cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oliver Cromwell and a 1647 Case in Chancery

The article considers aspects of Cromwell’s finances, his relationship with John Thurloe and the marriage negotiations concerning his son Richard, all in the period 1646-8. This is based on a previously unnoticed document from chancery proceedings in the Public Record Office. The article argues that Thurloe had a professional relationship with Cromwell earlier than previously thought. It sheds light on the marriage negotiations of Richard Cromwell and Dorothy Maijor and in particular on the transitional phase in Cromwell’s finances.
Lazulite Graves Mountain, Lincoln County, Georgia

(2008). Lazulite Graves Mountain, Lincoln County, Georgia. Rocks & Minerals: Vol. 83, No. 4, pp. 328-333.
Determinants of survival in children with brain tumors

A study was conducted in metropolitan Baltimore to examine time trends in survival and factors which influence survival of children with brain tumors. One hundred eighty-four cases diagnosed from 1960 to 1975 were identified; 76.5% occurred in white children and 48% were girls. Five-year survival rates were 35% for children diagnosed in 1960–64, 34% in 1965–69, and 49% in 1970–74. Girls had consistently better survival rates than boys. White children experienced experienced consistently better survival rates than blacks. Of those who survived the first year, children with supratentorial tumors had better five-year survival rates (46%) than those with infratentorial tumors (27%). Of those who survived the first year, children with astrocytomas had better survival rates than those with other types of tumors.
Numerical Values for Hydrogen Fine Structure

Bethe's "average excitation potentials" for states $1s$ through $4p$ of hydrogen are calculated numerically. These lead to values of the ${n}_{0}^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}\ensuremath{-}{n}_{0}^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ level shifts in hydrogen for ${n}_{0}=3 \mathrm{and} 4$ of ${\mathcal{S}}_{\mathrm{H}}(3)=314.690\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.047$ Mc/sec and ${\mathcal{S}}_{\mathrm{H}}(4)=132.998\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.020$ Mc/sec, which are 1.44 Mc/sec and 0.85 Mc/sec larger than previous estimates. For ${n}_{0}=2$, a value of ${\mathcal{S}}_{\mathrm{H}}(2)=1057.21\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.16$ Mc/sec is obtained, which is in close agreement with previous calculation. In conjunction with this work, the oscillator strengths $f({n}_{0}{l}_{0}, nl)$ are obtained for ${n}_{0}=1, 2, 3, \mathrm{and} 4$; $nl50$; and all values of ${l}_{0}$ and $l$. A generalization of the Wigner-Kirkwood sum rule is derived.
Ontogeny of Histaminergic Neurotransmission in the Rat Brain: Concomitant Development of Neuronal Histamine, H‐1 Receptors, and H‐1 Receptor‐Mediated Stimulation of Phospholipid Turnover

The ontogeny of histaminergic neurotransmission in the rat brain was studied by assessing development of histamine levels in brain regions, along with H-1 receptor binding of [3H]mepyramine and H-1 receptor-mediated cellular events. In the hypothalamus, which is rich in histaminergic innervation, levels of the amine were low at birth, increased sharply at 8 days of age, and reached adult concentrations shortly thereafter; this pattern is typical of most neurotransmitters. In contrast, regions poor in neuronal histamine showed an initially high histamine level and a subsequent decline with development, as is known to occur during general growth of tissues. The developmental profile of H-1 receptor binding sites resembled that of the neuronal histamine pool, and the increases with age resulted from changes in the number of binding sites without alterations in Kd. Cellular responses to H-1 receptor activation were assessed by determining the stimulation of phospholipid turnover evoked by intracisternally administered histamine, a process that has been shown to involve only the neuronal compartment. Again, the developmental profile was superimposable upon that of H-1 receptor binding and that of hypothalamic histamine levels. These studies indicate that ontogeny of histaminergic neurotransmission is a coordinated process, with simultaneous development of neuronal histamine, its key biosynthetic enzyme, and H-1 receptors coupled directly to cellular events.
Climate change impact on countrywide water balance in Bolivia

There is increasing concern about the ongoing reduction in water supplies in the tropical Andes due to climate change effects such as glacier/snow melting resulting from rising air temperatures. In addition, extreme events and population growth are already directly affecting life and water renewability in the country. A countrywide integrated national plan for improving basin-scale water management in Bolivia is needed to assure water availability for agriculture, industry, mining, and human consumption. This study aims to provide a modeling tool to assess Bolivia’s past, current, and future water availability and identify basins at risk of water deficits. The Soil Water Assessment Tool was used to simulate the monthly water balance from 1997 to 2008, as well as the water balance projected to 2050 for the entire country. It considers possible changes in air temperatures and precipitation proposed by 17 Global Circulation Models as well as carbon dioxide projections derived from the Special Report Emission Scenario. Overall, model results were close to satisfactory compared to observations, with some exceptions due to lack of information for expanding the timeline and improving calibration. Based on the calculation of three hydrologic indicators, the study identifies basins that would be the most susceptible to water deficits for a baseline from 1997 to 2008, and in the event of the projected climate change, to 2050.
55 Oxymetholone Therapy of Aplastic Anemia

A new oral synthetic androgen, oxymetholone (2-hydroxymethylene-17 methyl-17B hydroxy-3-androstanone), has been remarkably effective in the treatment of 5 consecutive children with aplastic anemia, including 2 unresponsive to oral testosterone. The pattern of response was similar in each patient with diminished purpura and transfusion requirement by 4–6 weeks, a reticulocytosis by 8–10 weeks, and a gradual rise in hemoglobin level to normal by 12–20 weeks. A rise in total white cells with an absolute increase in polymorphonuclear forms developed during the 6th to 12th week of treatment. Platelet levels had improved by 12–16 weeks but have remained subnormal. Three of the children with acquired aplastic anemia received oxymetholone and prednisone as their only treatment and all have maintained their improvement for from 7 to 12 months off all medication. One 16-year-old boy with acquired aplastic anemia of 18 months' duration, and unimproved following a 6-month course of sublingual testosterone propionate and splenectomy, had a characteristic response to oral oxymetholone within 10 weeks. The fifth patient, with congenital aplastic anemia, had failed to improve during a 9-month course of sublingual testosterone propionate. Within 10 weeks on oral oxymetholone he had a reticulocytosis followed by a sustained rise in hemoglobin level. Virilization was noted in the 4 pre-pubertal patients with the dosages used (2.5 to 7.0 mg/kg/day). No advance in bone age or other side effects were observed. Oxymetholone is a useful, easily administered, new androgenic steroid for therapy of aplastic anemia and has proved effective in children unresponsive to testosterone. (SPR)
Myths regarding exposure therapy for PTSD

Considerable evidence exists for the efficacy and tolerability of exposure therapy for PTSD (cf. Foa & Rothbaum, 1998 ; Rothbaum, Meadows, Resick, & Foy, 2000) . However, the use of exposure therapy in real-world settings has lagged behind such findings. It is our belief that this gap between science and practice is partly due to several clinical myths regarding the use of exposure therapy. In this article, we outline four such myths, discuss relevant empirical findings, and argue that exposure therapy is indeed applicable for the treatment of a variety of patients with PTSD by clinicians in a variety of real-world settings.
Actinide(III) carbonate complexation

Abstract The following equations have been developed to estimate trivalent actinide and lanthanide carbonate stability constants: log B10 = −6.128+35.206R−21.557R2; log B20 = 14.797+7.945R−10.304R2, where B10 = aMCO3+/(aM3+aCO32−, B20 = aM(CO3)2−(aM3+(aCO32−), aX is the activity of ion X, M indicates a metal ion and R is the effective ionic radius of the metal ion in six-fold coordination. These equations describe carbonate stability constants for cerium, europium and ytterbium at zero ionic strength. Constants at zero ionic strength were estimated from experimental determinations made in 0.68 molal NaClO4 by accounting for medium effects.
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE GERMINATION OF MYXOMYCETOUS SPORES

While studying the spore germination of certain Myxomycetes (5), the writer became impressed with the great variability in his results, not only in the case of different species but also among various gatherings of the same species. For example, spores of some specimens of Enteridiitm Rozeanum (Enteridium splendens) showed a high percentage of germination while those of others germinated poorly or not at all. This variability becomes even more apparent when the results of several investigators are compared. For example, although Jahn (6) obtained no germination with Fuligo septica, Stemonitisfusca, and Lycogala epidendrum, two other investigators, DeBary (i) and Constantineau (3), were successful in securing a high percentage of germination in these species. Constantineau had good results in the case of Cribraria and Dictydium, spores of which DeBary failed to germinate. DeBary obtained germination in Arcyria denudata and Hemitrichia vesparium while Constantineau was unsuccessful with these as well as with Didymium difforme, a species which Jahn and DeBary found to germinate very well. The writer in the past five years, working with fifty-six species and varieties collected in New England (4), has been able to compare his results with those of the authors mentioned above, and as might be expected, finds they agree in some cases and disagree in others. Differences in results possibly may be due partly to a lack of sufficient material from which to draw conclusions, for neither DeBary, Jahn, nor Constantineau state how many gatherings of a species were made nor whether their results were based on observations of more than a single gathering. Some species such as Tubifera ferruginosa, so far as is known, have never been successfully germinated in the laboratory, while spores from various collections of other species give a wide variation in the percentage of germination. The latter fact is shown in the following cases from the writer's observations. Spores of one gathering of Dictydiutm cancellatum showed a germination of one hundred percent while spores of another gathering of the same species showed but thirty to thirty-five percent under the same conditions. Numerous collections of Lycogala epidendritm Contribution no. 98 from the Cryptogamic Laboratories of Harvard University. 280
Pyroelectric detectors for subnanosecond CO 2 laser pulse measurements

Sub-one-hundred-ps pyroelectric detectors are required for laser fusion and fast-time spectroscopy experiments. A Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory program is evaluating commericially available detectors and detector materials to develop a pyroelectric detector capable of fast operation without damage and compatible with the 5-GHz oscilloscope direct access mode of operation. The latter requires approximately 1-V signal levels across 50 Ω. The first phase of this program has been spent in developing a fast detector design. The fall time of the detector is approximately 30 ps, limited by a stray capacitance of 0.14 pf. The rise-time is less than 15 ps. Further improvements in the response time require reducing the stray capacitance. The second phase of this program is to measure the damage threshold of various pyroelectric materials and devices, evaluating several surface treatments and device preparation methods. Some of the materials under consideration include strontium barium niobate, lithium tantalate, lithium niobate and lanthanum-doped lead zirconate. Preliminary results will be presented.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Developing Computational Flow Models for the Lymphatic Vasculature

The lymphatic system performs many crucial body functions to ensure normal health. The lymphatics are responsible for fluid and protein balance, gathering approximately 4 liters/day of interstitial fluid and returning it to the venous system. As this fluid is filtered, undesirable elements such as tumor cells and foreign pathogens are normally destroyed in lymph nodes. This system also plays a part in serving as the primary transport mechanism for the immune system. Lymphedema, a debilitating disease for which there is no known cure, affects a large number of cancer patients who have undergone lymphadenectomy and also trauma victims. The lymphatic system is also the major transport route for metastases of various cancers.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Incidence of perioperative complications of urogynecologic surgery in elderly women.

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of and risk factors for perioperative complications in elderly women who undergo urogynecologic surgery. Study design A retrospective chart review of patients ≥75 years old who underwent urogynecologic surgery between January 1999 and December 2003 was performed. Demographics, comorbidities, and significant perioperative complications were recorded. The Charlson Comorbidity Index and American Society of Anesthesiologists classification were calculated to summarize the patients' overall perioperative risk. Logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for perioperative complications. Results Two hundred sixty-seven patients who were ≥75 years old met the inclusion criteria; 25.8% of the patients had a significant perioperative complication. The most common perioperative complication was blood transfusion or significant blood loss, pulmonary edema, and postoperative congestive heart failure. Independent risk factors that were predictive of a patient having a perioperative complication were the length of surgery, coronary artery disease, and peripheral vascular disease. The Charlson Comorbidity Index and American Society of Anesthesiologists classification did not predict perioperative complications in this population. Conclusion Pre-existing cardiovascular disease increases the risk of a significant perioperative complication in elderly women who undergo urogynecologic surgery. However, the overall perioperative morbidity rate in elderly women who undergo urogynecologic surgery is low.
Label-free colorimetric detection of gelatinases on nanoporous silicon photonic films.

We report the development of a sensor platform for detection of gelatinases based on porous silicon photonic films. The sensor is made by spin-coating gelatin, a substrate protein to gelatinases, onto the porous silicon, which forms a thin, uniform, and smooth gel layer where samples can be directly spotted. The digestion products of gelatin by the active gelatinase present in the sample are able to enter the pores and induce color changes that can be detected by the naked eye. Using this sensor, we have demonstrated the detection of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2)an important gelatinase closely associated with tumor aggressiveness and metastatic potentialwith concentrations varying from 0.1 to 1000 ng/mL in samples with volumes as small as 1 μL. The detection limit of this method, in terms of the minimum quantity of active MMP-2 in the sample that can be detected, is 2 orders of magnitude lower than what has been reported for zymography.
Allogeneic fibroblasts and endothelial cells support mitogen but not antigen responses of tetanus-responsive T-cell lines.

Abstract Recent studies suggest a role for endothelial cells (EC) and fibroblasts (FB) in performing certain accessory functions of monocytes in immune responses. We examined the ability of allogeneic adherent cells (AC), umbilical vein EC, and foreskin FB to support antigen and mitogen responses of tetanus toxoid-responsive human T-cell lines (TC Tet ). Syngeneic AC supported antigen and mitogen (phytohemagglutinin and poke-weed mitogen, PHA and PWM) responses of TC Tet . Allogeneic AC, EC, and FB supported mitogen but not antigen responses of TC Tet , in a dose-dependent manner. PHA-activated mononuclear cell supernates or EC or FB supernates could not replace accessory cells in mitogen responses. We provide further evidence that EC and FB can function as fully competent accessory cells, a function that may be of significance in in vivo initiation of immune responses.
Complex variable approach to the BEM for multiple crack problems

A boundary element method for straight multiple center and edge crack problems is developed in this paper. The method is constructed upon the systematic use of the elastic singularity solutions in complex variables. The crack opening is represented by the continuous distribution of dislocation dipoles and the effect of the non-crack boundary by the continuous distributions of point forces and dislocation dipoles. The crack-tip singularity is embedded into the interpolation using orthogonal polynomials (i.e. Chebyshev and Jacobi) and their associated singular weight functions. The proposed analytical integration procedure of the Cauchy-type integrals defined over the crack eliminates the need for the quadrature formulae for numerical integration, streamlines, and enhances the accuracy of the traditional singular integral equation method for crack problems. The stress intensity factors for the fifteen problems analyzed in this paper have been accurate enough to substitute those given in stress intensity factor handbooks. Since non-crack boundary of arbitrary shape can be introduced at will the method is expected to give accurate stress intensity factors for complex real life problems.
A continuous-flow leach testing method for various nuclear waste forms

Abstract Nuclear waste is planned to be buried in deep geological repositories. If these repositories were ever invaded by groundwater, the waste form could be corroded and the nuclear waste released to the surrounding geologic medium. The rate at which this flowing groundwater corrodes the waste form can be studied using the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's single-pass continuous-flow leaching test. This repository-relevant leaching test places the waste form of interest into a flowing stream of leachant. The flow rates can be set to approximate the low flow rates encountered in actual aquifers. The leachant contacts the waste only once and then exits the cell where it is collected and analyzed. Such a scheme avoids potential solution saturation problems encountered with static tests. The composition of leachants used with this test has ranged from saturated salt brine to distilled water. Temperature has been varied from 25 to 75 °C. These values cover the range of ambient temperatures expected at depths of 2–3 km. This test was designed to reproduce conditions of a flooded repository in the laboratory. The testing methodology is discussed as well as examples of data obtained from leaching a variety of waste forms under various conditions.
CD40L-Positive Platelets Induce CD40L Expression De Novo in Endothelial Cells: Adding a Loop to Microvascular Inflammation

To the Editor: We read with great interest the article by Wagner et al, in which the authors elegantly showed that membrane bound CD154 (CD40 ligand [L]) expressed by T-cells can effectively trigger CD40L expression by endothelial cells. More importantly, the authors demonstrated a functional activity of endothelium-associated CD40L, thus revealing a novel costimulatory activity in monocyte–endothelial interactions.1 We have recently performed a series of experiments that aimed to study CD40L induction by endothelial cells, in particular assessing the consequences of the interactions between CD40L positive platelets with CD40 bearing endothelial cells. CD40L expression was evaluated by flow cytometry in human intestinal microvascular endothelial …
Application of variable shaped electron beam technology to the development of 0.5 micron CMOS technology with extensions to 0.25 micron

Abstract Over the past several years, CMOS technology has been continuously driven to achieve enhanced performance and higher density. The resulting reduction in semiconductor dimensions has surpassed the limits attainable by the most advanced optical lithography tools. As a result, the utilization of electron beam lithography direct writing techniques to satisfy VLSI patterning requirements has increased significantly. The ability to write patterns at high resolution, however, is by itself insufficient to accomplish the fabrication of VLSI device structures at sub-micron ground rules. The successful application of sub-micron scaling principles to device fabrication requires the complete integration of tool capability and resist process control. In order to achieve the realization of improved CMOS device performance and circuit density, sub-micron ground rules (line width control and overlay) must be satisfied over the full chip. This paper reports on a high performance, fully scaled 0.5μm CMOS technology in which each circuit level is patterned using a modified IBM EL-3 [1] variable shaped electron beam direct write tool. Significant gains in both density and performance at reduced power supply levels (3.3 volts) are obtained over previously reported 1.0μm (5.0 volt) CMOS technology [2]. The details of the innovative, integrated lithography strategy used for this application and the lithography related factors which influence overlay, pattern quality, and device performance will be presented. The modified EL-3 variable shaped electron beam system which was utilized to develop the 0.5μm CMOS technology reported in this paper has been further enhanced to achieve 0.25μm performance capability for both direct write and mask writing applications [3]. Overlay accuracy has been improved through the implementation of low noise electronics and electron optical column design improvements. The application of a 0.25μm variable shaped beam performance capability to the further scaling down of device geometries to the sub-half micron regime and the impact on the integrated lithography process at these reduced dimensions will be discussed.
Hydrostatic isolated limb perfusion with adeno-associated virus vectors enhances correction of skeletal muscle in Pompe disease

Hydrostatic isolated limb perfusion with adeno-associated virus vectors enhances correction of skeletal muscle in Pompe disease
Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Analysis of Sulfur in Biomass

Development of commercially viable chemical transformations of biomass components into platform chemicals is hampered in many cases by poisoning of the metal catalysts assisting these conversions. Sulfur contained in the small amount of protein in biomass is one type of catalyst poison. An energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) spectroscopy method was developed to analyze low ppm level sulfur (S) in biomass feedstocks and in subsequent residues from pretreatment reactions. Calibrations utilized disks made with portions of S-containing standards milled with microcrystalline cellulose. These mixtures represented a method of “standard additions” that gave excellent linear plots from ∼2 to 2250 ppm and simultaneously determined that Avicel contained 23 (±5) ppm S. Accuracy of this method was verified by two external laboratories each using a different method of analysis, UVF and ICP-AES. A minimum detection limit of 2 ppm was determined for this method with an 86 ppm standard. Representative biomass fe...
Government documents in the public card catalog: The iceberg surfaces

Abstract At the University of Houston Libraries, selected United States documents are entered into the public catalog. The Superintendent of Documents classification number and the documents location are shown in the call number space. The authors contend that the growing availability of cataloging copy for documents warrants a new look at the question of document entries in public catalogs. Arguments are given for and against use of the SuDoc number in the catalog, and criteria are suggested for selecting documents for inclusion in the public catalog.
Energy-aware task replication to manage reliability for periodic real-time applications on multicore platforms

Energy and reliability management are important design constraints for real-time embedded systems. We consider the problem of achieving a given reliability target for a set of periodic real-time applications running on a multi-core system with minimum energy consumption. Specifically, we observe that the emerging multicore platforms provide ample opportunities to use task replication to achieve reliability targets and mitigate the negative impact of Dynamic Voltage Scaling (DVS) on the rate of transient faults leading to soft errors. However, while it allows using lower execution frequencies, replication may also increase overall energy consumption due to additional task copies. Our objective is to determine the level of replication and frequency assignment for each task, as well as task-to-core allocations, in such a way to achieve the target reliability levels with minimum energy consumption. We first identify the subtle interplay between the processing frequency, replication level, reliability, and energy consumption on DVS-enabled multicore systems. Then we show that the problem is intractable in the general case and propose our energy-efficient replication (EER) algorithm as an approximate solution. We also show how the framework can be extended to tolerate a given number of permanent faults affecting processing cores. We evaluate the performance of our proposed scheme through extensive simulations. The simulation results indicate that through our algorithm, a very broad spectrum of reliability targets can be achieved with minimum energy consumption through the judicious use of replica and frequency assignment.
Mitogens stimulate the rapid nuclear to cytosolic translocation of tristetraprolin, a potential zinc-finger transcription factor.

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is the prototype of a group of potential transcription factors that contain two or more unusual CCCH zinc fingers. TTP is encoded by the immediate-early response gene Zfp-36, which is rapidly induced in fibroblasts in response to insulin and other growth factors. Indirect evidence suggests that TTP might function as an inhibitory transcription factor. The present studies evaluated the effect of mitogens on the subcellular localization of TTP using Western blotting of cellular nuclear and cytosolic fractions. In NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblasts that constitutively express TTP, 70% of the protein was located in the nucleus of quiescent, serum-deprived cells. Immunoreactive TTP began to increase in the cytosolic compartment within 1 min of serum stimulation of the cells; this increase in cytosolic protein was essentially complete within 5 min of serum stimulation (81% of total) and was accompanied by a commensurate decrease in nuclear TTP. This translocation was complete well before the increase in TTP synthesis that occurred after serum stimulation. Similar experiments in cells expressing a mutant TTP, in which the major mitogen-activated protein kinase site (serine 220) had been mutated to alanine, revealed normal nuclear to cytosolic translocation after serum stimulation, indicating that phosphorylation of this site is not necessary for this translocation to occur. These results suggest that TTP is rapidly modified in response to mitogens so that it is rapidly released from the nucleus to the cytosol, or that proteins retaining TTP in the nucleus are modified to release it into the cytosol. Thus, TTP's proposed function as a transcription factor, possibly an inhibitory one, may be regulated in cells in part by a novel mechanism, i.e. that of rapid, mitogen-stimulated translocation out of the cellular nucleus.
Strategic non-marital cohabitation: theory and empirical implications

Non-marital cohabitation is a rapidly growing global phenomenon. Prior literature examines the puzzling empirical regularity that premarital cohabitation is associated with higher divorce rates. Since cohabitation should yield improved match-quality information, one might expect the opposite. This result, and its recent weakening, have been explored empirically and produced theoretically using matching models. In this paper, we develop an intra-household bargaining model of alternative dating and cohabitation paths to marriage in which higher relationship exit costs for cohabitors relative to daters generates the observed higher divorce rate. We also show that asymmetric exit costs can produce rejection and generate exits that would not otherwise occur. In addition, we show that even when cohabitors have lower average marriage quality, expected utility for a given match quality is higher, and some utility enhancing marriages that would not have taken place without cohabitation will occur in its presence.
Contribution of Lysosomal Vesicles to the Formation of Lipid Raft Redox Signaling Platforms in Endothelial Cells

We have demonstrated that the formation of lipid raft (LR)-redox signaling platforms membrane is associated with activation of acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) in coronary arterial endothelial cells (CAECs). Given that the trafficking of lysosomal vesicles might play an essential role in ASMase activation, the present study tested whether lysosomal vesicles contribute to the formation of LR redox signaling platforms. By confocal microscopy, we found that Fas ligand (FasL) induced the formation of LR clusters in the plasma membrane of CAECs, accompanied by aggregation of NAD(P)H oxidase subunits, gp91phox and p47phox, and ROS production. When the cells were pretreated with two structurally different lysosomal vesicle function inhibitors, bafilomycin A1 (Baf) and glycyl-L-phenylalanine-β-naphthylamide (GPN), the FasL-induced LRs clustering was substantially blocked, and corresponding ROS production significantly decreased. By confocal microscopic observations in living CAECs by using LysoTracker, a colocaliza...
Efficient speaker identification using distributional speaker model clustering

For large population speaker identification (SI) systems, likelihood computations between an unknown speaker's test feature vectors and speaker models can be very time-consuming and detrimental to applications where fast SI is required. In this paper, we propose a method whereby speaker models are clustered using a distributional distance measure such as KL divergence during the training stage. During the testing stage, only those clusters which are likely to contain high-likelihood speaker models are searched. The proposed method reduces the speaker model search space which directly results in faster SI. Any loss in identification accuracy can be controlled by trading off speed and accuracy. This paper implements GMM-UBM based SI system with MAP adapted speaker models and the results are presented on TIMIT, NTIMIT and NIST-2002 large population speech corpora.
The Current Prevalence of Sleep Disordered Breathing in Congestive Heart Failure Patients Treated with Beta-Blockers

Study Objectives : Although sleep disordered breathing is thought to be common in patients with systolic heart failure, prior studies are diffi - cult to interpret due to a variety of factors including small sample sizes, referral bias to sleep laboratories among participants, lack of modern medical therapy for congestive heart failure, and the failure to use modern techniques to assess breathing such as nasal pressure. Our objective was to determine the current prevalence of sleep disordered breathing in a state-of-the-art congestive heart failure clinic. Methods : We conducted a prospective study of consecutive patients who visited our heart failure clinic to assess the prevalence of sleep apnea in all eligible patients on maximal medical therapy. We used 4-channel recording equipment and modified Chicago criteria for scor - ing respiratory events (using heart rate response as a surrogate for arousal from sleep). Results : We observed that among the 108 participants, 61% had some form of sleep disordered breathing (31% central apnea with Cheyne Stokes respiration and 30% obstructive sleep apnea). Sleep disordered breathing was significantly associated with atrial fibrillation (OR = 11.56, p = 0.02) and worse functional heart failure class (OR = 2.77, p = 0.02), after adjusting for male sex, age over 60 years, body mass index, and left ventricular ejection fraction. conclusions : We conclude that both obstructive and central sleep apnea remain common in congestive heart failure patients despite advances in medical therapy, and that the previously reported high prevalence values are unlikely to be explained by referral bias or par- ticipation bias in prior studies. These data have important clinical im- plications for practitioners providing CHF therapy.
Using the Logarithm of Odds to Define a Vector Space on Probabilistic Atlases

The logarithm of the odds ratio (LogOdds) is frequently used in areas such as artificial neural networks, economics, and biology, as an alternative representation of probabilities. Here, we use LogOdds to place probabilistic atlases in a linear vector space. This representation has several useful properties for medical imaging. For example, it not only encodes the shape of multiple anatomical structures but also captures some information concerning uncertainty. We demonstrate that the resulting vector space operations of addition and scalar multiplication have natural probabilistic interpretations. We discuss several examples for placing label maps into the space of LogOdds. First, we relate signed distance maps, a widely used implicit shape representation, to LogOdds and compare it to an alternative that is based on smoothing by spatial Gaussians. We find that the LogOdds approach better preserves shapes in a complex multiple object setting. In the second example, we capture the uncertainty of boundary locations by mapping multiple label maps of the same object into the LogOdds space. Third, we define a framework for non-convex interpolations among atlases that capture different time points in the aging process of a population. We evaluate the accuracy of our representation by generating a deformable shape atlas that captures the variations of anatomical shapes across a population. The deformable atlas is the result of a principal component analysis within the LogOdds space. This atlas is integrated into an existing segmentation approach for MR images. We compare the performance of the resulting implementation in segmenting 20 test cases to a similar approach that uses a more standard shape model that is based on signed distance maps. On this data set, the Bayesian classification model with our new representation outperformed the other approaches in segmenting subcortical structures.
The Amazing Odontoblast: Activity, Autophagy, and Aging

Odontoblasts are dentin-secreting cells that survive for the whole life of a healthy tooth. Once teeth are completely erupted, odontoblasts transform into a mature stage that allows for their functional conservation for decades, while maintaining the capacity for secondary and reactionary dentin secretion. Odontoblasts are also critically involved in the transmission of sensory stimuli from the dentin-pulp complex and in the cellular defense against pathogens. Their longevity is sustained by an elaborate autophagic-lysosomal system that ensures organelle and protein renewal. However, progressive dysfunction of this system, in part caused by lipofuscin accumulation, reduces the fitness of odontoblasts and eventually impairs their dentin maintenance capacity. Here we review the functional activities assumed by mature odontoblasts throughout life. Understanding the biological basis of age-related changes in human odontoblasts is crucial to improving tooth preservation in the elderly.
Strengthening children's oral health: views from the field.

Low-income children and adolescents continue to bear a heavy burden of untreated pain and complications from dental disease. To explore why proposals to remediate this problem have not gained tract...
Social Presence, Satisfaction, and Perceived Learning of RN-to-BSN Students in Web-Based Nursing Courses

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess social presence in online nursing courses and its relationship to student satisfaction and perceived learning. The Social Presence scale and the Satisfaction scale were administered via an Internet survey to students (n = 128) in an online RN-BSN program. Results indicated a strong relationship among satisfaction, social presence, and instructor performance. All subdomains of social presence correlated highly with the satisfaction subdomains, except the communication factor. A strong relationship was found between perceived learning and social presence and comfort with the online course. Overall social presence, instructor performance, and the subdomains of social presence predicted a significant amount of total variance in overall satisfaction and perceived learning. No significant relationships were found between the demographic factors and overall social presence or perceived learning. Results of this study can assist nurse educators in providing optimal...
Periocular Ulcerative Dermatitis Associated with Gentamicin Ointment Prophylaxis in Newborns

A recent shortage of erythromycin ointment has resulted in the use of alternative agents for newborn ocular infection prophylaxis in the United States. We report a series of 26 newborns in whom a characteristic periocular ulcerative dermatitis developed after gentamicin ointment administration at 2 Philadelphia hospitals.
Noise-predictive BCJR equalization for suppression of intrachannel nonlinearities

An iterative equalization scheme for suppressing intrachannel nonlinearities in high-speed optical transmission systems operating at 40 Gb/s is presented. The proposed method employs a noise-predictive filter to mitigate the colored noise due to amplified spontaneous emission noise and optical filtering. The maximum a posteriori probability symbol detection implemented as the Bahl-Cocke-Jelinek-Raviv (BCJR) algorithm is employed to suppress the intrachannel nonlinear effects. Soft decision outputs provided by the noise-predictive BCJR equalizer are processed by an iterative low-density parity-check decoder
Factors That Influence Parental Vaccination Decisions for Adolescents, 13 to 17 Years Old National Immunization Survey–Teen, 2010

Objectives. We aim to describe factors that influence parental decisions to vaccinate their adolescents. Methods. Data from the July to December 2010 National Immunization Survey–Teen Parental Concerns Module were analyzed to determine factors that influence parental decisions to vaccinate their adolescents. Results. Parents reported that their adolescent’s health care provider recommended tetanus toxoid/tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Td/Tdap; 74.4%), meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY; 60.3%), and human papillomavirus (HPV; 71.3%). Vaccination coverage estimates were significantly higher among parents who reported receiving a provider recommendation: 85.2% versus 76.7% (Td/Tdap), 77.3% versus 49.7% (MenACWY), and 62.2% versus 21.5% (HPV). Compared with Td/Tdap and MenACWY, fewer HPV vaccination conversations included recommendations for vaccination. Other than health care providers, school requirements (46.1%), news coverage (31.2%), and family (31.0%) were most frequen...
Uptake of Dinitrophenol & its Effect on Transpiration & Calcium Accumulation in Barley Seedlings.

There is still no general agreement as to the significance of transpiration in the overall process of ion accumulation in the shoots of intact plants. In a recent review, Russell and Barber (19) concluded that ions are first actively transported into the stele of the root and that thereafter transpiration may or may not affect their rate of movement to the shoot depending on the salt status of the root, the external ionic concentration, and the rate of transpiration. In contrast, Hylmo and his co-workers (12, 13, 14, 16), while acknowledging the existence of an active transport component, stress the importance of transpiration in the movement of ions to the shoot. Since the present work was completed, Falk (15) has shown, for K and NO3, that active transport predominates over the concentration range generally found in soil solution and nutrient cultures, while at high concentrations (> 10 mm) mass flow in the transpiration stream becomes progressively dominant. Moore et al. (17), concluded most, if not all, Ca was taken up passively. They showed with excised barley roots that 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) did not inhibit Ca uptake although it inhibited K and Mg uptake. If their conclusion is correct, Ca must accumulate in the shoot independent of metabolism in the root either by movement into the xylem vessels through the symplast (this assumes that at least part of symplast is free space for Ca) or along cell walls. The route along the walls would quite probably be blocked by the suberized thickening of the endodermal cell walls. An alternative route would be directly up the root along the cortical cell walls, but this route would seem to be quite slow. If Ca is accumulated in the shoot passively, then the accumulation might be directly correlated with transpiration. However, in view of the work of Epstein (7), Crafts (6), and others, it seems more plausible that Ca moves across the plasmalemma by the expenditure of metabolic energy (like other ions), into the symplast and finally into the xylem. In the present work, the Ca level, DNP level, O.0 level, root viability, and transpiration rates were varied to determine if Ca was actively accumulated by the barley plant.
The solubility of hydrophobic aromatic chemicals in organic solvent/water mixtures: Evaluation of four mixed solvent solubility estimation methods

The solubility of benzene, naphthalene and phenanthrene, in miscible organic solvent/water mixtures was evaluated using four mixed solvent solubility estimation methods. In methanol/water and ethanol/water systems, solubility behavior of hydrophobic aromatic solutes (naphthalene and phenanthrene) is accurately predicted by assuming that the organic cosolvent and water behave as an ideal or regular mixture. Benzene solubility in ethanol/water mixtures is not accurately predicted with the ideal solvent mixture assumption, possibly as the result of nonideal solution behavior due to solute-solute interactions. In 1-propanol/water and acetone/water mixtures, hydrophobic solute solubility is not adequately predicted with the mixed solvent solubility models.
Evaluation of residual thermally induced stresses in the cooling of polymer melt via transfinite element computations

The present paper describes the evaluation of nonlinear thermally induced residual stresses in the cooling of polymer melt during injection molding of plastic components. The computational methodology adopted is based on the transfinite element approach, which is a hybrid scheme as it combines transform methods and classical Galerkin schemes with finite element formulations to preserve the modeling versatility. The applicability of the proposed formulations for understanding the physics and the nature of the nonlinear thermally induced stresses in the solidifying process of a sample amorphous polystyrene specimen demonstrates the basic capabilities and potential of the methodology. Results obtained agree qualitatively well with earlier research studies and experimental findings relevant to thermally induced residual stresses in the injection molding of plastic components.
A 3-D contour segmentation scheme based on curvature and torsion

The Darboux vector contains both the curvature and torsion of a three-dimensional (3-D) image as its components. Curvature measures how sharply a curve is turning while torsion measures the extent of its twist in 3-D space. Curvature and torsion completely define the shape of a 3-D curve. A scheme is presented that uses the length of this vector, also called the total curvature, for the segmentation of 3-D contours. A quintic B-spline is used in this formulation to obtain the total curvature for noisy data. Examples of nonnoisy and noisy data illustrate the merit of the scheme. >
Management of the Waiting List for Cadaveric Kidney Transplants: Report of a Survey and Recommendations by the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee of the American Society of Transplantation

ABSTRACT. The Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee of the American Society of Transplantation developed a survey to review the policies of kidney transplant programs in the United States with respect to the management of the steadily expanding waiting list for cadaveric kidneys. The survey was sent to 287 centers, and 192 (67%) responded. The survey indicated that regular follow-up monitoring, most frequently on an annual basis, is required by the majority (71%) of programs. Patients considered to be at high risk and candidates for combined kidney-pancreas transplantation may be monitored more frequently. Annual screening for coronary artery disease is typically required for asymptomatic patients considered to be at high risk for covert disease. Noninvasive techniques are typically used, and a designated cardiologist is usually available to the transplant program. The dialysis nephrologist or the potential transplant recipient is expected to inform the transplant program of intercurrent events that may affect transplant candidacy. Standard health maintenance screening is required, together with the routine updating of serologic and other blood tests that may be relevant to the posttransplant course. Smaller transplant programs (
Spectrum Shaping: A New Perspective on Cognitive Radio—Part II: Coexistence with Uncoded Legacy Transmission

Spectrum shaping is examined for cognitive users to enable graceful coexistence with pre-existing legacy services. In Part I of this two-part paper series, the case of a coded legacy system was presented. In Part II, the case of an uncoded, or analog, legacy system is treated. Optimal power spectral densities are characterized for the cognitive user so that the analog legacy user achieves a prescribed distortion constraint as measured by a mean-squared estimation error. As in Part I, it is demonstrated that through spectrum shaping, the cognitive user can transmit at its full available power and thereby achieve logarithmic growth of the cognitive transmission rate. Necessary conditions for the optimality of the spectrum shaping problem are investigated and under special conditions, low-complexity optimization algorithms are developed. A low-complexity sub-optimal solution corresponding to an on-off cognitive power spectral density is analyzed, and shown to be sufficient for attaining the logarithmic growth of cognitive transmission rates. To summarize this two-part paper, a series of general considerations for system implementation of spectrum shaping are discussed.
Genetic algorithm-based geometry reconstruction of convex conducting cylinders

In this paper a GA-based method for geometry reconstruction of 2D convex shapes was presented and tested successfully on several scattering targets. While the case of convex scattering targets seems limited, this work is the basis of a more general method that uses genetic programming techniques. Tree-structured chromosomes can be used to represent the geometric combination (union, subtraction, etc.) of convex polygons, which provides a very flexible representation of arbitrary 2D geometries. Moreover, the representation can be extended quite easily to an arbitrary number of dimensions.