cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A quality improvement project to improve pediatric medical provider sleep and communication during night shifts.

Quality problem or issue Night-shift medical providers frequently experience limited sleep resulting in fatigue, often because of paging activity. Streamlined medical-specific communication interventions are known to improve sleep and communication among these providers. Initial assessment We found that non-urgent paging communication occurred frequently during night-shifts, leading to provider sleep disturbances within our institution. We tested a quality improvement (QI) intervention to improve paging practices and determined its effect on provider sleep. Choice of solution We used a Plan-Do-Study-Act QI model aimed at improving clinician sleep and paging communications. Implementation We initially conducted focus groups of nurses and physician trainees to inform the creation of a standardized paging intervention. We collected actigraphy and sleep log data from physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician trainees and performed electronic collection of paging frequency data. Evaluation Data were collected between December 2015 and March 2017 from pediatric residents, pediatric hematology/oncology (PHO) fellows, hospitalist medicine nocturnists and nurses working during night-shift hours in PHO inpatient units. We collected baseline data before implementation of the QI intervention and at 1 month post-implementation. Although objective measures and provider reports demonstrated improved medical-specific communication paging practices, provider sleep was not affected. Lessons learned Provider-based standardization of paging communication was associated with improved medical-specific communication between nurses and providers; however, provider sleep was not affected. The strategies used in this intervention may be transferable to other clinics and institutions to streamline medical-specific communication.
Revising order or challenging the balance of military power? An alternative typology of revisionist and status-quo states

Unimensional accounts of revisionism – those that align states along a single continuum from supporting the status quo to seeking a complete overhaul of the international system – miss important variation between a desire to alter the balance of military power and a desire to alter other elements of international order. We propose a two-dimensional property space that generates four ideal types: status-quo actors, who are satisfied with both order and the distribution of power; reformist actors, who are fine with the current distribution of power but seek to change elements of order; positionalist actors, who see no reason to alter the international order but do aim to shift the distribution of power; and revolutionary actors, who want to overturn both international order and the distribution of capabilities. This framework helps make sense of a number of important debates about hegemony and international order, such as the possibility of revisionist hegemonic powers, controversies over the concept of ‘soft balancing’, and broader dynamics of international goods substitution during power transitions.
Genetic and Spatial Structuring of Populus tremuloides in a Mixed-Species Forest of Southwestern Utah, USA

Populus tremuloides Michx. (aspen) is an iconic species of the southwestern United States, where it is known for its extensive clonality. The size of clones and pattern of clonal distribution within and among stands can provide important clues to the species' evolution and ecology, but there are very few studies that have conducted the type of sampling necessary to define these features. We examined the genetic composition and habitat associations of aspen in a mixed-species forest in Cedar Breaks National Monument on the Markagunt Plateau, southwestern Utah. Genetic analysis of 94 stems ≥1 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) selected from a population census of 2742 stems within a contiguous 13.64-ha plot revealed 2 spatially cohesive triploid genets and 2 diploid genets (all differing in 8 to 15 alleles). Aspen abundance within the 13.64 ha varied between 0 and 634 stems/ha across 8 distinct habitat types. Regenerating aspen stems (1 cm ≤ dbh < 5 cm) varied between 0 and 112 stems/ha, with higher levels of regeneration in habitats with greater aspen dominance relative to other tree species. Recent regeneration may have been stimulated by a Dendroctonous rufipennis outbreak in the 1990s, which killed a high proportion of Picea engelmannii. Even though the visual impression is of a single aspen clone, the 4 identified genets suggest a higher-than-expected level of genetic diversity in this mixed-species stand which may confer resilience to increasing climate variability and drought. Furthermore, aspen regeneration in areas of both low and high adult aspen densities show that these mixed stands can support vigorous aspen populations.
Serum Thyroid Hormone Balance in Levothyroxine Monotherapy-Treated Patients with Atrophic Thyroid After Radioiodine Treatment for Graves' Disease

Background: Some studies reported that among athyreotic patients on levothyroxine (LT4) after total thyroidectomy, patients with normal serum thyrotropin (TSH) levels had mildly low serum free trii...
Characterization and comparison of PM 2.5 oxidative potential assessed by two acellular assays

Abstract. The capability of ambient particles to generate in vivo reactive oxygen species (ROS), called oxidative potential (OP), is a potential metric for evaluating the health effects of particulate matter (PM) and is supported by several recent epidemiological investigations. Studies using various types of OP assays differ in their sensitivities to varying PM chemical components. In this study, we systematically compared two health-relevant acellular OP assays that track the depletion of antioxidants or reductant surrogates: (i) the synthetic respiratory-tract lining fluid (RTLF) assay that tracks the depletion of ascorbic acid (AA) and glutathione (GSH) and (ii) the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay that tracks the depletion of DTT. Yearlong daily samples were collected at an urban site in Atlanta, GA (Jefferson Street), during 2017, and both DTT and RTLF assays were performed to measure the OP of water-soluble PM2.5 components. PM2.5 mass and major chemical components, including metals, ions, and organic and elemental carbon were also analyzed. Correlation analysis found that OP as measured by the DTT and AA depletion (OP DTT and OP AA , respectively) were correlated with both organics and some water-soluble metal species, whereas that from the GSH depletion (OP GSH ) was exclusively sensitive to water-soluble Cu. These OP assays were moderately correlated with each other due to the common contribution from metal ions. OP DTT and OP AA were moderately correlated with PM2.5 mass with Pearson's r=0.55 and 0.56, respectively, whereas OP GSH exhibited a lower correlation ( r=0.24 ). There was little seasonal variation in the OP levels for all assays due to the weak seasonality of OP-associated species. Multivariate linear regression models were developed to predict OP measures from the particle composition data. Variability in OP DTT and OP AA were not only attributed to the concentrations of metal ions (mainly Fe and Cu) and organic compounds but also to antagonistic metal–organic and metal–metal interactions. OP GSH was sensitive to the change in water-soluble Cu and brown carbon (BrC), a proxy for ambient humic-like substances.
Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis presenting as fixed drug eruption.

Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis (APD) is a rare disorder that presents as recurrent cyclical cutaneous eruptions during the premenstrual period when progesterone level is elevated. It does not have a specific cutaneous manifestation of its own and presents with a multitude of common cutaneous conditions, thus making it a diagnostic challenge. We describe the case of a young woman who presented with a hyperpigmented patch on her left thigh, over which she developed recurrent erythema, pain and itching, starting 2 days before her menstrual cycle and resolving within 2 days after menstruation. Intradermal progesterone sensitivity test was positive. Histopathology of hyperpigmented patch showed features of fixed drug eruption. A diagnosis of APD presenting as fixed drug eruption was made. She was treated with oral contraceptive pills with significant improvement. This case has been reported because of its rarity and to highlight the clinical implications this condition can pose if diagnosis is not sought timely.
Decadal-Scale Changes in Subtidal Nekton Assemblages in a Warm-Temperate Estuary

Coincidental long-term changes in estuarine nekton assemblages and environmental conditions are widely reported. In this study, from a warm-temperate, high salinity, salt marsh-dominated estuary in the southeastern USA, decreases in overall abundance, shifts in species and life stage composition, and changes in seasonal patterns of occurrence coincided with increased water temperature. Biweekly trawl collections in a subtidal creek were made during two 4-year periods separated by more than 30 years. Of the total 111 taxa in the North Inlet estuary, South Carolina, 64% (71) occurred during both the historic (1981–84) and recent (2013–16) periods. The top five species and their proportions of the total annual catches changed between periods. In the recent study period, near-bottom species (Lagodon rhomboides, Bairdiella chrysoura, Litopenaeus setiferus) increased, and pelagic species (Anchoa spp. and Lolliguncula brevis) decreased. The mean abundance of total nekton in the recent period was approximately 50% of historic abundance. Large, but temporary increases in nekton abundance occurred when salinity decreased after major storms. In the recent study period, shifts in the timing of peak abundances from spring to fall, the occurrence of juveniles during winter, and increased diversity suggested responses to significantly warmer winters and summers. Over the 30 year period, the subtidal nekton assemblage transitioned to a state of lower abundance and different composition. Future increases in water temperature, incidences of major storms, and modifications of estuarine habitats due to rising sea level could lead to additional changes in the fauna of warm-temperate estuaries.
Marrying for a Future: Transnational Sri Lankan Tamil Marriages in the Shadow of War: by Sidharthan Maunaguru, Seattle, University of Washington Press, 2019, 188 pp., 7 illus., US$30.00 (paperback), ISBN: 9780295745411

Marrying for a Future is an insightful and innovative study of Sri Lankan Tamil transnational marriages based on multi-sited research conducted in Sri Lanka, India and Canada before 2009. Sidhartha...
The effect of a permanent saltwater barrier on Rangia cuneata, an indicator species of brackish conditions

Abstract Rangia cuneata is a brackish water clam with a broad distribution along western Atlantic coasts and is an important component of estuarine communities. Adult R. cuneata are tolerant of salinities ranging from 0 to 32 but limited experimental studies have indicated that spawning and larval development are constrained to salinities between 2 and 10. In 2003, a permanent saltwater barrier was built in the lower Neches River, Texas, that partitioned a population of R. cuneata that had been surveyed since the 1950s. The barrier prevented salt water intrusions upstream and provided a natural experiment to determine how the regulation of salinity intrusion can influence R. cuneata spawning, recruitment, and establishment. We surveyed a total of 12 historical sites (eight above and four below the barrier) plus one site outside the previous surveys. Above the barrier, five sites had no living R. cuneata and the remaining three sites had very low densities ( 86 individuals m−2. The presence of distinct size cohorts indicated that spawning and recruitment occurs sporadically. Using the results of previous research, we defined the conditions apparently needed for successful reproductive events as warm weather periods with a salinity change (≥4 over a week) to induce spawning and elevated salinity levels (2–10 for 15+ days) for larval development. Using these criteria, we identified three salinity influx events on the lower Neches River in the last eight years that correlate with the presence of the size cohorts observed below the barrier, which support the hypothesis that salinity fluxes and durations are needed to induce spawning and facilitate larval recruitment.
Defining Leadership and Effectiveness

This technical note helps explain what leadership really is, explores some of the factors that influence leader effectiveness, and introduces the basics of how people can begin to develop as leaders. It is an introduction to a very big topic area, but provides simple definitions and explanations of complicated concepts. Excerpt UVA-OB-1292 Rev. Jul. 24, 2019 Defining Leadership and Effectiveness We hear the word “leadership” all over the place in business schools and in the broader business community. When recruiters are asked what skills they want MBA students to have, “leadership skills” are typically right at the top of their lists. Similarly, when executives come back to business school for executive MBAs or when companies send rising stars to various development programs, improving leadership skills is regularly noted as a goal. This might lead to the conclusion that leadership is a pretty important skill for one's career—and indeed, it is. But here's the problem: How do you define this thing that people say is so important? What is leadership? Who is a leader? What does it mean to be an effective leader? If you ask a dozen people, you will likely hear a dozen different answers. How is there so little consensus around this topic about which mountains of books have been written and about which society cares so deeply? One reason is that leadership is often confused with other things that sound similar. This note aims to clear up some of that confusion and present a useful working definition of what leadership is, how to evaluate it, and the behaviors that are important. Importantly, this note is not an exhaustive list of what we know about leadership—that would be too tall an order for any readily digestible piece of reading. Instead, consider this a primer about what leadership is, how it gets done, and how to know whether it's good. Art versus Science Consider Figure 1. If I asked you to place “leadership” somewhere on this spectrum between art and science, where would you put it? . . .
Costs of the Boston Public Prekindergarten Program.

Though there is an expanding field of research on public prekindergarten, there is a relatively little comprehensive investigation into what public prekindergarten costs. We address some of the abs...
The Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Dilemma

In Season 2 of the game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire, contestant Bernie Cullen achieved the remarkable feat of reaching the million-dollar question having only used the Phone a Friend “lifeli...
Simulated Osmotic Equation of State for Poly(ethylene Oxide) Solutions Predicts Tension-Induced Phase Separation

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is soluble in water, but its solubility is sensitive to changes in temperature, pressure, and stress. Notably, phase separation can occur when PEO solutions are subjected...
Farm-level pathways to food security: beyond missing markets and irrational peasants

Development projects in Sub-Saharan Africa propose to alleviate hunger in rural areas by introducing new agricultural practices and technologies, yet there is limited empirical evidence of how an agricultural intervention can lead farming households to transition to food security. Research on food security pathways considers agricultural interventions that increase farmers’ income to be particularly effective for reducing food insecurity. Consistent with this stance, Malawian agricultural policy aims to address hunger by encouraging smallholder farmers to intensify and commercialize maize production. This paper explores if smallholders’ market and livelihood orientations do indeed lead them to favor an income pathway to food security. Qualitative analysis of 60 smallholder farmer interviews in Malawi found that, upon achieving improvements in production yields and diversity, rather than commercialize, many farmers re-organized their production and consumption to reduce market dependency. Farmers deployed this strategy to increase their food security, explaining that the choice to self-provision food and farming inputs was both an expression of farming identity and a lived understanding of their marginal position in commodity markets. The author finds that, in failing to consider how production relations affect food access, scholarship inadequately theorizes farm-level food security transitions and reproduces discursive framings of hunger. Food sovereignty narratives more accurately captured what mattered for Malawian smallholders’ food security, suggesting that engagement with this concept could improve scientific understandings of food security transitions.
Evaluating the cross-cultural validity of three family quality of life sub-scales.

BACKGROUND Families of children with disabilities often face unique challenges. Developed in a U.S. context, the Beach Center Family Quality of Life measure assesses the effectiveness of supports and services that families receive. This study examines whether items from three sub-scales of the Beach Center instrument perform similarly for two samples, one from Lusaka, Zambia, and the second from a Midwestern U.S. state. METHODS This cross-sectional research used secondary data and completed hierarchical ordinal regression analyses on item-level performance within the sub-scales. RESULTS Only one item flagged for potential item bias with remaining items performing similarly when controlling for overall sub-scale scores. CONCLUSIONS This study extends existing research on the cultural and linguistic appropriateness of the Beach Center measure, providing additional validity evidence about the internal structure of the scales. Findings indicate that these items are acceptable outcome measures for policy and programme evaluations in Zambia.
Fundamentals of Multivariate Analysis - Linear Regression

Since the publication of the four-part article on multivariate methods [1, 2, 3 and 4], this author has received many requests to prepare a paper at the same level on regression. This paper will briefly review the estimating and testing procedures commo..
Is squamous cell histology an adverse prognosticator for survival of malignancies of the upper urinary tract

6617 Background: Carcinomas of the renal pelvis and ureter are rare diseases, accounting for only about 1% of all urogenital malignancies. Previous reports suggest that squamous cell histology is a...
Metal-dielectric interactions

There is a wide variety of situations wherein metals are in solid state contact with dielectric materials. The paper reviews some of the factors that influence solid state interactions for metals in contact with dielectric surfaces. Since surfaces play an important part in these reactions, the use of analytical tools in characterizing surfaces is discussed. Adhesion, friction, and wear are utilized as indicators of the nature of interfacial bonding between metals and dielectrics can be effectively determined with adhesion and friction force measurements. Films present on the surface, such as oxygen or water vapor, markedly alter adhesive bond strength which in turn affects friction force and interfacial fracture when attempts are made to separate the contact regions. Analytical surface tools such as the field ion microscope, Auger emission spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are very effective in providing insight into the effect of contact on the surfaces of metals and dielectrics.
Somite Chondrogenesis in vitro: Differential Induction by Modified Matrix‐ a Biochemical and Morphological Study*

The stimulation of somite chondrogenesis by extracellular matrix components was studied by monitering the synthesis of cartilage-specific large proteoglycan aggregates. Chick embryonic sternal proteoglycans were separated into various components: monomers, hyaluronic acid, link protein and glycosaminoglycan side chains. The effects of these components, either individually or in various combinations, on somite chondrogenesis was examined. Proteoglycan monomers, alone or in a mixture with other components, induced chondrogenesis. The other components did not have any stimulating effect of their own. The results of these induction studies were also observed on a Sepharose CL–2B column and correlated using electron microscopy. Stimulation of somites resulted in an increase in the amount of proteoglycan aggregation (material excluded from the column) and was in agreement with the morphological appearance of the matrix in that there was increased accumulation of large proteoglycan granules. A matrix mixture of collagen and proteoglycans showed significant stimulation. When the matrix environment of the somites was altered to be unfavorable to the explants (medium containing hyaluronic acid) there was altered synthesis of cartilage-specific molecules. The results presented in this report strongly suggest that the composition of the extracellular matrix material is critical for somite chondrogenesis.
Neoliberalism, Race and the Redefining of Urban Redevelopment

Neoliberal urban redevelopment is often represented as consensual, socially-neutral‘local economic development’with a positive effect on both a city’s overall economy andits level of racial and ethnic diversity. The purpose of this article is to focus specificallyon the key ideological premises of color-blind racial discourses that help facilitateand provide necessary legitimacy (and ideological cover) for neoliberal urbanredevelopment in a mid-sized US city. Color-blind racial discourses facilitate the agendaand mandates behind tax abatements, enterprise zones, public–private partnerships andnew forms of urban consumption. Despite efforts to the contrary, neoliberal urbanismdoes not retreat from race — rather, racial dynamics are reconstituted to accommodateprocesses of capital accumulation and uneven urban development in poor and minoritycities. Drawing on the case of Chester, Pennsylvania, this article focuses on howcolor-blind racial discourses influence exclusionary urban redevelopment policies andpractices, facilitate their implementation and legitimize their outcomes.
Making Work System Principles Visible and Usable in Systems Analysis and Design

With the increasing integration between information systems and the work systems they support, methods that focus on computerized aspects of information systems but skim over the work system are increasingly inadequate. To address work system issues, systems analysis and design methods should apply general principles that help in assessing likely positive and negative impacts of conceivable changes in the information system and/or work system. Such principles apply to the operation of systems in organizations, not to processes for analyzing systems. This paper presents a set of work system principles and gives initial examples illustrating how EMBA students have applied those principles within preliminary analyses of real world systems in business organizations. The principles come from a variety of sources including the sociotechnical literature, TQM, and comments about previous sets of principles. Future research will attempt to improve the set of principles through additional literature searches and through feedback from users.
Solvent effects on the kinetics of simple electrochemical reactions: Further examination of metal ethylenediamine and ammine redox couples

Abstract The dependence of the kinetics of Co(en)33+/2+ exchange (en=ethylenediamine) at mercury electrodes upon the nature of the solvent is discussed further by examining the preexponential factors, Acorr, as well as double-layer corrected standard rate constants, kcorrs, and comparing them with the corresponding quantities, Acalc and kcalcs, calculated from electron-transfer theory. The solvents examined are water, formamide, acetonitrile, propylene carbonate (PC), N-methylformamide, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Whereas in most nonaqueous solvents kcorrskcalcs and Acorr≈ Acalc, in aqueous media kcorrs≈102kcalcs yet Acorr≈10−5Acalc. The unexpectedly large solvent dependences of Acorr as well as kcorrs appear to be due primarily to differences in the degree of interfacial reactant solvation, rather than to variations in the elementary electron-transfer barrier resulting from specific reactant-solvent interactions as was speculated previously. Estimates of Acorr obtained for Co(NH3)63+ reduction showed a similarly large solvent dependence to that for Co(en)33+/2+. Values of kcorrs and Acorr for Ru(NH3)63+/2+ exchange are also reported in water, PC, DMF, and DMSO. The solvent dependence of kcorrs for this couple is attributable in part to the influence of solvent reorganization dynamics upon the frequency factor.
Neurologic and psychometric follow-up study of Rh-erythroblastotic infants requiring intrauterine blood transfusion

Abstract Neurologic, psychometric, and electroencephalographic examinations were performed at 12 to 54 months of age on 10 infants surviving from severe Rh erythroblastosis requiring intrauterine blood transfusions. Ten normal infants, matched for birth weight, gestational age, sex, race, home environment conditions, and age at the time of the examination, were used as controls. No differences in neurologic, psychometric, and electroencephalographic findings were observed between the Rh survivors and the control subjects. These results suggest that severe Rh-erythroblastotic infants who received intrauterine blood transfusions have a normal developmental performance at a later age.
Rheology of PVC. Part 5: Melt elasticity

The behavior of PVC changes drastically with the temperature and the method of sample preparation. In the steady-state shear mode, upon a decrease of the rate of deformation, the data may show either a steady increase of the shear viscosity or a leveling off to a Newtonian plateau. In the dynamic test mode, both the storage modulus, G′, and the loss modulus, G″, show an effect of the yield stress. Only at temperatures above 210°C are flow curves normal for polymer melts obtained. Rigid and nonrigid PVC formulations have been tested in Weissenberg Rheogoniometer, using steady-state or dynamic test modes at temperatures from 140 to 220°C. It was observed that yield affects elasticity more (measured by the first normal stress difference or the storage modulus) than viscosity (expressed by the shear stress or the loss modulus). The corrected for yield plots of elastic vs. viscous parameter can be easily interpreted in terms of a composite flow.
A novel optical component for the development of an integrated interferometric system

Optical interferometry is a well established technique for high resolution displacement measurements. It is commonly used in the semiconductor industry as a sub-system of manufacturing and metrology tools. As the industry progresses, the tools continue to evolve, requiring the concomitant reduction of size and cost in sensors. Existing interferometric systems are bulky and therefore difficult to incorporate in equipment. Efforts are ongoing to miniaturize these systems but with optical components (beam splitters, detectors and lasers) still in the millimeter range, it is difficult to realize ultra compact systems. Thus, it is imperative to focus on development of micron scale components that would provide the necessary high spatial resolution in a compact format. The focus of this paper is on the development of a micron size optical component that combines multiple optical elements and can be integrated with VCSELs at the wafer level to yield a compact, low cost interferometric system. The design and development of this component containing the beam splitter and reference mirror will be presented including the investigation of suitable polymeric materials with desirable optical properties and appropriate fabrication techniques. Preliminary optical measurements of the integrated system will also be demonstrated. This approach has the potential to impact the next generation of micron scale interferometers as precise position/proximity sensors.
Ionization cross sections for L-subshell X-rays in Pt, Au, and Hg using proton bombardment

Abstract L-subshell ionization cross sections by proton bombardment (0.4–2.0 MeV) on Pt, Au, and Hg have been extracted from measured L X-ray yields. The cross sections are compared with the predictions of the plane-wave Born approximation (PWBA), the constrained binary-encounter approximation (CBEA), and the PWBA including binding energy and Coulomb deflection effects. The latter effects account for the gross quantitative discrepancies between the PWBA and the data for proton energies less than 1 MeV, but disagreements still exist.
A virtual university as a distributed computing network

The idea of a virtual university, making use of the world-wide-web as an instructional medium, has taken hold as the "wave of the future" in higher education. We have in mind a model that taps one of the most under-utilized yet most skilled of the U.S. intellectual resources, its retired professors. It is anticipated that a sizeable fraction of these individuals would welcome the opportunity to participate part-time in a challenging and most ambitious venture -- a Retired Professors University (RPU), based in the world-wide-web of cyberspace. In its functionality, RPU would replicate the traditional university in all important aspects, a full range of academic departments, Deans, baccalaureate programs, registrar, bookstore, etc., all accessible from the student's internet browser. The structure of such a university is described as a three-tiered (student-faculty-administration) distributed computing network in a client/server architecture. Critical issues relating to security and privacy are addressed.
Novobiocin Inhibits Vaccinia Virus Replication by Blocking Virus Assembly

Novobiocin inhibits the replication of vaccinia virus in cultured BSC40 cells. All classes of viral proteins were synthesized during synchronous infection in the presence of drug. The onset of DNA replication was delayed slightly, yet the extent of DNA replication in the presence of novobiocin was comparable to that of a control infection. A delay in the temporal transition to late viral protein synthesis was in keeping with the effects on DNA replication. Although the precursor forms of the major viral structural proteins were synthesized normally at late times, the proteolytic processing of these polypeptides was inhibited, which suggested an impediment to virus assembly. Electron microscopy revealed that novobiocin blocked virus morphogenesis at an early stage. Conversion of the concatemeric DNA replication intermediates into hairpin telomeres occurred in the presence of novobiocin, confirming that telomere resolution was not coupled to virus assembly. Novobiocin is the latest addition to a class of antipoxviral agents, which includes rifampin and IMCBH, that arrest morphogenesis.
Detection of vehicle occupants in HOV lanes: exploration of image sensing for detection of vehicle occupants

One technique to better utilize existing roadway infrastructure is the use of HOV and HOT lanes. Technology to monitor the use of these lanes would assist managers and planners in efficient roadway operation. There are no available occupancy detection systems that perform at acceptable levels of accuracy in permanent field installations. The main goal of this research effort is to assess the possibility of determining passenger use with imaging technology. This is especially challenging because of recent changes in the glass types used by car manufacturers to reduce the solar heat load on the vehicles. We describe in this research a system to use multi-plane imaging with appropriate wavelength selection for sensing passengers in the front and rear seats of vehicles travelling in HOV/HOT lanes. The process of determining the geometric relationships needed, the choice of illumination wavelengths, and the appropriate sensors are described, taking into account driver safety considerations. The paper will also cover the design and implementation of the software for performing the window detection and people counting utilizing both image processing and machine learning techniques. The integration of the final system prototype will be described along with the performance of the system operating at a representative location.
Possible nightside source dominance in nonthermal radio emissions from Uranus

Desch and Kaiser (1984) have formulated a radiometric Bode's law from which they have attempted to estimate the low frequency, nonthermal radio power of the magnetosphere of Uranus. It is shown here that, if Uranus possesses a magnetosphere, it is more likely that the radio emission is from the nightside as opposed to the dayside as assumed by Desch and Kaiser. A nightside source for the radio emissions would radically alter the predicted time for direct observations of the emissions.
Border crossing subjectivities and research: through the prism of feminists of color

Drawing on my research experiences as a Filipino American historian, this article explores what Michel Foucault calls ‘subjectification’, the dialectial process of self‐making and being‐made, within the context of ethnic identities and transnational projects. Engaging the work of feminists of color in particular, it outlines three types of subject formations – compartmental, intersectional and constitutive – that foreground the tensions between how I identified myself and how others perceived me. It also explores the dilemma of belonging as an insider/outsider researcher in communities that one affiliates with as well as my emerging recognition of homelessness as a liminal and productive space for self‐construction. Ultimately it links and gives voice to three issues that are often treated separately: first, the ways in which subjectivities are shaped by self and others; second, the ways in which race and ethnicity are linked to other axes of difference; and, third, the analytical and methodological insig...
Quinidine sulfate therapy for the slow-channel congenital myasthenic syndrome

The slow-channel congenital myasthenic syndrome (SCCMS) is caused by gain of function mutations in subunits of the end-plate acetylcholine receptor (AChR). The mutations prolong the opening episodes of the AChR channel, leading to a depolarization block and an end-plate myopathy. Because levels of quinidine sulfate attainable in clinical practice shorten the opening episodes of genetically engineered mutant SCCMS receptors in vitro, we tested the notion that the drug can be of benefit in SCCMS. We treated 6 SCCMS patients with quinidine sulfate in an open-label trial, using objective clinical measures of muscle strength and repetitive stimulation studies as end points. One patient became allergic to quinidine after 7 days. The remaining patients tolerated the drug well and after 30 days of continuous therapy showed statistically significant improvement in muscle strength and in decrement of the compound muscle action potential elicited by rapid rates of stimulation.
Effects of soybean protein and very low dietary cholesterol on serum lipids, biliary lipids, and fecal sterols in humans.

Abstract Soy-base texturized vegetable protein (TVP; Archer Daniels Midland, Decatur, IL) has been used to decrease serum cholesterol and as a substitute for animal protein to achieve very low levels of dietary cholesterol. The effect of very low dietary cholesterol and of TVP on biliary lipids and fecal sterols is unclear. The study objective was to determine the effects of very low intake of dietary cholesterol, as well as TVP itself, on serum lipids, biliary lipids, and fecal sterols. We studied eight normal subjects living on a metabolic ward during three randomly ordered 6- to 7-week periods: (1) standard cholesterol diet (190 to 550 mg/d), (2) TVP-low-cholesterol diet (17 to 30 mg/d), and (3) TVP-standard cholesterol diet. By analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), reducing dietary cholesterol to these very low levels significantly decreased serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol ( P = .048) but did not affect high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or triglyceride. TVP resulted in a borderline significant reduction in LDL cholesterol ( P = .058) with a highly significant reduction in HDL cholesterol ( P = .004) and an increase in serum triglyceride ( P = .010). During TVP ingestion, there was a highly significant increase in the output of fecal neutral sterols ( P = .005) and a tendency for a higher output of fecal acidic sterols ( P = .100). Fecal sterol balance was significantly more negative (indicating increased cholesterol synthesis) during TVP ingestion ( P = .016). Neither TVP nor the very-low-cholesterol diet appreciably affected the gallbladder bile molar percent cholesterol or saturation index. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that to the extent TVP decreases serum LDL cholesterol (an effect of borderline significance in this study), the effect occurs via a reduction in the absorption of cholesterol and perhaps bile acid. However, the potential benefit of decreasing LDL cholesterol in this way seems to be at least partially offset by a concomitant reduction in HDL cholesterol and an increase in serum triglycerides.
Anisotropic magnetoresistance of single-crystal HoNi2B2C and the interplay of magnetic and superconducting order.

The in-plane resistivity and magnetization measurements as a function of the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field and the temperature are reported for single-crystal samples of the HoNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C magnetic superconductor. Features corresponding to several distinct magnetic phases and the coexistence of superconductivity with two of the magnetic phases are observed. Contrary to previous measurements for polycrystalline samples, reentrant superconductivity is not observed in the absence of a field for these samples. The measurements indicate an extremely rich interplay between superconductivity and different magnetic structures that can be influenced by field, temperature, and current. The results correlate quantitatively with and complement previous determinations of the magnetic phase diagram and qualitatively with determinations of the superconducting phases by measurements of the single-crystal magnetization and heat capacity. HoNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C is highly anisotropic, and phase diagrams for the field along the (100) and (001) directions are presented. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Processing Yields and Meat Flavor of Broilers Fed a Mixture of Narasin and Nicarbazin as an Anticoccidial Agent

Processed yields (percent hot carcass) and cooked meat flavor of broilers fed 100 ppm of an anticoccidial agent (a mixture of 50 ppm narasin and 50 ppm nicarbazin) were compared with yields of birds fed a ration without the anticoccidial agent. Broilers were processed at 7 wk of age (49 days) after a 4-day withdrawal from the anticoccidial agent for the treated birds. The flavor of meat was evaluated by a 12-member sensory panel. Meat was either deep fat-fried or oven roasted. Sensory evaluations were made on freshly cooked samples and on cooked meat refrigerated for 24 h and reheated. The anticoccidial agent did not produce a difference (P greater than .05) in the hot carcass yields of the broilers as compared with control birds fed the nonmedicated diet. Analyses of triangle test data for flavor evaluations by two statistical methods indicated that there were no detectable differences (P greater than .05) in flavor between broilers fed the anticoccidial agent in the diet and those fed the control diet.
Ground rings and their modules in 2D gravity with c⩽1 matter

Abstract All solvable two-dimensional quantum gravity models have non-trivial BRST cohomology with vanishing ghost number. These states from a ring and all the other states in the theory fall into modules of this ring. The relations in the ring and in the modules have a physical interpretation. The existence of these rings and modules leads to non-trivial constraints on the correlation functions and goes a long way toward solving these theories in the continuum approach.
Contract design as a firm capability: An integration of learning and transaction cost perspectives

Our aim is to unpack contract design capabilities for detailed commercial contracts, to draw out implications for the locus of such capabilities within the firm, and to examine implications for exploiting those capabilities as a potential source of competitive advantage. We argue that developing contract design capabilities involves learning how much and what kinds of detail to include in a contract. We further argue that knowledge about the management of these trade-offs resides differentially in managers, engineers, and lawyers regarding different types of contractual provisions.
STUDIES OF 17-HYDROXYCORTICOSTEROIDS: ADRENALECTOMY AND HYPOPHYSECTOMY IN (UJINEA PK1S AND THEIR EFFECTS ON PLASMA 17-OHCS CONCENTRATIONS1

CONSIDERABLE species differences have been observed with regard to the types of hormones secreted by the adrenal cortex (Bush, 1951; Done, Ely, Raile and Kelley, 1952). Among the common small laboratory animals the guinea pig has an adrenal hormone pattern most closely approximating that in man. Therefore, in this laboratory the guinea pig has been the experimental animal employed in studies of adrenal cortical function. For certain more definitive experiments regarding such function, it is necessary to employ hypophysectomized or adrenalectomized animals. Hypophysectomy and adrenalectomy in the guinea pig have been employed only uncommonly in the past because of the technical difficulty of these procedures. The purpose of this communication is to describe these technics, with certain modifications which make them satisfactory for routine use in the experimental laboratory, and to present certain studies of the effect of these procedures on plasma 17-hydroxycorticosteroid (17-OHCS) concentrations in guine...
Phencyclidine Overdose: An Emerging Concept of Management

Emergency physicians should be prepared to treat overdosage from phencyclidine, a common street drug abused throughout North America. A dearth of laboratory resources to establish the diagnosis makes it essential that diagnoses include awareness of symptomatology. A specific therapeutic approach utilizing ion-trapping by continuous gastric suctioning and acidification of urine and/or blood can be used successfully to treat these patients.
Computer systems “conference” for teaching communication skills

In an effort to improve the communication skills of students, many universities are requiring computer science educators to include writing and speaking components in their courses. This paper describes an alternative to the classic term paper assignment. A "student conference" approach has been successfully employed in a junior-level computer systems course for five semesters. Each student performs an implementation and experimental study, then writes a research-style technical paper on this work. Students also participate in an anonymous review process, revise their own papers, and make oral presentations of their work. The structure of this conference approach, representative assignments, and observations are presented.
Directional statistics-based reflectance model for isotropic bidirectional reflectance distribution functions

We introduce a novel parametric bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model that can accurately encode a wide variety of real-world isotropic BRDFs with a small number of parameters. The key observation we make is that a BRDF may be viewed as a statistical distribution on a unit hemisphere. We derive a novel directional statistics distribution, which we refer to as the hemispherical exponential power distribution, and model real-world isotropic BRDFs as mixtures of it. We derive a canonical probabilistic method for estimating the parameters, including the number of components, of this novel directional statistics BRDF model. We show that the model captures the full spectrum of real-world isotropic BRDFs with high accuracy, but a small footprint. We also demonstrate the advantages of the novel BRDF model by showing its use for reflection component separation and for exploring the space of isotropic BRDFs.
Rat uterine polyamine biosynthetic decarboxylase activities following multiple injections of estradiol-17B and/or estriol

A single injection of 0.5 micrograms estradiol-17 beta (E2) plus 0.5 micrograms estriol (E3) stimulated a different pattern in 22-24 day-old rat uterine ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosyl methionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) activities than was induced by either a single injection of 0.5 micrograms E2 or multiple injections of 0.5 micrograms E3. Differences included alterations in enzyme activity peak timing as well as activity duration. Every 3 hour injections of 0.05 micrograms E2 induced maximum uterine ODC activity at 4, 24, 32, and 40 hours, intermediate activity at 48, 64, and 72 hours as well as a small peak by 56 hours. When 0.05 micrograms E2 plus 0.05 micrograms E3 were injected simultaneously every 3 hours, the ODC activity pattern was similar except that activity fell to intermediate levels by 40 hours. It is suggested that E3 alterations of E2 induced uterine enzyme activities (when monitored at frequent intervals) could be physiological alterations in uterine growth responses due to E2-E3 hormone interactions. However, there appeared to be no differences between E2 or E2 plus E3 induction of DNA synthesis and luminal epithelial cell height and cross-sectional area or ODC and SAMDC activities when measured at 24, 48, or 72 hours.
Statistical Agent-Based Models for Discrete Spatio-Temporal Systems

Agent-based models have been used to mimic natural processes in a variety of fields, from biology to social science. By specifying mechanistic models that describe how small-scale processes function and then scaling them up, agent-based approaches can result in very complicated large-scale behavior while often relying on only a small set of initial conditions and intuitive rules. Although many agent-based models are used strictly in a simulation context, statistical implementations are less common. To characterize complex dynamic processes, such as the spread of epidemics, we present a hierarchical Bayesian framework for formal statistical agent-based modeling using spatiotemporal binary data. Our approach is based on an intuitive parameterization of the system dynamics and can explicitly accommodate directionally varying dispersal, long distance dispersal, and spatial heterogeneity.
Deformation characteristics of an Al−6Cu−O. 4Zr superplastic alloy

The results of a mechanical property and TEM microstructural investigation of a superplastic Al-Cu-Zr alloy are reported. The conventional 3 stage ln σvs ln ∈ curve is observed, but a high value ofm is retained to low strain-rates and suggests that any operative creep yield stress is low. Marked mechanical property changes occur in the initial stages of deformation at the same time as dynamic recrystallization removes the initially directional microstructure of highly elongated grains. Following deformation at the higher strain-rates, Regions II and III, individual dislocations, dislocation networks, and low angle boundaries are observed. After deformation in Region I little evidence of any dislocation activity is seen. It is shown that two distinct recrystallization behaviors occur. In samples statically annealed for long periods recrystallization takes place in a discontinuous manner, high angle boundaries sweeping out from the ρ-particles, which act as nuclei. In the case of superplastically deformed samples the dynamic recrystallization is continuous in nature, and not related to the ρ-particles present. The current theories explaining the beneficial effects of ternary additions to Al-Zr alloys are examined in the light of the above observations.