cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radical perineal prostatectomy in obese patients.

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of radical perineal prostatectomy in obese patients. No study has ever been published providing evidence of success of any type of prostatectomy specifically in patients with significant truncal obesity. Methods A retrospective review of 103 patients who underwent radical perineal prostatectomy between 1996 and 2002 was performed. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m 2 . Seven obese patients were found. The operative time, blood loss, hospital length of stay, perioperative complications, urinary continence, and quality of specimen were assessed. Results The mean age was 61 years (range 56 to 67). The body mass index ranged between 30.21 and 47.9 (average 39.27). The average operative time and blood loss was 142 minutes and 542 mL, respectively. No complications occurred and no blood transfusions were needed perioperatively. Two specimens had a positive surgical margin. Six (85.7%) of the 7 patients went home on postoperative day 2; the remaining patient left on day 3. The 1-year continence rate was 66%. Conclusions Radical perineal prostatectomy remains an excellent option for obese patients. It remains to be seen if this is the case with radical retropubic prostatectomy.
Stratified-sampling over social networks using mapreduce

Sampling is being used in statistical surveys to select a subset of individuals from some population, to estimate properties of the population. In stratified sampling, the surveyed population is partitioned into homogeneous subgroups and individuals are selected within the subgroups, to reduce the sample size. In this paper we consider sampling of large-scale, distributed online social networks, and we show how to deal with cases where several surveys are conducted in parallel---in some surveys it may be desired to share individuals to reduce costs, while in other surveys, sharing should be minimized, e.g., to prevent survey fatigue. A multi-survey stratified sampling is the task of choosing the individuals for several surveys, in parallel, according to sharing constraints, without a bias. In this paper, we present a scalable distributed algorithm, designed for the MapReduce framework, for answering stratified-sampling queries over a population of a social network. We also present an algorithm to effectively answer multi-survey stratified sampling, and we show how to implement it using MapReduce. An experimental evaluation illustrates the efficiency of our algorithms and their effectiveness for multi-survey stratified sampling.
Prolonged use of a Cook airway exchange catheter obviated the need for postoperative tracheostomy in an adult patient

Catheters used to facilitate extubations of the known difficult airway are usually placed through an existing endotracheal tube (ETT), prior to its removal. We present a case in which a #11 Cook airway exchange catheter was placed adjacent to the ETT and left intratracheal for an extended period following removal of the ETT.
Preventing skin cancer in college females: heterogeneous effects over time.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of an appearance-focused intervention to reduce the risk of skin cancer by decreasing indoor tanning, examine potential heterogeneity in tanning across this time, and correlate the subtypes with predictors collected at baseline. Design: Randomized controlled trial with 379 female college students measured at 6 monthly time points. Main Outcome Measure: Self-reported indoor tanning frequency. Results: The intervention was effective at decreasing tanning over the period between the fall and spring. Longitudinal latent class analysis found 3 patterns of tanners among the treatment individuals: abstainers, moderate tanners, and heavy tanners. These classes appeared in both the treatment and control conditions, and the intervention had a harm reduction effect by reducing levels of exposure within the moderate and heavy tanner classes. Participant age and self-reported tanning patterns were found to be predictive of class membership. Conclusions: This research suggests that brief intervention approaches can be effective at reducing risk for skin cancer and illustrates several ways in which these protective effects can be enhanced.
Rage and reason: the psychology of the intuitive prosecutor

This study explores the conditions under which experimentally primed anger influences both attributions of responsibility and the processes by which people make such attributions. Drawing on social functional theory, it was hypothesized that people are best thought of as ‘intuitive prosecutors’ who lower their thresholds for making attributions of harmful intent and recommending harsh punishment when they both witness a serious transgression of societal norms and believe that the transgressor escaped punishment. The data support the hypotheses. Anger primed by a serious crime ‘carried over’ to influence judgments of unrelated acts of harm only when the perpetrator of the crime went unpunished, notwithstanding the arousal of equally intense anger in conditions in which the perpetrator was appropriately punished or his fate was unknown. Participants in the perpetrator-unpunished condition also relied on simpler and more punitive attributional heuristics for inferring responsibility for harm. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Creating a standardized method of evaluating supplemental radiation protection products and its use in evaluating disposable radiation-reduction drapes

Purpose Interventional radiology (IR) procedures expose the performing physician and staff to potentially high radiation exposures, among the highest of all radiation workers. As a result, medical equipment vendors are continually introducing new radiation protection products such as the sterile, disposable radiation-reduction patient drape. Manufacturers of these drapes claim their ability to reduce up to 95% of scattered radiation. However, these claims are often not corroborated in clinical practice due to technique and operator-related factors. We have developed a method for evaluating radiation-reduction in order to delineate their true efficacy and cost effectiveness. This technique requires no special equipment and can be easily managed and organized by a technologist. Materials and Methods Two IR physicians were issued a set of radiation monitors in order to evaluate the AngioSystems SorbX lead-free, disposable scatter-reduction drape. Each monitor set included a ring monitor, collar badge, and a badge worn under the apron at the xiphoid level. Monitoring was performed in 90 day alternating increments with and without the use of drapes to establish a control and experimental dataset for each physician. Badge doses for each monitoring period were normalized by total dose-area-product (DAP). Results Monitoring was achieved in a total of 73 procedures with fluoroscopy time greater than 8 minutes. Physician 1 experienced a 40% reduction in dose and physician 2 experienced a 55% reduction in dose for femoral entry. Neither physician experienced a quantifiable dose reduction for jugular entry procedures. Data analysis suggests that physician 2 had better results due to rigorous use of the hanging leaded-glass shield. Conclusion The efficacy of supplemental radiation protection devices depends on many factors such as technique, procedure type, and concomitant use of other radiation protection devices. Thus, it may not be cost effective to use devices such as radiation-reduction drapes for all procedures, all patients, or for all physicians. In our case, this study has resulted in limiting use of the drapes to lengthy femoral-entry studies where their use is likely to provide the most dose savings.
X-linked hypomaturation type of amelogenesis imperfecta exhibiting lyonization in affected females.

Abstract A family exhibiting the hypomaturation type of amelogenesis imperfecta is reported. The mode of inheritance is X-linked, and a lyonization effect is seen in affected females. Only two other kindreds of this type of amelogenesis imperfecta have been reported.
Rapid expansion and IL-4 expression by Leishmania-specific naive helper T cells in vivo.

Abstract CD4 T cells are pivotal for effective immunity, yet their initial differentiation into effector subsets after infection remains poorly defined. We examined CD4 T cells specific for the immunodominant Leishmania major LACK antigen using MHC/peptide tetramers and IL-4 reporter mice. Comprising ∼15 cells/lymph node in naive mice, LACK-specific T cells expanded over 100-fold, and 70% acquired IL-4 expression by 96 hr. Despite their pathogenic role in susceptible mice, LACK-specific precursor frequency, expansion, and IL-4 expression were comparable between susceptible and resistant mice. When injected with unrelated antigen, Leishmania efficiently activated IL-4 expression from naive antigen-specific T cells. CD4 subset polarization in this highly characterized model occurs independently from IL-4 expression by naive T cells, which is activated indiscriminately after parasitism.
Stability of hydroxyl and methoxy surface groups on silica aerogels

Abstract Silica aerogels were prepared by the hydrolysis of tetramethyl orthosilicate in methanol. Surface group stability was characterized by infrared spectroscopy. Results showed OH, H2O, and OCH3 surface groups present after supercritical drying. H2O groups are easily removed under a vacuum at ambient conditions; however, the OCH3 groups are strongly held and remained even at 600°C. If air is admitted during heating, the OCH3 groups disappear rapidly and surface OH groups are formed. The resultant surfaces were found to be quite hydrophilic, easily adsorbing water at room temperature. D2O vapor exposure showed an extremely active surface, with nearly 1 2 of the OH groups exchanged in 30 min at room temperature. Exposure to CCl4 vapor eliminated surface OH groups and the surface was found to be more hydrophobic after long term exposure to H2O.
The Use of an Ion Exchange Resin for the Hydrolysis of Casein and Coffee Proteins

In the article entitled "The Use of an Ion Exchange Resin for the Hydrolysis of Casein and Coffee Proteins" (SCIENCE, 115 , 95 [1952]), we have inadvertently omitted glycine 4.53 and 4.38 mg of nitrogen for the HCl and resin hydrolysates, respectively, in Table 1.—G. E. UNDERWOOD and F. E. DEATHERAGE.
Factors Influencing Expectations of Physical Activity for Adolescents Residing in Appalachia

BackgroundAppalachian adolescents are at an increased risk for sedentary behavior; little research has addressed this concern.PurposeThis study examined adolescents' expectations for engaging in physical activity (PA), chiefly expectations for relaxation and fitness. Independent variables were self-efficacy expectations (SEEs) to overcome barriers to PA, body mass index (BMI), gender, and grade level.MethodsOne thousand and twenty-four 9th (n = 602) and 12th (n = 422) graders, 520 females and 504 males, attending 11 high schools in a rural Appalachian region participated. Participant SEE, BMI, grade level, gender, and outcome expectations (OEs) for PA were determined via a self-report questionnaire.ResultsResults of a multivariate analysis of variance indicated that gender, grade level, and SEE significantly impacted OE for PA. BMI was not related to PA expectations. The interaction of self-efficacy and gender as well as self-efficacy and grade level were significant.DiscussionPositive health messages sup...
Green’s functions for non-self-adjoint problems in heat conduction with steady motion

Heat conduction in a rectangular parallelepiped that is in steady motion relative to a fluid is studied in this paper. The governing equation consists of the standard heat equation plus lower-order derivative terms with the space variables that represent the effects of the solid flow. The presence of the first-order-derivative terms with the space variables renders the spatial part of the governing differenial equation non-self-adjoint and care must be exercised in defining the new Green’s functions to be used in representing the solutions of initial- and boundary-value problems. It is illustrated how the Green’s functions may be constructed and how solutions of initial- and boundary-value problems may be obtained that lead to numerical results. Convergence properties of the solutions are also discussed.
Redundant and dosage sensitive requirements for Fgf3 and Fgf10 in cardiovascular development.

Abstract Heart development requires contributions from, and coordinated signaling interactions between, several cell populations, including splanchnic and pharyngeal mesoderm, postotic neural crest and the proepicardium. Here we report that Fgf3 and Fgf10, which are expressed dynamically in and near these cardiovascular progenitors, have redundant and dosage sensitive requirements in multiple aspects of early murine cardiovascular development. Embryos with Fgf3−/+;Fgf10−/−, Fgf3−/−;Fgf10−/+ and Fgf3−/−;Fgf10−/− genotypes formed an allelic series of increasing severity with respect to embryonic survival, with double mutants dead by E11.5. Morphologic analysis of embryos with three mutant alleles at E11.5–E13.5 and double mutants at E9.5–E11.0 revealed multiple cardiovascular defects affecting the outflow tract, ventricular septum, atrioventricular cushions, ventricular myocardium, dorsal mesenchymal protrusion, pulmonary arteries, epicardium and fourth pharyngeal arch artery. Assessment of molecular markers in E8.0–E10.5 double mutants revealed abnormalities in each progenitor population, and suggests that Fgf3 and Fgf10 are not required for specification of cardiovascular progenitors, but rather for their normal developmental coordination. These results imply that coding or regulatory mutations in FGF3 or FGF10 could contribute to human congenital heart defects.
Many-Body Approach to Hyperfine Interaction in Atomic Nitrogen

The Brueckner-Goldstone many-body perturbation theory has been applied to calculate the hyperfine constant $a$ of atomic nitrogen in its ground state $^{4}S_{\frac{3}{2}}$. The exchange core-polarization diagrams lead to contributions of -49.710 72 and 55.418 82 Mc/sec from the $1s$ and $2s$ states, respectively, adding to a total of 5.708 10 Mc/sec. Higher-order diagrams characterizing mainly correlation effects produce an additional contribution of 4.780 22 Mc/sec. The total theoretical result 10.49 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.15 Mc/sec is in excellent agreement with the experimental value of 10.45 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.000 07 Mc/sec. The major correlation effect arises from the interaction between the valence electrons and core $s$ electrons, the effect of the $2s$ being the dominant one. It is found that a knowledge of the wave function up to second order is adequate for a sufficiently accurate evaluation of the hfs constant. The trends in the contribution from various physical effects observed by an analysis of pertinent diagrams are expected to be helpful in simplifying the analysis of more complex atoms.
The effect of retinoic acid on the expression of pemphigus and pemphigoid antigens in cultured human keratinocytes.

Vitamin A and its derivatives (retinoids) have both profound effects on epidermal differentiation and beneficial therapeutic effects in various dermatologic diseases. In order to understand these effects, much work has been done with cultured keratinocytes, which show specific morphologic, cellular, and biochemical changes modulated by retinoids. In an attempt to further define specific molecular effects of retinoids in cultured human keratinocytes, we studied the expression of pemphigus (P) and pemphigoid (BP) antigens by human keratinocytes cultured with retinoic acid (RA) in concentrations which modulated differentiation. Cultures of human keratinocytes in medium with 10% delipidized fetal bovine serum (vitamin A-depleted medium) demonstrated areas of extensive differentiation with flattened stratifying cells, keratohyaline granules, and an anucleate stratum corneum-like superficial layer. These cells also synthesized a 67 kd keratin, characteristic of well-differentiated epidermis. In contrast, cultures of human keratinocytes in the same medium supplemented with (10 -7 M, 3 × 10 -7 M, or 10 -6 M) RA demonstrated less differentiated small cuboidal cells that were stratified but did not form an anucleate layer or keratohyaline granules, and did not synthesize the 67 kd keratin. In order to detect P and BP antigens in these cultures, we used indirect immunofluorescence. In vitamin A-depleted cultures, P antigen either was not dectected or was seen focally on the cell surface of basal cells. BP antigen was seen on the basal pole of the basal cells, approximating its in vivo location. In RA-treated cells, P antigen was seen on the cell surface of most of the cells, and BP antigen was seen throughout the cytoplasm of the basal cells. In order to study the expression of newly synthesized antigens, we radiolabeled cultures with 14 C-amino acids and quantitatively immunoprecipitated the antigens, which were then identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We detected a major decrease in newly synthesized P antigen precipitated from extracts of vitamin A-depleted celss compared to RA-supplemented cells, whereas amounts of newly synthesized BP antigen were about the same. Taken together these data demonstrate that RA, at concentrations that decrease differentiation of cultured human keratinocytes, increases the expression of P antigen and changes the subcellular location of BP antigen.
Low frequency electrical response of polycrystalline olivine compacts: Grain boundary transport

The complex electrical impedance of sintered, polycrystalline compacts of San Carlos olivine (grain size 75–180 μm) has been determined over the frequency range 104 to 10−4 Hz, at temperatures between 800 and 1400°C, at the fO2 of the wustite-magnetite buffer. Complex plane plots (Im Z vs. Re Z) show separate effects of grain interior and grain boundary conductivity. Grain interior transport controls the response above ∼102 Hz, whereas grain boundary transport dominates between ∼102 and 10−2 Hz. Overall response of the compacts is modeled with an equivalent circuit in which parallel RC circuit elements representing grain interior and grain responses act in series. Bulk DC conductivity is lower than either grain interior or grain boundary conductivity alone. Inversion of magnetotelluric profiles that employ lower bulk conductivities of the grain interior-grain boundary system yield upper mantle temperature estimates 30 to 50°C higher than those based on single crystal values.
Muon front-end for the neutrino factory

The front end at a neutrino factory includes all the systems necessary for capturing the pion beam produced at the target and for preparing the transverse and longitudinal phase space of the resulting muon beam for subsequent acceleration to high energies. We compare front end configurations for a number of neutrino factory designs.
GMPLS and IP+MPLS interworking technologies - routing and signaling

When nodes that support generalized multi-protocol label switching (GMPLS) are introduced into existing networks the GMPLS nodes co-exist with conventional Internet protocol (IP) and multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) (IP+MPLS) nodes that do not support GMPLS. In this case, the GMPLS nodes must interwork with IP+MPLS nodes. This paper proposes an architecture for GMPLS and IP+MPLS interworking based on extended routing and signaling. In the extended routing, information about some nodes and links in a GMPLS network emulates information that can be understood by IP+MPLS nodes. The emulated information is advertised to the IP+MPLS network. In the extended signaling, MPLS signaling packets are forwarded to the GMPLS data plane. An MPLS label switched path (LSP) is established through a GMPLS LSP tunnel. As a result, the IP+MPLS network can interwork with the GMPLS network without upgrading the IP+MPLS nodes. We developed GMPLS prototype nodes that support this interworking architecture and show interworking experimental results.
In-situ film thickness and temperature monitoring using a 2 GHz acoustic phase measurement system

A 2 GHz acoustic phase measurement system has been developed and used for in-situ monitoring of thin film thickness and temperature in silicon wafer processing. Initial evaporation experiments in a vacuum station have shown a film thickness resolution of approximately 1000 AA with a potential resolution to approximately 1 AA. The potential of this system for making temperature measurements has also been explored, and initial experiments in an oven have shown a temperature resolution of 0.01 K. >
Combining testing and correctness verification in software reliability assessment

The delivery of sophisticated control algorithms or system features via software is the driving force behind its increased use in safety critical applications. The existence of software faults in these systems is not tolerable and a high degree of confidence that safety critical systems meet their reliability requirements must be gained prior to their deployment. The transformational approach to software reliability assessment of process control systems combines the strengths of formal verification and statistical sampling techniques in one unified framework. Partial program proofs are used to amplify the effect of test cases, i.e., they allow us to infer the behavior of the program for many inputs based on its behavior for one input. These transformations reduce the effective size of the input space, typically by eliminating one or more dimensions in the input space. We report on the application of the transformational reliability assessment approach to two control programs in the aerospace engineering domain: a simplified satellite pitch controller and an automatic airplane landing program. Advantages of the transformational approach include significant reduction in size (dimensionality) of input space domain, exact determination of minimal fault size, and reduced sensitivity of reliability estimate to variations in the operational profile.
Opportunities for Emergency Medical Services care of sepsis

Objective Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems play key roles in the rapid identification and treatment of critical illness such as trauma, myocardial infarction and stroke. EMS often provides care for sepsis, a life-threatening sequelae of infection. In this study of Emergency Department patients admitted to the hospital with an infection, we characterized the patients receiving initial care by EMS.
Bayesian registration for anatomical landmark detection

In order to perform medical image registration, landmarks are used to settle correspondences between images. A landmark is a voxel in the image that corresponds to a well-defined point in the anatomy. Manual landmarking is a difficult, tedious and time-consuming procedure that would gain to be automated. We propose a Bayesian approach for automatic landmarking. Using training data, we learn the geometry through a probabilistic template. Landmarking consists then in estimating an affine transformation mapping the image onto the template. We use gradient ascent in the likelihood function to perform this task. Experiments validate the methodology for landmarking the temporal lobe in MR brain images.
Reliable control of spike rate and spike timing by rapid input transients in cerebellar stellate cells

Granule cell activity in cerebellar cortex directly excites Purkinje cells via parallel fibers, but it also inhibits Purkinje cells via cerebellar cortical interneurons. This contribution of inhibitory interneurons to cerebellar cortical processing remains poorly understood. In the present study we examined the response properties of stellate cells in vitro to input patterns that may result from granule cell activity in vivo. We constructed input waveforms that represented the sum of inputs from all individual synapses and applied these waveforms to the soma of stellate cells during whole cell recordings in acute brain slices. The stimulus waveforms contained fluctuations in a broad range of frequencies and were applied at different amplitudes. To determine the contribution of synaptic shunting to stellate cell spike responses we applied the same input waveforms either as a simulated synaptic conductance using dynamic clamping or as a direct current injection stimulus. Only the dynamic clamp stimulus has the shunting properties of real synapses, i.e. leads to different-sized synaptic current as a function of membrane potential. We found that stellate cells spike with millisecond precision in response to fast temporal fluctuations in the total synaptic input. Transient increases in excitatory input frequency led to pronounced stellate cell spike responses, indicating that this pathway may be very responsive to even small assemblies of co-activated granule cells. This was observed regardless of whether the input waveform was applied as a conductance with dynamic clamping, or as a direct current injection. Thus the shunting properties of a conductance input did not play a major role in determining the control of precisely timed spiking. In contrast, a more tonic increase in excitatory conductance did not lead to a sustained spike response as obtained with prolonged positive current injection. However, even with tonic current injection the precision of spiking was lost, as previously observed. Overall, the synaptic response function of stellate cells suggests that this cell type may pick out transients in granule cell activity, and may generate precisely timed inhibition of Purkinje cells during behavior.
Late-time behavior of stellar collapse and explosions. I. Linearized perturbations.

We study the power-law tails in the evolution of massless fields around a fixed background geometry corresponding to a black hole. We give analytical arguments for their existence at ${\mathrm{scri}}_{+}$, at the future horizon, and at future timelike infinity. We confirm their existence with numerical integrations of the curved spacetime wave equation on the background of a Schwarzschild and a Reissner-Nordstr\"om black hole. These results are relevant to studies of mass inflation and the instability of Cauchy horizons. The analytic arguments also suggest the behavior of the full nonlinear dynamics, which we study numerically in a companion paper.
A hybrid digital particle tracking velocimetry technique

A novel approach to digital particle tracking velocimetry (DPTV) based on cross-correlation digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) is presented that eliminates the need to interpolate the randomly located velocity vectors (typical of tracking techniques) and results in significantly improved resolution and accuracy. In particular, this approach allows for the direct measurement of mean squared fluctuating gradients, and thus several important components of the turbulent dissipation. The effect of various parameters (seeding density, particle diameter, dynamic range, out-of-plane motion, and gradient strength) on accuracy for both DPTV and DPIV are investigated using a Monte Carlo simulation and optimal values are reported. Validation results are presented from the comparison of measurements by the DPTV technique in a turbulent flat plate boundary layer to laser Doppler anemometer (LDA) measurements in the same flow as well as direct numerical simulation (DNS) data. The DPIV analysis of the images used for the DPTV validation is included for comparison.
The application of GIS in urban and regional planning: a review of the North American experience

The diffusion of GIS within North American planning has occurred at a remarkable rate. Growing awareness, institutional acceptance, falling system costs and product diversity have led to a plethora of planning applications, varying in maturity and sophistication. The field is now sufficiently well established to allow meaningful trends, evaluations and directions to be reviewed. GIS applications in planning are characterized by geographical scale and the dominant influences shaping GIS utilization in planning are examined at the national, regional, trans-regional, metropolitan and neighbourhood scales. Transformations brought about by the interplay of GIS and planning are presented. Planning, and the technology which supports it, reflects the culture of the society it serves. North America is currently experiencing a revolution in the linking of computer-based Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to planning issues. This symbiotic relationship reflects the vernacular approach to urban and regional planning, and an emphasis on high-technology solutions to economic development. North America serves well as a focus for examining trends arising from these GIS-planning initiatives. The continent has a long history of GIS applications in planning and resource management dating back to the mid-1960s. The diffusion of GIS into the planning sphere has continued at a remarkable rate. This process is reasonably well documented, albeit in disparate and mostly informal sources. Growing awareness, institutional acceptance, falling system costs, product diversity, the introduction of microcomputers and the availability of PC-based GIS software have led to a plethora of planning-based applications. Given the longevity and rate of growth of GIS in planning in North America, the field is now sufficiently well established to allow meaningful trends, evaluations and directions to be reviewed. No single source is yet available that enumerates the diversity and scope of GIS applications in urban and regional planning in North America. Early studies by Dueker (1979), Tomlinson (1987) and Wellar (1975) identified major trends and impediments to the development of GIS in the planning domain. More recently, studies by Warnecke (1992), Vonderohe and Saleh (1991), Huxhold (1990), and Scholten and Stillwell (1990) have focused on the use of GIS in specific planning roles or in a non-American context. Because of the variety and extent of GIS usage at the continental scale, these assessments have necessarily been subjective and partial. Trends in software, hardware and application area have largely been interpreted on the basis of personal involvement and knowledge. The rapid spread of GIS, coupled with the diversity of planning applications, precludes any review from remaining current for long, though many trends will remain extant for some
The Resource-Advantage Theory of Competition: Toward Explaining Productivity and Economic Growth

The major thesis of this article is that combining the resource-based theory of the firm with Austrian economics and heterogeneous demand theory provides the foundations for a new theory of competition, the resource-advantage theory. This new theory has macro and public policy implications. Specifically, when compared with neoclassical perfect competition theory, the resource-advantage theory better explains productivity and economic growth.
Analysis of single mammalian cells on-chip

A goal of modern biology is to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular function. The ability to manipulate and analyze single cells is crucial for this task. The advent of microengineering is providing biologists with unprecedented opportunities for cell handling and investigation on a cell-by-cell basis. For this reason, lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technologies are emerging as the next revolution in tools for biological discovery. In the current discussion, we seek to summarize the state of the art for conventional technologies in use by biologists for the analysis of single, mammalian cells, and then compare LOC devices engineered for these same single-cell studies. While a review of the technical progress is included, a major goal is to present the view point of the practicing biologist and the advances that might increase adoption by these individuals. The LOC field is expanding rapidly, and we have focused on areas of broad interest to the biology community where the technology is sufficiently far advanced to contemplate near-term application in biological experimentation. Focus areas to be covered include flow cytometry, electrophoretic analysis of cell contents, fluorescent-indicator-based analyses, cells as small volume reactors, control of the cellular microenvironment, and single-cell PCR.
The Plasticity of Regulatory T Cell Function

Regulatory T cells (T(regs)) can suppress a wide variety of cell types, in diverse organ sites and inflammatory conditions. Whereas T(regs) possess multiple suppressive mechanisms, the number required for maximal function is unclear. Furthermore, whether any interrelationship or cross-regulatory mechanisms exist to orchestrate and control their utilization is unknown. In this study, we assessed the functional capacity of T(regs) lacking the ability to secrete both IL-10 and IL-35, which individually are required for maximal T(reg) activity. Surprisingly, IL-10/IL-35 double-deficient T(regs) were fully functional in vitro and in vivo. Loss of IL-10 and IL-35 was compensated for by a concurrent increase in cathepsin E (Ctse) expression, enhanced TRAIL (Tnfsf10) expression, and soluble TRAIL release, rendering IL-10/IL-35 double-deficient T(regs) functionally dependent on TRAIL in vitro and in vivo. Lastly, whereas C57BL/6 T(regs) are normally IL-10/IL-35 dependent, BALB/c T(regs), which express high levels of cathepsin E and enhanced TRAIL expression, are partially TRAIL dependent by default. These data reveal that cross-regulatory pathways exist that control the utilization of suppressive mechanisms, thereby providing T(reg) functional plasticity.
Optimum IR drop models for estimation of metal resource requirements for power distribution network

In this paper, we present closed form IR drop models for power distribution network in N-metal layer system for wire-bond and flip-chip packages, given design constraints such as chip power dissipation, total static IR drop budget and power supply voltage along with manufacturability and EM constraints as per the technology. The models proposed empowers designers to perform trade-off analysis for effective metal resource utilization in the power distribution network and meeting design specific signal routing needs in desired metal layers. The power distribution network designed using the proposed models have been verified for EM and IR drop on 90nm, 65nm and 45nm designs with industry standard EMIR analysis tool and are within 1–5% of error limit for both wire- bond and flip-chip designs.
A coupled-antenna interrogator/receiver for retrodirective crosslinks in a distributed nanosatellite network

A design for a coupled interrogator/receiver for a retrodirective system is presented. The design consists of two coupled patch antennas for interrogation and receiving, together with the associated electronic hardware. The application is for retrodirective crosslinks in a secure nanosatellite network.
Do Respiratory Symptoms Predict Chronic Airflow Obstruction and Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness in Older Adults

BACKGROUND Respiratory symptoms are common in older adults. In young populations the predictive value of such symptoms for chronic airflow obstruction and bronchial hyperresponsiveness is low. We investigated whether symptoms predict airflow obstruction and bronchial responsiveness in adults aged 45-86 years. METHODS An age-stratified random sample of white adults aged 45 years and older was obtained from family doctor lists in Central Manchester, UK, and sent a respiratory symptoms questionnaire (exclusions: housebound, confused). Responders were invited to participate in a methacholine challenge (Newcastle dosimeter method; exclusions: ischemic heart disease, oral steroids, anticholinergic or beta-blocker medication). RESULTS Of 783 eligible subjects, 723 responded (response rate 92.3%). Symptoms were reported by 53.8%. Methacholine challenge was completed by 208 subjects. Sixty-five (26.4%) had chronic airflow obstruction, of whom 76.6% reported respiratory symptoms. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (PD20 < or = 100 micrograms) was present in 26.0% of subjects overall, and in 36.8% of symptomatic and 14.6% of asymptomatic subjects (p < .001). Of those with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, 26.4% were asymptomatic. Predictive values of symptoms for chronic airflow obstruction and bronchial hyperresponsiveness were low. CONCLUSIONS Respiratory symptoms, chronic airflow obstruction, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness were all common in this adult population sample. However, the predictive value of symptoms for airflow obstruction/bronchial hyperresponsiveness was low. It was concluded that respiratory symptoms do not identify adults with airflow obstruction or bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Investigation by spirometry and peak flow monitoring is necessary to guide appropriate management.
Hybrid Control of the Berkeley Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (BLEEX)

The first functional load-carrying and energetically autonomous exoskeleton was demonstrated at U.C. Berkeley, walking at the average speed of 0.9 m/s (2 mph) while carrying a 34 kg (75 lb) payload. The original BLEEX sensitivity amplification controller, based on positive feedback, was designed to increase the closed loop system sensitivity to its wearer’s forces and torques without any direct measurement from the wearer. The controller was successful at allowing natural and unobstructed load support for the pilot. This article presents an improved control scheme we call “mixed” control that adds robustness to changing BLEEX backpack payload. The walking gait cycle is divided into stance control and swing control phases. Position control is used for the BLEEX stance leg (including torso and backpack) and the sensitivity amplification controller is used for the swing leg. The controller is also designed to smoothly transitions between these two schemes as the pilot walks. With mixed control, the controller does not require a good model of the BLEEX torso and payload, which is difficult to obtain and subject to change as payload is added and removed. As a tradeoff, the position control used in this method requires the human to wear seven inclinometers to measure human limb and torso angles. These additional sensors require careful design to securely fasten them to the human and increase the time to don (and doff) BLEEX.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Technology and Environment

The solution of today's major social problems will come from more and better technology---not from less technology. For technology is just another name for human knowledge. We need to deepen our scientific knowledge, broaden our repertory of alternatives, and strengthen our technology of decision procedures. Above all, we need a more profound understanding of Man himself, for all human problems have their roots in our own nature.
Photoluminescent efficiency of Y 2 O 2 S:Eu and ZnS:Ag phosphors as a function of irradiation intensity over 9 orders of magnitude

It has been reported that Y2O2S:Eu exhibits nonlinear behavior as a function of intensity. Since such behavior has been observed in ZnS:Ag and since Y2O2S:Eu has been used in recent years to convert x rays into visible photons, we have carried out a study of the linearity of these two phosphors. The experimental method uses the National Institute of Standards and Technology synchrotron (Surf II) in a unique mode in which the beam current is decreased in fixed steps. The results indicate that Y2O2S:Eu is linear as a function of intensity over 9 orders of magnitude, whereas ZnS:Ag is nonlinear, as expected.
Effectiveness of low-grade weirs for nutrient removal in an agricultural landscape in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley

Abstract New best management practices (BMPs) are needed to provide enhanced water quality improvements to downstream aquatic systems from agricultural landscapes. In Mississippi, a simple process of controlled surface drainage is being advocated in drainage ditches within agricultural landscapes. Low-grade weirs (hereafter called “weirs”) are low, check-dam structures where water is held in drainage ditches at multiple locations. This spatial arrangement of controlled drainage results in increases in hydraulic residence time, decreases in flow velocities at multiple locations, and potential decreases in nutrient concentrations and sediment loads. This study was the first field-scale evaluation of weirs toward storm event nutrient (nitrate – NO 3 − , nitrite – NO 2 − , ammonia – NH 3 , dissolved inorganic P and total inorganic P) removal within a single ditch, Terrace, over an 18-month period. Individual sites within Terrace were monitored on rising and falling limbs of the storm hydrograph for changes in nutrient concentrations. A Hydrologic Engineering Centers River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) model was setup to calculate load derivations and differences. Overall there were very few statistical differences ( P > 0.05) between inflow and outflow concentrations due to their nascent variability in concentration between seasons, hydrology and runoff volume. However, median mass kg/ha as well as percentage nutrient (NH 3 , NO 2 − , dissolved inorganic P, and total inorganic P) load reductions were positive ranging from 14% (dissolved inorganic P) to 67% (NH 3 and NO 2 − ), with the exception of a median percent increase in NO 3 − load from inflow to outflow, likely resulting from the influence of two outlying storm events. Results indicate that at the field scale, weirs within a ubiquitous landscape feature such as an agricultural drainage ditch can reduce nutrient loads moving downstream. Weirs could be considered a viable BMP in agricultural landscapes aiming to control surface nutrient runoff; however, additional research of nitrogen dynamics is warranted to ensure their efficacy.
Short communication: A functional test platform for the Community Land Model

The realistic representation of key biogeophysical and biogeochemical functions is the fundamental of process-based ecosystem models. A functional test platform is designed to create direct linkages between site measurements and the process-based ecosystem model within the Community Earth System Models (CESM). The platform consists of three major parts: 1) interactive user interfaces, 2) functional test models and 3) observational datasets. It provides much needed integration interfaces for both field experimentalists and ecosystem modelers to improve the model's representation of ecosystem processes within the CESM framework without large software overhead. Design an ecosystem functional testing platform for process-based model-data comparison.Improve global earth system model via site-based mechanistic modeling.Bridge the gap between legacy software modeling system and in-field experimentalists.
Effect of Fluori-Methane® Spray on Passive Hip Flexion

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the influence of Fluori-Methane® spray as a method of affecting passive range of motion measured at the right hip joint. Subjects were 30 normal volunteers randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. A special table was constructed to position and stabilize each subject for monitoring the right lower extremity's resistance to side-lying straight leg raising. Specific right hip flexion goniometric measurements were compared and analyzed before and after application of Fluori-Methane® spray to the soft tissues overlying the posterior part of the right thigh. The results of the study showed that the experimental group, which received application of Fluori-Methane® spray and static passive stretch, did significantly ( p < .02) increase the range of passive hip flexion over that of the control group, which received only static passive stretch.
Cramér-Rao lower bounds for estimators based on censored data

The Cramer-Rao lower bounds for the variances of unbiased estimators based on censored data are given. Useful techniques of evaluation are then derived for these lower bounds. Examples are given to illustrate these techniques. Small-sample comparisons are made between the resulting lower bounds, the variances of the best linear unbiased estimators, and the variances of unbiased esti-mators which are based on the maximum likelihood estimators.
Promoter-specific trans activation and repression by human cytomegalovirus immediate-early proteins involves common and unique protein domains.

Abstract trans activation of promoters by viral regulatory proteins provides a useful tool to study coordinate control of gene expression. Immediate-early (IE) regions 1 and 2 of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) code for a series of proteins that originate from differentially spliced mRNAs. These IE proteins are proposed to regulate the temporal expression of the viral genome. To examine the structure and function of the IE proteins, we used linker insertion mutagenesis of the IE gene region as well as cDNA expression vector cloning of the abundant IE mRNAs. We showed that IE1 and IE2 proteins of CMV exhibit promoter-specific differences in their modes of action by either trans activating early and IE promoters or repressing the major IE promoter (MIEP). Transient cotransfection experiments with permissive human cells revealed a synergistic interaction between the 72- and the 86-kilodalton (kDa) IE proteins in trans activating an early promoter. In addition, transfection studies revealed that the 72-kDa protein was capable of trans activating the MIEP. In contrast, the 86-kDa protein specifically repressed the MIEP and this repression was suppressed by the 72-kDa protein. Furthermore, observations based on the primary sequence structure revealed a modular arrangement of putative regulatory motifs that could either potentiate or repress gene expression. These modular domains are either shared or unique among the IE proteins. From these data, we propose a model for IE protein function in the coordinate control of CMV gene expression.
Learning scene categories from high resolution satellite image for aerial video analysis

Automatic scene categorization can benefit various aerial video processing applications. This paper addresses the problem of predicting the scene category from aerial video frames using a prior model learned from satellite imagery. We show that local and global features in the form of line statistics and 2-D power spectrum parameters respectively can characterize the aerial scene well. The line feature statistics and spatial frequency parameters are useful cues to distinguish between different urban scene categories. We learn the scene prediction model from high-resolution satellite imagery to test the model on the Columbus Surrogate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (CSUAV) dataset collected by a high-altitude wide area UAV sensor platform. We compare the proposed features with the popular Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) features. Our experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms the SIFT model when the training and testing are conducted on disparate data sources.
Residual test coverage monitoring

Structural coverage criteria are often used as an indicator of the thoroughness of testing, but complete satisfaction of a criterion is seldom achieved. When a software product is released with less than 100% coverage, testers are explicitly or implicitly assuming that executions satisfying the remaining test obligations (the residue) are either infeasible or occur so rarely that they have negligible impact on quality. Violation of this assumption indicates shortcomings in the testing process. Monitoring in the deployed environment, even in the beta test phase, is typically limited to error and sanity checks. Monitoring the residue of test coverage in actual use can provide additional useful information, but it is unlikely to be accepted by users unless its performance impact is very small. Experience with a prototype tool for residual test coverage monitoring of Java programs suggests that, at least for statement coverage, the simple strategy of removing all probes except those corresponding to the residue of coverage testing reduces execution overhead to acceptably low levels.