cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonlinear Averaging of Multi-Sensor Data

Considered in this paper is a framework for combining multiple sensor data to obtain a single inference. The task of fusing multi-sensor data is very challenging when no information about the sensor or estimation models is available. Kalman Filtering and other model-based techniques cannot be used to obtain a reliable inference. Linear Averaging of data is probably the simplest technique available, however, there is no guarantee that the fused measurement is, in fact, the best estimation. The problem will be worsened if one or more sensor measurements are faulty. In this paper, we analyze this problem and propose an effective multi-sensor fusion methodology. It is shown that a reliable solution can be obtained by nonlinearly averaging the multiple measurements. The proposed technique is well suited to identify outliers in the sensor measurements as well as to detect faulty sensor measurements. The developed algorithm is versatile in the sense that prior knowledge or information about sensors can be easily incorporated to improve the accuracy further. Illustrative examples and simulation data are presented to validate the proposed scheme.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
The effect of collagen crosslinking on the biphasic poroviscoelastic cartilage properties determined from a semi-automated microindentation protocol for stress relaxation

Given the important role of the collagenous structure in cartilage mechanics, there is considerable interest in the relationship between collagen crosslinking and the mechanical behavior of the cartilage matrix. While crosslink-induced alterations to the elastic modulus of cartilage have been described, changes to time-dependent behavior have not yet been determined. The objective of the study was to quantify changes to cartilage material properties, including viscoelastic coefficients, with crosslinking via indentation. To accomplish this, a semi-autonomous microindentation stress relaxation protocol was first developed, validated and then applied to cartilage specimens before and after crosslinking. The change in mechanical properties with crosslinking was analyzed both in the unloading portions of the test via the Oliver–Pharr method and in the holding portion with an inverse iterative finite element model that represented cartilage as a biphasic poroviscoelastic material. Although both techniques suggested a similar increase in equilibrium modulus in the crosslinked specimens as compared to the controls, distinct differences in the control specimens were apparent, suggesting that the two different techniques may be capturing different aspects of the material behavior. No differences in time-dependent properties were observed between the crosslinked and the control specimens. These results give further insight into the effects of crosslinking in cartilage mechanical behavior. Additionally, the microindentation stress relaxation protocol may enable increased automation for high-throughput testing.
Nepal quake doesn't fit

An earthquake in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains in Nepal August 21 killed more than 700 people and caused landslides and damage to buildings over a wide area. Preliminary information on the location of the magnitude (Ms)-6.6 quake may also send a tremor or two through generally accepted theories about the geometry and mechanics of India's subduction beneath Asia. The earthquake occurred near the geologic boundary between the Indo-Gangetic basin and the Himalayas, 200 km southeast of Katmandu. The epicenter of the quake, as determined by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Service in Denver, Colo., was at 26.6°N, 86.6°E, nearly coincident with that of a magnitude-8.3 earthquake that rocked the region in 1934. A series of great earthquakes [M⩾8] has taken place during the past 2 centuries along the length of the range, near the topographic break that marks the southern limit of Himalayan deformation. Most earthquakes in the region occur under the high Himalaya, 100–200 km farther north, and are typically of small to moderate size.
One Size Does Not Fit All: Cinematic Approaches to the Teaching of Shakespeare

For high school English teachers in the United States, ninth grade usually means teaching Romeo and Juliet, tenth grade Julius Caesar, and twelfth grade Macbeth, Hamlet or both. While some teachers...
Austrians and Post Keynesians on economic reality: Rejoinder to critics

Most economists—old and new classical, old and new Keynesian, and Austrian (as embodied in O'Driscoll and Rizzo's The Economics of Time and Ignorance) postulate an immutable reality unchangeable by any human action (the ergodic hypothesis). They differ only over the amount of information decisionmakers have, in the short run, about this unchanging reality. Keynes and the Post Keynesians provide an axiomatic alternative model that presumes a transmutable economic reality (i.e., it postulates a nonergodic environment). Runde, Torr, Prychitko, and Boehm and Farmer fail to adequately address this dichotomous analysis of reality in responding to my review of O'Driscoll and Rizzo's book.
Ellipsoid ART and ARTMAP for incremental unsupervised and supervised learning

We introduce Ellipsoid-ART, EA and Ellipsoid-ARTMAP, EAM as a generalization of Hyper-sphere ART and Hypersphere-ARTMAP respectively. Our novel archetectures are based on ideas rooted on Fuzzy-ART, FA and Fuzzy-ARTMAP, FAM. While FA/FAM summarize input data using hyper-rectangles, EA/EAM utilize hyper-ellipsoids for the same purpose. Due to their learning rules, EA and EAM share virtually all properties and characteristics of their FA/FAM counterparts. Preliminary experimentation implies that EA and EAM are to be viewed as good alternatives to FA and FAM for data clustering and classification tasks. Extensive pseudo-code is provided in the appendices for computationally efficient implementations of EA/EAM training and performance phases.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Implications for Cardiac and Vascular Disease

ALONG WITH THE EPIDEMIC OF obesity, there is a growing awareness of sleep-disordered breathing as a potential and treatable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The repetitive nocturnal hypoxemia experienced by patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with activation of a number of neural, humoral, thrombotic, metabolic, and inflammatory disease mechanisms, all of which have also been implicated in the pathophysiology of cardiac and vascular disease. Activation of these mechanisms is often evident even in patients with OSA who are free of overt cardiovascular disease, suggesting that OSA may conceivably contribute to the initiation and progression of cardiovascular disease (FIGURE 1). SleepapneacanbecategorizedasOSA, in which there is preserved and increased respiratory effort despite partial or complete occlusion of the upper airway; or as central sleep apnea (CSA), in which there is absence of both respiratory efforts and airflow. The apneahypopnea index (ie, the number of apneic and hypopneic events per hour) is used as one index of the presence and severity of sleep apnea. For OSA, an apnea-hypopnea index of 5 to 15 indicates mild apnea; of 15 to 30, moderate apnea; and of greater than 30, severe apnea. Approximately 1 in 5 adults has at least mild OSA (apnea-hypopnea index, 5-15), and 1 in 15 adults has at least moderate OSA (apnea-hypopnea index, 15-30). Other measures of the severity of sleep apnea include the severity of oxygen desaturation and the level of daytime sleepiness. Obstructive sleep apnea is commonly associated with obesity and also is often present in patients with
Vacuum-assisted closure in the treatment of poststernotomy mediastinitis in the paediatric patient.

Summary Introduction Delayed sternal closure after paediatric open heart procedure is often necessary. The risk of delayed sternal closure is infection: superficial wound or sternal and mediastinal infection. The incidence of sternal wound infection reported in the literature varies from 0.5 to 10%. The mortality for poststernotomy deep sternal infection continues to be high – from 14 to 47%. Established treatment includes surgical debridement, drainage and irrigation, antibiotics, frequent change of wound dressing and direct or secondary closure with omentum or pectoral muscle flap. Patients and methods Between October 2003 and August 2005, three children, aged from 9 days to 2 years and who had developed severe mediastinitis after cardiac surgery were treated with the vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) system. Results The duration of VAC treatment ranged from 12 to 21 days. The response to VAC was rapid with local purulence and C-reactive protein (CRP) both decreasing within 72h in all cases. After good granulation was obtained, two patients required a thin skin graft. Discussion All three children had peritoneal dialysis which did not permit omental use. The use of pectoralis major is a difficult technique in neonates and the haemodynamic conditions were poor in our cases. The VAC technique is a good indication in post-cardiotomy mediastinitis in children: it plays a role in the reduction of infection and provides good healing.
The impact of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist on gonadotropin ovulation induction cycles in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a prospective randomized study

Objective To evaluate the effect of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist Ganirelix on gonadotropin ovulation induction (OI) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Design Prospective, randomized, controlled study. Setting Academic infertility center. Patient(s) Ninety-eight anovulatory women with PCOS undergoing 154 gonadotropin OI cycles. Intervention(s) Patients were treated with recombinant FSH alone (group 1) or in conjunction with Ganirelix when the leading follicle was ≥13 mm (group 2) versus from the beginning of stimulation (group 3), followed by IUI. Main Outcome Measure(s) Per cycle clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), live-birth rate (LBR), total gonadotropin dose, days of stimulation, serum LH and peak E 2 , and premature luteinization rate. Result(s) Data are suggestive of improved CPR in group 2 versus group 1 (33% vs. 19%) and LBR (35% vs. 20%) but not significantly different. Premature luteinization was highest in group 1 (21% vs. 1.8% in group 2 and 2.1% in group 3). Group 3 had the highest cancellation rate and cost without improving CPR and LBR. No differences were noted in peak serum E 2 , total gonadotropin dose, or days of stimulation. Conclusion(s) Adding Ganirelix in a flexible protocol to gonadotropin OI cycles in women with PCOS may be beneficial by decreasing premature luteinization.
The Protein Scaffold NHERF-1 Controls the Amplitude and Duration of Localized Protein Kinase D Activity *

Protein kinase D (PKD) transduces an abundance of signals downstream of diacylglycerol production. The mammalian PKD family consists of three isoforms, PKD1, PKD2, and PKD3; of these PKD1 and PKD2 contain PDZ-binding motifs at their carboxyl termini. Here we show that membrane-localized NHERF scaffold proteins provide a nexus for tightly controlled PKD signaling via a PDZ domain interaction. Using a proteomic array containing 96 purified PDZ domains, we have identified the first PDZ domain of NHERF-1 as an interaction partner for the PDZ-binding motifs of both PKD1 and PKD2. A fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based translocation assay reveals a transient association of PKD1 and PKD2 with NHERF-1 in live cells that is triggered by phorbol ester stimulation and, importantly, differs strikingly from the sustained translocation to plasma membrane. Targeting a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based kinase activity reporter for PKD to NHERF scaffolds reveals a unique signature of PKD activation at the scaffold that is distinct from that of general cytosolic or plasma membrane activity. Specifically, agonist-evoked activation of PKD at the scaffold is rapid and sustained but blunted in magnitude when compared with cytosolic PKD. Thus, live cell imaging of PKD activity demonstrates ultrasensitive control of kinase signaling at the scaffold compared with bulk activity in the cytosol or at the plasma membrane.
Analog Circuit Design Knowledge Mining: Discovering Topological Similarities and Uncovering Design Reasoning Strategies

Mining engineering metaknowledge from electronic documents is important in devising new design solutions for emerging applications as well as in identifying new business opportunities. Continuously and comprehensively reviewing and assessing the entire technical literature to find the most relevant ideas and solutions is cumbersome as engineering innovations are constantly being proposed. In particular, high performance analog circuit design has been at the forefront of technological innovations given their importance in applications, like telecommunications, mobile applications, and health care. This paper proposes a model and mining techniques for representing analog circuit design metaknowledge. The metaknowledge representation includes three components: an associative component presenting the conceptual hierarchy of the considered circuits, a component expressing the performance capabilities (e.g., tradeoffs and bottlenecks) of the circuits, and a causal modeling part describing the more likely starting ideas and design plans used to create a circuit. Knowledge structures can be used to tackle new applications, identify opportunities to improve existing circuits, and validate design correctness. A case study illustrates the proposed knowledge structure for a set of 30 modern, high-frequency analog circuits.
Formal Mentoring Programs and Organizational Attraction.

This study was designed to test if formal mentoring programs enhance organizational attraction. Participants were 190 undergraduates looking for a job related to their major. Results indicated that participants were more attracted to an organization when it was depicted as having a formal mentoring program than when it was not so depicted. Drawing on the learning and development literature, we also tested the extent to which this finding was moderated by individual differences. Results indicated that learning goal orientation was a moderator. Specifically, individuals with greater learning orientation were more attracted to the organization when it was depicted as having a formal mentoring program than when it was not so depicted. No interaction effects involving self-efficacy for development or proactive personality were found. The results represent one of the first attempts to empirically support the benefits of mentoring at the organizational level.
A Safe High-yield Technique for Cutting Needle Biopsy of the Lung in Patients With Diffuse Lung Disease

The approach to the diagnosis and management of patients with diffuse infiltrative lung disease (DILD) is controversial. The results of transbronchial biopsy are often unsatisfactory. The role of open lung biopsy is highly variable. Percutaneous cutting needle biopsy (CNB) is not recommended because of its reported high morbidity/mortality relative to its low diagnostic yield. We report a technique for CNB with a high diagnostic yield and a low morbidity and no mortality in 228 patients with DILD over the past 23 years. Methods The salient features of the technique for CNB are as follows: the anesthetic needle does not enter the pleural space; a Franklin Silverman needle is inserted into the intercostal space posteriorly at outer one-third of chest wall; the biopsy is performed with the breath held at normal end expiration; the plane of pleural space is broken with sudden insertion of needle 8 to 15 cm into lung; and the pathway of the needle is maintained parallel to the lateral chest wall. Results A diagnosis was established in 129 of 145 biopsies (89%) performed by a trained operator (A.H.N.). There were 36 pneumothoraces (25%), four minimal hemoptyses (3%), and two chest tube placements (1%). There were no deaths (0%). Conclusion With meticulous attention to technique and careful selection of patients, the procedure offers a relatively safe alternative to open lung or thoracoscopic lung biopsy in patients with DILD.
Multipactor-susceptible RF windows as power-tunable microwave limiters

Summary form only given. Multipactor breakdown on a dielectric may provide automatic protective isolation of electronic circuits such as transmitter-receiver (TR) switches in radar. Prior Monte Carlo simulations suggest the application of a DC bias across a dielectric window in a vacuum-gas environment can lower the threshold for the onset of RF-initiated multipactor. Variation of the DC bias may therefore provide a mechanism by which a microwave window might be tuned such that RF powers exceeding a threshold would result in window breakdown. Recent experimental work used a 200 W CW, 2.45 GHz magnetron to direct RF at a Lexan vacuum window with embedded copper wires providing the DC bias. Experimental results confirmed that a DC bias was effective at reducing the RF power threshold for multipactor in argon at 15-25 torr with good reproducibility. Further exploration using argon pressures up to 75 torr showed similar results, though with greater variability. Continuing efforts include tuning the breakdown threshold for different RF powers, measuring RF extinction times, and investigating the use of materials with high secondary electron yields to improve limiter performance.
Multi-event decision making over multivariate time series

We propose a multidimentional time-point model and algorithm to solve multi-event expert query parametric estimation (ME-EQPE) problems over multivariate time series. Our proposed model and algorithm combine the strengths of both domain-knowledge-based and formal-learning-based approaches to learn optimal decision parameters for maximising utility over multivariate time series. More specifically, our approach solves the decision optimisation problems to maximise the utility from multiple decision time points, as well as maintaining an optimality of the learned multiple sets of decision parameters in their respective events during the computations. We show that our approach produces a reasonable forecasting result by using the learned multiple sets of decision parameters.
Recent developments in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy

Pediatric neuromuscular disorders comprise a large variety of disorders that can be classified based on their neuroanatomical localization, patterns of weakness, and laboratory test results. Over the last decade, the field of translational research has been active with many ongoing clinical trials. This is particularly so in two common pediatric neuromuscular disorders: Duchenne muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy. Although no definitive therapy has yet been found, numerous active areas of research raise the potential for novel therapies in these two disorders, offering hope for improved quality of life and life expectancy for affected individuals.
Computing Steerable Principal Components of a Large Set of Images and Their Rotations

We present here an efficient algorithm to compute the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of a large image set consisting of images and, for each image, the set of its uniform rotations in the plane. We do this by pointing out the block circulant structure of the covariance matrix and utilizing that structure to compute its eigenvectors. We also demonstrate the advantages of this algorithm over similar ones with numerical experiments. Although it is useful in many settings, we illustrate the specific application of the algorithm to the problem of cryo-electron microscopy.
The Distribution of Urban Population and an Application to a Servicing Problem

The growth of the urban component of a nation and the shift in population from rural to urban areas in the course of industrial development are processes that show both regularity and predictability. Consequently, it is possible to describe the concentration of population in terms of population density and area by comparatively simple expressions. In this paper expressions are examined for the distribution of people within cities, for the distribution of city sizes within the United States, and for the total population contained within boundaries described in various ways. These generalizations have many applications, both in industrial planning and in civil defense and other military considerations. The paper shows how it is possible to make approximate estimates of the total population serviced by operations of specified types as a function of the cost structure of the operation.
The self-concept, personal values, and motivational orientations of black and white managers.

The self-concept, personal values, and levels of achievement, power, and affiliation motivation of a group of black and white managers presently working in organizations were evaluated. The overall...
Cluster headache in women: clinical characteristics and comparison with cluster headache in men

OBJECTIVE—To study the clinical characteristics of cluster headache in women. Cluster headache is a disorder of men (male to female ratio 6-7:1). METHODS—Retrospective chart review to identify all women diagnosed with cluster headache at an academic headache centre from January 1995 through July 1998. RESULTS—Thirty two women and 69 men were identified. The mean age of onset of cluster headache was 29.4 years in women versus 31.3years in men. Two peaks of onset in women (2nd and 5th decade) were identified compared with one in men (3rd decade). Episodic cluster headache was present in 75% of women and 77% of men. Women and men had on average 3 attacks a day, but attack duration was shorter in women (67.2 minutes v 88.2 minutes). Cluster headache period duration (11.1 weeks v 10 weeks) and remission periods (21.1 months v 23.1 months) were similar in women and men. Miosis and ptosis seemed to be less common in women (miosis 13.3% v 24.6%, ptosis 41.9% v 58.1%) whereas lacrimation and nasal congestion/rhinorrhoea were almost equally prevalent in women and men. Women had more nausea than men (62.5% v 43.5%, p=0.09) and significantly more vomiting (46.9% v 17.4%, p=0.003). Photophobia occurred in 75% of women and 81.2% of men, and phonophobia occurred in 50% of women and 47.8% of men. CONCLUSIONS—The clinical characteristics of cluster headache in women are very similar to those in men. Women develop the disorder at an earlier age of onset and experience more "migrainous symptoms" with cluster headache, especially vomiting. Both men and women have frequent photophobia and phonophobia with cluster headache attacks. These symptoms are not included in the International Headache Society cluster headache criteria, suggesting the need for possible criteria revision.
Sweatshop: The History of an American Idea by Laura Hapke and Sweated Work, Weak Bodies: Anti-Sweatshop Campaigns and Languages of Labor by Daniel E. Bender: Book Reviews

Sweatshop: The History of an American Idea Laura Hapke. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2004. Sweated Work, Weak Bodies: Anti-Sweatshop Campaigns and Languages of Labor Daniel E. Bender. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2004. Laura Hapke's book Sweatshop: The History of an American Idea and Daniel Bender's book Sweated Work, Weak Bodies: Anti-Sweatshop Campaigns and Languages of Labor are complementary works both published in 2004 by Rutgers University Press. Bender covers the topic from the late nineteenth century through the 1930s; while Hapke starts in the 1940s and continues to the present. The first part of Hapke's book, "The Sweatshop Surveyed," depicts the sweatshop's development from the Massachusetts Lowell Mills of the 1840s to New York's Lower East Side tenements of the 1890s. Gender differences concerning sweatshops are made apparent by the authors, particularly in terms of the role of men and women in the sweatshops and in labor organizations such as the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU). Hapke focuses on the role of women after the Shirtwaist Strike of 1909-1910 and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire of 1911, in which 146 people died in a modern tenement built without sanitation and safety considerations. While the sweatshop workplace was condemned by the 1920s, the idea lived on among many workers into the 1930s. Hapke's second part entitled "Sweatshop Aesthetics" details the New Deal's pictorial treatment of the sweatshops and their workingclass subjects in the chapter called "Newsreel of Memory: The WPA in the Great Depression." Hapke takes the idea and substance of the sweatshop into the post-World War II industrial and postindustrial world. New ethnic and racial groups, blacks, Asians, and Latinos, replaced the Jews and Italians. While the "Age of Affluence" (1945-1953) was the time of the unionized sweatshop, the sweatshop jobs were quickly outsourced, immigrant labor serviced new "illegal" sweatshops, and increasingly Americans worked in postindustrial service jobs. Older unions, particularly the Amalgamated Clothing Workers and the ILGWU, merged to form UNITE, an organization pledged to unionize the new sweatshops in American, but as Hapke points out Americans disagreed about the nature of the modern sweatshops, as witnessed by the controversy revolving around the 1998 Smithsonian Institution's exhibit "Between a Rock and a Hard Place: A History of Sweatshops 1820 to the Present" held at the National Museum of American History. …
Crantor and Posidonius on Atlantis

The story of Atlantis, inspiration (on a recent estimate) of more than 20,000 books, rests entirely on an elaborate Platonic myth (Timaeus 20d–26e, continued in Critias 108d–121c), allegedly based on a private, oral tradition deriving from Solon. Solon himself is supposed to have heard the story in Egypt; a priest obligingly translated it for him from hieroglyphic inscriptions in a temple in Sais. It might be added that (unlike his modern readers) Plato is less concerned with Atlantis than with her rival and conqueror, the Athens of that antediluvian age 9600 B.C. That Plato himself made the whole story up (fashionable recent theories about Thera notwithstanding) is indeed virtually demonstrable. This is not the place for such a demonstration (not that any amount of proof could destroy the faith of the true believer), but it is at any rate possible to eliminate completely one of the crucial props on which belief has always leaned.
Dehydration and Thermal Strain in Junior Tennis

Playing tennis effectively and safely in the heat can be particularly challenging in junior tennis, especially during organized tournament competition when young players have to compete in demanding environmental conditions several times on the same day. With sweat rates ranging from 0.5 L to more than 2.0 L per hour, a young player can readily incur significant total body water and sodium deficits during a very long match or when participating in multiple matches on the same day over several days in a row. On-court thermal strain can be quite high, as tournament-level tennis can elicit appreciable metabolic heat production and storage, even during doubles; this can be exacerbated by poor hydration as well as carryover effects from previous same-day competition and heat exposure. Appropriate and effective safety and performance guidelines for young tennis players training and competing in the heat should focus on readily modifiable risk factors such as hydration management and scheduling of play versus any purported inherent thermoregulatory disadvantages in this specific age group.
Examining predictors and consequences of information seeking in close relationships

The management of information in close relationships plays a critical role in our well-being (e.g., S. Petronio, 2002). Since relational partners often desire to be “in the know” about one another, the relative absence of inquiry into the process of information seeking in close relationships is puzzling. Recently, W. Ickes, J. W. Dugosh, J. A. Simpson, and C. L. Wilson (2003) examined that process and showed important ways in which the motivation to acquire relationship-threatening information may be harmful to relationships. We extend their work and apply the newly developed Theory of Motivated Information Management (W. A. Afifi, & Weiner, 2004) to close relationships. In addition, we test the consequences of information seeking for short-term changes in relationship commitment. Two hundred and twenty-two participants thought of something that their relational partner did or said for which they wanted more information, then completed 2 surveys, 3 weeks apart, measuring cognitive and behavioral factors related to the information-management process. Results reveal several factors that influence the seeking of information in close relationships (e.g., issue importance, anxiety, expected outcomes, and perceived efficacy), show benefits of an indirect search for information in the face of negative expectancies, and suggest several directions for future research.
A 1.5 MW, 110 GHz high efficiency gyrotron for tokamak plasma heating

Summary form only given, as follows. A 1.5 MW, 110 GHz gyrotron is under development for electron cyclotron resonance plasma heating in the DIII-D tokamak. The research is aimed to provide reliable CW operation of the gyrotron at high efficiency. The cavity is designed to avoid mode competition and mode conversion. The gyrotron is under test in short pulse operation. Over 1 MW of power in the design mode with an efficiency of 25% has been demonstrated in preliminary experiments using the newly designed cavity and an older triode magnetron injection gun (MIG). A new MIG electron gun designed specifically for the gyrotron has been built. The experiment on high power generation using the new MIG is under way.
Cirques, peaks, and precipitation patterns in the Swiss Alps: Connections among climate, glacial erosion, and topography

Glacial erosion, a process influenced by climate, has been implicated in limiting the relief of mountain ranges. However, climate itself is sensitive to large-scale topography, suggesting that climate, topography, and glacial processes form a coupled system. Large spatial gradients in precipitation exist in the southern Swiss Alps, allowing us to study this coupling in a region of climate variability. More than 500 cirques were identified, and neighboring peaks were found to co-vary in elevation with cirque floors ( R 2 0.64). Cirque headwall relief does not vary with precipitation or cirque floor altitude. These relationships confirm the hypothesis that cirque formation restricts peak altitudes via slope processes that limit the relief of cirque headwalls. We compared the position of the regional equilibrium line altitude (ELA) estimated from modern climate to a surface defined by the cirque floors. The modern ELA and cirque floor surfaces are similar in shape, illustrating the impact of spatial variability in precipitation on glacial processes and topography. Precipitation variability in this region is partially dictated by large-scale topography. Therefore, precipitation patterns, glacial process domains, and topography must evolve together.
Intentional systems in cognitive ethology: The 'panglossian paradigm' defended

Ethologists and others studying animal behavior in a “cognitive” spirit are in need of a descriptive language and method that are neither anachronistically bound by behaviorist scruples nor prematurely committed to particular “information-processing models.” Just such an interim descriptive method can be found in intentional system theory. The use of intentional system theory is illustrated with the case of the apparently communicative behavior of vervet monkeys. A way of using the theory to generate data - including usable, testable “anecdotal” data - is sketched. The underlying assumptions of this approach can be seen to ally it directly with “adaptationist” theorizing in evolutionary biology, which has recently come under attack from Stephen Gould and Richard Lewontin, who castigate it as the “Panglossian paradigm.” Their arguments, which are strongly analogous to B. F, Skinner's arguments against “mentalism,” point to certain pitfalls that attend the careless exercise of such “Panglossian” thinking (and rival varieties of thinking as well), but do not constitute a fundamental objection to either adaptationist theorizing or its cousin, intentional system theory.
Use of Propranolol for Hypersexual Behavior in an Adolescent With Autism

Objective: To report a case of an adolescent with autism with clinically significant hypersexual behaviors in whom a trial of low-dose propranolol led to major clinical improvement. Case Summary: This case report describes a 13-year-old boy with a history of autism who presented to the outpatient psychiatric clinic for hypersexual behaviors that started at the onset of puberty. The behaviors affected his functioning both at school and home. A trial of low-dose propranolol, 0.3 mg/kg/d (10 mg twice a day), targeting hypersexual behavior led to remarkable clinical improvement. The behaviors remained stable on this dose of propranolol for 1 year. Discussion: Hypersexual behavior exhibited by adolescent patients with autism can be a big challenge to manage. The literature on pharmacological options to manage these behaviors in children and adolescents with autism is limited. Clinical data of propranolol use are novel. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first case report of low-dose propranolol leading ...
Determination of the breakpoint of the common α-thalassaemia deletion in Filipinos in Hawaii

The region of the crossover causing the Filipino type of α thalassaemia has been determined by examining similarity between the regions which had been indicated as involved in the crossover points by restriction mapping, using the published α-globin region DNA sequence. The crossover point was found in 21 base pairs between two Alu sequences using PCR primers flanking these Alu sequences. A simple PCR multiplex assay has been devised to detect heterozygotes and homozygotes.
Concurrency control using locking with deferred blocking

The concurrency control method employed can be critical to the performance of transaction processing systems. The conventional locking scheme tends to suffer from the blocking phenomenon. The proposed scheme reduces the blocking probability by deferring the blocking behavior of transactions to the later stages of their execution. The transaction execution can then be divided into a nonblocking phase, in which transactions wait for locks but do not block other transactions, and a blocking phase, as in conventional locking. Data accessed during the nonblocking phase can lead to transaction abort. By properly balancing the blocking and abort effects, the proposed scheme can lead to better performance at all data and resource contention levels than either conventional locking or the optimistic concurrency control schemes. Both simulation and analytical models are used for estimating the performance of this scheme. >
Triangles as a Primary Representation

Triangles have often been overlooked as a serious generalpurpose geometric representation for many applications owing to storage, accuracy, and combinatoric concerns. This paper advocates triangles as a very workable common representation for almost all types of 3D surface data and for almost all applications, including 3D computer vision, by examining the major concerns and other representation issues in light of practical industry experience with such models. In addition, a shape signature, or feature vector, called the “crease angle histogram” is introduced and discussed as a possible tool in geometric indexing for recognition.
Piezoelectric Potential Output from ZnO Nanowire Functionalized with p-Type Oligomer

We have studied the piezoelectric potential output of a ZnO wire/belt functionalized with p-type oligomer (2,5-Bis(octanoxy)-1,4-bis(4-formyl phenylene vinylene) benzene) (OPV2) when it was deflected by an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip in contact mode. In comparison to the ZnO wire/belt without oligomer coating, an extra positive voltage peak was observed prior to the appearance of a negative potential peak. The paired positive and negative voltage peaks are the results of tip contact to the stretched and the compressed side of the wire/belt, corresponding to the positive and negative local piezoelectric potential, respectively. The p−n junction between OPV2 and ZnO serves as a “diode” that controls the flow of current. When the nanowire/nanobelt is first bent by the AFM tip, the diode is reversely biased and the piezoelectric charges are stored in the ZnO wire/belt. As the AFM tip further bends the wire/belt, the local piezoelectric potential is continuously accumulated to a value that is large enoug...
The Interaction of a Point Vortex with a Wall-bounded Vortex Layer

The interaction of a point vortex with a layer of constant vorticity, bounded below by a wall and above by an irrotational flow, is investigated as a model of vortex-boundary layer interaction. This model calculates both the evolution of the interface which separates the vortex layer from the irrotational flow and the trajectory of the vortex. In order to determine the conditions which lead to sustained unsteady interaction, three cases are investigated where the mutual interaction between the vortex and interface is initially assumed to be weak. (i) When a weak point vortex lies outside the layer, the vortex moves with a horizontal speed that is small relative to the long-wave phase speed of interfacial waves. (ii) When a weak vortex lies inside the layer, the vortex is convected by the mean flow and moves with a horizontal speed which matches the phase speed of an interfacial wave. (iii) When the point vortex lies close to the wall and it is sufficiently strong it propagates downstream with a large horizontal velocity.
Improving the accuracy of NMR structures of RNA by means of conformational database potentials of mean force as assessed by complete dipolar coupling cross-validation

The description of the nonbonded contact terms used in simulated annealing refinement can have a major impact on nucleic acid structures generated from NMR data. Using complete dipolar coupling cross-validation, we demonstrate that substantial improvements in coordinate accuracy of NMR structures of RNA can be obtained by making use of two conformational database potentials of mean force: a nucleic acid torsion angle database potential consisting of various multidimensional torsion angle correlations; and an RNA specific base-base positioning potential that provides a simple geometric, statistically based, description of sequential and nonsequential base-base interactions. The former is based on 416 nucleic acid crystal structures solved at a resolution of </=2 A and an R-factor </=25%; the latter is based on 131 RNA crystal structures solved at a resolution of </=3 A and an R-factor of </=25%, and includes both the large and small subunits of the ribosome. The application of these two database potentials is illustrated for the structure refinement of an RNA aptamer/theophylline complex for which extensive NOE and residual dipolar coupling data have been measured in solution.
Discrete versus syncytial tissue behavior in a model of cardiac stimulation. II. Results of simulation

For pt. I see ibid., vol. 43, no. 12, p. 1129-40 (1996). The research presented here combines mathematical modeling and computer simulation in developing a new model of the membrane polarization induced in the myocardium by the applied electric field. Employing this new model termed the "periodic" bidomain model, the steady-state distribution of the transmembrane potential is calculated on a slice of cardiac tissue composed of abutting myocytes and subjected to two point-source extracellular current stimuli. The goal of this study is to examine the relative contribution of cellular discreteness and macroscopic syncytial tissue behavior in the mechanism by which the applied electric field alters the transmembrane potential in cardiac muscle. The results showed the existence of oscillatory changes in the transmembrane potential at cell ends owing to the local resistive inhomogeneities (gap-junctions). This low-magnitude sawtooth component in the transmembrane potential is superimposed over large-scale transmembrane potential excursions associated with the syncytial (collective) fiber behavior. The character of the cardiac response to stimulation is determined primarily by the large-scale syncytial tissue behavior. The sawtooth contributes to the overall tissue response only in regions where the large-scale transmembrane potential component is small.
The incorporation of leucine-C14 into microsomal particles and other subcellular components of the pea epicotyl.

Incorporation of leucine-C14 into subcellular fractions of the apical section of pea seedlings has been studied as a function of the length of incubation. The specific activity of the microsomes was higher than that of the supernatant for short but not for long incubations, in agreement with observations on other systems. In this developing tissue the nuclei and especially the mitochondria appear to incorporate amino acid very rapidly. An insoluble fraction of the microsome pellet, which is presumably a liponucleoprotein complex, was found to possess, after 1 hour of incubation, a specific activity much greater than that of the purified microsomal particles or the supernatant fraction. Ninety-eight per cent of the leucine-C14 in the purified microsomal particles has been shown to possess bound amino groups, presumably in peptide linkages, by the DNP-end group method. These particles liberate but little peptide or protein of very high specific activity when they are destroyed by removal of Mg or by hydrolysis of RNA. Microsomal particles were fractionated into an RNA fraction and five protein fractions by means of density gradient centrifugation. By this method 95 per cent of the RNA can be separated from 90 per cent of the protein of the particle. Furthermore, the RNA fraction has been shown to contain very little protein of high specific activity. A particular protein fraction which contains the remaining 5 per cent of the RNA, possessed after 1 hour of incubation a specific activity 2 to 9 times higher than the protein of the other fractions.
Carcinogenetic Pathway of Urothelial Carcinoma

Two discrete molecular pathways of bladder carcinogenesis are recognized, one leading to superficial papillary carcinoma and the other to more aggressive either flat (carcinoma in situ) or invasive carcinoma. The majority of aggressive urothelial carcinomas show alterations in the p53 (TP53)-Mdm2-p14 and the retinoblastoma (Rb)-p16 genes and pathways. Both p53 and Rb maintain cellular homeostasis and control normal cell cycle, cellular growth and proliferation. In response to cellular stress, Rb is the main regulator of cell cycle progression, while p53’s main function is to trigger apoptosis or growth arrest in the G1 phase. Tumor angiogenesis also plays a role in urothelial carcinoma progression by providing oxygen, nutrients and growth factors to the neoplastic cells. Distinct genetic events portray the interaction between the molecules involved in these pathways, lending to their use as prognostic indicators. Patients with unaltered wild type p53 and Rb bladder cancers show significant decreased risk of recurrence and mortality when compared to those who have mutational alteration in both p53 and Rb. Alterations of p53 and Rb may help identify patients with high risk superficial cancers more likely to progress to invasive carcinoma or to identify patients who may fail conventional treatment. These patients may benefit from therapies targeting specific altered pathway molecules. Within the past several years, components of these pathways have been shown to be important prognostic and therapeutic response indicators and probable therapeutic targets.
Effect of Eudragit on In Vitro Transfection Efficiency of PEI-DNA Complexes.

Aim: Eudragit ® E 100 (EE100) was used to improve the transfection efficiency of polyethylenimine (PEI). Materials and Methods: Mobility of PEI-DNA complexes with and without EE100 were visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis and their transfection efficiencies were investigated in KB human oral carcinoma cells by flow cytometry. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazo- lium bromide (MTT) assay was used to determine the viability of transfected cells. Results: Gel electrophoresis illustrated formation of complete complexes at N/P ratios above 5. PEI had the highest transfection efficiency at an N/P ratio of 15, whereas in combination with EE100, the transfection efficiency was highest at an N/P ratio of 7.5. High concentrations of EE100 in combination with PEI were found to reduce cell viability. Conclusion: The results show a synergistic action of EE100 in transfection of DNA at low N/P ratios compared to PEI alone.
Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Study of the Combination of Docetaxel and Topotecan in Patients With Solid Tumors

PURPOSE: The sequence in which chemotherapeutic agents are administered can alter their pharmacokinetics, therapeutic effect, and toxicity. We evaluated the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of docetaxel and topotecan when coadministered on two different sequences of administration. PATIENTS AND METHODS: On cycle 1, docetaxel was administered as a 1-hour infusion at 60 mg/m2 without filgrastim and at 60, 70, and 80 mg/m2 with filgrastim on day 1, and topotecan was administered at 0.75 mg/m2 as a 0.5-hour infusion on days 1 to 4. On cycle 2, topotecan was administered on days 1 to 4, and docetaxel was administered on day 4. Cycles were repeated every 21 days. Blood samples for high-performance liquid chromatography measurement of docetaxel (CLDOC) and topotecan (CLTPT) total clearance were obtained on day 1 of cycle 1 and day 4 of cycle 2. CLDOC and CLTPT were calculated using compartmental methods. RESULTS: Mean ± SD CLDOC in cycles 1 and 2 were 75.9 ± 79.6 L/h/m2 and 29.2 ± 17.3 L/h/m2, respectively ...
Association of Co-Existing Impairments in Cognition and Self-Rated Vision and Hearing With Health Outcomes in Older Adults

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the relationship of disability (activities of daily living [ADL] and instrumental ADL [IADL]), self-rated health (SRH), and 6-year mortality wit...
Identifying Promising Items: The Use of Crowdsourcing in the Development of Assessment Instruments.

The psychometrically sound development of assessment instruments requires pilot testing of candidate items as a first step in gauging their quality, typically a time-consuming and costly effort. Crowdsourcing offers the opportunity for gathering data much more quickly and inexpensively than from most targeted populations. In a simulation of a pilot testing protocol, item parameters for 110 life science questions are estimated from 4,043 crowdsourced adult subjects and then compared with those from 20,937 middle school science students. In terms of item discrimination classification (high vs. low), classical test theory yields an acceptable level of agreement (C-statistic = 0.755); item response theory produces excellent results (C-statistic = 0.848). Item response theory also identifies potential anchor items without including any false positives (items with low discrimination in the targeted population). We conclude that the use of crowdsourcing subjects is a reasonable, efficient method for the identifi...
Gaining on Us and Closing Fast

Ballplayer Satchel Paige said, “Don’t look back — somebody might be gaining on you.” The 4th International Conference on Technology Policy & Innovation in Curitiba, Brazil (August, 2000), suggested the opposite: We Portlanders had better look back — to remind ourselves that others are gaining on us.