cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recurrent allergic vulvovaginitis: Treatment with Candida albicans allergen immunotherapy

Recurrent vaginal candidiasis is a difficult problem for many women who do not respond to the usual antifungal agents. Normally these women have recurrent disease for many years before they are referred for evaluation of local vaginal hypersensitivity. We evaluated 18 women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis that was unresponsive to all other modalities of therapy and who were skin-test positive to Candida albicans with a positive prick test or intradermal skin test. Three patients had late-phase skin test reactions only. Of the 18 study participants, 16 responded with significant improvement in the mean incidence of episodes of vaginitis per year from 17.2 ± 2.0 to 4.3 ± 1.8 (p Candida that may improve with allergy immunotherapy with C. albicans extract. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in a homogeneous group of women with standardized extract is needed to establish this as a recommended form of therapy in this subgroup of patients.
Thermoelectric magnetohydrodynamic effects during Bridgman semiconductor crystal growth with a uniform axial magnetic field

Abstract During semiconductor crystal growth with an externally applied magnetic field, thermoelectric currents may drive a significant melt circulation. This paper treats a model problem for a cylindrical Bridgman ampoule with a uniform axial magnetic field, a planar crystal—melt interface, a parabolic temperature variation along the interface and two different uniform values of the absolute thermoelectric power for the melt and crystal. For an axisymmetric motion, there are different characteristic velocities for the azimuthal velocity and the meridional (radial and axial) velocities. The meridional circulation involves radially outward flow in the melt near the crystal—melt interface. As the magnetic- field strength is increased from zero, the magnitude of the meridional circulation first increases from zero to a maximum at a Hartmann number of approximately ten and then decreases toward zero as the magnetic damping increases faster than thermoelectric effects.
Solid fuel ramjet simulator results - Experiment and analysis in cold flow

This paper presents laser-based experimental results and analytical results on two-dimensional backwardfacing step flows with mass injection from the bottom wall behind the step. The facility simulates the flowfield in the flame stabilization region of a solid fueled ramjet. Measured are two components of velocity and shear stress with and without secondary air injection. The same quantities are calculated for foreign-gas injection. The most notable effect of blowing, both experimentally and analytically, is the appearance of a second recirculation zone. Analytically and experimentally, it is found that the general size of the main recirculatory region diminishes with increased blowing rate and that blowoff of the recirculation zone can occur at relatively low blowing rates. This indicates that flame stabilization may be strongly affected by the actual blowing rate in a solid fuel ramjet (SFRJ).
Dynamic decoupling of secondary systems

Abstract The dynamic analysis of primary systems must often be performed decoupled from the secondary system. In doing so, one should assure that the decoupling does not significantly affect the frequencies and the response of the primary systems. The practice consists of heuristic algorithms intended to limit changes in the frequencies. The change in response is not considered. In this paper, changes in both the frequencies and the response are considered. Rational, but simple algorithms are derived to make accurate predictions. Material up to MDOF primary-SDOF secondary system is presented in this paper. MDOF-MDOF systems are treated in a companion paper.
Emergency Physician to Admitting Physician Handovers: An Exploratory Study:

Current emphasis on the number of deaths due to medical errors has pushed the patient safety issue to the forefront at many medical institutions. The Institute of Medicine's recommendation for improved coordination and collaboration between physicians, as well as the paucity of related literature, has led the authors to explore the nature of the handover between emergency department and admitting physicians.Research was conducted at two Ohio hospitals to document the phases and issues found in emergency department (ED) handovers. The phases for ED handovers were similar to those found in shift changes in other types of industries (e.g., paper mill, air traffic control) with minor variations in the order of the phases. Three areas were identified where potential errors could occur including the spoken communication between physicians, selection of diagnostic tests based on the specific admitting physician, and the use of surrogates by the admitting physician. Physicians identified the level of trust in ED ...
On river routing with minimum number of jogs

The one-layer wiring problem of providing a one-to-one connection between two sets of terminals that lie on two horizontal lines by means of wires, which are in the forms of disjoint rectilinear curves on a unit-grid (where one unit is the minimum spacing between two wires), is called the river routing problem. The minimization of horizontal wire segments for a one-layer rectilinear river routing model is discussed. For given separation s, the list of simple jog sequences is merged into a list of compound jog sequences that leads to the concept of feasible cuts. An algorithm that finds a feasible cut whose corresponding layout has the minimum possible total number of horizontal wires segments is given. An algorithm that gives a complete description of the layout is also given. Both algorithms run in time O(n*s). >
THE EFFECT OF COLUMN GEOMETRY ON SEPARATION EFFECTIVENESS OF AGAROSE FOR POLY(VINYL PYRROLIDONE)

Glass columns packed with agarose gets were evaluated for the analytical fractionation of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone). Columns were studied with inside diameters ranging from 0.56 to 1.58 cm. and lengths ranging from 28 to 120 cm. Column efficiencies were found to vary from 250 plates per foot for the least effective column to 1600 plates per foot for a 1.10 by 44 cm. column. The efficiency was judged by the usual criterion of band spreading for a low molecular weight material, in this case 2-pyrrolidone. Another measure of effectiveness used was the separation obtained between two fractions of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) with molecular weights of 12,700 and 58,500. The column geometry giving the highest plate count also separated the polymer fractions most effectively.
Electric time-domain reflectometry distributed flow sensor

Liquid composite molding (LCM) has become an important processing technique to manufacture high-performance composite parts. The sensing of the process parameters, such as resin fill of the porous material, are key to improve repeatability, maximize quality and minimize cost. This paper describes a distributed flow sensor, which considerably decreases tooling integration costs and improves spatial resolution by allowing sensing of hundreds of sensing elements with a single input/output port. The transmission line sensor is virtually divided into a large number of small discrete transmission lines treated as a long array of sensing elements. Piecewise sensing is achieved by electric time-domain reflectometry and inversion of a non-uniform transmission line model. The paper describes the distributed sensing approach, experimentally validates distributed sensing in a LCM setup, and analyzes critical sensor parameters.
Candidate gene studies reveal that the WFS1 gene joins the expanding list of novel type 2 diabetes genes

Wolfram syndrome, originally described in 1938, is a rare, autosomal recessive disease that is characterised by young onset insulin-dependent diabetes, progressive sensorineural deafness, diabetes insipidus, autonomic nervous system dysfunction and, ultimately, brainstem atrophy and premature death [1]. The Wolfram gene (WFS1), which encodes wolframin, was mapped to chromosome 4p in families with multiple affected individuals [2], and cloned in 1998 [3]. Wolframin is a protein of 890 amino acids that is produced in a wide variety of tissues, most prominently in pancreatic beta cells and brain. Over 100 missense and non-sense mutations have been described patients. As these mutations are associated with a non-immune loss of beta cells and diabetes, the gene was subsequently evaluated in more common forms of diabetes.
Phonon spectra of nonstoichiometric palladium hydrides

The effects of nonstoichiometry in the lattice dynamics of the system $\mathrm{Pd}{A}_{x}$, where $A$ is H or D, have been simulated by performing a Born-von K\'arm\'an treatment on crystals with periodically repeated "supercells" containing 108 Pd atoms and approximately ($108x$) atoms randomly distributed among the $A$ sites and averaging over a large number of such statistical samples. Using the force constants obtained by Rowe and co-workers, from a coherent-neutron-scattering study of a single crystal of Pd${\mathrm{D}}_{0.63}$, the frequency spectrum and incoherent cross section for the hydrogen vibrations in Pd${\mathrm{H}}_{0.63}$ have been calculated and compared with measurements on this system made with the ZING-P prototype pulsed neutron source at Argonne. The results show that nonstoichiometry dramatically broadens the optic-mode frequency system and also that the Pd-H force constants have to be increased by \ensuremath{\sim} 20% relative to the corresponding Pd-D force constants in order to obtain agreement with experiment. The effect of nonstoichiometry on the one-phonon neutron groups seen in the coherent scattering experiments on Pd${\mathrm{D}}_{0.63}$ has also been investigated.
CYCLOTRON PRODUCTION OF PET RADIONUCLIDES : NO-CARRIER-ADDED FLUORINE-18 WITH HIGH-ENERGY PROTONS ON NATURAL NEON GAS TARGETS

Abstract The production of no-carrier-added (NCA) 18F with high-energy protons on natural Ne(20Ne 90.51%; 21Ne 0.27%; and 22Ne 9.22%) gas targets was studied with external proton beams in the 68-22 MeV energy range. Single (thin-target) (mCi/μAh) yields for the production of 18F were measured. The cumulative (thick-target) yields, and total cross section (mbarn) for Ne(p,x) 18F reactions were also calculated in the 68-22 MeV proton energy region. With 68 MeV H+, a 46 MeV energy thick Ne target exiting at 22 MeV, produces 700–800 mCi/μAh of 18F at end-of-bombardment (EOB). With 45-22 MeV H+ (i.e. 23 MeV energy thick target), the 18F cumulative yields reaches 350 mCi/μAh. These 18F yields are the largest values reported so far. The advantages and the limitations of using H+ beams on natural Ne are analyzed together with a discussion on the alternative production of large multi-Curie batches of 18F for local and regional distribution.
Video summarization for energy efficient wireless streaming

With the proliferation of camera equipped cell phones and the deployment of the higher data rate 2.5G and 3G infra structure systems, providing consumers with video-equipped cellular communication infrastructure is highly desirable, and can drive the development of a large number of valuable applications. However, for an uplink wireless channel, both the bandwidth and battery energy in a mobile phone are limited for video communications. In this paper, we pursue an energy efficient video communication solution through joint video summarization and transmission adaptation over a slow fading wireless channel. Coding and modulation schemes and packet transmission strategy are optimized and adapted to the unique packet arrival and delay characteristics of the video summaries. In additional to the optimal solution, we also propose a heuristic solution that is greedy but has close to optimal performance. Operational energy efficiency-summary distortion performance is characterized under an optimal summarization setting. Simulation results show the advantage of the proposed scheme with respect to energy efficiency and video transmission quality.
MO‐B‐T‐6E‐01: Fundamental Issues in IMRT Treatment Planning

Inverse planning in intensity‐modulated radiotherapy(IMRT) drastically changes our thinking process in treatment planning because of using computer optimization. Unlike conventional forward planning, which highly depends on the geometric relationship between the tumor and the surrounding normal tissues, inverse planning critically depends on the specification of dose constraints to the target tumor and sensitive structures. For a particular inverse planning system, one has to have a good understanding of the inverse planning system and a good intuition about the relationship between the dose constraints and the resulting dose distributions. This review course session will focus on fundamental issues in IMRTtreatment planning. We will try to answer the following questions: What are the basic components of commercial IMRTtreatment planning systems, and how do they work? What is typical behavior of an IMRTP system? How can the user systematically search for a proper dose constraint for a specific disease site? How does the planner know when to quit trying to improve the plan? Lastly, to what extent and how can the typical problems with generated plans be ameliorated? Issues specific to head and neck and prostate IMRTtreatment planning will be discussed. Educational Objectives: 1. To understand the basic components of commercial IMRTtreatment planning systems; 2. To obtain a good intuition about the relationship between the dose constraints and the resulting dose distributions; 3. To understand methods for developing class solutions for specific disease sites to streamline the planning process; 4. To understand special clinical issues related to IMRTtreatment planning. Research is supported by Siemens and Prowess.
Rapid effects of estrogens on behavior: environmental modulation and molecular mechanisms.

Estradiol can modulate neural activity and behavior via both genomic and nongenomic mechanisms. Environmental cues have a major impact on the relative importance of these signaling pathways with significant consequences for behavior. First we consider how photoperiod modulates nongenomic estrogen signaling on behavior. Intriguingly, short days permit rapid effects of estrogens on aggression in both rodents and song sparrows. This highlights the importance of considering photoperiod as a variable in laboratory research. Next we review evidence for rapid effects of estradiol on ecologically-relevant behaviors including aggression, copulation, communication, and learning. We also address the impact of endocrine disruptors on estrogen signaling, such as those found in corncob bedding used in rodent research. Finally, we examine the biochemical mechanisms that may mediate rapid estrogen action on behavior in males and females. A common theme across these topics is that the effects of estrogens on social behaviors vary across different environmental conditions.
Exercisers Achieve Greater Acute Exercise-Induced Mood Enhancement Than Nonexercisers

Abstract Hoffman MD, Hoffman DR. Exercisers achieve greater acute exercise-induced mood enhancement than nonexercisers. Objective To determine whether a single session of exercise of appropriate intensity and duration for aerobic conditioning has a different acute effect on mood for nonexercisers than regular exercisers. Design Repeated-measures design. Setting Research laboratory. Participants Adult nonexercisers, moderate exercisers, and ultramarathon runners (8 men, 8 women in each group). Interventions Treadmill exercise at self-selected speeds to induce a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of 13 (somewhat hard) for 20 minutes, preceded and followed by 5 minutes at an RPE of 9 (very light). Main Outcome Measure Profile of Mood States before and 5 minutes after exercise. Results Vigor increased by a mean ± standard deviation of 8±7 points (95% confidence interval [CI], 5–12) among the ultramarathon runners and 5±4 points (95% CI, 2–9) among the moderate exercisers, with no improvement among the nonexercisers. Fatigue decreased by 5±6 points (95% CI, 2–8) for the ultramarathon runners and 4±4 points (95% CI, 1–7) for the moderate exercisers, with no improvement among the nonexercisers. Postexercise total mood disturbance decreased by a mean of 21±16 points (95% CI, 12–29) among the ultramarathon runners, 16±10 points (95% CI, 7–24) among the moderate exercisers, and 9±13 points (95% CI, 1–18) among the nonexercisers. Conclusions A single session of moderate aerobic exercise improves vigor and decreases fatigue among regular exercisers but causes no change in these scores for nonexercisers. Although total mood disturbance improves postexercise in exercisers and nonexercisers, regular exercisers have approximately twice the effect as nonexercisers. This limited postexercise mood improvement among nonexercisers may be an important deterrent for persistence with an exercise program.
Total cross sections for ionization of the k-shell by electron bombardment

Abstract Measurements have been made of the total cross section for ionization of the K shell by bombarding thin foil targets with 100 keV electrons from an electrostatic accelerator. The atomic number of the targets ranged from 13 to 79. The cross sections were determined by normalization to the theoretical atomic-field bremsstrahlung cross sections. Two solid state detectors were used in this measurement: a high purity germanium detector and a lithium drifted silicon detector. Results from both detectors will be compared for some targets. The Z dependence of the cross section will also be compared with theoretical calculations.
Using the Activity Model of Inquiry To Enhance General Chemistry Students’ Understanding of Nature of Science

Nature of science refers to the processes of scientific activity and the social and cultural premises involved in the creation of scientific knowledge. Having an informed view of nature of science is important in the development of scientifically literate citizens. However, students often come to the classroom with misconceptions about nature of science. The activity model of inquiry is a theoretically grounded and empirically derived model of scientific inquiry and could be used as a thinking frame to help students develop more informed views of nature of science. This paper reports work on how to implement this model in the general chemistry classroom, and on how undergraduate students’ views of scientific inquiry shift. Implementation includes having students reflect on how current topics in science and their own lab work compare to the activity model of inquiry. Students are asked to respond to essay prompts and a pre- and postquestionnaire designed to assess naive and informed views of nature of scie...
Apheresis donor safety ‐ changes in humoral and cellular immunity

Modern techniques of mechanical hemapheresis have made it possible to selectively remove vast quantities of lymphocytes and plasma immunoglobulins, and the concentration of these substances in donor blood can fall below the normal range. It is feared that this may lead to immunosuppression; a condition associated in some clinical settings with infections, malignancy and autoimmune diseases. Using primary immunodeficiency diseases and induced immunodeficiency states (for example, therapeutic lymphocytapheresis, chronic thoracic duct drainage and intestinal lymphangiectasia) as models to judge competency of the immune system, it can be predicted that body defense mechanisms can become defective when serum IgG levels are < 200 mg/dl or the blood lymphocyte count is < 1000/μl. However, impaired immunologic function can occur in the presence of normal quantities of these substances in the blood stream; conditions that may be related either to imbalances of immune regulatory factors or to qualitative (rather than quantatitive) abnormalities of the immune system. A number of investigators have documented the losses of lymphocytes and plasma immunoglobulins incurred by donors experiencing mechanical hemapheresis. In addition, both the immediate and long-term decreases in the concentration of these substances in donor blood have been reported. In summary, the immediate decreases in blood lymphocyte counts and serum immunoglobulin concentrations are of slight to moderate degree and are without known adverse effects. Less information is available regarding long-term alterations of the immune system, and little data have been collected from prospective studies in which large numbers of donors have been thoroughly evaluated by modern techniques. In general, results of many laboratory studies have been altered. However, these abnormalities have been transient for the most part, and it has been difficult to document clinically significant adverse effects. Thus, the quantities of blood lymphocytes and plasma immunoglobulins that can be removed from healthy donors without causing significant immediate or long-term harm is unknown. Bearing these limitations in mind, the following recommendations are suggested regarding the frequency of repeated mechanical plasma-and-cytapheresis. 1) The usual requirements for whole blood donation must be met if the frequency of mechanical hemapheresis does not exceed once every eight weeks. 2) Individuals expected to experience mechanical apheresis at more frequent intervals should comply with the following additional requirements in an attempt to avoid severe lymphocytopenia (blood lymphocytes 1200/μl.
Kinetics of grain growth in the weld heat-affected zone of alloy 718

Grain-boundary liquation occurs in the weld heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the Ni-base superalloy 718 at locations where the peak temperatures are greater than about 1200 ‡C. The evolution of the grain structure at these HAZ locations depends upon the interaction between the grains and the grain-boundary liquid. The evolution of grain structure in the presence of grain-boundary liquid was simulated by subjecting samples to controlled thermal cycles using resistance heating. A measurement of grain size as a function of isothermal hold at two peak temperatures of 1200 ‡C and 1227 ‡C indicated that in alloy 718, the kinetics of grain growth depended upon the prior thermal history of the alloy. In the solution-treated alloy, the presence of grain-boundary liquid did not arrest grain growth at either peak temperature. In the homogenized and aged alloy, a grain refinement was observed at the peak temperature of 1227 ‡C, while an arrest of grain growth was observed at a peak temperature of 1200‡C. Liquid film migration (LFM) and subgrain coalescence, either acting alone or simultaneously, are shown to explain most of the observed microstructural phenomena and the kinetics of grain growth in the alloy.
Eliminating Redundant Computation and Exposing Parallelism through Data-Triggered Threads

Unlike threads in parallel programs created by conventional programming, data-triggered threads are initiated when a memory value is changed. By expressing computation through these threads, computation is executed only when the data changes and is skipped whenever the data does not change. The authors' model achieves performance speedups of up to 5.9x, averaging 45.6 percent, with SPEC2000 benchmarks.
Adaptation of a speciation sampling cartridge for measuring ammonia flux from cattle feedlots using relaxed eddy accumulation.

Abstract Improved measurements of ammonia losses from cattle feedlots are needed to quantify the national NH3 emissions inventory and evaluate management techniques for reducing emissions. Speciation cartridges composed of glass honeycomb denuders and filter packs were adapted to measure gaseous NH3 and aerosol NH4+ fluxes using relaxed eddy accumulation (REA). Laboratory testing showed that a cartridge equipped with four honeycomb denuders had a total capture capacity of 1800 μg of NH3. In the field, a pair of cartridges was deployed adjacent to a sonic anemometer and an open-path gas analyzer on a mobile tower. High-speed valves were attached to the inlets of the cartridges and controlled by a datalogger so that up- and down-moving eddies were independently sampled based on direction of the vertical wind speed and a user-defined deadband. Air flowed continuously through the cartridges even when not sampling by means of a recirculating air handling system. Eddy covariance measurement of CO2 and H2O, as measured by the sonic and open-path gas analyzer, were used to determine the relaxation factor needed to compute REA-based fluxes. The REA system was field tested at the Beef Research Unit at Kansas State University in the summer and fall of 2007. Daytime NH3 emissions ranged between 68 and 127 μg m−2 s−1; fluxes tended to follow a diurnal pattern correlated with latent heat flux. Daily fluxes of NH3 were between 2.5 and 4.7 g m−2 d−1 and on average represented 38% of fed nitrogen. Aerosol NH4+ fluxes were negligible compared with NH3 emissions. An REA system designed around the high-capacity speciation cartridges can be used to measure NH3 fluxes from cattle feedlots and other strong sources. The system could be adapted to measure fluxes of other gases and aerosols.
Calculation of exact vibrational spectra for P2O and CH2NH using a phase space wavelet basis.

‘‘Exact” quantum dynamics calculations of vibrational spectra are performed for two molecular systems of widely varying dimensionality (P2O and CH2NH), using a momentum-symmetrized Gaussian basis. This basis has been previously shown to defeat exponential scaling of computational cost with system dimensionality. The calculations were performed using the new “SwitchBLADE” black-box code, which utilizes both dimensionally independent algorithms and massive parallelization to compute very large numbers of eigenstates for any fourth-order force field potential, in a single calculation. For both molecules considered here, many thousands of vibrationally excited states were computed, to at least an “intermediate” level of accuracy (tens of wavenumbers). Future modifications to increase the accuracy to “spectroscopic” levels, along with other potential future improvements of the new code, are also discussed.
Application of social cognition principles to treatment recommendations for ethnic minority clients: The case of Asian Americans

Abstract The present article utilizes social cognition principles in evaluating the literature concerning the treatment needs of Asian American clients. This literature has focused on the accommodation of Asian values in working with Asian American clients, with an overemphasis on between-group mean differences. It is argued that this emphasis encourages the overuse of schematic thinking in working with Asian American clients, which contributes to stereotyping. It is recommended that clinicians utilize information about between-grvup differences, while paying attention to within-group and intraindividual factors which impact on the presentation of an individual Asian American client; such factors include immigration experiences, variations in ethnic identity, and situational factors in the adhtbition of ethnic identity. The framework presented in the article is used to make recommendations for treating ethnic minority clients in psychotherapy.
The virial coefficients of five binary mixtures of fluorinated methanes and ethanes

We have made new measurements of the gas-phase PVT surface of five binary mixtures of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in a Burnett/isochoric apparatus. The components chosen all have moderate to large reduced dipole moments. We present PVT data, derived mixture virial coefficients, cross second virial coefficients, and binary interaction parameters for these systems, and we compare the results with a recently published model for calculating second and third viral coefficients of polar gases and their mixtures. That model accounts for the polar nature of the molecules with a term containing the reduced dipole moment, {mu}{sub R}, and it contains mixing rules for the substance-specific parameters needed to calculate the second and third cross virial coefficients. The model and data are in satisfactory agreement, and the model can be used to greatly exceed the useful range of the limited set of data.
Rate design rule for Rayleigh fading channels with interleaving

Our objective is to design efficient coded modulation techniques with multi-stage decoding (MSD) for Rayleigh fading channels. The well-known rate design rule is conventionally used for AWGN channels. We extend the application of the rate design rule for multi-level coding by considering MSD for Rayleigh fading channels with interleaving. We model the fading channel as a time invariant additive non-Gaussian noise channels by assuming that the perfect channel state information is available at the receiver. The equivalent channel capacity curves that can be used for the multi-level code design for Rayleigh channels, and a code design example are presented. We demonstrate that a very good coding gain can be achieved if code rates are selected correctly.
Alcohol and heart disease: where to next?

Dr Mukamal is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, MA, USA. Following medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, he completed a residency in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital and, after 3 years in academic practice, he took a general medicine fellowship and MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr Mukamal practices general internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, with a primary research focus on the relationship of lifestyle factors – particularly alcohol consumption – with the incidence and prognosis of cardiovascular disease.
Environmental Signaling: What Embryos and Evolution Teach Us About Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

The term "endocrine disrupting chemicals" is commonly used to describe environmental agents that alter the endocrine system. Laboratories working in this emerging field-environmental endocrine research-have looked at chemicals that mimic or block endogenous vertebrate steroid hormones by interacting with the hormone's receptor. Environmental chemicals known to do this do so most often with receptors derived from the steroid/thyroid/retinoid gene family. They include ubiquitous and persistent organochlorines, as well as plasticizers, pharmaceuticals, and natural hormones. These chemicals function as estrogens, antiestrogens, and antiandrogens but have few, if any, structural similarities. Therefore, receptor-based or functional assays have the best chance of detecting putative biological activity of environmental chemicals. Three nuclear estrogen receptor forms-alpha, beta, and gamma-as well as multiple membrane forms and a possible mitochondrial form have been reported, suggesting a previously unknown diversity of signaling pathways available to estrogenic chemicals. Examples of environmental or ambient estrogenization occur in laboratory experiments, zoo animals, domestic animals, wildlife, and humans. Environmentally estrogenized phenotypes may differ depending upon the time of exposure-i.e., whether the exposure occurred at a developmental (organizational and irreversible) or postdevelopmental (activational and reversible) stage. The term "estrogen" must be defined in each case, since steroidal estrogens differ among themselves and from synthetic or plant-derived chemicals. An "estrogen-like function" seems to be an evolutionarily ancient signal that has been retained in a number of chemicals, some of which are vertebrate hormones. Signaling, required for symbiosis between plants and bacteria, may be viewed, therefore, as an early example of hormone cross-talk. Developmental feminization at the structural or functional level is an emerging theme in species exposed, during embryonic or fetal life, to estrogenic compounds. Human experience as well as studies in experimental animals with the potent estrogen diethylstilbestrol provide informative models. Advances in the molecular genetics of sex differentiation in vertebrates facilitate mechanistic understanding. Experiments addressing the concept of gene imprinting or induction of epigenetic memory by estrogen or other hormones suggest a link to persistent, heritable phenotypic changes seen after developmental estrogenization, independent of mutagenesis. Environmental endocrine science provides a new context in which to examine the informational content of ecosystem-wide communication networks. As common features come to light, this research may allow us to predict environmentally induced alterations in internal signaling systems of vertebrates and some invertebrates and eventually to explicate environmental contributions to human reproductive and developmental health.
Skin Color and the Criminal Justice System: Beyond Black-White Disparities in Sentencing

This article analyzes sentencing outcomes for black and white men in Georgia. The analysis uses sentencing data collected by the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC). Among first-time offenders, both the race-only models and race and skin color models estimate that, on average, blacks receive sentences that are 4.25 percent higher than those of whites even after controlling for legally-relevant factors such as the type of crime. However, the skin color model also shows us that this figure hides important intraracial differences in sentence length: while medium- and dark-skinned blacks receive sentences that are about 4.8 percent higher than those of whites, lighter-skinned blacks receive sentences that are not statistically significantly different from those of whites. After controlling for socioeconomic status in the race-only and race and skin color models the remaining difference between whites and dark- and medium-skinned blacks increases slightly, to 5.5 percent. These findings are discussed with respect to the implications for public policy and for racial hierarchy in the United States.
Retrospective cost adaptive control for nonminimum-phase systems with uncertain nonminimum-phase zeros using convex optimization

Retrospective cost adaptive control (RCAC) can be applied to command following and disturbance rejection problems with plants that are possibly MIMO, unstable, and nonminimum phase. RCAC requires knowledge of a bound on the first nonzero Markov parameter as well as knowledge of the nonminimum-phase zeros of the plant, if any. The goal of the present paper is to increase the robustness of RCAC to uncertainty in the locations of the nonminimum-phase zeros. Specifically, a convex constraint is imposed on the poles of the controller in order to prevent the adaptive controller from attempting to cancel the nonminimum-phase zeros. Numerical results show that, when constrained convex optimization is used at each step, the transient response is improved and the adaptive controller has increased robustness to uncertainty in the locations of the nonminimum-phase zeros.
Link scheduling to maximize end- to-end throughput with fairness discipline in TDMA networks

For wireless ad hoc networks using a time division multiple access (TDMA) protocol, we present an algorithm to maximize guaranteed network end-to-end throughput subject to a fairness discipline that allocates equal end-to-end throughput to each demand. The problem of assigning bandwidths to multiple flows on each directed link of the network is formulated as a linear programming (LP) problem. The algorithm employs collections of directed links, each maximal with respect to spatial re-use. For an example network, the LP solution is compared with the results of a suboptimal yet more scalable flow allocation scheme.
Design and implementation of interactive tutorials for data structures

The Tutorial Generation Toolkit (TGT) is a set of Java classes that supports authoring interactive tutorial applications. This paper describes extensions to the capabilities of the TGT to support styles of interaction identified as effective in recent research. Several new tutorials aimed at the data structures course built using the enhanced toolkit are also described.
Cold Testing of a Russian Pulsating Mixer Pump at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Russian pulsating mixer pump (PMP) technology was identified in FY 1996 during technical exchanges between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Tanks Focus Area Retrieval and Closure program, the DOE Environmental Management International Programs, and delegates from Russia as a technology that could be implemented in tank waste retrieval operations in the United States. The PMP is basically a jet mixer powered by a pressure/vacuum supply system. A prototype PMP was provided by the Russian Mining and Chemical Combine and evaluated as a potential retrieval tool in FY 1997 at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Based on this evaluation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and DOE staff determined that a modified PMP would meet project needs for bulk mobilization of sludge from one or more of the Gunite and Associated Tanks (GAAT) at ORNL. In FY 1998, PMP technology was selected for deployment in one of the GAAT to mobilize settled solids. Deployment of the PMP was expected to reduce operation and maintenance costs required to utilize more expensive retrieval systems. The following series of cold tests and inspections were conducted on one of the three PMP units provided to verify the acceptability and readiness of the mixing system for operation in the GAATs at ORNL: (1) Inspections and measurements designed to evaluate the integrity of the equipment: Fabrication shop inspections, Equipment inspections, Vibration/oscillation measurements, Hydrostatic pressure tests. (2) Functionality of the system components: Tank riser interface functionality, Decontamination spray ring (DSR) functionality, Valves, actuator, sensors, and control system functionality, Support fixture tests; and Contamination control assessment. (3) Mixing and operational performance of the PMP system: DSR performance, PMP debris tolerance, PMP performance with water only, PMP cleaning radius determination, and PMP performance with sludge surrogates. The results from these tests indicate that the PMP should be successful in mixing materials with characteristics similar to sand, kaolin clay, and gravel at moderate operating pressure in a 20-ft-diam tank similar to the GAAT TH-4. Minimum cleaning radii in the range of {approx}5.5 to {approx}8 ft were observed. After various control system modifications and improvements, the PMP was successfully operated for several hours in the presence of both floating and submerged debris and various waste surrogates. After completion of cold testing, the system was successfully deployed in Gunite tank TH-4 in FY 2001.
A sorting image sensor: an example of massively parallel intensity-to-time processing for low-latency computational sensors

The need for low-latency vision systems is growing: high speed visual servoing and vision-based human computer interface. In this paper we present a new intensity-to-time processing paradigm suitable for low-latency massively parallel global computation over fine-grained data such as images. As an example of a low-latency global computation, we have developed a VLSI sorting computational sensor-a sensor which sorts all pixels of an input image by their intensities, as the image is being sensed. The first sorting sensor prototype is a 21 by 26 array of cells. It detects an image focused thereon and computes the image of indices as well as the image's cumulative histogram, before the intensity data are readout. The image of indices never saturates and has uniform histogram. Under user's control, the chip can perform other operations including simple segmentation and labeling.
Improving the performance of k-means clustering through computation skipping and data locality optimizations

We present three different optimization techniques for k-means clustering algorithm to improve the running time without decreasing the accuracy of the cluster centers significantly. Our first optimization restructures loops to improve cache behavior when executing on multicore architectures. The remaining two optimizations skip select points to reduce execution latency. Our sensitivity analysis suggests that the performance can be enhanced through a good understanding of the data and careful configuration of the parameters.
Global minimum cuts in surface embedded graphs

We give a deterministic algorithm to find the minimum cut in a surface-embedded graph in near-linear time. Given an undirected graph embedded on an orientable surface of genus g, our algorithm computes the minimum cut in gO(g)n log log n time, matching the running time of the fastest algorithm known for planar graphs, due to Lacki and Sankowski, for any constant g. Indeed, our algorithm calls Lacki and Sankowski's recent O(n log log n) time planar algorithm as a subroutine.Previously, the best time bounds known for this problem followed from two algorithms for general sparse graphs: a randomized algorithm of Karger that runs in O(n log3n) time and succeeds with high probability, and a deterministic algorithm of Nagamochi and Ibaraki that runs in O(n2 log n) time. We can also achieve a deterministic gO(g)n2 log log n time bound by repeatedly applying the best known algorithm for minimum (s, t)-cuts in surface graphs. The bulk of our work focuses on the case where the dual of the minimum cut splits the underlying surface into multiple components with positive genus.
Constraints on clinopyroxene/melt partitioning of REE, Rb, Sr, Ti, Cr, Zr, and Nb during mantle melting: First insights from direct peridotite melting experiments at 1.0 GPa

Abstract Earlier piston-cylinder experiments in our laboratory produced a collection of mantle melting run products at 1.0 GPa that have now been analyzed by ion probe for selected REE, Ti, Cr, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, and Nb. Natural starting materials were used and experiments were run in graphite-lined Pt capsules with the melt separated from the residual minerals into a layer of vitreous carbon spheres (VCS) to circumvent quench modification. The glass phase in 18 run products, representing melt percentages of ∼2–20 wt%, yielded excellent data that were inverted to yield the first estimates ever of clinopyroxene/melt distribution coefficients, Ds, derived from direct peridotite partial melting experiments. Uncertainties were estimated with a Monte Carlo method. For the REE and Y, these Ds were then compared to Ds calculated with the widely-used model of Wood and Blundy (1997) and the two sets overlap at the ±2σ level in 123 of 128 cases (∼96%). This indicates to us that: 1) the experiments analyzed here are well equilibrated with respect to major and trace element distributions, thus supporting the efficacy of the VCS technique and its variation involving diamond (e.g., Baker and Stolper, “Determining the composition of high-pressure mantle melts using diamond aggregates” [1994], Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 58, 2811–2827); 2) the model of Wood and Blundy (1997), calibrated largely on the basis of large melt fraction, inverse- or sandwich-type experiments, describes REE and Y partitioning during peridotite melting well, even very near the solidus; and it suggests that the cpx/melt Ds derived here for other elements, not modeled by the Wood and Blundy formulation, are probably also correct for peridotite melting to within their ±2σ uncertainties. Dsp/liq and Dcpx/liq values for Cr calculated directly from electron microprobe data decrease by about a factor of five with increasing temperature and melt percentage. The degree to which our experiments appear to have equilibrated seems at odds with recent measurements of the diffusivities of REE in diopside which suggest that relatively small percentages of our starting mineral grains should have equilibrated diffusively. Instead, we suggest that equilibration occurs much more rapidly through the processes of recrystallization and grain coarsening, accomplished through dissolution and reprecipitation. This suggestion is supported by the observation that our final grain sizes are typically 5–10 times larger than the ∼10 μm starting sizes, indicating that substantial mass transfer occurred in our experiments, probably mediated by the melt phase in which diffusion is faster.
RNA Interference Inhibits Respiratory Syncytial Virus Replication and Disease Pathogenesis without Inhibiting Priming of the Memory Immune Response

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of morbidity in infants, young children, and the elderly worldwide. Currently, there is no effective vaccine, and antiviral drugs to control infection are limited. RNA interference is a powerful tool amenable to development of antiviral drugs. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting the RSV P gene (siRNA-P), RSV replication can be silenced both in vitro and in a BALB/c model of RSV infection. In this study, we examine the effect of siRNA prophylaxis on the primary and memory immune response to RSV infection in mice. We show that mice prophylactically treated with siRNA-P to decrease but not eliminate RSV replication exhibit reduced pulmonary inflammation and lung pathogenesis and produce a robust anti-RSV memory response when subsequently challenged with RSV. The pulmonary T-cell memory response was characterized by high numbers of CD44(hi) CD62L(lo) CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, M2 peptide tetramer(+) CD8(+) T cells expressing gamma interferon, and an RSV-specific antibody response. The results support the hypothesis that siRNAs can be developed as effective antiviral drugs that can be used to reduce the viral load and parameters of pathogenesis without limiting the induction of the memory immune response.
Predictors of Tanning Salon Use: Behavioral Alternatives for Enhancing Appearance, Relaxing and Socializing

This study investigated cognitive predictors of tanning salon use, based on Jaccard's Theory of Alternative Behavior. A total of 164 undergraduates completed questionnaires that assessed tanning salon use, attitudes toward tanning salon use and attitudes toward behavioral alternatives for enhancing appearance, relaxing and socializing. Results indicated that attitudes toward alternatives for enhancing appearance were not significantly related to tanning salon use. However, favorable attitudes toward engaging in a hobby to relax and going to the gym to socialize were inversely related to frequency of tanning salon use. Findings suggest that interventions for reducing skin cancer risk should focus not only on decreasing favorable attitudes toward tanning, but also on increasing favorable attitudes toward healthier alternatives to tanning salon use.
Decreased hydraulic conductance in plants at elevated carbon dioxide

Previous work indicated that long-term exposure to ele- vated carbon dioxide levels can reduce hydraulic conduc- tance in some species, but the basis of the response was not determined. In this study, hydraulic conductance was measured at concentrations of both 350 and 700 cm 3 nT 3 carbon dioxide for plants grown at both concentrations, to determine the reversibility of the response. In Zea mays and Amaranthus hypochondriacus, exposure to the higher carbon dioxide concentration for several hours reduced whole-plant transpiration rate by 22-40%, without any consistent change in leaf water potential, indicating reversible reductions in hydraulic conductance at elevated carbon dioxide levels. Hydraulic conductance in these species grown at both carbon dioxide concentrations responded similarly to measurement concentration of carbon dioxide, indicating that the response was reversible. In Glycine max, which in earlier work had shown a long-term decrease in hydraulic conductance at elevated carbon dioxide levels, and in Abutilon theophrasti, no short-term changes in hydraulic conductance with measurement con- centration of carbon dioxide were found, despite lower transpiration rates at elevated carbon dioxide. In G. max and Medicago sativa, growth at high dew-point tempera- ture reduced transpiration rate and decreased hydraulic conductance. The results indicate that both reversible and irreversible decreases in hydraulic conductance can occur at elevated carbon dioxide concentrations, and that both could be responses to reduced transpiration rate, rather than to carbon dioxide concentration itself.