cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ECIoT: Case for an Edge-Centric IoT Gateway

Numerous cloud service providers (CSPs) have developed IoT gateways and devices that connect IoT devices solely to their respective clouds. We term these gateways cloud-centric. In this paper, we propose an alternative, edge-centric approach to developing IoT gateways, Edge-Centric IoT Gateways, or ECIoT. ECIoT gateways will: enable sites to direct IoT sensor data to the CSP of their choice for processing and storage and permit IoT sensor data to be easily and efficiently forwarded to multiple CSPs simultaneously, which can simplify these functions in multi-vendor IoT systems. Evaluation of a preliminary, proof-of-concept prototype suggests that the ECIoT gateway can achieve these multi-vendor objectives with minimal overhead.
The Certainty of Ambiguity in Visual Neural Representations

Some images evoke bistable percepts: two different visual experiences seen in alternation while continuously viewing an unchanged stimulus. The Necker Cube and Rubin's Vase are classic examples, each of which gives alternating percepts of different shapes. Other bistable percepts are alternating colors or directions of motion. Although stimuli that result in salient bistability are rare and sometimes cleverly constructed to emphasize ambiguity, they have been influential for over 150 years, since the work of von Helmholtz, who considered them to be evidence for perceptual visual processes that interpret retinal stimuli. While bistability in natural viewing is uncommon, the main point of this review is that implicit ambiguity in visual neural representations is pervasive. Resolving ambiguity, therefore, is a fundamental and ubiquitous process of vision that routinely affects what we see, not an oddity arising from cleverly crafted images. This review focuses on the causes of widespread ambiguity, historical perspectives on it, and modern knowledge and theory about resolving it.
Supports to Improve Academic Outcomes With Racially and Ethnically Minoritized Youth: A Review of Research:

For decades, racially and ethnically minoritized youth have been subject to unequal distributions of access and opportunity in school, leading to inequities in academic outcomes. Educators require ...
Reliability of RC Beams Subjected to Fire

Methods for analytically predicting the behavior of reinforced concrete beams subjected to fire are presented. These incorporate the temperature-dependent strength degradation in the steel as well as thermal and creep strains. The parameters that are important for predicting beam behavior are identified through a sensitivity study. The application of reliability analysis techniques in developing fire-resistant design procedure is also examined. Using probabilistic methods, safety factors for design can be developed which are commensurate with the required reliability and levels of uncertainty arising from basic randomness and modeling error.
Managing shared access to a spectrum commons

The open access, unlicensed or spectrum commons approach to managing shared access to RF spectrum offers many attractive benefits, especially when implemented in conjunction with and as a complement to a regime of market-based, flexible use, tradable licensed spectrum ([Benkler02], [Lehr04], [Werbach03]). However, as a number of critics have pointed out, implementing the unlicensed model poses difficult challenges that have not been well-addressed yet by commons advocates ([Benjam03], [Faulhab05], [Goodman04], [Hazlett01]). A successful spectrum commons will not be unregulated, but it also needs not be command & control by another name. This paper seeks to address some of the implementation challenges associated with managing a spectrum commons. We focus on the minimal set of features that we believe a suitable management protocol, etiquette, or framework for a spectrum commons will need to incorporate. This includes: (1) No transmit only devices; (2) Power restrictions; (3) Common channel signaling; (4) Mechanism for handling congestion and allocating resources among users/uses in times of congestion; (5) Mechanism to support enforcement (e.g., established procedures to verify protocol is in conformance); (6) Mechanism to support reversibility of policy; and (7) Protection for privacy and security. We explain why each is necessary, examine their implications for current policy, and suggest ways in which they might be implemented. We present a framework that suggests a set of design principles for the protocols that will govern a successful commons management regime. Our design rules lead us to conclude that the appropriate Protocols for a Commons will need to be more liquid ([Reed05]) than in the past: (1) Market-based instead of CC (2) Decentralized/distributed; and, (3) Adaptive and flexible (Anonymous, distributed, decentralized, and locally responsive)
Lubrication and Wear Protection of Natural (Bio)Systems

Given the rich diversity of life which populates our planet, it is easy to forget that all forms of life, from single-celled protozoa to blue whales, are essentially mechanical systems with multiple elements that need to slide easily past one another without being damaged in order to effectively navigate their environment. As with any “well-oiled” machine, the optimal performance and functionality of biomechanical systems are contingent upon effectual lubrication of motile surfaces. Nature has developed surprisingly varied, and, at times, rather ingenious lubrication strategies for controlling and regulating the interaction forces, friction, and wear at sheared interfaces. In many respects, the engineering challenges to managing friction and avoiding wear in man-made macro-, micro-, and even nanoscale mechanical devices are no different from those faced and ultimately solved by biological systems. Nature, therefore, often provides a useful template on which new and innovative solutions can be developed to meet the ever increasing demands of next-generation technologies. Although the basic science of friction was first established more than 500 years ago by Leonardo da Vinci (and later rediscovered by Guillaume Amonton
Raloxifene and breast cancer

We wish to acknowledge Kathleen Pritchard and colleagues for bringing to light a number of important issues regarding raloxifene and breast cancer.[1][1] In a recent animal study, the effects of raloxifene on several breast cancer cell lines (which had been implanted into athymic mice) were
Facebook as a tool for respondent tracing

In longitudinal research projects, respondents’ contact information such as address, telephone, and email can become out-of-date. Some researchers have searched Facebook for these unreachable respondents, with the hope of sending them a private message that asks them to provide the needed follow-up data. Published reports of research that used Facebook that way raise several questions: When should researchers conclude that a Facebook user is actually the respondent they are seeking? How should researchers word their message? To what extent is respondent tracing through Facebook likely to reduce nonresponse bias? Is communication using Facebook sufficiently confidential? This paper discusses these questions and presents Westat’s own use of Facebook to trace respondents in a longitudinal evaluation of an intervention for youth in foster care. The paper discusses the implications of ourwork for future research practice.
The role of oxidative stress in atherosclerosis: the hope and the hype.

Abstract Numerous lines of investigation support the importance of oxidative stress in the development of atherosclerosis. Results from studies in isolated cells and in animal models of atherosclerosis are compelling, as are those from a select number of clinical trials. Unfortunately, the results of prospective, randomized clinical studies have been disappointing and may reflect our current inability to accurately assess oxidative risk and the response to antioxidant therapy. Only when it is possible to accurately and easily measure oxidative stress will it be possible to accurately determine the efficacy of different antioxidant approaches.
Ill-conditioned signal restoration and the conjugate gradient method

The application of the conjugate gradient method, an efficient iterative method for solving positive-definite systems of linear equations, to an ill-conditioned signal restoration problem is considered. The author reexamines the application of the conjugate gradient method to such problems based on a recent interpretation of it as a spectral filtering method. An expression is derived for the mean-square error at each iteration based on spectral filtering analysis. This expression is sued to determine an optimal stopping point for the iteration and to help explain the effect of sampling rate changes on the conjugate gradient method. >
A link scheduling and ad hoc networking approach using directional antennas

There is strong interest within DoD to utilize high-gain, directional antennas at both the transmitting and receiving end of the link in a dynamic, ad hoc network environment. However, the application of directional antennas (e.g., phased-array or sectorized antennas) in a dynamic network of mobile nodes requires coordination of antenna steering at both the receiver and transmitter ends of the link. Our solution is to apply adaptive, link-state routing (be performed by the OLSR ad hoc routing protocol [T. Clausen et. al., September 1, 2001]) supported by a distributed, adaptive time division multiple access (TDMA) scheduler, which determines schedules based on cooperative decisions between each pair of neighbor nodes. The architecture that has been developed contains a high rate mission data channel with an adaptive TDMA link scheduling protocol designed to take advantage of high-gain directional antennas. Time slots on this channel are adaptively scheduled to meet dynamic traffic demand requirements and to avoid interference from adjacent transmitting nodes. In addition, the link scheduling protocol must adapt to changes in node neighborhood topology caused by node mobility and link obstructions. This architecture was tested and evaluated in two ways: by OPNET simulations and by field demonstrations.
Stress, obesity, and the metabolic syndrome: soul and metabolism.

Stress, Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome: Soul and Metabolism: C. Tsigos and G.P. Chrousos. Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome: the Stress on Society: W.P.T. James, N. Rigby and R. Leach. Part I: Stress through the Life Course:. 1. Fetal Origins of Stress-Related Adult Disease: E. Kajantie. 2. Birth-Weight, Stress in Childhood and the Metabolic Syndrome in Adult life: D. Phillips. 3. Metabolic Syndrome Manifestations in Classic Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia:. Do They Predispose to Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease and Secondary Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?: E. Charmandari and G.P. Chrousos. 4. Stress in Women: Metabolic Syndrome and the PCOS: E. Diamanti-Kandarakis and F. Economou. 5. Stress, the Endoplasmic Reticulum and Insulin Resistance: P. Tsiotra and C. Tsigos. Part II: Central Stress Activity and Peripheral Tissue Sensitivity in the Genesis of Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome:. 6. Stress, Visceral Obesity and Metabolic Complications: I. Kyrou, G.P. Chrousos and C. Tsigos. 7. The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activity in Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome: R. Pasquali, V. Vicennati, M. Cacciari and U.Pagotto. 8. Sympathetic system activity in obesity and the metabolic syndrome: N. Tendolouris, S. Liatis and N. Katsilambros. 9. A Brief Update of Glucocorticoid Receptor Variants and Obesity Risk: R. Rosmond, V. Radulovic and G. Holm. 10. Tissue Production of Cortisol by 11beta-hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase type 1 and Metabolic Risks: B.R. Walker and R. Andrew. 11. Peripheral Factors in the Metabolic Syndrome. The Pivotal Role of Adiponectin: C. Tsatsanis, V. Zacharioudaki, A. Androulidaki, E. Dermitzaki, I. Charalampopoulos, V. Minas, A. Gravanis and A. Margioris. 12. The Protective Role of Exercise on Stress System Dysregulation and Co-morbidities: A. Tsatsoulis. 13. Nutrition and Inflammatory Load: M.D. Kontogianni, A. Zambelas and C. Tsigos. Part III: Targeting Components of the Stress System as Potential Therapies:. 14. Potential Uses of CRH Antagonists: A. Zoumakis and G. P. Chrousos. 15. Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibition and Eating Behavior: V. Hainer, K. Kabrnova, B. Aldhoon, M. Kunesova, M. Wagenknecht. 16. Targeting the Cannabinoid System in Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome: C. Tsigos and I. Kyrou. 17. Targeting Components of the Stress System as Potential Therapies for the Metabolic Syndrome: The Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptors: V.D. Yumuk. 18. Regulation of Appetite and Insulin Action in Inflammatory States: K. Karalis. 19. Stress, Cytokines and Sleep Disorders: A. Vgontzas. Index of Contributors
Etiology and Pathogenesis of Psoriatic Arthritis

The current model of psoriatic arthritis implicates both the IL-23/IL-17 axis and the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathways in disease pathogenesis. Although specific major histocompatibility complex class I molecules are associated with the psoriatic disease phenotype, no specific antigen or autoantibody has been identified. Instead, an array of genes may code for an autoinflammatory loop, potentially activated by mechanical stress and dysbiosis in the skin or gut. Danger signals released by innate immune cells activate a Th1 and Th17 response that leads to synovitis, enthesitis, axial inflammation, and altered bone homeostasis characterized by pathologic bone resorption and new bone formation.
Daily rhythm of cerebral blood flow velocity

Background CBFV (cerebral blood flow velocity) is lower in the morning than in the afternoon and evening. Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain the time of day changes in CBFV: 1) CBFV changes are due to sleep-associated processes or 2) time of day changes in CBFV are due to an endogenous circadian rhythm independent of sleep. The aim of this study was to examine CBFV over 30 hours of sustained wakefulness to determine whether CBFV exhibits fluctuations associated with time of day.
Linear Minimum Variance Estimation with Complex Phase Errors

The linear minimum variance estimator of a random signal, received multiplied by a complex Gaussian phase error and added to random noise, is investigated. The results apply to the propagation of images through the turbulent atmosphere, fading channels, and synthetic-aperture radar. Among others, a result is that the multiplicative error can be replaced by an additive error, usually white. The best signal modulation is found in two important special cases.
Recognition Directed Site-Selective Chemical Modification of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers

Demonstrated is the site-selective chemical modification (SSCM) of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). In this strategy, MIPs are selectively chemically modified to improve the ratio of high-affinity to low-affinity binding sites and therefore the overall binding characteristics of the material. This was accomplished by preferentially eliminating the low-affinity binding sites by esterification with diazomethane or phenyldiazomethane. Selectivity in the esterification reaction was achieved using a guest molecule as an in situ protecting group that preferentially shields the high-affinity sites and leaves the low-affinity sites exposed toward reaction. The corresponding shifts in the populations of high- and low-affinity sites were quantified using affinity distribution analysis, which quantitatively measures the heterogeneous distribution of binding sites in MIPs as number of binding sites (N) with respect to binding affinity (K). Using affinity distribution analysis, the SSCM strategy was shown to imp...
A comparative study on the classification of engineering surfaces with dimension reduction and coefficient shrinkage methods

As more automated and accurate surface inspection devices enter the manufacturing process, engineers collect a larger amount of surface inspection data, in terms of storage space and the number of parameters to characterize the surface, but sometimes smaller in terms of the number of coherent surface observations. In these cases, more features are preferable to characterize engineering surfaces for capturing the details of the surface finish patterns. When the number of surface parameters exceeds the number of collected surface observations, a difficulty with the dimensionality emerges in classification. This paper has researched the accuracy and interpretability of using the dimension reduction and coefficient shrinkage methods in combination with the logistic model to deal with this dimensionality problem in engineering surface classification. Five methods for dimension reduction and coefficient shrinkage are selected and compared. These are: subset selection (Sub), principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares (PLS), ridge regression (Ridge), and least absolute and shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso). A case study is used to illustrate their effectiveness by classifying 30 pump body surfaces with 40 surface feature parameters. The obtained results show that the dimension reduction methods, PCA and PLS, could achieve higher classification accuracies but their results are not interpretable. Sub could achieve higher accuracy in this case, but the discrete parameter selection process is aggressive. Finally, the classification results of the coefficient shrinkage methods, Ridge and Lasso, are interpretable for process faults diagnosis purposes; however, the accuracies are lower than the other methods.
Use of a geriatric home visit experience to teach medical students the functional status assessment.

INTRODUCTION Functional status measures strongly predict hospital outcomes and mortality, yet teaching of these measures is often missing from medical schools’ curricula. To address this deficiency, we developed a Geriatric Home-based Assessment (GHA) module for third-year medical students. The module was composed of a workshop and two to three home visits.
Job Security Provisions and Employment

European countries have enacted various job security provisions over the last 30 years. Employers are required to pay workers on separation or to give advance notice of termination. In anything less than a perfectly functioning market, there are effects of the provisions on employment. Incumbents are more likely to retain their jobs, but new workers are less likely to be hired. An examination of the European data suggests that severance pay requirements reduce employment.
Power relationships and temperature dependence in the D-C corona field

The study of d-c corona discharge over a period of many years has resulted in a considerable body of literature on the subject. However, relatively little has been reported on corona properties over extended temperature ranges. At least two experimental studies have been published, both using coaxial cylindrical geometry. The first, by Koller and Fremont,1 treats negative corona at temperatures to 1,400 R (degrees Rankin) and pressures to 5 atmospheres. The second, by Thomas and Wong,2 treats both positive and negative corona at temperatures to 2,000 R and pressures to 8 atmospheres.
The effect of astigmatism due to beam refractions on the formation of the measurement volume in LDA measurements

The accuracy of LDA measurements depends on the optical alignment of the laser beams. Improperly designed optical systems lead to fringe distortion in the measurement volume and in earlier investigations this effect has always been taken as the main cause of optical inaccuracy in LDA measurements. In the present work a different cause of fringe distortion is considered: astigmatism due to beam refractions. A quantitative theory for the astigmatism of laser beams is derived for both single and multiple refractions. Parameter calculations with regard to the size of the astigmatism effect have been carried out. It is shown that astigmatism is a relevant parameter which influences the fringe uniformity and fringe distortion in an LDA measurement volume and affects the measurement accuracy of measurements in internal flow. The equations derived enable the change in cross sections of the refracted laser beams to be determined. The spatial deviations of the diverse focusing points of refracted laser beams relative to the position of the LDA measurement volume are found to depend strongly on the incident angle of the beams and therefore on the off-axis alignment angle of the LDA probe (off-axis from the normal to the flow-wall-interface).
Adaptation and Evaluation of a Personal Electronic Nose for Selective Multivapor Analysis

The evaluation of a commercial, belt-mountable “electronic nose” modified for the rapid recognition and quantification of individual solvent vapors and simple vapor mixtures at low ppm concentrations is described. Marketed under the name VaporLab® this direct-reading instrument was designed for qualitative determinations of the presence or absence of selected individual vapors and was adapted in this study for quantitative determinations of vapors and vapor-mixture components. Vapor samples are concentrated on a small adsorbent bed and then thermally desorbed for analysis by an array of four polymer-coated surface acoustic wave sensors. Tests were performed with 13 organic solvent vapors individually and in selected binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 12 times the respective American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists' (ACGIH®) threshold limit value (TLV®). Pattern recognition analyses yielded a library of response patterns to which subsequent actua...
Disclosure of diagnosis and treatment among early stage prostate cancer survivors

Objective Increased long-term survival rates have led to a greater focus on the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of prostate cancer survivors. This study assessed the motivations of prostate cancer survivors for disclosing their diagnosis and treatment to close others, and their perceptions of their own and others’ responses to the disclosure.
Lake in Cameroon remains a hazard

Carbon dioxide levels remain dangerous in Lake Nyos, the lake in Cameroon that released a deadly cloud of the gas last August, according to the final report of the U.S. scientific team sent by the Agency for International Development (AID) to investigate the disaster. The scientists recommended that a system be constructed to pipe the lake's CO2-saturated bottom water to the surface at a controlled rate. The team also said that the CO2 concentration of other volcanic lakes in the region should be monitored.
Noninvasive diagnosis of left coronary arteriovenous fistula communicating with the right ventricle

Abstract In a 20 year old man, the diagnosis of a left coronary arteriovenous fistula communicating with the right ventricle was made by noninvasive techniques using M mode, two dimensional and Doppler echocardiography. The diagnosis was confirmed by coronary angiography.
Isotype-specific inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase pathway in hematologic malignancies

In the last decade, the advent of biological targeted therapies has revolutionized the management of several types of cancer, especially in the realm of hematologic malignancies. One of these pathways, and the center of this review, is the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. The PI3K pathway seems to play an important role in the pathogenesis and survival advantage in hematologic malignancies, such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. The objectives of the present review, hence, are to describe the current knowledge on the PI3K pathway and its isoforms, and to summarize preclinical and clinical studies using PI3K inhibitors, focusing on the advances made in hematologic malignancies.
Approximate parallel sorting on a spatial computer

We describe collision sort, a simple distributed sorting algorithm for a spatial computer on a regular lattice, which represents data by mobile particles in an abstract space. Although collision sort produces only approximate results, it tolerates faults, minimizes communication, and adapts easily to simultaneous multi-axis sorting. We show simulations of collision sort in 1 and 2 dimensions, and discuss its scalability properties.
Additive Schwarz-based fully coupled implicit methods for resistive Hall magnetohydrodynamic problems

A parallel, fully coupled, nonlinearly implicit Newton-Krylov-Schwarz algorithm is proposed for the numerical simulation of a magnetic reconnection problem described by a system of resistive Hall magnetohydrodynamics equations in slab geometry. A key component of the algorithm is a restricted additive Schwarz preconditioner defined for problems with doubly periodic boundary conditions. We show numerically that with such a preconditioned nonlinearly implicit method the time step size is no longer constrained by the CFL number or the convergence of the Newton solver. We report the parallel performance of the algorithm and software on machines with thousands of processors.
Tradition and Community in African Religion

Methodologie des religions: plutot que des categories artificielles importees d'Europe, il faut parler de "tradition" en meme temps que de "communaute" a propos des religions d'Afrique.
Power Struggles: Pain and Authenticity in SM Play

Despite a good deal of work on pain as a social/emotional construction, the assumption persists that pain is understood and experienced as inherently and originally negative. Postmodern and constructionist treatments of pain alike focus on negotiations and mediations of pain from that point forward. This article explores the ways in which members of an SM (sadomasochism) community frame, cast, and understand the role of pain in their SM activities, toward the ultimate achievement of authenticity in experiences of power-imbalanced social interaction. This analysis, based on an in-depth ethnographic study of an SM community, identifies four main discourses of pain, three of which conform to hegemonic understandings of pain as intrinsically negative experience. It reveals the complex strategies SM participants employ to make sense of pain and contrasts this with a minority discourse in the community in which the provision and experience of pain is framed as a desirable social, carnal, and emotional experience.
Kaposi's sarcoma risk among transplant recipients in the United States (1993-2003).

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) risk is high in immunosuppressed transplant recipients. KS develops in recipients with pre-existing infection with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), the causative agent for KS, but it can also occur in recipients infected by donors. The relative importance of these sources of infection in recipients in the United States is unknown. We report recipient and donor characteristics associated with KS among transplant recipients in the United States. KS risk, after solid organ transplantation during 1993–2003, was analyzed using data from the Organ Procurement and Tissue Network. Associations were determined using proportional hazards regression. Sixtyfive KS cases were identified among 234,127 transplants (incidence 8.8 per 100,000 person-years). Most cases occurred in the first 2 years after transplantation (incidence 12.5 per 100,000 person-years). KS risk increased steadily with recipient age (ptrend < 0.001) and was associated with the recipient being male (HR 1.8, 95% CI, 1.0–3.2), Hispanic (2.1, 1.1–3.8) and a non-U.S. citizen (3.9, 1.8–8.6). Mismatch at the HLA-B locus, but not at HLA-A or HLA-DR loci, was associated with heightened risk (HR 3.6, 95%CI 1.1–11 for 1–2 vs. 0 HLA-B mismatches). KS was unrelated to donor characteristics and was not significantly related to use of specific antirejection medications. Our study found that KS incidence was low among transplant recipients in the United States, but it was associated with recipient age, sex and citizenship, perhaps reflecting pre-existing HHV-8 infection. The high KS risk immediately posttransplant and in persons with HLA-B mismatch highlights the role of immunosuppression and/or immune stimulation in KS pathogenesis. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
B.S.: Reclaiming the Language of Education

This essay examines the dangers of attempts by educators to clothe the teaching profession in a veneer of scientific certainty. The author argues that teaching is an art, not a science, and should be proudly proclaimed as such.
Antenna-based near-field scanning optical microscopy (Invited Paper)

Some time ago a near-field optical imaging technique had been introduced (Appl. Phys. Lett. 73, 1669 (1998)), which achieves high spatial resolution and excellent sensitivity by exploiting the highly localized and mutual near-field interactions between a Au-nanosphere and a sharp Si-probe under evanescent field illumination. Specifically, the scattering of Au-nanoparticles is significantly enhanced by the presence of a sharp nanoscopic probe demonstrating that the probe acts as an efficient antenna. The present study focuses on the underlying physics of the original results by investigating more systematically nanoparticle-probe interactions: (1) The polarization pattern of the scattered field of an evanescent wave excited Si-probe is studied, which demonstrates that the probe scatters as a single dipole. (2) The enhanced scattering signal is measured as a function of sample size, which allows us to predict the signal strength for different size samples. (3) The wavelength dependence of the probe-sample scattering is investigated by exciting Au-nanospheres on (@543 nm) and off plasmon resonance (@633nm). The data shows a pronounced wavelength dependence reflecting the near-field spectrum of the Au-nanocrystals. (4) Finally, a simple, but intuitive model describing these mutual near-field interactions is presented, which explains qualitatively both the size and wavelength dependence of the enhanced scattering signals.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Use of humidified air in optimizing APCI-MS response in breath analysis

An atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometer (APCI-MS) system was modified to introduce gaseous samples as well as to humidify sheath and auxiliary gases. Solutions of single odorants in pentane were evaporated inside a vessel in a dry environment (relative humidity 0-10%) and in a human-breath-like environment (relative humidity 88-98%) and subsequently analyzed in the positive ion mode. The results indicated that using dry nitrogen as sheath and auxiliary gases led to strong fragmentation of the molecules combined with a low sensitivity of detection. Humidification of both gases not only increased sensitivity but also resulted in the protonated molecular ion as the base peak in 5 of the 6 compounds studied (ethyl butyrate, 3-methyl-3-phenyl glycidic acid ethyl ester, gamma-decalactone, (E)-2-hexenal, and cinnamic aldehyde). Only hexanal, which formed a cluster (m/z 183), did not have the protonated molecular ion as base peak. It was found that the humidity of the sample itself did not have any influence on sensitivity or fragmentation.
BDNF treatment and extended recovery from optic nerve trauma in the cat.

PURPOSE We examined the treatment period necessary to restore retinal and visual stability following trauma to the optic nerve. METHODS Cats received unilateral optic nerve crush and no treatment (NT), treatment of the injured eye with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), or treatment of the injured eye combined with treatment of visual cortex for 2 or 4 weeks. After 1-, 2-, 4-, or 6-week survival periods, pattern electroretinograms (PERGs) were obtained and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival determined. RESULTS In the peripheral retina, RGC survival for NT, eye only, and eye + cortex animals was 55%, 78%, and 92%, respectively, at 1 week, and 31%, 60%, and 93%, respectively, at 2 weeks. PERGs showed a similar pattern of improvement. After 4 weeks, RGC survival was 7%, 29%, and 53% in each group, with PERGs in the dual-treated animals similar to the 1- to 2-week animals. For area centralis (AC), the NT, eye only, and eye + cortex animals showed 47%, 78%, and 82% survival, respectively, at 2 weeks, and 13%, 54%, and 81% survival, respectively, at 4 weeks. Removing the pumps at 2 weeks resulted in ganglion cell survival levels of 76% and 74% in the AC at 4 and 6 weeks postcrush, respectively. The PERGs from 2-week treated, but 4- and 6-week survival animals were comparable to those of the 2-week animals. CONCLUSIONS Treating the entire central visual pathway is important following optic nerve trauma. Long-term preservation of central vision may be achieved with as little as 2 weeks of treatment using this approach.
A multivariate analysis of the working poor in texas: Implications for policy

ABSTRACT Social policy makers and researchers in the United States are greatly concerned with the plight of millions of immigrants to the United States. The effects of immigrants on the distribution of services and goods for impoverished segments of the population, especially along southern border-state areas, are currently undergoing scrutiny of policy makers. President George W. Bush has recently recommended sending the National Guard to the southern border to curb illegal migration. There is a strong national sentiment against illegal migration. Many believe that illegal migrants are exploited and, therefore, contribute disproportionately to the growing class of working poor in America. However, their have been limited attempts to link scientifically derived demographic and economic evidence of the causal factors associated with the growth of the working poor, and to develop research methodology and technical means to provide needed and valuable decision-support information for perspective policy maker...
Cytokine effects on a B-cell line

The murine pre-B-like cell line, 70Z /3, has been shown to undergo differentiation in response to supernatants derived from concanavalin-A (Con A) stimulated rat spleen cells or ultraviolet light treated P388D1 macrophage cell line. After culture for 24 h with supernatant factors, normally membrane IgM negative 70Z /3 cells are induced to synthesize light chain and become high level membrane IgM expressors . The cytokine (s) responsible for inducing 70Z /3 cells to differentiate is different from interleukin-2 (IL-2), B-cell growth factor (BCGF), colony-stimulating factor (CSF) I and II, but one of the cytokines is either very similar or identical to interleukin-1 (IL-1). These results demonstrate that IL-1 or a molecule with very similar physical properties can act directly on a B-cell line and thus probably also on normal B cells to influence differentiation.
Ectopic expression of toll-like receptor-3 (TLR-3) overcomes the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) signaling defects of P2.1 cells.

Cells respond to viral infection through induction of discrete, innate immune response pathways that lead to induction of interferons (IFNs) and other proinflammatory cytokines, as well as the direct induction of some IFN-responsive genes that mediate specific antiviral or immunomodulatory responses. To assess the classes of genes induced directly upon treatment of cells with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), a mimic of viral infection, we made use of a mutant human cell line defective in responsiveness to dsRNA and IFN. P2.1 mutant cells were generated from a Jak1-minus, HT1080 fibrosarcoma-derived cell line (U4C) after extensive mutagenesis with the intercalating agent ICR191. We now demonstrate that P2.1 cells are defective in basal and induced expression of toll-like receptor-3 (TLR-3), which may contribute to their dsRNA-unresponsive phenotype. After transfection with a wild-type TLR-3 gene, P2.1 cells were largely responsive to a dsRNA challenge, as assessed by activation of NF-κB and IFN regulatory fact...
On the Joint Use of the Foldover and Partial Confounding for the Construction of Follow-Up Two-Level Blocked Fractional Factorial Designs

In this article, we consider experimental situations where a regular fractional factorial design is initially used to study m two-level factors using experimental units arranged in 2p blocks of size but where a follow-up design is desired to further study main effects and two-factor interactions. A typical follow-up would consist of folding over some of the experimental factors but using the same blocking scheme for the foldover design. Here, we consider the joint use of the foldover and the use of a different blocking scheme in the follow-up design to generate alternative combined designs that outperform the combined designs obtained using previously given procedures in terms of estimability of two-factor interactions, estimation capacity, or both.
Relation of Receptive Field Size and Salt Taste Responses in Chorda Tympani Fibers during Development

During development nerve fibers must establish precise connections with sensory organs. For example, in the adult mammal a single chorda tympani nerve fiber innervates receptive fields on the tongue that contain from one to several fungiform papillae and associated taste buds. However, there has been no developmental study to determine how taste receptive fields are established. We hypothesized that previously observed differences in development of taste responses to various salts' might relate to development of receptive fields. Therefore, the size and chemical response properties of receptive fields for single chorda tympani nerve fibers in sheep fetuses, perinatal animals, and lambs were determined. Seventy-four fibers were studied in 44 animals from three age groups: fetuses about 130 days of gestation (term = 147 days); perinatal animals (about one week before or after birth); lambs (about one to three months postnatal). A single chorda tympani fiber was dissected and the tongue was stimulated with 0.5 M NH,Cl, NaCl, and KCl to record salt taste responses. Then individual fungiform papillae were stimulated electrically with 5 microamps anodal current from a fine platinum probe to determine number of papillae innervated by the fiber. There was a broad range of receptive field sizes across age groups: for fetuses the range was 3 to 40 papillae per field, mean (SD) = 13 ( 10); for perinatal animals the range was 1 to 33 papillae, mean (SD) = 15 (9); for lambs the range was 2 to 29 papillae, mean (SD) = 11 (7). There was a significant difference in receptive field size across age groups with a median test (p < 0.10), and posttests indicated that lamb fields were smaller than perinatal fields. Not only were small fields observed more frequently in fibers in older animals, but also there was an increase in the proportion of fibers that responded with highest frequency to NaCl compared to NH,CI ( p = 0.06). Furthermore, receptive field size correlated negatively with the NaCl : NH,Cl response ratio. That is, smaller receptive fields had higher frequency
But Will I Ever Use This Foreign Language? Student Perceptions of the Applicability of Foreign Language Skills

A survey of 358 university students enrolled in first- and second-semester French and Spanish courses indicates that students are overwhelmingly positive concerning the importance of knowledge of a foreign language. Many predict using the target language during travel, at work, and in their personal lives, and reaffirm the belief that language courses are an important part of their college education. This article presents the results of this survey, along with its pedagogical implications.
Maximum entropy canonical correlations

Abstract A simulation study is undertaken to evaluate the performance of maximum entropy and sample canonical correlation estimates. Maximum entropy estimates are available in undersized samples and for the statistics considered they provide small sample gains over sample estimates.
Aligned carbon nanotube-DNA electrochemical sensors.

Single-strand DNA chains were chemically grafted onto aligned carbon nanotube electrodes, leading to novel aligned carbon nanotube–DNA sensors of a high sensitivity and selectivity for probing complementary DNA and target DNA chains of specific sequences.
Unearthing Stealthy Program Attacks Buried in Extremely Long Execution Paths

Modern stealthy exploits can achieve attack goals without introducing illegal control flows, e.g., tampering with non-control data and waiting for the modified data to propagate and alter the control flow legally. Existing program anomaly detection systems focusing on legal control flow attestation and short call sequence verification are inadequate to detect such stealthy attacks. In this paper, we point out the need to analyze program execution paths and discover event correlations in large-scale execution windows among millions of instructions. We propose an anomaly detection approach with two-stage machine learning algorithms to recognize diverse normal call-correlation patterns and detect program attacks at both inter- and intra-cluster levels. We implement a prototype of our approach and demonstrate its effectiveness against three real-world attacks and four synthetic anomalies with less than 0.01% false positive rates and 0.1~1.3 ms analysis overhead per behavior instance (1k to 50k function or system calls).
STOCHASTIC ACCELERATION IN A MAGNETIC MIRROR.

Abstract Statistical acceleration rate of a charged particle in a magnetic mirror is derived, correct within a factor of two, for the case when the electric field spectrum spans the spectrum of mirror gyrofrequencies.
Determinatis of participation in a nutritional supplementation project in rural guatemala

Abstract The factors which influence participation in nutrition interventions are not well understood. This study identifies the relative importance of various determinants of participation in a longitudinal, on-site nutritional supplementation project conducted in rural Guatemala. The study examines attendance of children age 0–72 months at the feeding centers during the first year of the project, 1969. The results indicate that participation did not occur at random, and a variety of factors contributed to the participation of individual children, particularly mother's literacy, child's age, family size, and distance from the home to the feeding center.
Immunofluorescent analysis of the basement membrane zone in lichen planus suggests destruction of the lamina lucida in bullous lesions

Lichen planus is an inflammatory dermatosis which is characterized histologically by an intense lymphocytic infiltrate at the dermal epidermal junction. This frequently results in disruption of the basement membrane zone, occasionally causing clinical blisters. In order to better understand the specific portion of the basement membrane zone which is disrupted by the lymphocytic infiltrate, we examined 7 cases of lichen planus with antibodies directed against anchoring filaments (GB3), the bullous pemphigoid antigen, anchoring fibrils (type VII collagen) and type IV collagen. In lesions without separation at the BMZ, all antibodies were strongly expressed, as in normal skin. In lesions with early separation, there was a focal decrease in GB3 staining, but types VII and IV collagen labelled normally. In lesions resulting in blisters, GB3 staining was essentially absent, and anti-types IV and VII collagen remained, but stained in a disrupted, less discrete pattern. The bullous pemphigoid antigen showed only slight deviation from the normal staining pattern. These findings suggest that the basement membrane zone in lichen planus is disrupted in the lamina lucida region. The lamina densa and sub-lamina clensa zones remain intact even in bullous lesions of lichen planus.
Depression, Exercise, and the Elderly: State of the Art:

The incidence of depression in the elderly is a growing problem. Although treatment includes psychotherapy and J or pharmacologic intervention, alternate forms that are cost effective, low in side effects, and far reaching to the vast numbers who are suffering from this psychiatric ailment are being sought. With the advent of the fitness craze," and the introduction of a health promotion and wellness philosophy by health care professionals, increasing attention has been drawn to the health benefits of physical activity. The purpose of this article is, after a brief examination of the symptoms'and treatment of depression, to examine the physiological and psychological benefits of exercise and review research related specifically to the elderly.
On the mechanics of elastomers undergoing scission and cross-linking

The thermo-mechanical response of elastomeric materials is usually represented by the constitutive theory for non-linear thermo-elasticity. Inherent in this theory is the assumption that no change in the macromolecular microstructure occurs during deformation. However, the microstructure can be changed by the scission and cross-linking of macromolecular network junctions. This paper reviews the constitutive theories for deformation and thermally induced scission and cross-linking that have been developed. It then summarizes their use in characterizing the implications of scission and cross-linking for the mechanical response of polymers, such as the alteration of mechanical properties, induced anisotropy, permanent set, residual stresses, loss of monotonicity of constitutive and structural response and evolution of boundary layers of locally high deformation.
Racial Diversity in the Medical Profession: The Impact of Affirmative Action Bans on Underrepresented Student of Color Matriculation in Medical Schools.

This study examines the impact of affirmative action bans in six states (California, Washington, Florida, Texas, Michigan, and Nebraska) on the matriculation rates of historically underrepresented students of color in public medical schools in these states. Findings show that affirmative action bans have led to about a 17% decline (from 18.5% to 15.3%) in the first-time matriculation of medical school students who are underrepresented students of color. This decline is similar to drops in the enrollment of students of color that have taken place across other educational sectors, including the nation’s most selective public undergraduate institutions, law schools, and various graduate fields of study, after bans on affirmative action were enacted in some of these states. The findings suggest that statewide laws banning the consideration of race in postsecondary admissions pose serious obstacles for the medical profession to address the health care crisis facing the nation.
BUSINESS PRINCIPLES FOR INCIDENT COMMANDERS: WHAT THEY DIDN'T TEACH YOU IN ICS

ABSTRACT Successful companies interpret the business landscape they operate in, adapt to changes in that environment and acquire the resources necessary to produce sufficient agility so they can continue to be learning organizations and prosper. Response efforts can resemble overnight conglomerate corporate structures with diverging or disparate missions, lack coherent strategy amongst units, or mismatch organizational structure to their position in the lifecycle of their business. The National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS) adopted by many Federal agencies for use in response management promotes many sound business practices but needs to equip senior management (incident commanders) with the tools necessary to create, run and disassemble their businesses effectively. What does the steward of a small, sometimes multi-million dollar business need to know to shepherd their organization through a business “lifecycle”? Key small business principles for efficient management of ...