The conceptual integration of traditional clinical ethics with professional socialization and issues of professionalism provides a workable approach for identifying and integrating the necessary ethics content. Within this integrated approach the author identifies seven areas essential to the undergraduate curriculum: the moral ideals of the nursing profession, clarification of personal and professional values, moral issues/dilemmas common to nursing practice, recognizing ethical issues, basic ethical theory and principles, practice in analysis and debate, and the moral nature of a profession.
On toughening by microcracks

Abstract This study examines the phenomenon of microcrack toughening under the premise that toughening must entail mutual shielding of the main crack and the microcracks. Maximum toughening corresponds to the macrocrack/microcrack configuration that minimizes the maximum energy release rate (or stress intensity factor) among the various crack tips. Explicit results for the maximum toughening achievable and the corresponding optimal configuration are presented for a plane strain model of a macrocrack in the presence of either one or two microcracks.
Role of the olfactory bulbs in the detection of ionizing radiation by the rat

Abstract The sensitivity to X-rays in the albino rat was studied following destruction of the olfactory bulbs. The two procedures of conditioning an aversion to saccharin solution with X-rays as the unconditioned stimulus and conditioned bar press suppression with X-rays as the warning stimulus were both used in testing the sensitivity to the ionizing radiation. The profound aversion to saccharin flavored water, obtained in rats after a single pairing of X-rays with the saccharin solution, was found to be diminished in animals which had olfactory ablations. The conditioning of sham operated animals and those with frontal lesions resulted in the usual significant saccharin aversion. The immediate detection of X-rays was profoundly affected by removal of the olfactory bulbs. Animals which had previously been conditioned to suppress a bar-pressing response in the presence of X-rays failed to show this suppression after complete removal of the olfactory bulbs. When ablation was incomplete, with removal of tissue from the frontal lobes, or with sham operations, the animals continued to show the suppression effect at the onset of X-ray exposure.
Multiple Courses of Antenatal Corticosteroids (ANCS): Effect on Respiratory Morbidity, Mortality and Growth in Preterm Infants. † 956

Many obstetricians treat women in preterm labor with repeated courses of ANCS. However, it is unknown whether additional courses of ANCS are beneficial or potentially deleterious for growth or development of these fetuses. In the North American Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone (TRH) trial, women presenting at< 30 weeks gestation in preterm labor received TRH or placebo in combination with ANCS. All women received one course of ANCS. Subsequent courses were given at the discretion of individual obstetricians. Of 1132 infants delivered in the trial, 616 (55%) received one course, 218 (19%) received two courses, 201 (18%) received 3-5 courses and 76 (7%) received 6-13 courses of ANCS. Adjusting for gestational age, we compared the mortality and respiratory outcomes for infants of 25-32 wk gestation who received one course vs. two or more courses of ANCS (90% power to detect 10% difference in outcomeα = 0.05). Among infants born at 25 to < 28 wk, the incidence of RDS was 85% (194/229) for those who received 1 course of ANCS and 85% (89/105) for those who received 2 or more courses (p = 1.00). The incidence of RDS at 28-32 wk was 51% (92/181) for 1 course and 45% (85/191) for 2 or more courses (p = 0.22). The number of courses of ANCS was not associated with birth weight, the incidence of death, chronic lung disease at 28 days or at 36 weeks post-menstrual age, or with other morbidities of prematurity (PDA, IVH, NEC, ROP). There was no association between TRH and any of these outcomes. We conclude from this retrospective analysis that there is no evidence that multiple courses of ANCS are associated with either additional benefit to respiratory outcomes or deleterious effects on growth, when compared to a single course of ANCS. A prospective randomized trial would be necessary to definitively answer this question.
CLUSTERING AND SOCIALLY‐DIRECTED BEHAVIORS IN A PLAYGROUP OF 1‐YR‐OLD BOYS

SUMMARY This study aims at documenting the presence of clustering in a playgroup of five 1-yr-old boys. Clusters are of interest because they bring very young children in repeated contact. In addition, a method is developed for analyzing socially-directed behavior in early peer contacts. When the method is applied to the sample of cluster contacts, it is found that both the frequency and complexity of socially-directed behavior increase across the three-mouth period studied. The results suggest that 1-yr-olds can profit from regular contact with a consistent group of children. They also indicate the promise of using the methods developed in additional studies.
Applications of Digital Image Processing

The extreme flexibility of the digital method of image processing makes a wide variety of linear and nonlinear processes possible. The digital image processing techniques developed at JPL have been applied to images from a wide range of disciplines. Results of this processing for picture generation, intensity and geometric manipulation, spatial frequency operations, and image analysis are shown. The system considerations involved in adequately and efficiently doing image processing are discussed briefly.
Medical Device Usability Analyses: An Integrative Review

Errors committed during healthcare providers’ use of patient controlled analgesia (PCA) systems in the acute care setting are poorly understood. A PCA is a complex, medical device that delivers a p...
A suspicious vulvar mass diagnosed as a subpubic cartilaginous cyst.

Background Subpubic cartilaginous cysts were initially described in 1996 with few reports to date.
An Experimental Study of Covert Extinction

Abstract A 2×3 study, using performance on a pseudo concept formation task as the dependent variable, tested the efficacy of covert extinction (CE). Groups received either CE instructions, overt extinction (OE) instructions, or no instructions, and either reinforcement or no reinforcement. The data revealed no significant difference between the unreinforced CE and OE groups, but did indicate significant differences between these groups and the unreinforced group receiving no instructions. Parallel results were obtained for the three similar reinforced groups. The conclusion, based on these data, was that CE was effective in facilitating the course of extinction whether or not the environment continued to provide reinforcement for the specific response.
Case Report: Paraspinal Abscess Complicating Crohn's Disease

Purpose: We present a case of a paraspinal abscess as a complication of Crohn’s disease, which is a rare occurrence for a Crohn’s related abscess. Methods: Chart review and case presentation. Results: A 27-year old male diagnosed with Crohn’s disease six years ago presented with severe right lower quadrant abdominal pain and back pain. A CT scan demonstrated an abscess superficial to the right posterior paraspinal muscles. The patient was initially treated with percutaneous drainage of the abscess and antibiotics, and then received definitive treatment with a laparoscopic assisted ileocolic resection. Conclusions: Intra-abdominal and pelvic abscesses are common complications of Crohn’s disease, while psoas and iliopsoas abscesses are quite rare. The location of this abscess is particularly interesting as the fistula tracked into the retroperitoneum and resulted in an abscess adjacent to the paraspinal muscles, which is a presentation that has not been widely reported.
Effects of presupposition on deductive reasoning

Abstract This paper examines the effect of linguistic presupposition on the solving of three-term series problems. Subjects were presented with problems differing both in form (i.e., same adjective in the two premises versus antonymous adjectives in the two premises) and in the type of adjective contained in the premises (e.g., extreme versus regular). An interaction in problem difficulty between problem form and adjective degree suggested that the representation of the presuppositional information contained in the premises of some problems may conflict with the unified representation of the ordering of the items, or make the latter integration process itself more difficult. For both the regular and extreme adjective pairs, problems were also more difficult when they contained an adjective from the (−) pole of an adjectival dimension (e.g., bad, wicked ) as opposed to the (+) pole of the same dimension (e.g., good, saintly ), with this difference being especially pronounced for those adjectival dimensions which described an ordinal as opposed to a ratio scale. The implications of this general (−) pole-(+) pole difference in difficulty for previously proposed explanations of the more specific marked-unmarked difference in difficulty are discussed.
Modern antenna design concepts for satellite and personal communications

The increasing demands placed upon antennas to provide wireless channels for satellite and personal communications systems has encouraged the development of sophisticated analysis and design techniques. This paper presents design concepts based upon recent advances associated with diffraction synthesis/analysis of dual offset reflector antennas for satellite communications as well as the application of the finite difference time domain (FDTD) approach for evaluating antennas for personal communications systems. >
First Reported Occurrence of Hoplopyga Thomson, 1880 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Gymnetini) from the West Indies, with Description of a New Species

ABSTRACT Hoplopyga antilliana Ratcliffe, new species, is described from Grenada and Union Island in the Lesser Antilles. It resembles Hoplopyga liturata (Olivier) from Central and South America and is distinguished from that species. Species of Hoplopyga Thomson are known from Mexico to Argentina, but this species represents the first known occurrence for the genus in the West Indies.
Blood Sample Processing: Clinical Perspectives on Recent Developments in Technology and Laboratory Operations

A group of leading clinical laboratory scientists met in New York City on November 11, 2010, to provide perspectives on a range of issues related to blood sample processing. The panel consisted of practicing laboratorians and educators from a range of institution types, including small and large hospitals and reference laboratories. Discussion focused on recent key issues that have arisen in blood sample processing, dynamics associated with automated processing, working with low blood volumes, and a range of timely professional issues. * ID : identification QNS : Quantity Not Sufficient ICU : intensive care unit POC : point-of-care ASCP : American Society for Clinical Pathology IRB : institutional review board NICU : neonatal intensive care unit
Blue and green noise halftoning models

In this article, we review the spatial and spectral characteristics of blue- and green-noise halftoning models. In the case of blue noise, dispersed-dot dither patterns are constructed by isolating minority pixels as homogeneously as possible, and by doing so, a pattern composed exclusively of high-frequency spectral components is produced. Blue-noise halftoning is preferred for display devices that can accommodate isolated dots such as various video displays and some print technologies such as ink-jet. For print marking engines that cannot support isolated pixels, dispersed-dot halftoning is inappropriate. For such cases, clustered-dot halftoning is used to avoid dot-gain instability. Green-noise halftones are clustered-dot, blue-noise patterns. Such patterns enjoy the blue-noise properties of homogeneity and lack low-frequency texture but have clusters of minority pixels on blue-noise centers. Green noise is composed exclusively of midfrequency spectral components. In addition to the basic spatial and spectral characteristics of the halftoning models, this article also reviews some of the earlier work done to improve error diffusion as a noise generator. We also discuss processes to generate threshold arrays to achieve blue and green noise with the computationally efficient process of ordered dither.
The Stability of Viscous Flow Between Rotating Cylinders. II

In this paper a new method is described for solving the characteristic value problem underlying the theory of the stability of viscous flow between rotating cylinders. The method depends on solving a simpler adjoint system of equations. It is shown that the present method is superior to the one described in an earlier paper (Chandrasekhar 1958). Numerical results are given for the case when the ratio of the radii of the two cylinders is one-half.
Cell-Specific Transcriptional Profiling Reveals Candidate Mechanisms Regulating Development and Function of Uterine Epithelia in Mice

All mammalian uteri have luminal (LE) and glandular epithelia (GE) in their endometrium. The LE mediates uterine receptivity and blastocyst attachment for implantation, and the GE synthesize and secrete or transport bioactive substances involved in blastocyst implantation, uterine receptivity, and stromal cell decidualization. However, the mechanisms governing uterine epithelial development after birth and their function in the adult are not fully understood. Here, comprehensive microarray analysis was conducted on LE and GE isolated by laser capture microdissection from uteri on Postnatal Day 10 (PD 10) and day of pseudopregnancy (DOPP) 2.5 and 3.5. This data was integrated with analysis of uteri from gland-containing control and aglandular progesterone-induced uterine gland knockout mice from PD 10 and DOPP 3.5. Many genes were expressed in both epithelia, but there was greater expression of genes in the LE than in the GE. In the neonate, GE-expressed genes were enriched for morphogenesis, development, migration, and retinoic acid signaling. In the adult, LE-expressed genes were enriched for metabolic processes and steroid biosynthesis, whereas retinoid signaling, tight junction, extracellular matrix, and regulation of kinase activity were enriched in the GE. The transcriptome differences in the epithelia support the idea that each cell type has a distinct and complementary function in the uterus. The candidate genes and regulatory networks identified here provide a framework to discover new mechanisms regulating development of epithelia in the postnatal uterus and their functions in early pregnancy.
Correlation between 15N NMR chemical shifts in proteins and secondary structure.

An empirical correlation between the peptide 15N chemical shift, δ15Ni, and the backbone torsion angles φi, ψi−1 is reported. By using two-dimensional shielding surfaces Δ(φiψ1−1), it is possible in many cases to make reasonably accurate predictions of 15N chemical shifts for a given structure. On average, the rms error between experiment and prediction is about 3.5 ppm. Results for threonine, valine and isoleucine are worse (∼4.8 ppm), due presumably to χ1-distribution/γ-gauche effects. The rms errors for the other amino acids are ∼3 ppm, for a typical maximal chemical shift range of ∼15–20 ppm. Thus, there is a significant correlation between 15N chemical shift and secondary structure.