cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The urinary proteose in allergy

Abstract There seems to be sufficient evidence to suggest that the activity and specificity of proteose may be due to unchanged antigen which has been eliminated by the kidneys and may be carried along with the proteose in its extraction from the urine. Reactions may be secured fairly regularly in pollen sensitive patients who give definite reactions to pollen. Reactions are rarely secured in those sensitive to other allergens which is analogous to the common finding of fewer and less marked reactions to allergens in this group than to pollen. The results of testing with proteose from a non-sensitive person to whom pollen was given orally would show that pollen is extracted from the urine by the method of proteose extraction and the proteose from this individual behaved as a weak solution of pollen. The fact that this proteose was not increased in amount by the ingestion of pollen as occurs in allergic attacks may indicate that the allergic reaction produces an increased elimination of the proteose which may be entirely independent of the amount of antigen eliminated with it. It would not seem necessary to hypothecate a new substance or an antigen-tissue factor combination to explain the results obtained.
Multi-fracture of ceramic composites

This work presents a mechanistic model for the multi-fracture process of uniaxially reinforced fibrous ceramic composites under monotonically increasing tension parallel to the fiber direction. The model employs an energy criterion to account for the progression of matrix cracks, bridged by intact fibers, and Weibull failure statistics to relate the failure of the fibers. Consideration is given to the interactions between the foregoing failure processes as well as to the effects of various material parameters on the response of the composite.
Identity verification using iris images: Performance of human examiners

We are not aware of any previous systematic investigation of how well human examiners perform at identity verification using the same type of images as acquired for automated iris recognition. This paper presents results of an experiment in which examiners consider a pair of iris images to decide if they are either (a) two images of the same eye of the same person, or (b) images of two different eyes, with the two different individuals having the same gender, ethnicity and approximate age. Results suggest that novice examiners can readily achieve accuracy exceeding 90% and can exceed 96% when they judge their decision as “certain”. Results also suggest that examiners may be able to improve their accuracy with experience.
Optimized error diffusion based on a human visual model

Error diffusion is a powerful means to improve the subjective quality of a quantized image by shaping the spectrum of the display error. Considering an image in raster ordering, this is done by adding a weighted sum of previous quantization errors to the current pixel before quantization. These weights form an error diffusion filter. In this paper a method is proposed to find an optimized error diffusion filter for image display applications. The design is based on the lowpass characteristic of the contrast sensitivity of the human visual system. The filter is chosen so that a cascade of the quantization system and the observer's visual modulation transfer function yields a whitened spectrum of error. It is shown in this paper that the optimal error diffusion filter corresponds to a linear prediction filter of the human visual transfer function. A first order linear filter for an underlying non-separable vision model is examined. The resulting images contain mostly high frequency components of the display error, which are less noticeable for the viewer. This corresponds well to previously published results about the visibility of halftoning patterns. An informal comparison with other error diffusion algorithms shows less artificial contouring and increased image quality.
Dissociation of Reproductive Physiology and Behavior Induced by Neonatal Treatment with Steroids

During the first 5 post-partum days, female rats were treated with either 1.25 mg testosterone propionate (TP), 1 mg deoxycorticosterone acetate (DCA), or corn oil diluent. Vaginal smears, reproductive behavior, and reproductive organs were examined during adulthood. Deficits in reproductive behavior as a result of both TP and DCA treatment were found, but only the TP treatment resulted in anovulatory ovaries and persistent vaginal estrus. It was concluded that developing neural substrates of sexual behavior may be influenced by some types of neonatal steroid treatments independently of concurrent modification of the neural control of cyclic ovulation. (Endocrinology 85: 781, 1969)
Adaptation of passive rat left ventricle in diastolic dysfunction.

Abstract This article deals with providing a theoretical explanation for quantitative changes in the geometry, the opening angle and the deformation parameters of the rat ventricular wall during adaptation of the passive left ventricle in diastolic dysfunction. A large deformation theory is applied to analyse transmural stress and strain distribution in the left ventricular wall considering it to be made of homogeneous, incompressible, transversely isotropic, non-linear elastic material. The basic assumptions made for computing stress distributions are that the average circumferential stress and strain for the adaptive ventricle is equal to the average circumferential stress and strain in the normotensive ventricle, respectively. All the relevant parameters, such as opening angle, twist per unit length, axial extension, internal and external radii and others, in the stress-free, unloaded and loaded states of normotensive, hypertensive and adaptive left ventricle are determined. The circumferential stress and strain distribution through the ventricular wall are also computed. Our analysis predicts that during adaptation, wall thickness and wall mass of the ventricle increase. These results are consistent with experimental findings and are the indications of initiation of congestive heart failure.
Using relevant regions in image search and query refinement for medical CBIR

In clinical decision processes, relevant scientific publications and their associated medical images can provide valuable and insightful information. However, effectively searching through both text and image data is a difficult and arduous task. More specifically in the area of image search, finding similar images (or regions within images) poses another significant hurdle for effective knowledge dissemination. Thus, we propose a method using local regions within images to perform and refine medical image retrieval. In our first example, we define and extract large, characteristic regions within an image, and then show how to use these regions to match a query image to similar content. In our second example, we enable the formulation of a mixed query based upon text, image, and region information, to better represent the end user's search intentions. Given our new framework for region-based queries, we present an improved set of similar search results.
2-Propyl mesityl sulfone

2–Propyl mesityl sulfone, C12H18O2S, (I), is entirely devoid of the rotational disorder displayed in the corresponding 2-bromo- and 2-chloro-2-propyl mesityl sulfones. Each mol­ecule of (I) hydrogen bonds with four other mol­ecules, each utilizing the acidic α-H atom of its 2-propyl group and a p-methyl-H atom as donors, and its two sulfonyl-O atoms as acceptors, resulting in a structure consisting of two-dimensional layers of hydrogen-bonded mol­ecules.
Conformational Effects on the Photophysics of Conjugated Polymers: A Two Species Model for MEH−PPV Spectroscopy and Dynamics

We report transient and steady state photoluminescence results along with absorption and NMR data to support the existence of two distinct morphological species in MEH−PPV solutions. NMR data provide evidence for the close packing of polymer chains, a consequence of solvent quality reduction. These data are correlated with optical properties of the aggregated species in poor solvents and the isolated chains in good solvents. We infer that steric hindrance of backbone motions increases effective conjugation length and leads to a spectral red shift in absorption and emission. At the same time, interchain excitations with negligible luminescence can be formed, leading to a dramatic reduction in photoluminescence quantum yield. While spectral changes are observed as packing is induced, we show that interchain state formation and its subsequent back-transfer to excitons are particularly sensitive to the interchain registry of the highly packed chains.
Enzymatic Regulation of Glycogenolysis in a Subarctic Population of the Wood Frog: Implications for Extreme Freeze Tolerance

The wood frog, Rana sylvatica, from Interior Alaska survives freezing at –16°C, a temperature 10–13°C below that tolerated by its southern conspecifics. We investigated the hepatic freezing response in this northern phenotype to determine if its profound freeze tolerance is associated with an enhanced glucosic cryoprotectant system. Alaskan frogs had a larger liver glycogen reserve that was mobilized faster during early freezing as compared to conspecifics from a cool-temperate region (southern Ohio, USA). In Alaskan frogs the rapid glucose production in the first hours of freezing was associated with a 7-fold increase in glycogen phosphorylase activity above unfrozen frog levels, and the activity of this enzyme was higher than that of frozen Ohioan frogs. Freezing of Ohioan frogs induced a more modest (4-fold) increase in glycogen phosphorylase activity above unfrozen frog values. Relative to the Ohioan frogs, Alaskan frogs maintained a higher total protein kinase A activity throughout an experimental freezing/thawing time course, and this may have potentiated glycogenolysis during early freezing. We found populational variation in the activity and protein level of protein kinase A which suggested that the Alaskan population had a more efficient form of this enzyme. Alaskan frogs modulated their glycogenolytic response by decreasing the activity of glycogen phosphorylase after cryoprotectant mobilization was well under way, thereby conserving their hepatic glycogen reserve. Ohioan frogs, however, sustained high glycogen phosphorylase activity until early thawing and consumed nearly all their liver glycogen. These unique hepatic responses of Alaskan R. sylvatica likely contribute to this phenotype’s exceptional freeze tolerance, which is necessary for their survival in a subarctic climate.
An operational test for distinguishing between complicated and chaotic behavior in deterministic systems

Abstract While various definitions of chaotic processes have been proposed, there is not yet an established operational criterion for computing whether a given process is chaotic. We here use a diffusional measure to characterize whether a given deterministic process and domain is chaotic (operationally defined as exhibiting stochastic behavior). This technique introduces an additional coordinate linked to the process to be examined. By then determining the growth of the second moment of orbit trajectories in this added direction, it can be determined whether the process is chaotic. It is demonstrated that two other commonly used measures of chaos, a positive Lyapunov exponent or the autocorrelation coefficient dropping to zero, fail in certain cases to detect chaotic processes, but this new proposed test works in all the cases examined.
The Evaluation of Insecticides for the Control of Tendipes Plumosus (Linnaeus)

In laboratory tests, 16 commercially available oregano phosphate Insecticides were screened to determine their relative toxicity to larvae of Tendipes plumosus (Linnaeus) and to the fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas Rafinesque. DDVP, Dipterex, EPN, Guthion, malathion, and Phosdrin all showed considerable toxicity to the larvae at concentrations of 0.1 pounds or lees per acre of the technical material incorporated into granules, Of these six insecticides, DDVP at 50 pounds per acre, Dipterex at 100 pounds per acre, and malathion at 20 pounds per acre showed no toxicity to the minnows in replicated tests. These same three insecticides, in replicated tests, all produced 97% mortality of T. plumosus larvae within 7 days at concentrations of 0.75 pounds per acre and Dipterex produced 97% mortality at 0.05 pounds per acre.
Microscopic theory of a normal Fermi liquid at zero temperature

Abstract The microscopic theory of a Fermi liquid formulated by Mohling and based upon the work of Lee and Yang is used to develop a quasi-particle theory of a Fermi liquid at zero temperature. The energy per particle, the particle momentum distribution, and the transformation function Δ(k) introduced by the Λ-transformation are expanded through third order in the “two-quasi-particle reaction matrix” g1(k1k2 / k3k4). It is shown that the explicit expressions for the three quantities above satisfy the equations basic to Landau's phenomenological theory of a Fermi liquid term by term, provided Δ(k) is identified as the quasi-particle interaction energy. From this fact, it is concluded that the Λ-transformation introduced by Mohling is actually a transformation from a particle representation to a quasi-particle representation of the system. This approach differs from previous efforts in the fact that the series being generated here is not a perturbation series. In fact, the explicit series obtained in this work bears a striking resemblance to that employed by Brueckner. This similarity is investigated in some detail. An extension of the Landau theory to encompass generalized interaction functions is made. This generalization, in conjunction with the explicit expression for the energy per particle, is then used to examine the “many-quasi-particle” potentials which appear in the Λ-transformed equations.
Quantitative Correlation of Drug Bioactivation and Deoxyadenosine Alkylation by Acylfulvene

Acylfulvenes (AFs) are a class of antitumor agents that exert their cytotoxic effects by forming covalent adducts with biomolecules, including DNA and proteins; clinical trials are ongoing for (−)-...
Conceptualizations of nature from science students in Northeastern Colombia.

The purpose of this study was to explore rural and provincial students' conceptualizations of nature in Colombia alongside the science education offered in their school communities. Students' perceptions of nature were produced from interviews that revolved around a focusing event and two eliciting devices to document their views about home, school science, and nature. Eighteen students from two urban and one provincial school communities were invited to participate in an interview. An anthropological approach to education allowed for case descriptions in urban and provincial settings in a northeastern region of Colombia, South America. The findings specifically reflect how multiple worldviews correlate with the framework of school science.
Socioeconomic differences in severe back morbidity.

Commentary on the paper by Kaila-Kangas et al ( Occup Environ Med , April 2006)* Socioeconomic disparities in morbidity and mortality have become a topic of major interest in public health. Voluminous evidence demonstrates the importance of socioeconomic status (SES) for an impressive range of health conditions: obesity, depression, cardiovascular disease, chronic headache, etc. In the April issue of the journal, Kaila-Kangas and colleagues1 reported on SES differences in first hospitalisation for back disorders. There is little consensus about the mechanism of the SES–health gradient. Proposed causal pathways—not necessarily mutually exclusive—include material deprivation, adverse “lifestyle” conditions (smoking, poor nutrition, etc), inadequate access to health information, and relative deprivation leading to social mistrust.2 Debate has also arisen over the “best” indicator of SES,3,4 and especially whether it should be assessed in terms of an individual’s social status or prestige (often in terms of personal access to goods, services, and knowledge) or at the level of a group’s social and economic control of resources.5,6 While key variables such as education, grade of …
Synthesis of trithiolanes and tetrathianes from thiiranes catalyzed by ruthenium salen nitrosyl complexes.

The compound [Ru(salen)(NO)(H2O)](SbF6) (1) (salen = N,N‘-ethylene-bis-salicylidene aminate) reacts catalytically with thiiranes and converts them to olefins and 1,2,3,4-tetrathianes or 1,2,3-trith...
(−)-Dihydropyrenophorin, a novel and selective phytotoxin produced by Drechslera avenae

Abstract Drechslera avenae (Eidam) Shoem causes leaf blotch of oats which is characterized by typical oblong to linear reddish-brown lesions having a sunken center. At least one compound isolated from broth cultures of this fungus caused sunken lesions on oats ( Avena sativa L.) and a variety of other plants at 3.2 × 10 −4 M. The phytotoxin was characterized by spectrometric analyses and chemical conversion to be (−)-dihydropyrenophorin, a novel macrolide. However, the major product obtained by the extraction procedure used to isolate the phytotoxin was identified as pyrenophol which was not active iin our bioassay tests. While none of the plants tested responded to (−)-dihydropyrenophorin at concentrations much below 10 −4 M, the toxin applied to Johnsongrass ( Sorghum halepense L.) produced reddish flecks at the point of application at 6.5 × 10 −8 M.
Enhanced expression of EGF receptor in a model of salt-sensitive hypertension.

Chronic kidney disease in the Dahl/Rapp salt-sensitive (S) rat is related to an arteriolopathic process that occurs following the onset of hypertension and involves vascular smooth muscle cell (VSM...
Taking Credit: The Canadian Army Medical Corps and the British Conversion to Blood Transfusion in WWI

La reintroduction de la transfusion sanguine aux Etats-Unis est decrite, ainsi que l'utilisation de la transfusion par la Grande-Bretagne lors de la premiere guerre mondiale. L'A. decrit egalement la contribution des medecins militaires canadiens et americains dans l'integration de la transfusion dans la pratique medicale britannique
Toward a quality workforce.

The Committee on Pediatric Workforce published a policy statement in the February 2003 issue of Pediatrics that calls for high standards and clear accountability in the care of children.1 In a time when adequate care is threatened because of deteriorating economic resources and fragmented access, and when high-quality and optimal outcomes are increasingly sought by all patients, payors, and providers, a call for excellence is timely and appropriate. The proposed methods to achieve these worthy goals are, however, deeply flawed, particularly as concerns nurse practitioners. Team approaches to pediatric care are fundamental to providing the seamless, comprehensive care required by children and their families. There may be no other group of individuals so in need of the broad scope of care that only a team of diverse specialists can provide. A child’s health needs change as he grows and experiences challenges to optimal well-being; illness and disease are only a small part of those challenges. Therefore, the disease specialist—the pediatrician—merits leadership of the team only when disease is the major concern. At other times, it may be the nurse practitioner or the psychologist or learning specialist who directs the team. And perhaps most important, it may sometimes be the parent. The premise that all non-physician providers can be lumped together leads to several misinterpretations. Nurse practitioners are independently licensed and are distinctive in education and in scope of practice from other disciplines, including medicine. Whereas nursing and medicine have a great deal of overlap (diagnosis and treatment of initially undetected disease or ongoing care of chronic illness), nurse practitioners have additional intensive education in individual risk reduction and prevention strategies, health promotion, and health education, and they have significant supervised clinical training in community sites, schools, long-term care settings, and home care, as well as conventional hospital and office-based … Address correspondence to Mary O. Mundinger, DrPH, Columbia University School of Nursing, 630 W 168 St, Rm 139, New York, NY 10032. E-mail: mm44{at}columbia.edu
A hemoglobin fragment found in cervicovaginal fluid from women in labor potentiates the action of agents that promote contraction of smooth muscle cells.

Abstract We employed a proteomic approach to search for peptides that have a physiological role in labor. Cervicovaginal secretions were collected at term from women in labor and women at term not in labor. Samples were spotted onto weak cation exchange chips (WCX-2) and analyzed using Surface-Enhanced Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS). Spectra were obtained for each sample and Biomarker Wizard analysis revealed 25 peaks that had significantly different peak intensity between the labor and non-laboring women. The sequences of five peaks that were significantly elevated in the labor cohort were determined using Protein Chip Interface Quadruple Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (PCI-QTOF-MS). All of these peaks were identified as fragments of α or β-hemoglobin (Hb). A 2.022 kDa fragment of α-Hb (amino acids 110–128, NH 2 -AAHLPAEFTPAVHASLDKF-COOH) was found to potentiate smooth muscle cell contraction in response to bradykinin, oxytocin and prostaglandin-F2α. This peptide may promote vasoconstriction and augment normal labor through enhancing the action of uterotonins.
Synthesis of hollow porous nanospheres of hydroxyl titanium oxalate and their topotactic conversion to anatase titania

A one-step wet chemistry route has been explored to synthesize hollow hydroxyl titanium oxalate nanoscale spheres under mild experimental conditions. The hollow spheres were ∼200 nm in diameter, with a shell thickness of ∼30 nm. The nanospheres were formed by smaller aggregated colloidal subunits. The influence of temperature and solvent on the structure of the nanospheres was investigated. The formation of hollow interiors in the nanospheres may be rationalized by Ostwald ripening mechanism. Simple thermal treatment topotactically transformed the chemical composition into anatase TiO2. The high-order hollow porous spherical structure was preserved, with smaller crystalline anatase TiO2 nanoparticles as building units. Dense hydroxyl titanium oxalate nanospheres and their corresponding non-hollow porous anatase TiO2 nanospheres were also successfully achieved in suitable reaction conditions. The method and procedure reported herein may be extended in principle for the fabrication of other functional materials.
Reversed-phase ion-pair liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for separation, sequencing and mapping of sites of base modification of isomeric oligonucleotide adducts using monolithic column

In this manuscript, an efficient high resolution reversed phase-ion pairing-liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (RP-IP-LC-MS/MS) method for separation of isomeric modified oligonucleotides using a polymeric (styrene-divinylbenzene) monolithic capillary column is presented. The effects of different ion pairing reagents (IPR), their concentration, mobile phase additives and conditions were evaluated towards achieving the highest possible resolution and chromatographic separation of isomeric oligonucleotides. Ion pairing reagents and mobile phase conditions were evaluated using as model N-acetylaminofluorene [AAF] adducted ss-oligonucleotides (CCC CGA GCA ATC TCA AT). The optimized mobile phase conditions were then applied for the mapping of sites of base modification of AAF adducted 15-base pair oligonucleotide fragments containing codon 135 of the p53 gene and for profiling a complex synthetic oligonucleotide mixture. The optimized method utilizes a monolithic poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) capillary column, triethylammonium bicarbonate as ion pairing reagent and methanol as organic modifier to perform IP-RPLC-ESI-MS/MS separation. The results show that the method is simultaneously applicable not only to oligonucleotide fragments adducted separately by different carcinogens but also to the analysis of multiple adducts in the same oligonucleotide fragment in a single experiment. The method presents itself as a tool for the identification, characterization and mapping of oligonucleotide adducts as biomarkers for DNA damage from carcinogens.
Infected aortic aneurysm case report and imaging evaluation

An infected aortic aneurysm is evaluated by computed tomography (CT) following presentation on plain film in the emergency room. The importance of CT in delineating the location and cause of the aneurysm is noted. Other modes of evaluation of infected aortic aneurysms are reviewed and discussed. The advantages of CT evaluation are noted. A literature review notes plain film presentation of only one other infected aortic aneurysm. Pathological correlation with the CT imaging is presented.
Identification and characterization of a nuclear pore complex protein

Abstract We describe studies using a monoclonal antibody that recognizes a 62 kd protein (p62) of rat liver nuclei. This protein remains associated with the nuclear pore complex-lamina fraction resulting from treatment of nuclei with DNAase, RNAase, and nonionic detergent. Immunofluorescence revealed a strikingly punctate pattern of nuclear rim staining. By immunoferritin microscopy, p62 was specifically localized to the pore complex. Thus, pore complexes can be resolved by fluorescence light microscopy. Pulse chase analysis of labeled tissue culture cells showed that p62 is synthesized as a soluble cytoplasmic precursor of 61 kd, which is incorporated into the nuclear fraction with an unusually long t12 of about 6 hr. Incorporation is followed by modification that may involve addition of N-acetylglucosamine residues.
Individuality vs. Group Identity: A Comparison between Japan and the United States

Abstract This article explores the major differences in the pattern of interpersonal relationships and group life between the United States and Japan. The assumption is that on one hand, people in the United States are more preoccupied with individual rights than with group solidarity while, on the other hand, the Japanese cultivate a sense of group-identity and solidarity, trying to derive life satisfaction and security from their group affiliations. An individually oriented society like the United States is well-suited for people with ability, drive, motivation and competitive spirit. A group-oriented society like Japan, however, is not a completely satisfying place for people with exceptional talents, but it is a safe haven for the “average” person. Several implications for social work in the crosscultural environment will also be discussed.
Satellite to measure ice sheet elevations

On 12 January the National Aeronautic and Space Administration successfully launched its Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The data from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) onboard will be used to quantify ice sheet mass balance and understand how changes in Earth's atmosphere and climate affect polar ice masses and global sea level. The distribution of clouds and aerosols, as well as land topography sea ice, and vegetation cover will also be measured.
Well-posedness and Regularity for the Elasticity Equation with Mixed Boundary Conditions on Polyhedral Domains and Domains with Cracks

We prove a regularity result for the anisotropic linear elasticity equation $${P u := {\rm div} \left( \boldmath\mathsf{C} \cdot \nabla u\right) = f}$$ , with mixed (displacement and traction) boundary conditions on a curved polyhedral domain $${\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^3}$$ in weighted Sobolev spaces $${\mathcal {K}^{m+1}_{a+1}(\Omega)}$$ , for which the weight is given by the distance to the set of edges. In particular, we show that there is no loss of $${\mathcal {K}^{m}_{a}}$$ -regularity. Our curved polyhedral domains are allowed to have cracks. We establish a well-posedness result when there are no neighboring traction boundary conditions and |a| 0 that depends on P, on the boundary conditions, and on the domain Ω. Our results extend to other strongly elliptic systems and higher dimensions.
REDUCTION OF 2-FUROIC ACID WITH METAL-AMMONIA SOLUTIONS

(1978). REDUCTION OF 2-FUROIC ACID WITH METAL-AMMONIA SOLUTIONS. Organic Preparations and Procedures International: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 94-96.
The politics of a literary language and the rise of national identity in Russian Azerbaijan before 1920

Abstract This article focuses on three interconnected issues: the question of a literary language of a people lacking political independence; the rise of modern communications in a traditional society; and the growth of national identity in the Muslim community of Russian Azerbaijan. The chronological scope covers the period from the beginning of intellectual modernization that came in the mid‐nineteenth century in the wake of the Russian conquest, to the establishment of the Soviet Azerbaijani Republic in 1920. The discussion includes the language policies of the Russian government, as well as the views on the literary language of the national movements of the period, pan‐Turkism and Azerbaijanism. The issue is viewed in the context of comparable debates among other Turkic‐speaking peoples in Russia and in Turkey.
The relationship of juvenile hypothyroidism to chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis

Eighteen cases of acquired juvenile hypothyroidism are described. Significant titers of antithyroid antibodies in sixteen of them suggest an underlying autoimmune thyroiditis. Comparison of these patients with 33 children who have Hashimoto's struma indicates that chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis may produce a spectrum of disease in childhood ranging from euthyroid goiter to nongoitrous myxedema.
Condition monitoring of production lines using event-time observers

Fault detection or condition monitoring is critical to the safe and reliable operation of today's complex automatic production systems. This paper describes an approach which performs condition monitoring of production lines based on a max-plus model of the event-time dynamics. In particular, this work pertains to discrete part manufacturing systems such as automotive assembly lines or electronic circuit board lines where the dynamics are governed by the action of certain events, e.g., the processing of a part by a machine or the departure of a part from a buffer. A state model of the event-time dynamics, based in the max-plus algebra, is used to emulate the nominal operation of a production line. The machine completion times are taken as the states of the model. Since only output measurements of the production line are available, an observer is needed to provide estimates of the machine completion times. Because of the nature of the max-plus algebra, a recursive state observer is not obtainable; instead, a block-form state observer is used to update the model state on a periodic basis. A timing residual is formed using the outputs of the model and the output measurements of the plant. The residual is then analyzed using standard statistical process control techniques to detect failures. Simulation results for a simple production line illustrate the approach. The novelties of this approach are the introduction of an event- time observer and the application of the observer to the problem of condition monitoring.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects Of The Malpractice Crisis On Access To And Incidence Of High-Risk Procedures: Evidence From Florida

There is much debate on how recent increases in medical malpractice premiums affect patients’ access to care. We examined activity levels of neurosurgeons and obstetricians, as well as the incidence of high-risk surgery and patients’ travel times in Florida, where malpractice insurance premiums have soared since 2000. Compared with 1997–2000, we found that during 2000–2003, many neurosurgeons cut back their volume of brain surgeries and that craniotomy patients traveled longer for care without any significant change in the overall incidence of craniotomies. Women undergoing high-risk deliveries did not see increases in travel times.
Copper-tyrosyl radical enzymes.

Abstract Advances have been made since 2000 that contribute to our understanding of the biogenesis, structure and mechanism of copper-containing tyrosyl radical enzymes. Efforts to detail the biogenesis of galactose oxidase have produced the structure of the precursor enzyme, which provides a framework for emerging mechanistic studies. The role of the tyrosyl radical of cytochrome c oxidase is being defined in studies that aim to understand the His–Tyr crosslink, the location of the radical and, by direct attempts, to provide evidence for the radical during turnover.
A stannous fluoride dentifrice may produce greater short term improvements in measures of inflammation compared to a triclosan/copolymer based dentifrice.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Anti-gingivitis effects of a novel 0.454% stabilized stannous fluoride dentifrice relative to a positive control. He T, Barker ML, Goyal CR, Biesbrock AR. Am J Dent 2012;25(3):136-40. Reviewer Harlan J. Shiau, DDS, DMSc Purpose/Question The authors want to determine if a novel stannous fluoride containing dentifrice is superior to a currently marketed dentifrice with respect to improvements in clinical measures of inflammation Source of Funding Industry—Proctor and Gamble, Mason, OH, United States Type of Study/Design Single site randomized controlled trial Level of Evidence Level 2: Limited-quality, patient-oriented evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable
Redundant and on-line CORDIC: application to matrix triangularization and SVD

Several modifications to the CORDIC method of computing angles and performing rotations are presented: (1) the use of redundant (carry-free) addition instead of a conventional (carry-propagate) one; (2) a representation of angles in a decomposed form to reduce area and communication bandwidth; (3) the use of on-line addition (left-to-right, digit-serial addition) to replace shifters by delays; and (4) the use of online multiplication, square root, and division to compute scaling factors and perform the scaling operations. The modifications improve the speed and the area of CORDIC implementations. The proposed scheme uses efficiently floating-point representations. The application of the modified CORDIC method to matrix triangularization by Givens' rotations and to the computation of the singular value decomposition (SVD) are discussed. >
Current concepts in adult lung isolation techniques

Summary Because of the greater margin of safety, the disposable left-sided DLT should be the tube of choice for the majority of cases in which lung separation is required. A right-sided DLT should be an alternative when a contraindication to placement of a left-sided DLT exists. Based on clinical reports. Univents or Arndt blockers may be the tubes of choice for patients with difficult airways who require lung isolation or when selective lobar blockade is needed. The Arndt blocker is suitable when nasotracheal intubation is the only choice to secure the airway during OLV. For confirmation of DLTs, Univents, or Arndt blockers, the method of choice must be fiberoptic bronchoscopy, both before and after patient positioning and whenever a malposition of these devices occurs.
Electromagnetic optimization using a mixed-parameter self-adaptive evolutionary algorithm

An evolutionary programming algorithm with a mixed continuous-discrete parameter representation for application in electromagnetic optimization problems is presented. In our approach, the mutation operator consists of a hybrid combination of Gaussian mutation for the continuous parameters, and Poisson mutation for the discrete parameters. The implementation uses self-adaptive schemes for updating the standard deviation of the Gaussian distribution and the mean of the Poisson distribution during the evolution. As an example, the proposed evolutionary algorithm is applied to the constraint designs of various multilayer dielectric-filter structures. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 39: 267–271, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.11187
3D silicon integration

Three-dimensional (3D) chip integration may provide a path to miniaturization, high bandwidth, low power, high performance and system scaling. Integration options can leverage stacked die and/or silicon packages depending on applications. The enabling technology elements include: (i) through-silicon-vias (TSV) with thinned silicon wafers, (ii) fine pitch wiring, (iii) fine pitch interconnection between stacked die, (iv) fine pitch test for known-good die, and (v) power delivery, distribution and thermal cooling technology. Applications may range from miniaturization of portable electronics like image sensors and cell phones to power efficient, high performance computing solutions such as servers and super computers. Silicon based packaging and 3D stacked die technologies have been in research studies for more than a decade at IBM and in industry, universities & consortia. IBM research experiments have included test vehicle design, build, characterization and modeling. Robust structures and processes have been developed based on (i) process learning for silicon based structures, (ii) assembly process comparisons for fine pitch chip interconnection, (iii) electrical, mechanical and thermal characterization and (iv) reliability & accelerated stress characterization. TSV technology investigations have included composite, copper and tungsten metallurgies. Wiring demonstrations ranged from sub-micron fine pitch wiring line widths & spaces to larger dimensions. I/O interconnections investigated feature sizes such as 100 I/O / mm2, 400 I/O/mm2, and interconnection features sizes which support 2500 I/O / mm2. In addition, integrated decoupling capacitors of one hundred ten nano-farads per mm2 per layer and assembly of module structures on silicon packages with ceramic or organic base packages were demonstrated. Examples of robust TSV structures and characterization, single die with silicon interposers, multiple die on a silicon package and stacked die assemblies are given along with highlights of characterization including aspects of electrical, mechanical and reliability results. This research paper describes recent advances in industry and reports advancements from IBM in the design, technical challenges and progress toward 3D chip integration structures. In addition, examples of potential applications that may take advantage of 3D integration are discussed.
A “How-To” Guide in Preparing Abstracts and Poster Presentations

The preparation of an abstract or poster to share information from a project or case report with colleagues is a professional goal for many nutrition support practitioners. This paper provides an approach to help practitioners prepare an abstract for submission and subsequently a poster for presentation at a meeting. A nutrition support question that required collecting and evaluating information, or a unique patient case or case series, can serve as the focus of an abstract and subsequent poster. The professional meeting selected should be appropriate for the abstract topic, and the authors should closely adhere to the organization's abstract submission guidelines. The well-prepared abstract will then serve as the outline for the poster content; the visual aspect of the poster is also important to effectively communicate the information to colleagues at the meeting. Adequate time is required to prepare both the abstract and the poster in order to fittingly reflect the value of the information. Efforts in preparing the abstract will be worthwhile once the abstract has been accepted by reviewers for a poster session at the meeting. Likewise, the effort in preparing the poster in advance allows the presenter to enjoy the poster session and discuss the project with colleagues.
Criminal History and Assaults on Intimate Partners by Mexican American and Non-Mexican White College Students

This study analyzed a sample of 348 college students to examine the role that criminal history and Mexican ethnicity play in predicting intimate partner violence. Respondents who committed crimes in the past (before the age of 15) had a higher probability of severely physically assaulting a partner than those respondents who had committed crime later in life (after the age of 15). A history of property crime was found to be a better predictor of severe partner assault than a history of violent crime. The results support a generalist perspective on crime, which states that most individuals typically do not commit one type of crime solely but commit a variety of different crimes (property and violent). This study also found differences between Mexican American and non-Mexican White students in reference to minor assaults on a partner.
Epidermal growth factor receptor-dependent control of keratinocyte survival and Bcl-xL expression through a MEK-dependent pathway.

Previous work has shown that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase moiety provides protection to normal human keratinocytes against apoptosis. This protection is, at least in part, due to EGFR-dependent expression of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family member, Bcl-x(L). Here we focused on intracellular signaling pathways relevant to keratinocyte survival and/or Bcl-x(L) expression. By using pharmacological inhibitors and dominant negative expression constructs, we observed that phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT and phospholipase C gamma/protein kinase C alpha activation were required for keratinocyte survival independently of EGFR activation or Bcl-x(L) expression. By contrast, MEK activity required EGFR activation and, as shown by use of the MEK inhibitor PD98059 and a dominant negative MEK construct, was necessary for Bcl-x(L) expression and survival. Consistent with an earlier study, blocking SRC kinase activities similarly led to down-regulation of Bcl-x(L) protein expression and impaired keratinocyte survival. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that EGFR-dependent MEK activity contributes to both Bcl-x(L) expression and survival of normal keratinocytes. Other signaling pathways (i.e. phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT and phospholipase C gamma/protein kinase C alpha) are obligatory to keratinocyte survival but not to Bcl-x(L) expression, and control of these pathways by EGFR activation is not rate-limiting to normal keratinocyte survival.
Atypical Presentation of Sarcoidosis on ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT.

On 18F-FDG PET, inflammatory processes can be one of the most confounding factors for interpretation, particularly when the presentation of the process is atypical, as it was in the case of sarcoidosis reported here. Clinicians should be aware that sarcoidosis may mimic lung malignancies and lymphomas, regardless of typical or atypical appearance on 18F-FDG PET.
Establishment of Amblyomma maculatum (Gulf Coast Tick) in Arkansas, U.S.A

Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Gulf Coast tick) has been reported throughout the southeastern United States, California, and Arizona (Goddard & Norment 1983) and on various animals including cattle, deer, mesocarnivores, and ground dwelling birds (Tugwell & Lancaster 1962). The tick is a pest of economic and pathogenic concern since it readily infests cattle (Semtner & Hair 1973), and is the vector of Cowdria ruminantium Cowdry (the causative agent of Heartwater disease) (Uilenburg 1982) and Rickettsia parkeri (the causative agent of newly described spotted fever) (Paddock et al. 2004). Previous confirmations of R. parkeri in A maculatum included specimens from Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, and South Carolina (Sumner et al. 2007). Amblyomma maculatum was initially thought to reside within 160 km of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts (Bishop & Hixson 1936), but it has been found in 18 eastern counties of Oklahoma (Semtner & Hair 1973) and in Washington County and Ashley County in northwest Arkansas (Lancaster 1973). It may have become redistributed with livestock movement (Goddard & Norment 1983) and cattle egrets migration (USDA APHIS 2008). As a part of a larger study, investigating ticks on canines and deer (Trout & Steelman in press), veterinarians and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission removed ticks from hosts and stored
Electronic Health Record Analysis of the Primary Care of Adults With Intellectual and Other Developmental Disabilities

Adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (IDD) are at risk for suboptimal primary healthcare. Electronic Health Record (EHR) analyses are an underutilized resource for studying the health and primary care of this population. Authors report on a case-control EHR analysis of adults with IDD provided primary care through a Cleveland, Ohio, USA, area clinic between 2005 and 2008. The IDD cohort was identified by relevant International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision codes in problem list and encounter diagnoses. A comparison cohort matched by age, sex, race, and insurance was also specified. Demographic, health, and health service characteristics of the two cohorts were compared. The IDD cohort consisted of 1,267 individuals (mean age: 39 years; 54% male). Age, sex, racial, and health insurance characteristics were similar in the 2,534 individuals in the comparison cohort. Individuals with IDD were significantly more likely to carry comorbid diagnoses of epilepsy, constipation, osteoporosis, obesity, and hyperlipidemia, but were significantly less likely to bear comorbid diagnoses of hypertension, diabetes, osteoarthritis, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Despite a lower mean body mass index, individuals with IDD were more likely to be labeled obese. Only genetic consultation rates were higher in the IDD cohort. Health services research related to persons with IDD is becoming more feasible as large health systems adopt EHRs. Further analyses should investigate whether variations in disease rates in adults with IDD represent true differences in disease prevalences vs. disparities in healthcare.
Porosity Reduction During Diagenesis of Diatomaceous Rocks

With lithification and burial, diatomaceous rock transforms from opal-A to opal-CT and then quartz. This study documents two different patterns of porosity reduction and their associated mineralogical and density changes using samples from the Monterey Formation, California. Samples that have one set of properties are called group 1, and those showing other trends are assigned to group 2.
Application of Variable Leading-Edge Roughness for Transition Control. on Swept Wings

For transition to turbulence in crossflow-dominated swept-wing boundary layers, details of the strongly nonlinear nature of the stationary primary instability are well understood both experimentally and theoretically. It is the particular action of the nonlinearities that makes possible a transition control scheme using subcritically spaced leading-edge surface roughness arrays. What is desired is a means by which this scheme can be generalized to all cases of crossflow-dominated transition. To this end, two elements are presented here: a experimental examination of the process by which the primary instability generates a high-frequency secondary instability that leads to breakdown and a prototype system of pneumatically driven surface roughness actuators that can provide the correct control input for the transition suppression scheme. The key experimental results are that both mode shape and growth data show that the secondary instability is indeed the key factor in triggering breakdown of crossflow boundary layers and that the location of the secondary instability mode explains the nature of breakdown patterns observed in naphthalene flow-visualization experiments. The actuator system is shown to be capable of producing a transition effect.