cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An explainable deep vision system for animal classification and detection in trail-camera images with automatic post-deployment retraining

Abstract This paper introduces an automated vision system for animal detection in trail-camera images taken from a field under the administration of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. As traditional wildlife counting techniques are intrusive and labor intensive to conduct, trail-camera imaging is a comparatively non-intrusive method for capturing wildlife activity. However, given the large volume of images produced from trail-cameras, manual analysis of the images remains time-consuming and inefficient. We implemented a two-stage deep convolutional neural network pipeline to find animal-containing images in the first stage and then process these images to detect birds in the second stage. The animal classification system classifies animal images with overall 93% sensitivity and 96% specificity. The bird detection system achieves better than 93% sensitivity, 92% specificity, and 68% average Intersection-over-Union rate. The entire pipeline processes an image in less than 0.5 s as opposed to an average 30 s for a human labeler. We also addressed post-deployment issues related to data drift for the animal classification system as image features vary with seasonal changes. This system utilizes an automatic retraining algorithm to detect data drift and update the system. We introduce a novel technique for detecting drifted images and triggering the retraining procedure. Two statistical experiments are also presented to explain the prediction behavior of the animal classification system. These experiments investigate the cues that steers the system towards a particular decision. Statistical hypothesis testing demonstrates that the presence of an animal in the input image significantly contributes to the system’s decisions.
A New Ethos and Ethics for the Year 2000

The implications of science and technology for society and government have grown enormously over the last few decades and will continue to do so. Geographical borders are less relevant today than locations and considerations of trading partners. The global economy has overshadowed any single national economy, and scientific and technical advances are leaving past animal health practices and policies obsolete. In many countries, animal agriculture is management of these risks within the framework of fair trade is inexorably forcing animal health officials and practitioners to reconsider past policies and programs, the methods of decision-making, legislative guidelines, and the delivery of services directed to animal health. Besides changes in global markets, new sensitivities and constituencies are developing that are profoundly influencing agricultural policy. Together, these issues are molding a new domestic policy that will evoke a new ethos and ethics in food animal agriculture and the veterinary profession. First, we will examine these contemporary issues in more depth. Then, we will consider how these issues affect our profession and you personally. Finally, we will look at prescriptions for change and how veterinary medicine collectively and you and I, personally, can consider appropriate strategies to be well positioned in the year 2000. The forces reshaping agriculture will continue to foster a climate of change and new opportunity for veterinary medicine. These major forces include new markets and trading partners, new constituents, changes in domestic policy, and changes in decision-makers, especially Congress. Now, and in the future, we will continue to face critical choices that will determine the future and quality of new services because of the strength of these forces. A new veterinary ethos and ethics is demanded.
Novelas ejemplares: metáfora seglar y religiosa del universo

The twelve "wonders" of Cervantes both as a whole and individually have been the subject of controversy. Until the twentieth century the novels that were least esteemed were the supposedly idealistic ones. In recent years these and the twelve stories together and separately are being greatly revalued.
Climate Necropolitics: Ecological Civilization and the Distributive Geographies of Extractive Violence in the Anthropocene

The declaration of the Anthropocene reflects the magnitude of human-caused planetary violence, but it also risks disguising the inequitable geographies of responsibility and sacrifice that underlie...
The Clinical Impact of Fracture Liaison Services: A Systematic Review:

Introduction:A fracture liaison service (FLS) is a coordinated system of care that streamlines osteoporosis management in the orthopaedic setting and can serve as an effective form of secondary pre...
Shedding light on the contribution of amygdalar excitatory projections to prepulse inhibition of the auditory startle reflex

Background: Sensorimotor gating is a fundamental neural filtering process that allows attention to be focused on a given stimulus. Sensory gating, commonly measured using the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the auditory startle reflex task, is impaired in patients suffering from various neurological and psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Because PPI deficits are often associated with attention and cognitive impairments, they are widely used as biomarkers in pre-clinical research for anti-psychotic drug screening. Yet, the neurotransmitter systems and synaptic mechanisms underlying PPI are still not resolved, even under physiological conditions. Recent evidence ruled out the longstanding hypothesis that PPI is mediated by midbrain cholinergic inputs to the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC). Instead, glutamatergic, glycinergic and GABAergic inhibitory mechanisms are now suggested to be crucial for PPI, at the PnC level. Since amygdalar dysfunctions affect PPI and are common to pathologies displaying sensorimotor gating deficits, the present study was designed to test that direct projections to the PnC originating from the amygdala, contribute to PPI. Results: Using Wild Type and transgenic mice expressing eGFP under the control of the glycine transporter type 2 promoter (GlyT2-eGFP mice), we first employed tract-tracing, morphological reconstructions and immunohistochemical analyses to demonstrate that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) sends glutamatergic inputs latero-ventrally to PnC neurons, including GlyT2+ cells. Then, we showed the contribution of the CeA-PnC excitatory synapses to PPI in vivo by demonstrating that optogenetic inhibition of this connection decreases PPI, and optogenetic activation induces partial PPI. Finally, in GlyT2-Cre mice, whole-cell recordings of GlyT2+ PnC neurons in vitro paired with optogenetic stimulation of CeA fibers, as well as photo-inhibition of GlyT2+ PnC neurons in vivo, allowed us to implicate GlyT2+ neurons in the PPI pathway. Conclusions: Our results uncover a feed-forward inhibitory mechanism within the brainstem startle circuit by which amygdalar glutamatergic inputs and GlyT2+ PnC neurons play a key role in meditating PPI. We are providing new insights to the clinically-relevant theoretical construct of PPI, which is disrupted in various neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental diseases.
Taxation and household portfolio composition: US evidence from the 1980s and 1990s

Abstract This paper explores the relationship between household marginal income tax rates, the set of financial assets that households own, and the portfolio shares accounted for by each of these assets. It analyzes data from the 1983, 1989, 1992, 1995, and 1998 Surveys of Consumer Finances and develops a new algorithm for imputing federal marginal tax rates to households in these surveys. The empirical findings suggest that marginal tax rates have important effects on asset allocation decisions. The probability that a household owns tax-advantaged assets, such as tax-exempt bonds or assets held in tax-deferred accounts, is positively related to its tax rate on ordinary income. In addition, the portfolio share invested in corporate stock, which is taxed less heavily than interest bearing assets, is increasing in the household’s ordinary income tax rate. Holdings of heavily taxed assets, such as interest-bearing accounts, decline as a share of wealth as a household’s marginal tax rate increases.
HeMA: A hierarchically enriched machine learning approach for managing false alarms in real time: A sepsis prediction case study.

Abstract Early detection of sepsis can be life-saving. Machine learning models have shown great promise in early sepsis prediction when applied to patient physiological data in real-time. However, these existing models often under-perform in terms of positive predictive value, an important metric in clinical settings. This is especially the case when the models are applied to data with less than 50% sepsis prevalence, reflective of the incidence rate of sepsis on the floor or in the ICU. In this study, we develop HeMA, a hierarchically enriched machine learning approach for managing false alarms in real time, and conduct a case study for early sepsis prediction. Specifically, we develop a two-stage framework, where a first stage machine learning model is paired with statistical tests, particularly Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, in the second stage, to predict whether a patient would develop sepsis. Compared with machine learning models alone, the framework results in an increase in specificity and positive predictive value, without compromising F1 score. In particular, the framework shows improved performance when applied to data with 50% and 25% sepsis prevalence, collected from a large hospital system in the US, resulting in up to 18% and 7% increase in specificity and positive predictive value, respectively. Despite the significant improvements observed, and although F1 score is not negatively affected, because of the up to 6% decrease in sensitivity, further improvements and pilot studies may be necessary before deploying the framework in a clinical setting. Finally, external validation conducted using a publicly available dataset produces similar results, validating that the proposed framework is generalizable.
The effort of asking good questions

How do humans choose which information to pursue when solving a task? New research shows that choosing the most informative signals is cognitively demanding. The efficiency of this process is enhanced by time pressure but, remarkably, not by monetary incentives.
Functional Outcomes of Total Ankle Arthroplasty at a Mean Follow-up of 7.6 Years: A Prospective, 3-Dimensional Gait Analysis.

BACKGROUND In vivo gait analysis provides objective measurement of patient function and can quantify that function before and after ankle reconstruction. Previous gait studies have shown functional improvement for up to 4 years following total ankle arthroplasty (TAA), but to date, there are no published studies assessing function at ≥5 years following TAA. We hypothesized that patients who underwent TAA would show significant improvements in walking function at a minimum follow-up of 5 years, compared with their preoperative function, as measured by changes in temporospatial, kinematic, and kinetic gait parameters. METHODS Three-dimensional gait analysis with a 12-camera digital motion-capture system and double force plates was utilized to record temporospatial, kinematic, and kinetic measures in 33 patients who underwent TAA with either the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (Stryker; n = 28) or Salto Talaris Ankle (Integra LifeSciences; n = 5). Gait analysis was performed preoperatively and at a minimum follow-up of 5 years (mean, 7.6 years; range, 5 to 13 years). RESULTS Significant improvements were observed in multiple gait parameters, with temporospatial increases in cadence (+9.5 steps/min; p < 0.0001), step length (+4.4 cm; p = 0.0013), and walking speed (+0.2 m/s; p < 0.0001), and kinematic increases in total sagittal range of motion (+2.0°; p = 0.0263), plantar flexion at initial contact (+2.7°; p = 0.0044), and maximum plantar flexion (+2.0°; p = 0.0488). Kinetic analysis revealed no loss of peak ankle power, despite patients aging. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first study to report 7-year functional outcomes of TAA, quantified by objective, in vivo measurements of patient gait. Patients were shown to have sustained improvement in multiple objective parameters of gait compared with preoperative function. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Generating Visual Invariants −a New Approach to Invariant Recognition

This paper is devoted to a new paradigm for the invariant recognition of visual objects through introducing ‘the generating invariant’ of the underlying visual geometry which allows to numerically calculate differential signature curves in a fully group-invariant manner. Then, we utilize the results to work on the unsolved problem of approximating similarity differential invariant signatures based on suitable combination of joint invariants of the underlying group action. We also illustrate that, compared to the traditional and current schemes, the new paradigm is reliable, stable, significantly minimizes the effects of noise and indeterminacy, and Signature-inverse Theorem is correct in terms of it. Besides we demonstrate that the ratio of elapsed time and inaccuracy of the outcomes resulted from the Calabi et al.’s scheme to our formulation follow an exponential decay model. And finally, application to real images are discussed.
Focused ultrasound for functional neurosurgery.

Brain lesioning is a fundamental technique in the functional neurosurgery world. It has been investigated for decades and presented promising results long before novel pharmacological agents were introduced to treat movement disorders, psychiatric disorders, pain, and epilepsy. Ablative procedures were replaced by effective drugs during the 1950s and by Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in the 1990s as a reversible neuromodulation technique. In the last decade, however, the popularity of brain lesioning has increased again with the introduction of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS). In this review, we will cover the current and emerging role of MRgFUS in functional neurosurgery. Literature review from PubMed and compilation. Investigated since 1930, MRgFUS is a technology enabling targeted energy delivery at the convergence of mechanical sound waves. Based on technological advancements in phased array ultrasound transducers, algorithms accounting for skull penetration by sound waves, and MR imaging for targeting and thermometry, MRgFUS is capable of brain lesioning with sub-millimeter precision and can be used in a variety of clinical indications. MRgFUS is a promising technology evolving as a dominant tool in different functional neurosurgery procedures in movement disorders, psychiatric disorders, epilepsy, among others.
Distributional Impacts of Carbon Pricing Policies Under Paris Agreement: Inter and Intra-Regional Perspectives

While bringing multiple benefits for the environment, achievement of the stringent global greenhouse gas emissions reduction target, like the one outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement, is associated with significant implementation costs and could impact different dimensions of human well-being, including welfare, poverty and distributional aspects. In this paper, we analyze the poverty and distributional impacts of different carbon pricing mechanisms consistent with reaching the Paris Agreement targets. We link a global recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model ENVISAGE with the GIDD microsimulation model and explore three levels of mitigation effort and five carbon pricing options (trade coalitions). Results suggest that while there is a higher incidence of poverty in all scenarios, mainly driven by lower economic growth, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) policies result in progressive income distribution at the global level. Such progressivity is caused not only by lower relative prices of food versus non-food commodities, but also by a general decline in skill wage premia. Achievement of the NDC targets without regional cooperation results in 0.45% increase in the number of people living in extreme poverty (below PPP$1.90/day) by 2030, while a more ambitious 2oC-consistent target increases this number to 1.25%. Global cooperation significantly eases the burden on poor, reducing the poverty headcount (additional number of people leaving in extreme poverty) by almost three times in the case of 2oC-consistent target and bringing it to the baseline scenario level in the case of NDC target. The global Gini coefficient falls between 0.01 and 0.04 percentage points depending on the mitigation effort and collaboration mode, while reduction in the Theil index is between 0.01 and 0.11 percentage points. Results also indicate that the reductions in inequality come mainly from reduction in income from top earners, as the results are much more sensitive to the NDC policies closer to the top of the income distribution.
Spectral gaps in SU(d)

Abstract It is shown that if g 1 , … , g k are algebraic elements in SU ( d ) generating a dense subgroup, then the corresponding Hecke operator has a spectral gap.
Readings in Electronic Commerce

= Preface. = Acknowledgments. List of Contributors. Biographical Sketches of the Authors. I. INTRODUCTORY OVERVIEW. 1. An Unaffiliated View of Internet Commerce, David H. Crocker. 2. Commercial Scenarios for the Web: Opportunities and Challenges, Donna L. Hoffman, Thomas P. Novak, and Patrali Chatterjee. 3. An Evaluation of the World Wide Web as a Platform for Electronic Commerce, Daniel W. Connolly. II. GENERAL BUSINESS AND POLICY. 4. Electronic Commerce: A Washington Perspective, James B. Rapp. 5. International Encryption Policy, Dorothy E. Denning. 6. The Essential Role of Trusted Third Parties in Electronic Commerce, A. Michael Froomkin. III. PRICING AND ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS. 7. Perils and Pitfalls of Practical Internet Commerce: The Lessons of First Virtual's First Year, Nathaniel S. Borenstein, John Ferguson, Gerald Hall, Carlyn Lowery, Richard Mintz, Darren New, Beverly Parenti, Marshall T. Rose, Einar Stefferud, Lee Stein, Carey Storm, Ed Vielmetti, Marc Weiser, and Pierre-R. Wolff. 8. Economic Issues in Electronic Commerce, Alok Gupta, Dale O. Stahl, and Andrew B. Whinston. 9. A Flexible Framework for Network Payment, B. Clifford Neuman. IV. DOUMENT MANAGEMENT AND DIGITAL LIBRARIES. 10. Document Management and Electronic Commerce, Larry Masinter. 11. Smart Catalogs and Virtual Catalogs, Arthur M. Keller. V. BUSINESS APPLICATIONS. 12. Distributed Decision Support Systems for Real-Time Supply Chain Management Using Agent Technologies, Aimo Hinkkanen, Ravi Kalakota, Porama Saengcharoenrat, Jan Stallaert, and Andrew B. Whinston. 13. Electronic Markets, R. Preston McAfee and John McMillan. 14. Intranets: Looking beyond Internal Corporate Web Servers, Ramnath Chellappa, Anitesh Barua, and Andrew B. Whinston. 15. Electronic Publishing versus Publishing Electronically, Ramnath Chellappa, Anitesh Barua, Jennifer Oetzel, and Andrew B. Whinston. Index. 0201880601T04062001
SYNTHESIS, STRUCTURE, AND MAGNETIC BEHAVIOR OF [Cu2(PYRAZINE)3(CH3O)2](ClO4)2

Reaction of copper perchlorate with sodium nitrite and pyrazine in methanol gives rise to the compound [Cu 2 (pyrazine) 3 (CH 3 O) 2 ](ClO 4 ) 2 ( 1 ). This complex has been characterized through IR, combustion analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction, and temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements. Compound 1 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P-1 with the copper coordination geometry being nearly square pyramidal. The Cu(II) ions are bridged by the methoxide ions to form a dimeric structure. Compound 1 exhibits an extended 3-D network with pyrazine rings forming sheets of the copper dimers, and bridging those sheets to form a distorted honeycomb. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show a strong antiferromagnetic exchange within the methoxy-bridged copper dimers with 2J ~ -880K.
Trogocytosis efficiency is dependent upon TCR affinity for MHC: Peptide ligands (APP4P.115)

Antigen recognition by CD4+ T cells leads to large-scale spatial and temporal molecular redistributions, forming the immunological synapse. We have previously shown that upon dissociation from APC, T cells capture large membrane fragments from the antigen presenting cell containing both MHC:peptide ligands and costimulatory molecules directly from the immunological synapse in a process termed trogocytosis. The transferred molecules are retained on the surface of the T cell and sustain intracellular signaling and are associated with the selective survival of the trogocytosis positive cells after removal of the antigen presenting cells. To further characterize trogocytosis, we have examined the impact of TCR affinity for cognate MHC:peptide ligands on the efficiency of trogocytosis. Using moth cytochrome C 88-103 and the altered peptide ligands MCC K99A and MCC-A, we show here that the extent of trogocytosis by primary murine CD4+ T cells correlates with the affinity of the TCR for the MHC:peptide ligands. Preliminary studies also show that sustained intracellular signaling and selective survival of the trogocytosis+ cells varies based upon the TCR affinity for the specific MHC:peptide ligands captured by the T cell.
Relationship between the 1-D fermi gas model and other models

A review is given of the properties of the 1-d Fermi gas model and its relationship to a series of other models including 1-d and 2-d spin models, field theoretical models and the 2-d Coulomb plasma.
Synthetic atmospheric transmittance spectra near 15 and 4.3 microns

Synthetic monochromatic atmospheric transmittance spectra are presented for infrared intervals in the vicinity of the 15 and 4.3 microns CO2 bands. The intervals are nominally 20 kaysers in width, and the spectra partition the intervals 560, 780 kayser and 2180, 2400 kayser, respectively. The spectra are for a vertical atmospheric path. A given spectrum is presented at that pressure for which the mean weighting function is a maximum. In order to indicate the molecular origin of the features in a given spectrum, separate spectra are also presented for those species which make center line contributions to the absorption over the interval. The transmittance model for the calculations is described. In addition to the representation of spectral features for intervals which comprise these two CO2 bands, the spectra afford a utility in the design of high precision satellite temperature radiometers.
Effects of Visual Representation on Social Influence in Computer-Mediated Communication: Experimental Tests of the Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects.

Two experiments investigated if and how visual representation of interactants affects depersonalization and conformity to group norms in anonymous computer-mediated communication (CMC). In Experiment 1, a 2 (intergroup versus interpersonal) × 2 (same character versus different character) between-subjects design experiment (N= 60), each participant made a decision about social dilemmas after seeing two other (ostensible) participants’ unanimous opinions and then exchanged supporting arguments. Consistent with the Social Identity model of Deindividuation Effects (SIDE), when the group level of self-identity was rendered salient in an intergroup encounter, uniform virtual appearance of CMC partners triggered depersonalization and subsequent conformity behavior. By contrast, when the personal dimension of the self was salient, standardized representation tended to reduce conformity. To elucidate the mediation process, Experiment 2 investigated the causal links between depersonalization, group identification, and conformity. The results show that depersonalization accentuated adherence to group norms, both directly and indirectly via group identification.
A Comparison Of Student Outcomes And Student Satisfaction In Three MBA Human Resource Management Classes Based On Traditional Vs. Online Learning

The author taught three MBA Human Resource Management classes in the spring term of 2007 at a large private university in Florida. Two of the classes were taught in a 100% online format while the third was taught off campus in a university-owned building in Orlando where students met in a face-to-face, weekend setting. This traditional class was augmented by a WebCT classroom where students posted assignments, did exams, and communicated via email and discussion boards in the interims between classes. Comparisons were made regarding student performance and student satisfaction. In both areas, students in the face-to-face class scored just slightly better than their online counterparts.
Pluripotent Stem Cells and Skeletal Regeneration—Promise and Potential

The bone is a regenerative tissue, capable of healing itself after fractures. However, some circumstances such as critical-size defects, malformations, and tumor destruction may exceed the skeleton’s capacity for self-repair. In addition, bone mass and strength decline with age, leading to an increase in fragility fractures. Therefore, the ability to generate large numbers of patient-specific osteoblasts would have enormous clinical implications for the treatment of skeletal defects and diseases. This review will highlight recent advances in the derivation of pluripotent stem cells, and in their directed differentiation towards bone-forming osteoblasts.
Increased rates of advanced thyroid cancer in California

Abstract Background We have noted an unusually high rate of advanced thyroid cancers presenting from across California. We examined the rates of thyroid cancer presentation throughout California for potential geographic clustering. Materials and methods A total of 26,983 patients with a new diagnosis of thyroid cancer (1999–2008) were abstracted from the California Cancer Registry and the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development registry. Percentages of advanced thyroid cancer rates were calculated within each county (defined as those with distant metastatic stage; regional and/or distant metastatic stage [RM]) as well as those with well-differentiated thyroid cancer diagnosed before age 30. National averages were taken from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data. Results There was no obvious clustering of advanced cases within certain regions in California; however, on average, the entire state of California had significantly higher rates of distant metastatic thyroid cancer (6.73%) and RM (34.92%) than the national SEER averages (4%, 29%, respectively, P versus 4%, P versus 29%, P Conclusions California exhibits more advanced thyroid cancers than the national SEER population average. Further studies are warranted to better understand etiologies for these disparities, which may include environmental impacts and/or delays in diagnosis.
Progesterone-induced neuroprotection.

Estrogen and progesterone are two steroid hormones whose biology has been greatly studied within the confines of reproductive function. As a consequence, the effects of these hormones on the brain have focused primarily on the hypothalamus. Growing evidence, however, forces us to recognize that various extrahypothalamic brain regions, including the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, are equally important targets of these hormones. As such, hormones are involved in numerous aspects of brain function, and elicit effects ranging from the regulation of mood and cognition to the regulation of neuronal survival. While estrogen exerts neuroprotective effects in various experimental models, the potential for progesterone as a protective agent has, until recently, been greatly understudied. Here, we review the data from various laboratories including our own that support the protective role of proges-terone and describe the multiplicity of mechanisms by which progesterone elicits these protective effects. Finally, we contrast the neurobiology of progesterone with that of the clinically used progestin, medroxypro-gesterone acetate (MPA), and suggest that the “natural” progesterone may be the better choice when considering which progestin to use for future therapeutic/ palliative purposes in CNS-related disorders.
Carbon coatings on silicon carbide by reaction with chlorine-containing gases

Carbon films have been produced on the surface of β-SiC particles by reaction with Ar–Cl 2 and Ar–Cl 2 –H 2 gas mixtures at atmospheric pressure and temperatures of 600–1000 °C. The structure and composition of the carbon films have been investigated using XRD, SEM, EDS, TEM, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. BET and TG were also used for measuring the amount of carbon formed in the reaction. Uniform nanoporous carbon films with surface area exceeding 1000 m 2 g -1 were obtained by reactions with Ar–Cl 2 gas at 600–1000 °C. Based on Raman spectroscopy and electron diffraction data, these films were identified as nanocrystalline graphite. An addition of hydrogen to the gas mixtures results in the etching of graphitic carbon. Traces of diamond were found along with amorphous carbon after treatment in Ar–Cl 2 –H 2 gas mixtures at temperatures above 900 °C.
Total-body oxygen consumption after isoflurane anesthesia: Effects of mild hypothermia and combined epidural-general anesthesia

Abstract Study Objectives: To determine the effects of epidural anesthesia and avoidance of intraoperative heat loss on the increase in total-body oxygen consumption in the immediate postoperative period after major intraabdominal surgery. Design: Prospective, randomized (with regard to temperature management) study. Setting: University medical center. Patients: 24 ASA physical status I, II, and III adults. Interventions: All patients received either isoflurane-nitrous oxide (N 2 O)-opioid general anesthesia or combined epidural-general anesthesia; patients were randomly assigned to active intraoperative warming or routine thermal care. Measurements and Main Results: VO 2 was measured by indirect calorimetry preoperatively (T 0 ), immediately postoperatively (T 1 ), and 60 to 90 minutes later (T 2 ). For all patients, VO 2 was 57 ± 45% (mean ± SD) greater at T 1 than at T 0 ( p 2 O-opioid general anesthesia, VO 2 increased 15 ± 20% in normothermic patients (core temperature, 36.4 ± 0.2 °C) compared with 69 ± 52% in hypothermic patients (35.0 ± 0.5 °C). After combined epidural-general anesthesia, VO 2 increased 86 ± 39% on emergence in normothermic (36.4 ± 0.2 °C) and 58 ± 11% in hypothermic (35.1 ± 0.4 °C) patients. Conclusions: Total-body VO 2 was increased in the immediate postoperative period. After general anesthesia, the magnitude of the increase in VO 2 was significantly less in normothermic patients than in hypothermic patients. After combined epidural-general anesthesia, VO 2 was increased in normothermic and in hypothermic patients.
Seasonal changes in the free amino acid pool of the freshwater amphipod Gammarus pseudolimnaeus Bousfield (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

Abstract 1. 1. Seasonal variations in the concentrations of 19 free amino acids (FAA) were measured in whole body homogenates of the freshwater amphipod Gammarus pseudolimnaeus . 2. 2. The greatest total FAA concentrations of 226.9 and 286.4 nmol/mg dry wt were observed in April and May, and were followed by a decline through the summer months. 3. 3. Values slowly increased through the fall, reached a second smaller peak in early winter and then dropped drastically during the colder, winter months. 4. 4. The pattern of relative concentrations of individual free amino acids in G. pseudolimnaeus was found to be similar to that of other freshwater invertebrates. 5. 5. Alanine consistently represented the most abundant amino acid (16.2–22.4%) throughout the entire year. 6. 6. Arginine and leucine exhibited the next greatest abundances and comprised an average of 10.2 and 10.4% of the total FAA concentration, respectively.
Differentiation of Alloreactive versus CD3/CD28 Stimulated T-lymphocytes Using Raman Spectroscopy: a greater specificity for noninvasive acute renal allograft rejection detection

Acute rejection (AR) remains problematic in renal transplantation. As a marker, serum creatinine is limited, warranting a more effective screening tool. Raman spectroscopy (RS) can detect T-cell activation with high sensitivity. In this study we explore its specificity. Seventy-five inactivated, 40 alloantigen-activated, and 75 CD3/CD28-activated T cells were analyzed using RS. CD3/CD28-activated peak magnitudes (PM) were 4.3% to 23.9% lower than inactivated PM at positions: 903, 1031, 1069, 1093, 1155, 1326, and 1449 cm(-1), with a difference in peak ratio (PR) observed at the 1182:1195 cm(-1) position (0.91 +/- 0.06 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.01, respectively: P = 0.006). Differences in CD3/CD28- and alloantigen-activated PM were observed at: 903, 1031, 1093, 1155, 1326, and 1449 cm(-1), with no PR differences at the 1182:1195 cm(-1) position (0.91 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.86 +/- 0.09: P = 0.8). Spectral signature separation of CD3/CD28-and alloantigen-activated groups was 100% specific and sensitive. We conclude that RS can differentiate T cells activated by different stimuli with high sensitivity and specificity.
E. H. Armstrong — Edison medalist

IF we review the advances in electrical technology in the past 25 years, one development stands out from all others, electronics, and specifically the application of the three-electrode vacuum tube. It is appropriate to recall here that the original electronic tube was the two-electrode tube of Edison, in whose honor the Edison medal was established. Others subsequently applied this “Edison effect” in radio detection and introduced the control electrode, but the action was viewed as that of a trigger, as in the modern thyratron, which is of limited application. The real foundation for the unlimited development which we have witnessed was laid by the Edison Medal recipient, Doctor Edwin Howard Armstrong, in an article published in the Electrical World in December 1914. Here the common engineering tool, the characteristic curve, was employed for the first time to show how the tube amplifies; and the theory was substantiated by oscillograms which Armstrong had taken. The previously mysterious action of the tube as a rectifying detector with a grid capacitor was elucidated in the same way.
Thyroid hormone responsiveness is developmentally regulated in the rat small intestine: a possible role for the alpha-2 receptor variant.

Thyroid hormone (T3) alters gene expression through binding to a receptor protein located within the nucleus of target cells. Multiple forms of the T3 receptor (TR) have been identified and are encoded by the alpha and beta c-erbA genes. We have previously found that TR beta-1 is the major receptor form expressed in the adult rat small intestine, although there are also moderate levels of c-erbA alpha-2, a nonhormone-binding variant that is thought to inhibit T3 action. In developing rats, we studied the regulation of two small intestinal enterocyte genes previously shown to be T3 responsive, lactase and 3.0-kilobase intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP). Animals were treated with six daily ip injections of either saline (control) or 30 micrograms/100 g BW T3 (T3 group) and killed at 10 and 25 days of age. Northern analyses of RNA derived from intestinal tissues showed that the magnitude of the T3-induced changes in lactase and IAP gene expression increased with development. Jejunal 3.0-kilobase IAP messe...
Acute respiratory distress syndrome after rituximab infusion

Rituximab, a humanized monoclonal antibody approved for malignant lymphoma, is being increasingly, effectively, and safely used for immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and other humoral autoimmune disorders. We report the case of a 43-year-old man with ITP refractory to steroids and intravenous immunoglobulin who developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) after a single infusion of rituximab. Dyspnea, hypoxemia, and pleuritic chest pain occurred within 24 hours of rituximab administration, and there was no other apparent explanation. Progressive hypoxemia mandated endotracheal intubation 1 week after rituximab administration and led to death 4 weeks after admission. ARDS has been associated with the administration of other monoclonal antibodies, such as infliximab, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, and OKT3 and is believed to be directly mediated by release of proinflammatory cytokines. ARDS is rarely associated with rituximab infusion for lymphoproliferative disorders, but it should be considered by those administering rituximab, especially when a patient develops severe pulmonary symptoms soon after infusion.
The ultrastructure of the placental labyrinth in the kangaroo rat, Dipodomys.

Representative pieces of labyrinth of near-term chorioallantoic placentas from three species of Dipodomys and one species of Microdipodops were fixed in glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide and examined with the electron microscope. The barrier separating the fetal and maternal blood streams in the labyrinth was found to consist of (1) the fetal endothelium and its associated basal lamina (basement membrane), (2) a single layer of trophoblast which is cellular rather than syncytial, and (3) the maternal endothelium and its associated basal lamina. Thus the chorioallantoic placenta appears to be of the endotheliochorial type in these rodents rather than hemochorial or hemoendothelial as previously suggested.
Student Attitudes toward Foreign Language Study at Historically and Predominantly Black Institutions.

The purpose of the study was to assess the attitudes of first- and second-year foreign language students enrolled at historically and predominantly Black colleges and universities. Specifically, the researchers assessed student attitudes regarding foreign language study in general and attitudes toward the linguistic and cultural component of foreign language instruction. A secondary purpose of the study was to gather information from foreign language faculty and administrators concerning the current status of foreign language programs at the cooperating institutions. A total of 53, or 70% of the 76 targeted institutions, participated in the study in its entirety. Fifty-seven (75 %) of the administrators, 50 (60%) of the language faculty, and 810 (67%) of the students responded to the survey. Compared with earlier studies assessing African-American student attitudes toward foreign language study, the results revealed that the student respondents in this study perceived foreign language study as being less threatening to their own cultural identity, and they demonstrated greater awareness of the career benefits of foreign language study. On the minus side, many students expressed considerable dissatisfaction with the limited development of speaking ability, the lack of emphasis on cultural information, particularly conferring the Black experience in the target language culture, the limited amount of attention given to addressing individual students' needs and learning styles, and the restricted amount of time allowed for mastering the new language material. The article concludes with several recommendations for improving the status of foreign language education at Black colleges and universities.
Effects of polymorphism on charge transport in organic semiconductors

The increasing interest in fluorinated 5,11-bis(triethylsilylethynyl)anthradithiophene is motivated by the demonstrated high-performance organic field-effect transistors and circuits based on this organic semiconductor, complemented by reduced complexity processing methods that enable this performance. We identify two polymorphs of this material and report on their crystal structure, formation, and the effect of the different molecular packings on the electronic properties. The polymorphs are interconvertible through a phase transition that occurs at $T=294\text{ }\text{K}$. We study the variations in the electrical properties as a response to the structural changes induced by the phase transition in both single crystals and thin films, and discuss the technological implications that a room-temperature phase transition has on the performance and stability of devices fabricated with this organic semiconductor.
Ethanol Withdrawal Reduces the Number of Spontaneously Active Ventral Tegmental Area Dopamine Neurons in Conscious Animals

Withdrawal from chronic ethanol treatment leads to a reduction in the electrical activity in dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). However, there is disagreement on how the electrical activity is reduced (i.e., in the number of spontaneously active DA neurons or their firing rates and burst firing activity) and on the underlying mechanisms. The use of general anesthesia has been suggested to cause this discrepancy. In the present study, we demonstrate that ethanol withdrawal, in conscious animals, causes a reduction in the number of spontaneously active VTA DA neurons, but not in their firing rate or burst firing activity. Similar results were obtained in a previous study using anesthetized preparation, showing that general anesthesia does not cause this difference. Ethanol withdrawal-induced reduction in a number of spontaneously active VTA DA neurons could be mediated by depolarization inactivation because this effect was reversed by systemic administration of amphetamine, which inhibits VTA DA neurons by hyperpolarization. In addition, the withdrawal effect was normalized by acute ethanol administration, suggesting that the decrease in the number of spontaneously active VTA DA neurons represents an adaptational change to chronic ethanol treatment. Because the electrical activity of DA neurons controls the release of DA, it is possible that the decreased DA release during ethanol withdrawal observed in previous studies is caused by the reduction in the electrical activity of VTA DA neurons.
Estimation of mismatch errors of dynamic models for stirred tank-reactor equipment—I. heat exchange with jacket, impact of model reduction

Abstract Different model reduction techniques are examined for their quality of approximation of the distributed heat transfer between the jacket and the contents. Three techniques are compared, namely finite difference, orthogonal collocation and finite element. Each technique was applied with different order, or which is the same, different number of mesh points in the wall. The modelling mismatch errors are dynamic and thus compared in the frequency domain. The models are studied for the purpose of implementing them in control related procedures, such as observers. Simplicity is thus a requirements, however, should not interfere with the accuracy required by the particular application.
Free Amino Acids of Raw and Cooked Ground Beef and Pork

Ground beef and ground pork were cooked for 15 min on an electric griddle heated to a surface temperature of 121°C. Cooking reduced the total free amino acid (FAA) content from 25.23 to 17.60 mg/25g fresh weight in pork and from 32.77 to 30.09 mg/25g fresh weight in beef. Sixteen FAA were detected in both beef and pork; most individual FAA decreased during heating. Residues remaining after extraction of FAA from raw pork, when rehydrated (70% moisture) and heated (121°C, 15 min), contained only trace amounts of FAA. Free amino acids apparently were not produced under the cooking conditions employed in this study.
Angle-resolving photoelectron energy analyzer designed for synchrotron radiation spectroscopy

Abstract This paper describes design considerations, input lens analysis, ray-tracing studies, construction details and initial tests of a Kuyatt—Simpson-type photoelectron energy analyzer. The analyzer has been designed specifically for angle-resolved photoemission studies using synchrotron radiation. Design features include input and output lens systems which establish virtual slits and apertures which define the input solid angle and source region. Constant angular resolution, constant energy-resolution and constant transmission are achieved by the analyzer. The performance of the analyzer has been checked analytically using computer ray-tracing techniques and experimentally. Initial tests have verified the ray-tracing results and have shown that all the analyzer design specifications have been realized.
Mesocotyl growth of etiolated seedlings ofAvena sativa andZea mays in relation to light and diffusible auxin

Diffusible auxin levels were measured in coleoptiles and mesocotyls of dark-grown seedlings ofavena sativa (cv. Spear) andZea mays (cv. Golden Cross Bantam) using theAvena curvature bioassay. The coleoptile tip was confirmed as the major auxin source in etiolated seedlings. Auxin levels were found to decrease basipetally in sequent sections of theAvena coleoptile but not to decrease in apical sections of increasing length. An inhibitor capable of inducing positive curvatures ofAvena test coleoptiles was discovered in diffusates from the mesocotyls of oat and corn seedlings. The amount of this inhibitor was correlated with the cessation of mesocotyl growth of oat seedlings grown in darkness, and with the inhibition of mesocotyl growth of corn seedlings exposed to red light.
Domestic biomass fuel combustion and chronic bronchitis in two rural Bolivian villages.

BACKGROUND—Chronic bronchitis is an important public health problem worldwide. A study was undertaken to examine the association between exposure to air pollution from domestic biomass fuel combustion and chronic bronchitis in two rural Bolivian highland villages: a village in which cooking is done exclusively indoors and a village in which cooking is done primarily outdoors. Apart from this difference, the villages were virtually identical in terms of socioeconomic status, climate, altitude, access to health care, and other potential confounders. METHODS—Pollution exposure was assessed by combining information on concentrations of particulate matter of 20 years of age in both villages (n =241). RESULTS—Daily pollution exposure was significantly higher in the indoor cooking village (range for adults: 9840-15 120 µg-h/m3) than in the outdoor cooking village (range for adults: 5520-6240 µg-h/m3) for both seasons and for men and women. The overall prevalence of chronic bronchitis was 22% and 13% for the indoor and outdoor cooking villages, respectively. Logistic regression analysis, which excluded the few smokers present in the population, showed a 60% reduced risk of chronic bronchitis in the outdoor cooking village compared with the indoor cooking village (OR 0.4; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.8; p = 0.0102) after adjusting for age and sex. Individuals aged >40 years were 4.3 times more likely to have chronic bronchitis than the younger age group (OR = 4.3; 95% CI 2.0 to 9.3; p = 0.0002). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of chronic bronchitis in men and women. CONCLUSIONS—The results of this study suggest an association between chronic bronchitis and exposure to domestic biomass fuel combustion, but further large scale studies from other areas of the developing world are needed to confirm the association. Results from this and other studies will assist the development of culturally acceptable and feasible alternatives to the high exposure cooking stoves currently being used by most people worldwide.
The dredging dilemma: Economic development and environmental protection in Oakland Harbor

Abstract Seaport expansion often generates tensions between the national interest in efficient transport and local interests in water quality and habitat preservation. The governing American permitting system, however, establishes an extraordinarily cumbersome, legalistic, and costly method for balancing environmental and economic considerations. A case study of the Port of Oakland illustrates the tendency. For four years, plans to find an environmentally acceptable site for dredged material have been stymied by a sequence of inconclusive regulatory and judicial proceedings. Meanwhile, large container ships can enter and leave Oakland harbor only at high tide, and not fully loaded. Despite the absence of any authoritative determination concerning environmental risks, the port was compelled to accede to progressively more expensive disposal methods. Such “adversarial legalism”; is not unique to the Oakland harbor case, but recurs in other policy spheres. It stems from a governmental structure that fragment...