cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mucus transport mechanisms in relation to the effect of high frequency chest compression (HFCC) on mucus clearance.

High frequency chest compression (HFCC) appears promising as a form of chest physiotherapy. Studies published by several clinical centers support its efficacy, and further clinical data are expected to become available. Pediatr Pulmonol. 1994; 17:113–118. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Hyperoxic hyperventilation in carotid-deafferented cats.

Abstract Ventilation when breathing air and during exposure to hyperoxia (P A o 2 = 400–450 mm Hg) was studied in unanesthetized cats before and after carotid sinus nerve section (chemo-deafferentation). Chemo-deafferentation resulted in lowered values of measured ventilation, tidal volume, and respiratory frequency, during air breathing. P A co 2 , increased by an average of 7.9 mm Hg. In intact animals, ventilation after 10 minutes of exposure to hyperoxia was similar in magnitude and pattern to that measured during air breathing. Exposure of chemo-deafferented animals to hyperoxia resulted in an increased ventilation, due entirely to augmented tidal volume. Increased ventilation was accompanied by a decrease in P A co 2 . This response to hyperoxia developed gradually during a 3–4-minute period, the rise in ventilation and fall in P A co 2 ; invariably stabilizing by 5 minutes, It is concluded that carotid body chemoreceptor activity is essential for the maintenance of normal values of ventilation and P A co 2 in unanesthetized cats. In addition, central mechanisms responsible for tidal volume production may, in the absence of carotid body afferent input, be depressed by the p o 2 characteristic of normal arterial blood. The significance of these findings to the chemical control of breathing is discussed.
Comparison of Turbulent Prediction Methods with Ground and Flight Test Heating Data

Theme E turbulent heating data and predictions usually are compared as a function of one test variable with others held constant. Data measured at different test conditions can be compared with predictions if the data are transformed to an incompressible plane according to the particular prediction method. * In this investigation, data obtained in both ground and flight tests for which the flow conditions are documented or are calculated readily are compared with results from several prediction methods in the respective incompressible planes. The purpose of this comparison is to provide simple engineering approaches for predicting turbulent boundary-layer heating. The results of this investigation cover a wide range of experimental data and are unique since a direct comparison of flight and ground test results is possible.
KCl leakage from microelectrodes and its impact on the membrane parameters of a nonexcitable cell

Microcapillary electrodes filled with a variety of salt solutions, including 1m KCl, have been used to measure the membrane potentials and resistances of spherical cells from the mycelial fungusNeurospora (cell diameters 15–25 μm, cell volumes 3–8 pl). During impalements with electrodes containing 0.3–1.0m KCl, membrane potential and resistance decayed over a period of 3–10 min. In contrast, electrodes filled with 0.1m KCl gave stable membrane potentials of −180 mV and membrane resistivities of 40 kΩ cm2, values comparable to earlier results from the fungal hyphae. Salt leakage from 1.0m KCl-filled electrodes (tip diameters 0.2–0.3 μm, resistances 50–75 MΩ) occurred at rates of 4–5 fmol sec−1, as indicated by direct intracellular measurements with ion-sensitive microelectrodes. Depending on cell size, such leakage rates could elevate cytoplasmic KCl content at initial rates of 30–170 mM min−1, and actual values as high as 70mm min−1 were observed. Salt leakage and changes in cytoplasmic KCl concentration were reduced five- to sevenfold when impalements were made with electrodes containing 0.1m KCl. The effects on cell membrane parameters of salt leakage from microelectrodes could be attributed to chloride ions. Substitution of the KCl electrolyte with half-molar K2SO4 or Na2SO4 and molar concentrations of K- and Na-MES [potassium and sodium 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonate] gave stable membrane potentials in excess of −200 mV and membrane resistivities greater than 50 kΩ cm2, while the permeant anions NO 3 − and SCN− depressed the membrane parameters in a manner similar to that observed with 1m KCl. Furthermore, modest elevation of cytoplasmic chloride concentration (below ca. 50 mM) affected both membrane potential and resistance in direct proportion to the concentration, and could be quantitatively described by the Constant Field Theory with a fixed membrane permeability (P Cl∼4×10−8 cm sec−1). Higher cytoplasmic chloride levels produced a collapse of the membrane resistance and drastic depolarization in a fashion requiring large changes of membrane permeability. At least for cells with volumes of 10 pl or less, the standard practice of filling electrodes with 1 or 3m KCl should be abandoned. Half-molar (and lower) concentrations of K2SO4 or Na2SO4 are suggested as satisfactory replacements.
Personal and Community Empowerment for Grandparent Caregivers

This article describes an empowerment training program that the author developed for grandparent caregivers. The program consists of 14 classes that focus on empowering grandparents, within the family and in the community. It strengthens their parenting skills, feelings of competency, and ability to advocate in the community for their own needs. Social workers play important roles as facilitators in the learning process, helping grandparents to recognize their own strengths and capabilities. As grandparents become empowered, they also become strong role models for the children they are raising.
Reachable and Controllable Sets for Planetary Entry and Landing

Author(s): Benito, J; Mease, KD | Abstract: Understanding the envelope of entry trajectories that a given planetary lander is capable of flying can be an important aid for mission analysis and design. Two characteristics of this envelope are considered: 1) the set of states reachable from a given entry state and 2) the set of entry states controllable to a given final state. Precise definitions of these sets are given and methods for computing them are presented. To illustrate their use, the sets are employed to characterize the performance of two vehicle configurations, a low lift-to-drag-ratio capsule and a mid lift-to-dragratio ellipsled, for Mars entry. Roles for the sets in evaluating entry trajectory planning algorithms, choosing a nominal entry state, and planning skip entries are described. Copyright © 2009.
Hindu Nationalism: Origins, Ideologies, and Modern Myths.

Hindu Nationalism: Origins, Ideologies, and Modern Myths. Chetan Bhatt .Oxford: Berg,2001. viii. 232 pp., bibliography, index.
Fuzzy logic systems for engineering: a tutorial

A fuzzy logic system (FLS) is unique in that it is able to simultaneously handle numerical data and linguistic knowledge. It is a nonlinear mapping of an input data (feature) vector into a scalar output, i.e., it maps numbers into numbers. Fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic establish the specifics of the nonlinear mapping. This tutorial paper provides a guided tour through those aspects of fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic that are necessary to synthesize an FLS. It does this by starting with crisp set theory and dual logic and demonstrating how both can be extended to their fuzzy counterparts. Because engineering systems are, for the most part, causal, we impose causality as a constraint on the development of the FLS. After synthesizing a FLS, we demonstrate that it can be expressed mathematically as a linear combination of fuzzy basis functions, and is a nonlinear universal function approximator, a property that it shares with feedforward neural networks. The fuzzy basis function expansion is very powerful because its basis functions can be derived from either numerical data or linguistic knowledge, both of which can be cast into the forms of IF-THEN rules. >
Pre-Service Reading Teacher Efficacy and Tutoring: A Review

Teachers’ personal self-efficacy about their ability to motivate students and encourage learning has been shown to affect the classroom they create and student achievement. Therefore, research has been conducted on ways to increase teacher efficacy for in-service and pre-service teachers. One area of research that has been explored is the impact of field experiences on pre-service teachers. This review explores the research on field experiences and tutoring as well as the role these different experiences may play in pre-service teacher efficacy and knowledge of teaching reading. Overall, researchers have found that field experiences have varying effects on efficacy; however, researchers have found that tutoring field experiences in particular have been found to have a positive impact on pre-service teachers’ abilities to teach a particular content (e.g., reading) to the individual student and to put theory into practice. On the whole, this literature review suggests that we currently lack research exploring the possible benefits of simultaneously impacting efficacy and reading knowledge in pre-service teachers through tutoring.
Behavioural indicators of exploitation

Despite a growing interest among ethologists in applying their work to conservation, ethologists have yet to convince conservation biologists that the study of animal behaviour is of much use to conservation. In part this is because there are few empirical examples to support their claim. Here I show that mammal species subject to covert human hunting pressure are significantly more wary of observers than species that are less heavily exploited. Thus, an easily observed aspect of behaviour provides an indicator of exploitation that would otherwise be difficult for managers to measure.
Design considerations for a state level energy database management system

Abstract At the state-level, the database management systems (DBMS) are receiving considerable attention as the energy information demands of polyciymakers expand. Heretofore, the vast majority of databases used for state-level energy analysis were maintained on secondary storage devices in the form of “flat” files with access limited to batch processing with the consequent time delays and the expense of programmers' involvement. With the advent of inexpensive, easy-to-use DBMS's for the microcomputer, powerful query and report generation capabilities are now in the hands of the user with little assistance required from the programmer. This paper describes the implementation of such a DBMS in a real time energy management environment.
Comments on the Lock-Crisp-West Theorem with Experimental Examples* **

The application of the Lock-Crisp-West (LCW) theorem to positron-annihilation angular-correlation data for copper and germanium as well as to Compton profile data for germanium is presented and discussed. Deviations from the LCW prediction are observed for copper and for germanium, attributable to the positron's presence. In germanium the Compton results indicate near agreement with the LCW expectation; the sensitivity of the theorem is analyzed.
Critical behavior of the correlation function of a coulombic fluid

An extension of the Ornstein-Zernike theory of critical scattering by a simple fluid to include a type of coulombic system is suggested. The relation between the oscillations of the charge distribution predicted by the second moment condition of Stillinger and Lovett in the restricted primitive model and the critical behavior of the correlation function is also discussed.
Penicillin-induced epileptiform activity does not prevent ocular dominance shifts in monocularly deprived kittens.

Epileptiform activity was induced in the visual cortex with penicillin to test whether it would prevent the ocular dominance shift that normally occurs in monocularly deprived kittens. The eyelids of one eye of 5-week-old kittens were sutured shut for several days. During this period, whenever the kittens were in the light, aqueous penicillin in artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or just CSF was applied in a cylinder mounted over the visual cortex. Electroencephalograms monitored during the period of deprivation indicated nearly continuous interictal spiking in the visual cortex. Extracellular recordings were made of cells in the region directly under the position of the cylinder.14C-labeled 2-deoxyglucose autoradiography in a control kitten showed that this area had considerably increased metabolism during epileptiform activity. The majority of cortical cells were dominated by the non-deprived eye in both epileptic and control kittens, with no noticeable difference between them. These preliminary observations indicate that the disruption of cortical activity that occurs during interictal epileptiform activity does not prevent the ocular dominance shift in monocularly deprived kittens.
Effects of Different Defect Types on the Performance of Devices Fabricated on a 4H-SiC Homoepitaxial Layer

An 8° off-axis 4H-SiC wafer with circular Schottky contacts fabricated on a CVD grown 4H-SiC homoepitaxial layer was studied to investigate the influence of various defects, including small (closed-core) screw dislocations (Burgers vector of 1c or 2c), hollow-core (micropipes; Burgers vector larger than 2c), threading edge dislocations (from conversion of basal plane dislocations from the substrate into the epilayer), grain boundaries and triangular defects, on the device performance in the form of breakdown voltages. The defects were examined using synchrotron white beam x-ray topography (SWBXT) based techniques and molten KOH etching. The devices commonly contained basal plane dislocations, small screw dislocations and threading edge dislocations, the latter two of which could give rise to low breakdown voltages for the devices. In addition, less commonly observed defects such as micropipes, grain boundaries and triangular defects are much more destructive to device performance than closed-core screw dislocations and threading edge dislocations.
Laser-Generated Air Contaminants from Medical Laser Applications: A State-of-the-Science Review of Exposure Characterization, Health Effects, and Control

The clinical use of lasers in surgery began in 1973 with applications of the carbon dioxide laser in otolaryngology, and since then the use of lasers has become commonplace in many medical and surgical specialties. Nonetheless, when biological tissue is subjected to laser radiation, the target cells can be vaporized, resulting in the aerosolization of their contents and the subsequent exposure of health care workers to laser-generated air contaminants (LGACs). The purpose of our analysis was to summarize and present all of the published literature pertaining to the laser-induced plume chemical and physical composition, health effects, and methods of control. The objective was to identify knowledge gaps within exposure science to set a research agenda for the protection of health care personnel exposed to LGACs. A literature search was performed using the PubMed database using a variety of search strategies and keyword combinations. To locate additional studies, we systematically searched the reference lis...
Effect of graphitization parameters on the residual stress in 4D carbon fiber/carbon composites

Abstract A representative volume element model was proposed for C/C composites with the fibers oriented in four different directions. Three of the fiber directions were coplanar, at 120° to each other, and the fourth was perpendicular. The element truly reflects the orientations of the carbon fibers and matches the actual configuration of the composites. Based on the model and computational mesoscopic mechanics, the residual thermal stress distribution of the material at different graphitization temperatures, cooling rates, and interface stiffnesses was obtained using a finite element method. The residual thermal stresses of the composite from a low-graphitization temperature or with low interface stiffness are lower than those from a high-graphitization temperature or with high interface stiffness. The higher the cooling rate, the higher the residual thermal stress.
Conflict resolution: Critical to productive schools of nursing

Conflict, a normal component of university life, is enhanced in today's schools of nursing because of declining resources and increased expectations of faculty. Management of conflict for positive change and increased productivity is essential for academic leaders. A variety of strategies to diagnose, confront, and resolve conflict are important resources to facilitate change and allow faculty and administrators to respond to new opportunities and challenges. Collaboration and win/win strategies are ideal, but not always possible. Alternative approaches to confront destructive conflict, yet present options that benefit individuals as well as schools are also essential.
A Test of Competing Cognitive Explanations for the Boomerang Effect in Response to the Deliberate Disruption of Media-Induced Aggression

This study advances research on the boomerang effect in response to anti-aggression media literacy interventions. Previous findings indicate that elementary school children can become more aggressive after exposure to such interventions. We test two competing explanations for the boomerang effect, media priming and psychological reactance, in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment with elementary school children (N = 128). Findings indicate that children may cognitively process antisocial elements of an intervention program in a manner that runs counter to the intended effect of prosocial messages. Specifically, children who were exposed to a media literacy intervention with violent media clips as examples reported an increase in willingness to use aggression, whereas children who were exposed to the same lesson without the clips did not. Therefore, the boomerang effect is best explained by the processing of violent clips (media priming) and is not likely due to resistance to the instructional elements of the lesso...
Terahertz polaritonics: automated spatiotemporal control over propagating lattice waves

Abstract Automated spatiotemporal coherent control over propagating terahertz waves in crystalline solids is demonstrated. Mixed electromagnetic/lattice vibrational waves, called phonon–polaritons, are generated through femtosecond pulse irradiation of one region of a polar crystal, monitored through spatiotemporal imaging as they propagate within the crystal at light-like speeds, and manipulated through time-delayed femtosecond pulse irradiation of distinct crystalline regions. The temporally and spatially tailored optical waveforms that are used can be generated through automated spatiotemporal pulse shaping. The methods permit extensive control over high-frequency lattice dynamics. They also form the basis for terahertz polaritonics , through which complex terahertz-frequency waveforms and signals can be synthesized and processed.
Drosophila Follistatin exhibits unique structural modifications and interacts with several TGF-β family members

Follistatin (FS) is one of several secreted proteins that modulate the activity of TGF-β family members during development. The structural and functional analysis of Drosophila Follistatin (dFS) reveals important differences between dFS and its vertebrate orthologues: it is larger, more positively charged, and proteolytically processed. dFS primarily inhibits signaling of Drosophila Activin (dACT) but can also inhibit other ligands like Decapentaplegic (DPP). In contrast, the presence of dFS enhances signaling of the Activin-like protein Dawdle (DAW), indicating that dFS exhibits a dual function in promoting and inhibiting signaling of TGF-β ligands. In addition, FS proteins may also function in facilitating ligand diffusion. We find that mutants of daw are rescued in significant numbers by expression of vertebrate FS proteins. Since two PiggyBac insertions in dfs are not lethal, it appears that the function of dFS is non-essential or functionally redundant.
Nutrient budgets of a temporary pond ecosystem

Summer input-output budgets for several nutrients are presented for a temporary pond in New England. Inputs and outputs are nearly equal for calcium, magnesium, and chloride, while nitrate, phosphate, and sulfate are retained by the system. Small ponds appear to be open with respect to nutrient fluxes, yet closed in terms of energy flow.
Creating and being created: the changing panorama of paediatric rehabilitation

Paediatric rehabilitation as a discipline is rapidly changing, especially during the last decades. In the past, paediatric rehabilitation was characterized by merely adult intervention strategies in a miniaturized form, delivered by a merely adult patients-oriented profession. Theories on childhood development, however, changed, as did the focus of interventions: from impairments to function, from the child itself to family, community and peers. The call for outcome-oriented and evidence-based medicine lastly, changed paediatric rehabilitation into a mature paediatric profession with it's own scientific framework. This is reflected among other things in the increasing number of paediatric measures and instruments specifically geared to the paediatric rehabilitation profession, for example the Gross Motor Function Measure, Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory and Movement ABC. More recently, paediatric exercise physiologists are pointing to the benefits of an active lifestyle and training for patients with chronic diseases and disabilities. Several studies have evaluated the effects of such training programmes and came up with positive results. It shows that paediatric rehabilitation continues to develop as a dynamic profession, having growth, childhood development and childhood activities as it's core business.
A Rejoinder to Mark Smith on the Contribution of his Book

In a previous discussion in the Burkean Parlor, I argued that Mark Smith's book, The Right Talk (2007), was boring and largely unhelpful to rhetorical scholars because it explained the contemporary...
Hardware/Software Co-reconfigurable Instruction Decoder for Adaptive Multi-core DSP Architectures

A programmable instruction decoder (PID) is introduced for designing adaptive multi-core DSP architectures by using a hardware/software co-reconfigurable approach without employing programmable devices. This PID permits DSP software developers for post-manufacturing modification of their DSP instruction sets to add their application-specific instructions whenever necessary. In addition, PID offers software developers an enhanced means to utilize the underlying DSP architectures by rescheduling implemented micro-operations for their tailored instructions in the DSP processors. Thus, emerging DSP applications can be swiftly and efficiently re-imported to PID-based DSP processors without re-fabrication of new DSP chips. In addition to instruction-level modification, an innovative instruction-packing procedure for PID is presented for further enhancement of the PID-based DSP systems. PID architecture was developed and implemented in VHDL. The PID-based DSP systems were also developed and evaluated to demonstrate various post-manufacturing adaptabilities in DSP processor systems. Various multi-core DSP architectures based on Texas Instruments' TMS320C55 DSP processor were used for evaluating performance and adaptability of this new programmable instruction decoder.
Human genetic markers associated with variation in intellectual abilities and personality

Eight commonly-used genetic markers were correlated with the Verbal Reasoning (VR), Space Relations (SR) and Clerical Speed and Accuracy (CSA) tests of the Differential Aptitude Tests (DAT) and the Psychoticism (P), Extraversion (E), Neuroticism (N) and Lie (L), scales of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). In a sample of 122 undergraduate students tongue-curling ability, light eye color and inability to taste PTC were related to high intelligence, with dominant right eye, disconnected ear lobes and near-sightedness being associated with specific DAT scales. P showed a male-female sex difference. Dark eyes were related to E and N.
A systematic review of the history and physical examination to diagnose influenza.

Background: Although influenza is a commonly encountered condition in primary care, and diagnosis is increasingly important given the availability of new treatments, there has been no systematic review of the evidence on clinical diagnosis. Methods: This was a systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis where appropriate. We included cohort studies and randomized trials that compared the history and physical examination with a reference laboratory test for the diagnosis of influenza A and/or B. The primary outcomes were the sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, and area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: Seven studies reported the sensitivity and specificity for a total of 59 variables. We combined studies of influenza A or B alone with those of influenza A and B. Rigors [likelihood ratio (LR) +7.2], the combination of fever and presenting within 3 days of the onset of illness (LR +4.0), and sweating (LR +3.0) were best at ruling-in influenza when present. When absent, the following decreased the likelihood of influenza: any systemic symptoms (LR −0.36), coughing (LR −0.38), not being able to cope with daily activities (LR −0.39), and being confined to bed (LR −0.50). Cough, nasal congestion, and fever (subjective or objective) had the highest calculable areas under the ROC curve. Conclusions: Individual signs and symptoms are of limited value for the diagnosis of influenza. Development of clinical decision rules that systematically combine symptoms may be a more useful strategy.
Incompletely desolvated droplets in argon inductively coupled plasmas: their number, original size and effect on emission intensities

Abstract The presence of incompletely desolvated droplets in the Ar ICP results in changes in Ca I emission intensity as large as a factor of 20 and variations in the Ca II emission intensity as great as a factor of 2.5. Most of the signal fluctuations are due to the effect of vaporizing droplets or their vaporization products on analyte atoms and ions produced from previously vaporized and atomized droplets. Above the normal analytical zone some peaks in the time-resolved analyte emission intensity result from vaporizing, desolvated particles. The number of incompletely desolvated droplets in the plasma varies from more than 15000 per second low (5 mm above the load coil) in the plasma to less than 100 per second high (above the normal analytical zone) in the plasma. The number of incompletely desolvated droplets in the plasma is a strong function of the center (nebulizer) gas flow rate as well as the applied power. Emission intensities from locations within about 1.4 mm of a vaporizing droplet are dramatically affected. Ca I emission intensities are enhanced near vaporizing droplets while Ca II emission intensities are depressed. The size of droplets at the exit of the spray chamber that produce detectable laser light scattering signals and emission intensity fluctuations are greater than about 12 μm in diameter. The size of droplets that are incompletely desolvated in the plasma depends on the applied power and center (nebulizer) gas flow rate. The results have far reaching implications on fundamental understanding of processes controlling emission intensities in Ar ICPs. Potential biases introduced into time-integrated measurements due to the presence of incompletely vaporized droplets must be considered.
Toward a Uniform Definition of Household Income

By marrying a “top-down” national income-based approach with a “bottom-up” microdata approach, and a national income accounting perspective with a theoretical perspective, this article attempts to provide a unified framework for aggregating income types to create an income definition that enables researchers to make valid comparisons across nations. An examination of several national household income surveys shows that it is next to impossible to quantify all elements of any new definition in a way that makes international comparisons easy. The framework nonetheless illuminates the differences in current practice and allows researchers to assess the effect of those differences on income distribution measures.
Production of K + K - and pp¯ pairs in four-body reactions at 13.1 GeV/c

Abstract Data in the channels π + p → π + p K + K − and ar π + p p p at 13.1 GeV/c are presented; the Δ ++ K+K− and p K+K∗ (890) subsamples are discussed in terms of adouble-Regge model. No resonance structure at M( p p p ) = 3.755 GeV is observed.
The disengagement process: A neglected problem in participant observation research

Of the various phases or stages of participant observation, the disengagement process has typically been glossed over in methodological discussions of qualitative research. Drawing on the author's fieldwork experience and on the scattered references to disengagement in the ethnographic literature, this paper systematically outlines and examines the problems and issues associated with this neglected phase of the fieldwork process. Three interrelated questions or issues structure the inquiry. The first deals with the problem of informational sufficiency and its relation to closure; the second with the various precipitants of disengagement; and the third with the factors that can function as barriers or impediments to disengagement.
Stakeholder Analyses of Firm-Related Web Forums: Applications in Stock Return Prediction

In this study, we present stakeholder analyses of firm-related web forums. Prior analyses of firm-related forums have considered all participants in the aggregate, failing to recognize the potential for diversity within the populations. However, distinctive groups of forum participants may represent various interests and stakes in a firm worthy of consideration. To perform the stakeholder analyses, the Stakeholder Analyzer system for firm-related web forums is developed following the design science paradigm of information systems research. The design of the system and its approach to stakeholder analysis is guided by two kernel theories, the stakeholder theory of the firm and the systemic functional linguistic theory. A stakeholder analysis identifies distinctive groups of forum participants with shared characteristics expressed in discussion and evaluates their specific opinions and interests in the firm. Stakeholder analyses are performed in six major firm-related forums hosted on Yahoo Finance over a 3-month period. The relationships between measures extracted from the forums and subsequent daily firm stock returns are examined using multiple linear regression models, revealing statistically significant indicators of firm stock returns in the discussions of the stakeholder groups of each firm with stakeholder-model-adjusted R2 values reaching 0.83. Daily stock return prediction is also performed for 31 trading days, and stakeholder models correctly predicted the direction of return on 67p of trading days and generated an impressive 17p return in simulated trading of the six firm stocks. These evaluations demonstrate that the stakeholder analyses provided more refined assessments of the firm-related forums, yielding measures at the stakeholder group level that better explain and predict daily firm stock returns than aggregate forum-level information.
A Geographic Information System (GIS)-based approach for relating anthropogenic impact and environmental stress: a case study within the African Albertine Rift

This study introduces a potentially cost-effective methodology to assess habitat quality remotely using anthropogenic variables derived from both Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing. We related anthropogenic impact to organism-level response across the Albertine Rift of East-Africa, which was measured using body condition (BC) in Lophuromys aquilus, the dark-coloured brush-furred rat. We chose seven variables to measure anthropogenic impact, ranging from land cover/land use to nighttime light radiance. Using a principal component analysis, we extracted four components that describe human impact and correlated each with BC. We documented that BC tended to be higher in more disturbed areas. We recommend this GIS-based methodology to relate anthropogenic impact to organismal-level response in the Albertine Rift region, and we provide broad guidelines for its application to assess habitat quality for species of conservation concern.
Infrared and raman studies of chemically vapor deposited amorphous silica

Abstract Low pressure chemically vapor deposited (LPCVD) silica films are of great importance to semiconductir processing. We have collected CVD SiO2 samples at three different deposition temperatures: 523 K, 643 K and 703 K. To obtain information on the structure of the samples and on their similarities and differences from bulk SiO2 glass, IR and Raman spectroscopy were used. The as-deposited CVD samples contain both SiH and SiOH species which disappear upon annealing. The Raman spectra of the as-deposited SiO2 films suggest a narrower average SiOSi angle than bulk silica, which broadens on annealing. This broadening in SioSi angle is accompanied by an increase in film density, probably related to the loss of SiH and SiOH species on annealing.
Hand-eye coordination for grasping moving objects

Most robotic grasping tasks assume a stationary or fixed object. In this paper, we explore the requirements for grasping a moving object. This task requires proper coordination between at least 3 separate subsystems: dynamic vision sensing, real-time arm control, and grasp control. As with humans, our system first visually tracks the object’s 3-D position. Because the object is in motion, this must be done in a dynamic manner to coordinate the motion of the robotic arm as it tracks the object. The dynamic vision system is used to feed a real-time arm control algorithm that plans a trajectory. The arm control algorithm is implemented in two steps: 1) filtering and prediction, and 2) kinematic transformation computation. Once the trajectory of the object is tracked, the hand must intercept the object to actually grasp it. We present 3 different strategies for intercepting the object and results from the tracking algorithm.
Optical determination of chain orientation in electroluminescent polymer films

We report polarized optical transmission and reflection measurements which are used to determine the orientation of polymer chains in spin‐cast thin films of soluble, electroluminescent polymers. We find that the polymer chains lie primarily in the plane of the film. This result has three important implications for polymer light emitting diodes: the electroluminescence is preferentially emitted propagating perpendicular to the polymer film; the relevant dielectric and electrical transport properties are those perpendicular to the polymer chains; and large area, uniform devices can be produced by spin casting.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF GAS AND ELECTRIC UTILITIES BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

The title actually assigned to me for discussion on this occasion had a slightly more academic ring than the one I have chosen. I see no reason why, even before this group, a "spade" need be defined as "an elongated instrument by which perspiration and energy are applied to the movement of loose material from one place to another"; let's just call it a "spade." Let's recognize that the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 19351 gave to the Securities and Exchange Commission managerial and directive powers in connection with the gas and electric utilities under its jurisdiction. Statutory Basis for Financial Regulation
Cerebellar hyperactivity during smooth pursuit eye movements in bipolar disorder

Introduction: Smooth pursuit eye movements (SPEM) are abnormal in individuals with schizophrenia and individuals with bipolar disorder. Functional imaging methods have revealed greater hippocampal activity and less frontotemporal, visual, and posterior cerebellar activity in individuals with schizophrenia when performing a SPEM task. The underlying neurobiology of SPEM deficits in bipolar disorder is unknown. Methods: Functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3T was performed on fourteen subjects with bipolar disorder and 14 subjects without psychiatric illness during a block design SPEM task. Clinical measures were assessed on the day of testing and related to imaging measures. Results: Subjects with bipolar disorder had greater hemodynamic response than control subjects in cerebellar vermis. Responses were associated with levels of depressive symptoms on the day of study. Discussion: Increased cerebellar vermis activity during the smooth pursuit eye movement task in individuals with bipolar disorder further implicates cerebellar involvement in bipolar disorder. Increased hemodynamic response within the hippocampus was not seen in these individuals and may be a finding specific to schizophrenia.
MIMO GMTI radar with multipath clutter suppression

This paper address ground-moving target indicator (GMTI) radar operation in the presence of strong multipath spread-Doppler clutter (SDC). Spacetime adaptive processing (STAP) for single-input-single-output (SIMO) radar is designed to mitigate direct-path SDC which leaks into the sidelobes of a moving radar platform. However, multipath SDC often returns via the receiver mainlobe and cannot be suppressed in a SIMO radar without also canceling the target. In this paper, we study multipath SDC mitigation using multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) GMTI radar. Clutter loci and adaptive array patterns for MIMO GMTI are presented in multipath SDC. By achieving range-dependent nulling on transmit, the effectiveness of MIMO GMTI radar at suppressing multipath SDC is shown.
Synthesis of iron oxide nanorods and nanocubes in an imidazolium ionic liquid

This paper reports the synthesis of iron oxide nanostructures with well-defined shapes, including rod, cube, and sphere, in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(triflylmethyl-sulfonyl) imide ([BMIM][Tf2N]) ionic liquid (IL). Surfactants including oleic acid and oleylamine, which are commonly used as surface capping agents for size and shape control in molecular solvents, can be employed for making morphologically welldefined nanostructures in this IL. Iron pentacarbonyl thermally decomposes at elevated temperatures in [BMIM][Tf2N] ionic liquid and subsequently form nanoparticles. Nanorods, nanocubes, and spherical particles were synthesized depending mainly on the reaction temperatures and surfactants. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy data indicated these nanostructures were largely cubic iron oxide, maghemite. Our results show that imidazolium-based ionic liquids can be used as solvent for achieving very high level control over the size and shape of nanostructures. The approach developed in this work can potentially be used as a viable method for making various other uniform nanostructures in ionic
C-18-coated silica particles as a surrogate for benthic uptake of hydrophobic compounds from bedded sediment

To simulate the bioaccumulation of neutral organic contaminants by infaunal benthos, the partitioning of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) between a contaminated estuarine sediment and admixed C-18-coated silica particles was measured. The concentrations of lower chlorinated PCB congeners (less than five chlorine atoms per molecule) on the C-18-coated silica particles reached apparent steady state within 300 h while congeners with greater numbers of chlorine atoms required much greater time periods (greater than 1 year) to reach apparent steady state. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons showed less partitioning from sediment to the C-18 particles than PCB congeners, although the log K{sub ow} ranges of the compounds in these comparisons were similar. The biota sediment accumulation factors, defined as the lipid-normalized contaminant concentration in an exposed organisms divided by the organic carbon-normalized contaminant concentration of the sediment, were calculated for these exposures using the C-18 of the particles as the lipid. The results from these exposures agreed closely with those measured in studies where living benthic organisms were exposed to contaminated sediment.
Data visualization speeds review of potential adverse drug events in patients on multiple medications

Patients on multiple medications are at increased risk for adverse drug events. While physicians can reduce this risk by regularly reviewing the side-effect profiles of their patients' medications, this process can be time-consuming. We created a decision support system designed to expedite reviewing potential adverse reactions through information visualization. The system includes a database containing 16,340 unique drug and side-effect pairs, representing 250 common medications. A numeric score is assigned to each pair reflecting the strength of association between drug and effect. Based on these scores, the system generates graphical adverse reaction maps for any user-selected combination of drugs. A study comparing speed and accuracy of retrieving side-effect data using this tool versus UpToDate(R) demonstrated a 60% reduction in time to complete a query (61s vs. 155s, p<0.0001) with no decrease in accuracy. These findings suggest that information visualization can significantly expedite review of potential adverse drug events.
Atomistic simulations of heat transfer at carbon nanotube/Si interfaces

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to compute the thermal conductance at the interface between an open-end single-wall carbon nanotube and a Si substrate for different CNT lengths and temperature. It is found that the thermal conductance at the CNT/Si interface increases with increasing temperature up to 1200K. The enhanced phonon transfer at higher temperatures is mainly due to the anharmonicity at the interfaces. Strong thermal and mechanical coupling is also observed, i.e., the thermal conductance at the CNT/Si interface is dependent on the contact pressure at the interface.
Attenuation of constitutive DNA damage signaling by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3

In addition to its traditional role in the regulation of calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism, vitamin D also exhibits immunomodulatory, anti-proliferative and cancer preventive activities. Molecular mechanisms that confer the chemo-preventive properties to vitamin D are poorly understood. We previously reported that constitutive phosphorylation of histone H2AX on Ser139 (γH2AX) and activation of ATM (Ser1981 phosphorylation), seen in untreated normal or tumor cells predominantly in S phase of the cell cycle, is to a large extent indicative of DNA replication stress occurring as a result of persistent DNA damage caused by endogenous oxidants, by-products of oxidative metabolism. In the present study we observed that exposure of mitogenically stimulated human lymphocytes, pulmonary carcinoma A549 and lymphoblastoid TK6 cells to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-VD) reduced the level of constitutive expression of γH2AX and ATM-S1981P. We also observed that the H2O2-induced rise in the level of γH2AX in lymphocytes was attenuated by 1,25-VD. Whereas in lymphocytes 1,25-VD reduced by 50-70% the level of endogenous oxidants as determined by their ability to oxidize 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCFH) in A549 and TK6 cells the attenuation of DNA damage signaling by 1,25-VD was seen in the absence of detectable reduction in DCFH oxidation. These findings suggest that while the anti-oxidant activity of 1,25-VD may contribute to a reduction in the intensity of DNA replication stress in lymphocytes, other factors play a role in the 1,25-VD effects seen in A549 and TK6 cells. The data are consistent with the recent report on the interaction between DNA damage signaling (ATM activation) and 1,25D receptor (VDR) phosphorylation that lead to enhancement of DNA repair efficiency, and provide further support for the chemo-preventive and anti-aging properties of this vitamin/hormone.
Developing a biomarker for neuropathic arthropathy in diabetic patients

Neuropathic (Charcot's) arthropathy (NCA) is a complication of diabetes mellitus which, in a high percentage of patients, leads to foot fracture, joint destruction, severe foot deformity, ulceration, instability, and possibly amputation. The development of new treatments is currently limited by the lack of biomarkers that are sensitive and specific indicators of NCA disease onset and treatment outcomes. There is evidence that those with NCA have low foot bone mineral densities (BMDs) and that foot BMDs further decrease during off-loading treatment. We have initiated a repeated measures cohort study in which clinical and radiological data are being collected with the objective to establish volumetric quantitative computed tomography (VQCT)-derived foot BMD as a candidate biomarker for acute NCA. This paper presents the study design, methods and preliminary results.
Impact of trauma stress ulcer prophylaxis guidelines on drug cost and frequency of major gastrointestinal bleeding

Trauma patients are routinely prescribed stress ulcer prophylaxis despite evidence suggesting such therapy be limited to patients with identifiable risk factors for bleeding. With surgeons' consensus, we developed and implemented trauma stress ulcer prophylaxis guidelines, and measured the impact of clinical pharmacists on implementing the guidelines and the effect of the guidelines on drug cost and frequency of major gastrointestinal bleeding. Two groups of 150 consecutive patients admitted with multiple trauma were evaluated before and after guideline implementation and stratified by Injury Severity Score (ISS) to minor (ISS 95% cimetidine) differed between groups. Fifteen (38%) of 38 postguideline prophylaxis orders were determined by the pharmacist not to meet guideline criteria. Recommendations to discontinue therapy were accepted in 9 (60%) of 15 instances. The frequency of major gastrointestinal bleeding remained unchanged between groups (1/150 vs 0/150, p=1.0). Implementation of trauma stress ulcer prophylaxis guidelines limiting therapy to patients with risk factors for bleeding led to a 80% decrease in drug cost and did not affect the frequency of major gastrointestinal bleeding.
Proactivity in an Intentionally Helpful Personal Assistive Agent

The increased scope and complexity of tasks that people perform as part of their routine work has led to growing interest in the development of intelligent personal assistive agents that can aid a human in managing and performing tasks. One desired capability for such agents is that they be able to act proactively to anticipate user needs, opportunities and problems, and then act on their own initiative to address them. This position paper outlines some initial thoughts on desired forms of proactive behavior, and identifies technical challenges in developing systems that embody such behaviors.
Dislocation Core Structures and Mechanical Behavior of DO22 Type Alloys

We investigate the structures of dislocation cores in a model DO22 type intermetallic alloy in the absence of external stresses. The tetragonal distortion produces sessile configurations of superpartial dislocations even when the energies of planar faults are reasonably low. The influence of the core configurations on the mechanical behavior at low temperatures is discussed.
Electron-impact double ionization of beryllium

Time-dependent close-coupling, R-matrix double pseudo-states and distorted-wave methods are used to calculate the electron-impact double ionization cross section for the 1s22s2 ground state of the Be atom. At 1.5 times the double ionization threshold energy, the first two non-perturbative methods predict a cross section of approximately 1.0 × 10−18 cm2 for the direct double ionization of the 2s2 subshell. At 15.0 times the double ionization threshold energy, the perturbative distorted-wave method predicts a cross section of approximately 2.0 × 10−18 cm2 for the indirect single ionization of the 1s2 subshell followed by autoionization. Thus for the Be atom, the peak of the double ionization cross section is approximately two orders of magnitude smaller than the previously well-determined peak of the single ionization cross section.