cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association Between COVID-19 Exposure and Self-reported Compliance With Public Health Guidelines Among Essential Employees at an Institution of Higher Education in the US.

Importance: Detailed analysis of infection rates paired with behavioral and employee-reported risk factors is vital to understanding how transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection may be exacerbated or mitigated in the workplace. Institutions of higher education are heterogeneous work units that supported continued in-person employment during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a test site for occupational health evaluation. Objective: To evaluate the association between self-reported protective behaviors and prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among essential in-person employees during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July 13 to September 2, 2020, at an institution of higher education in Fort Collins, Colorado. Employees 18 years or older without symptoms of COVID-19 who identified as essential in-person workers during the first 6 months of the pandemic were included. Participants completed a survey, and blood and nasal swab samples were collected to assess active SARS-CoV-2 infection via quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and past infection by serologic testing. Exposure: Self-reported practice of protective behaviors against COVID-19 according to public health guidelines provided to employees. Main Outcomes and Measures: Prevalence of current SARS-CoV-2 infection detected by qRT-PCR or previous SARS-CoV-2 infection detected by an IgG SARS-CoV-2 testing platform. The frequency of protective behavior practices and essential workers' concerns regarding contracting COVID-19 and exposing others were measured based on survey responses. Results: Among 508 participants (305 [60.0%] women, 451 [88.8%] non-Hispanic White individuals; mean [SD] age, 41.1 [12.5] years), there were no qRT-PCR positive test results, and only 2 participants (0.4%) had seroreactive IgG antibodies. Handwashing and mask wearing were reported frequently both at work (480 [94.7%] and 496 [97.8%] participants, respectively) and outside work (465 [91.5%] and 481 [94.7%] participants, respectively). Social distancing was reported less frequently at work (403 [79.5%]) than outside work (465 [91.5%]) (P < .001). Participants were more highly motivated to avoid exposures because of concern about spreading the infection to others (419 [83.0%]) than for personal protection (319 [63.2%]) (P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study of essential workers at an institution of higher education, when employees reported compliance with public health practices both at and outside work, they were able to operate safely in their work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Safety and efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization in patients with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts.

Background Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an important option as the majority of patients present with advanced disease. Data regarding treatment outcomes in patients who have undergone transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) are limited. The present study seeks to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TACE in HCC patients with a TIPS.
Browsing Proof Markup Language Provenance: Enhancing the Experience

Probe-It! is a browser that allows users to navigate through Proof Markup Language (PML) based provenance traces by interacting with a number of different perspectives or views [1]. These views provide specific renderings or presentations for the different kinds of provenance information defined in the PML ontology [2]. Throughout our three year experience with Probe-It! we have gathered requirements from users who have a need for browsing PML captured from theorem provers in the Thousands of Problems for Theorem Provers (TPTP) and Homeland Security domains as well as from scientific processes in areas such as solar astronomy, seismology, and environmental science. This paper briefly describes the enhancements made to Probe-It! to improve usability and performance with regards to visualization.
Ecohydrology of Water-Controlled Ecosystems: Hydrologic controls on nutrient cycles

In this chapter we turn to the study of the cycles of organic matter and nutrients in soils. Such dynamics are extremely important for the life and growth of vegetation in water-controlled ecosystems and, as will be seen, the role of hydrology is paramount with an intricate series of linkages and feedbacks at various levels within the system. Since plants in water-controlled ecosystems are often both water and nutrient limited, it is difficult – if not impossible – to determine the extent to which net primary production is controlled by water or nutrient availability. Water scarcity heavily contributes to nutrient deficit through a series of different mechanisms, so that an understanding of plant stress requires a joint analysis of water and nutrient cycles. As noticed by Pastor et al. (1984), the nitrogen cycle needs to be explained through the water balance. The latter in turn depends on the existing type of plant, which determines the litter composition and so on. Although the importance of the interaction between nutrient cycles and hydrology has been recognized for a long time, its consequences are far from being completely understood. Soil moisture, which is itself the result of the joint action of climate, soil, and vegetation, controls both directly and indirectly the soil carbon and nitrogen cycles. Directly, it impacts some of the most important phases of these cycles, such as decomposition, leaching, and plant uptake; indirectly, through its influence on vegetation growth, soil moisture affects the amount and composition of plant residues.
Neural modeling of the DCN: cross-correlation analysis using short-duration tone-burst stimuli

A computer model of an isofrequency patch of the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) was created to explore possible mechanisms for various stimulus-dependent features observed in the cross-correlations of spike trains from type-II-type-IV unit pairs. Consistent with the functional inhibitory type-II-type-IV interaction, model I-cells provide inhibitory input to model P-cells. Simulated short-duration BF tone-bursts of either 50- or 200-ms duration in 200 trials of 250- or 1000-ms duration, respectively, were presented to the model at several sound pressure levels and difference cross-correlograms of I-cell-P-cell activity were computed. Inhibitory troughs were present in the I-cell-P-cell difference histograms derived from the 200-ms paradigm, but not present when derived from the 50-ms paradigm. >
Learning Through Partnering

Abstract Organizational partnerships offer a variety of benefits to participants. Besides being able to leverage resources and accomplish broad objectives, organizations can also learn about themselves through the experience of partnering. The article addresses how partnerships, especially those involving universities and community organizations, can best benefit from the learning potential in a partnership. Drawing from the 13 conference presentations of successful partnerships, we conclude that significant organizational learning can occur within these four frameworks: formulating shared objectives; managing personal relationships; creating structures and processes to support, rather than impede, collaboration; and reflecting on purpose and consulting data to assess outcomes.
Extending metadata definitions by automatically extracting and organizing glossary definitions

Metadata descriptions of database contents are required to build and use systems that access and deliver data in response to user requests. When numerous heterogeneous databases are brought together in a single system, their various metadata formalizations must be homogenized and integrated in order to support the access planning and delivery system. This integration is a tedious process that requires human expertise and attention. In this paper we describe a method of speeding up the formalization and integration of new metadata. The method takes advantage of the fact that databases are often described in web pages containing natural language glossaries that define pertinent aspects of the data. Given a root URL, our method identifies likely glossaries, extracts and formalizes aspects of relevant concepts defined in them, and automatically integrates the new formalized metadata concepts into a large model of the domain and associated conceptualizations. This demo will show the end-to-end performance of this system.The demonstration will show the concept acquisition and placement process. Using the AskCal interface (Philpot et al, 2002), we will ask the viewer to interact with the system to retrieve some data. We will then introduce a new topic, one for whom there is no concept yet in the ontology. We will browse the ontology to verify this. We will identify candidate glossary web pages or sites using prior work (Klavans et al, 2002) and/or a web-accessible term finder. In a separate window, we will then display a glossary-containing file from www.eia.gov or similar, in which the concept is defined in text. Using the system described in the accompanying paper, we will enter the root URL and activate the glossary analysis and concept alignment procedures. Upon conclusion, the system will announce the acquisition and placement of as many concepts as it has found. We will then re-display the ontology in the browser. Newly acquired concepts will be displayed in a different color. The user will be free to click on the concepts in order to examine the formalized contents, as well as hyperclick back to the glossary source page for verification. This demo will thus illustrate not only our latest work, but the major part of the EDC system that we have been building over the past 4 years.
Commentary on “Contrasting Case Studies of Frequent Internet Use:”

Abstract Leon and Rotunda are right to call attention to the problems associated with excessive computer and Internet use and to the computer's potential for both adaptive and maladaptive consequences. To decide when computer use is a problem, it makes sense to adapt criteria used for pathological gambling and substance abuse. Although excessive computer use is a new problem on the college psychotherapy scene, the psychological issues underlying this problem are familiar ones: the struggles for intimacy, self-understanding, identity and self-worth.
Molecular dynamics simulation of physicochemical properties of the asphalt model

Abstract The objectives of this molecular dynamics study are to simulate the asphalt model using the common components from the references, and to predict the physical properties of asphalt material. The asphalt model consists of three components: the asphaltene, aromatic, and saturate, at the ratio of 5:27:41. The docosane and 1,7-dimethylnaphthalene represents the saturate and naphthene aromatic, respectively. The Amber Cornell Extension Force Field was adopted and utilized in the asphalt model system, and the experimental parameters associated with this force field were obtained from the General Amber Force Field (GAFF). The geometry and energy optimizations of the molecular components were used to establish the stable asphalt model system. The density of the asphalt model system was calculated with the Amber Cornell Extension Force Field. The predicted densities were compared with the laboratory data to verify the model. Moreover, the glass transition temperature range of the molecular asphalt model was computed from the relationship between the specific volumes and temperatures after the molecular dynamics experimental simulation. The glass transition temperature range had a good correlation with the experimental data. The viscosity data of the molecular asphalt model was calculated using the Muller-Plathe algorithm. The predicted viscosities at specific temperatures were also compared and discussed with the laboratory data and other published results. In addition, the bulk modulus of the molecular asphalt model was determined and obtained by applying the infinitesimal strain in the model boundaries. The results of the analysis of the bulk modulus in the asphalt model were compared to the reference data, and these predicted results were better than the reference values.
WINTER FIXATION OF NITROGEN IN SCOTCH BROOM (CYTISUS SCOPARIUS L.)

Summary The retention of green lateral branches by Scotch Broom allows nitrogen fixation to continue during mild winters. Tolerance of low soil temperatures is suggested to be a major factor contributing to the occurrence of winter nitrogen fixation.
Magnetic fusion commercial power plants

Toroidal magnetic systems present the best opportunity to make a commercial fusion power plant. They offer potential solutions to the main requirements that confront a power plant designer. An ideal system may be postulated in which the coils are a very small part of the cost, and the cost stems primarily from the inescapable components: minimal plasma heating (and sustaining system), tritium breeding blanket, shield, particle input, removal and treatment system, heat transfer system, generators, buildings, and balance of plant. No present system meets the ideal standards; however, toroidal systems contain among them the elements required. Consequently, a logical program may be based upon an evolutionary development, building on the contributions of the tokamak, which has been the mainline of research for a number of years.
An initial study on the use of execution complexity metrics as indicators of software vulnerabilities

Allocating code inspection and testing resources to the most problematic code areas is important to reduce development time and cost. While complexity metrics collected statically from software artifacts are known to be helpful in finding vulnerable code locations, some complex code is rarely executed in practice and has less chance of its vulnerabilities being detected. To augment the use of static complexity metrics, this study examines execution complexity metrics that are collected during code execution as indicators of vulnerable code locations. We conducted case studies on two large size, widely-used open source projects, the Mozilla Firefox web browser and the Wireshark network protocol analyzer. Our results indicate that execution complexity metrics are better indicators of vulnerable code locations than the most commonly-used static complexity metric, lines of source code. The ability of execution complexity metrics to discriminate vulnerable code locations from neutral code locations and to predict vulnerable code locations vary depending on projects. However, the vulnerability prediction models using execution complexity metrics are superior to the models using static complexity metrics in reducing inspection effort.
Community Rating, Entry-Age Rating and Adverse Selection in Private Health Insurance in Australia

The regulation of health insurance is an important and often controversial issue. Rules intended to improve access to insurance for high-risk consumers have the potential to reduce overall coverage by inducing adverse selection. This paper examines the issue of adverse selection in the context of the market for private health insurance in Australia, before and after the implementation of a major policy reform in 2000. The policy, known as Lifetime Health Cover (LHC), created a financial incentive for consumers to enter the insurance market at earlier ages. I examine the extent of adverse selection prior to this reform and evaluate its effect on premiums. The results confirm that implementation of LHC induced a greater number of younger consumers into the market, resulting in lower average premiums.
Good Time An Agenda for Research

The practice of awarding good time credits in United States prisons was developed early in the nineteenth century both to further public policy and to enhance prison management. Good time was seen ...
Chemiionization and secondary ion-molecule reactions in CH3OH and CH3OD

Abstract Ions formed in primary and secondary processes on impact of 2 3,1 S helium metastable atoms with CH 3 OH and CH 3 OD have been studied by measuring the composition of the ionic products as a function of CH 3 OH and CH 3 OD pressure using a single-source mass spectrometer. None of the ions observed contained helium. The primary ion spectrum for the chemiionization of CH 3 OH was found to be very similar to that obtained by electron impact. Cross-sections have been calculated for the secondary ion-molecule reactions observed and these are compared with previous measurements in which the primary ions are produced by electron impact.
International factor migration and the U.S.

The model employed is sufficiently realistic to provide conclusions regarding income distribution due to factor migration. While more disaggregation and other models would be revealing, these results correspond to observed positions on migration issues.
Twelve hour real-time PCR technique for the sensitive and specific detection of Salmonella in raw and ready-to-eat meat products

Rapid pathogen testing is vital to the food industry. Enzyme immunoassays (EIA) provide reliable negative results in 48 h, but a presumptive positive (suspect) EIA result must be confirmed by traditional culture methods, requiring an additional 72 h. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing technology is accepted as an accurate diagnostic tool. However, traditional PCR techniques can require several days. We sought to develop a rapid, real-time quantitative PCR technique for detecting Salmonella spp. in food products. Salmonella spp. was inoculated into raw and ready-to-eat beef products. Total DNA was extracted and used as template for PCR amplification in the LightCycler (Roche Diagnostics Corp., Idaho Technology Inc., Idaho Falls, ID) PCR instrument. Salmonella-specific PCR primers were designed to amplify a 251 base pair product from the junction of SipB and SipC. Fluorescently-labeled hybridization probes were designed to anneal to SipB and SipC. Salmonella was detected down to 1 colony forming unit/ml in food products. The results of real-time PCR correlated 100% to those of visual immunoprecipitate and culture. PCR methods using the LightCycler can detect and confirm the presence or absence of Salmonella spp. in raw and ready-to-eat beef products within 12 h with increased sensitivity compared to traditional culture and EIA methods.
Children apply principles of physical ownership to ideas.

Adults apply ownership not only to objects but also to ideas. But do people come to apply principles of ownership to ideas because of being taught about intellectual property and copyrights? Here, we investigate whether children apply rules from physical property ownership to ideas. Studies 1a and 1b show that children (6–8 years old) determine ownership of both objects and ideas based on who first establishes possession of the object or idea. Study 2 shows that children use another principle of object ownership, control of permission—an ability to restrict others’ access to the entity in question—to determine idea ownership. In Study 3, we replicate these findings with different idea types. In Study 4, we determine that children will not apply ownership to every entity, demonstrating that they do not apply ownership to a common word. Taken together, these results suggest that, like adults, children as young as 6 years old apply rules from ownership not only to objects but to ideas as well.
Alterations in brain GABA fail to influence morphine withdrawal body shakes

Abstract Discontinuation of chronic morphine infusion in rats resulted in the reliable occurrence of withdrawal body shakes. Valproic acid (2.5–160 mg/kg) or gamma-vinyl GABA (500 and 1000 mg/kg) failed to significantly effect this sign of morphine withdrawal. Etomidate (5 and 10 mg/kg) reduced body shakes, however, these doses produced marked sedation. Similarly, chlordiazepoxide (2.5–40 mg/kg) and flurazepam (2.5–40 mg/kg) decreased the withdrawal body shakes but only at doses which produced sedation. Bicuculline (0.16-0.64 mg/kg) did not alter the occurrence of body shakes whereas picrotoxin (0.64 mg/kg) produced a decrease. These results indicate that central nervous system GABA mechanisms are not important in the mediation of morphine withdrawal body shakes.
Experimental Evidence for Large Nonadiabatic Effects in Close Proton Collisions with Hydrogen Atoms

Excitation to the $2s$ state is important in keV-energy ${\mathrm{H}}^{+}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{H}(1s)$ charge-transfer collisions having reduced scattering angles near 3 keV degrees.
Clinicians' evaluation of computer-assisted medication summarization of electronic medical records

Each year thousands of patients die of avoidable medication errors. When a patient is admitted to, transferred within, or discharged from a clinical facility, clinicians should review previous medication orders, current orders and future plans for care, and reconcile differences if there are any. If medication reconciliation is not accurate and systematic, medication errors such as omissions, duplications, dosing errors, or drug interactions may occur and cause harm. Computer-assisted medication applications showed promise as an intervention to reduce medication summarization inaccuracies and thus avoidable medication errors.In this study, a computer-assisted medication summarization application, designed to abstract and represent multi-source time-oriented medication data, was introduced to assist clinicians with their medication reconciliation processes. An evaluation study was carried out to assess clinical usefulness and analyze potential impact of such application. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were applied to measure clinicians' performance efficiency and inaccuracy in medication summarization process with and without the intervention of computer-assisted medication application. Clinicians' feedback indicated the feasibility of integrating such a medication summarization tool into clinical practice workflow as a complementary addition to existing electronic health record systems. The result of the study showed potential to improve efficiency and reduce inaccuracy in clinician performance of medication summarization, which could in turn improve care efficiency, quality of care, and patient safety.
Circulating leptin moderates the effect of stress on snack intake independent of body mass

Prior studies have demonstrated influences of leptin on hunger and satiety, the processing of food reward, and taste and palatability perception. This pilot study tested whether leptin accounts for variability in stress-induced changes in snack intake, and explored potential mechanisms underlying this effect. Thirty-four normal weight and class I obese women were exposed to a 30-minute mental stressor and a non-stressful control task in counterbalanced order on consecutive days. Higher serum leptin concentrations predicted decreases in snack intake following the stressor relative to the control condition. Leptin was not a significant predictor of overall hunger or stress-induced changes in hunger, but was associated with greater perceived palatability of one of the four snacks. Overall, findings suggest that leptin may moderate the effect of stress on energy intake through non-homeostatic mechanisms.
Disgust sensitivity as a function of the Big Five and gender

Abstract Relationships among disgust sensitivity, the Big Five, and gender were explored using a sample of 132 men and women undergraduates. Results indicated that disgust sensitivity does vary according to gender, which is consistent with previous research, with women reporting greater sensitivity to disgust stimuli than do men. The data also supported the hypothesized positive relationship between neuroticism and disgust sensitivity as well as a negative relationship between openness to experience and disgust sensitivity. In addition, positive relationships were found between two other Big Five factors (Agreeableness and Conscientiousness) and disgust sensitivity. These results suggest that a better understanding of the disgust sensitive individual may come about by studying accompanying personality characteristics.
Potent hyperglycemic and hyperinsulinemic effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone microinjected into the rostroventrolateral medulla and abnormal responses in type 2 diabetic rats

We identified ventrolateral medullary nuclei in which thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) regulates glucose metabolism by modulating autonomic activity. Immunolabeling revealed dense prepro-TRH-containing fibers innervating the rostroventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and nucleus ambiguus (Amb), which contain, respectively, pre-sympathetic motor neurons and vagal motor neurons. In anesthetized Wistar rats, microinjection of the stable TRH analog RX77368 (38-150 pmol) into the RVLM dose-dependently and site-specifically induced hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. At 150 pmol, blood glucose reached a peak of 180+/-18 mg% and insulin increased 4-fold. The strongest hyperglycemic effect was induced when RX77368 was microinjected into C1 area containing adrenalin cells. Spinal cord transection at cervical-7 abolished the hyperglycemia induced by RVLM RX77368, but not the hyperinsulinemic effect. Bilateral vagotomy prevented the rise in insulin, resulting in a prolonged hyperglycemic response. The hyperglycemic and hyperinsulinemic effects of the TRH analog in the RVLM was peptide specific, since angiotensin II or a substance P analog at the same dose had weak or no effects. Microinjection of RX77368 into the Amb stimulated insulin secretion without influencing glucose levels. In conscious type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats, intracisternal injection of RX77368 induced a remarkably amplified hyperglycemic effect with suppressed insulin response compared to Wistar rats. RX77368 microinjected into the RVLM of anesthetized GK rats induced a significantly potentiated hyperglycemic response and an impaired insulin response, compared to Wistar rats. These results indicate that the RVLM is a site at which TRH induces sympathetically-mediated hyperglycemia and vagally-mediated hyperinsulinemia, whereas the Amb is mainly a vagal activating site for TRH. Hyperinsulinemia induced by TRH in the RVLM is not secondary to the hyperglycemic response. The potentiated hyperglycemic and suppressed hyperinsulinemic responses in diabetic GK rats indicate that an unbalanced "sympathetic-over-vagal" activation by TRH in brainstem RVLM contributes to the pathophysiology of impaired glucose homeostasis in type 2 diabetes.
An analysis of fracture and delamination in thin coatings subjected to contact loading

Abstract Hard coatings, which are used to protect surfaces that are subjected to contact loading, may fracture or delaminate from their substrates. A simple model of this process is presented. The coating is idealized as a brittle elastic layer of uniform thickness, which is bonded to the surface of a half-space. The coating, substrate, and interface are assumed to contain microcracks. The solids is loaded by an elastic cylindrical indenter, which slides over the surface of the coating. The influence of residual stress in the coating is also taken into account. A simple method is described for calculating the contact stress fields in a layered elastic solid. Methods of linear elastic fracture mechanics are then used to calculate the loads required to initiate fracture in the coating, or to cause the coating to delaminate from its substrate. The results suggest that fracture is more likely to initiate from flaws in the coating than from flaws in the interface between layer and substrate. The pattern of fracture which occurs under the indenter is also analyzed in detail. It is shown that both the fracture loads and the fracture pattern are strongly influenced by the mismatch in elastic properties between the layer and its substrate. Variations in coating properties and coating thickness may change the fracture loads by up to a factor of 10.
A parallel algorithm for the dense symmetric eigenvalue problem on a transputer array

Abstract In this paper we present an efficient implementation of a parallel algorithm for the determination of the eigenvalues of dense real symmetric matrices. Our approach relies on the reduction of a real symmetric full matrix to tridiagonal form applying Householder's transformations. Performance results of the algorithm on a transputer array are presented with particular emphasis given to speed-ups over classical EISPACK algorithms.
Dimensions of attractors for discretizations for Navier-Stokes equations

In this paper, we discretize the 2-D incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with the periodic boundary condition by the finite difference method. We prove that with a shift for discretization, the global solutions exist. After proving some discrete Sobolev inequalities in the sense of finite differences, we prove the existence of the global attractors of the discretized system, and we estimate the upper bounds for the Hausdorff and the fractal dimensions of the attractors. These bounds are indepent of the mesh sizes and are considerably close to those of the continuous version.
Proportional assist ventilation in low birth weight infants with acute respiratory disease: A comparison to assist/control and conventional mechanical ventilation

Abstract Objectives: To compare the physiologic efficacy and safety aspects of proportional assist (PA), assist/control (A/C), and intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV) in very low birth weight infants with acute respiratory illness and to test the hypothesis that ventilatory pressure requirements are lower and arterial oxygenation is improved during PA when compared with IMV or A/C at an equivalent inspired oxygen fraction. Study design: Randomized, 3-period, crossover design. Methods: Thirty-six infants were stratified by birth weight (600 to 750, 751 to 900, and 901 to 1200 g) and exposed to consecutive 45-minute epochs of the 3 modalities in a sequence chosen at random. Tidal volumes of 4 to 6 mL/kg were targeted during A/C and IMV. The IMV rate was matched to the rate during an A/C test period. PA was adjusted to unload the resistance of the endotracheal tube and the disease-related increase in lung elastic recoil. Results: Compared with A/C and IMV, PA maintained similar arterial oxygenation with lower airway and transpulmonary pressures (15% to 44% reduction depending on the index variable). The oxygenation index decreased by 28% during PA. No adverse events were observed. The number and severity of apneic episodes and periods of arterial oxygen desaturations were similar with the 3 modes. Similar results were obtained within each birth weight subgroup. Conclusions: PA safely maintains gas exchange with smaller transpulmonary pressure changes compared with A/C and IMV. It may therefore offer a way of reducing the incidence of chronic lung disease in low birth weight infants. (J Pediatr 1999;135:339-44)
The growing importance of disaster medical response

This paper addresses the importance of disaster medical response from a public administration perspective and highlights the importance of cooperation among community, governmental and private organisations. Research in disaster medical response will provide a framework for community leaders, elected officials and healthcare providers to collect and analyse data to support evidence-based decision making in response to natural disasters or terrorist activities. Such decisions increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the disaster response system thereby safeguarding the population and the community infrastructure. This study found that disaster medical response capabilities are greater in urban communities, while rural communities have less disaster medical response capabilities. This would support the premise that disaster medical response resources have been allocated in a manner to provide the greatest good to the greatest population.
Neural networks and fuzzy logic in clinical laboratory computing with application to integrated monitoring

We present an analysis of the computational features of neural networks and fuzzy logic architectures which attempts to explain their recent popularity as well as their drawbacks. Based upon many reports in several fields, we identify the key computational requirements in the clinical laboratory setting, and review several classical tools. In particular we make the observation that all of these needs may be viewed as a search for an appropriate mathematical mapping. We suggest that the neural networks promise as a universal function approximant is the main source of its apparent attractivity. We then describe a customized neural network architecture as a non-linear, adaptive signal processor for integrated monitoring. This architecture is employed in the Adaptive Real-Time Anesthesiologist Associate (ARTAA) system, which has been developed as a joint project at the Department of Anesthesiology, Albert Einstein Medical Center and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Drexel University in Philadelphia, USA. In this application the neural network realizes a non-linear scalar map from the set of physiological signals to a vital function status (VFS) indicator. The system is now under clinical testing.
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthesis: divergent routes to a common goal

Aminoacyl-tRNAs are key components in protein synthesis. They are formed directly by correct acylation of tRNA (by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases) or indirectly by tRNA-dependent transformation of misacylated tRNAs. The accuracy of aminoacyl-tRNA synthesis is enhanced by a number of further protein-RNA or protein-protein interactions, some of which are restricted to Archaea, and might reflect adaptation mechanisms to diverse conditions.
Objects interaction using superquadrics for telemanipulation system simulation

A high-fidelity “hybrid” telerobotic simulator suitable for telemanipulation rehearsal, supervisory control, operator training, and human factors performance evaluation has been developed. The simulator is capable of operation in the conventional rate-control, master/slave control, and a data-driven preprogrammed mode of operation. It has teach/playback capability, which allows an operator to generate joint commands for real-time teleoperation. For high-level task execution, the operator selects a specific task from a set of menu options and the simulator automatically generates the required joint commands. In this article, an object detection strategy that has been implemented in the simulator for more realistic telemanipulation is presented. The object detection technique is based on the use of superellipsoids, which have a convenient inside-outside function for interference testing. The technique, which treats both moving and stationary objects in a consistent manner, has proved to be easy to implement and optimize for real-time applications. The object detection feature is also used to provide visual feedback as a low-cost force reflection strategy.
Dispersive contributions to e+p/e-p cross section ratio in forward regime

Abstract Two-photon exchange (TPE) contributions to elastic electron–proton scattering in the forward regime are considered. The imaginary part of TPE amplitude in these kinematics is related to the DIS nucleon structure functions. The real part of the TPE amplitude is obtained from the imaginary part by means of dispersion relations. We demonstrate that the dispersion integrals for the relevant elastic ep -scattering amplitude converge and do not need subtraction. This allows us to make clean prediction for the real part of the TPE amplitude at forward angles. We furthermore compare e + p and e − p cross sections which depends on the real part of TPE amplitude, and predict the positron cross section to exceed the electron one by a few per cent, with the difference ranging from 1.4% to 2.8% for electron lab energies in the range from 3 to 45 GeV. We furthermore predict that the absolute value of this asymmetry grows with energy, which makes it promising for experimental tests.
The US inertial confinement fusion (ICF) ignition programme and the inertial fusion energy (IFE) programme

There has been rapid progress in inertial fusion in the past few years. This progress spans the construction of ignition facilities, a wide range of target concepts and the pursuit of integrated programmes to develop fusion energy using lasers, ion beams and z-pinches.Two ignition facilities are under construction, the national ignition facility (NIF) in the United States and the laser megajoule (LMJ) in France, and both projects are progressing towards an initial experimental capability. The laser integration line prototype beamline for LMJ and the first four beams of NIF will be available for experiments in 2003. The full 192 beam capability of NIF will be available in 2009 and ignition experiments are expected to begin shortly after that time.There is steady progress in target science and target fabrication in preparation for indirect-drive ignition experiments on NIF. Advanced target designs may lead to 5–10 times more yield than initial target designs. There has also been excellent progress on the science of ion beam and z-pinch-driven indirect-drive targets.Excellent progress on direct-drive targets has been obtained on the Omega laser at the University of Rochester. This includes improved performance of targets with a pulse shape predicted to result in reduced hydrodynamic instability. Rochester has also obtained encouraging results from initial cryogenic implosions.There is widespread interest in the science of fast ignition because of its potential for achieving higher target gain with lower driver energy and relaxed target fabrication requirements. Researchers from Osaka have achieved outstanding implosion and heating results from the Gekko XII Petawatt facility and implosions suitable for fast ignition have been tested on the Omega laser.A broad-based programme to develop lasers and ion beams for inertial fusion energy (IFE) is under way with excellent progress in drivers, chambers, target fabrication and target injection. KrF and diode pumped solid-state lasers are being developed in conjunction with dry-wall chambers and direct-drive targets. Induction accelerators for heavy ions are being developed in conjunction with thick-liquid protected wall chambers and indirect-drive targets.
Visually induced self-motion sensation adapts rapidly to left-right visual reversal

After 1 to 3 hours of active movement while wearing vision-reversing goggles, 9 of 12 (stationary) human subjects viewing a moving stripe display experienced a self-rotation illusion in the same direction as seen stripe motion, rather than in the opposite (normal) direction. This result indicates that the neural pathways which process visual self-rotation cues can undergo rapid adaptive modification.
Defending the end zone: Studying the players involved in protecting chromosome ends

The linear nature of eukaryotic chromosomes leaves natural DNA ends susceptible to triggering DNA damage responses. Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein structures that comprise the “end zone” of chromosomes. Besides having specialized sequences and structures, there are six resident proteins at telomeres that play prominent roles in protecting chromosome ends. In this review, we discuss this team of proteins, termed shelterin, and how it is involved in regulating DNA damage signaling, repair and replication at telomeres.
Intra-patient and inter-patient seizure prediction from spatial-temporal EEG features

In this paper, an algorithm for both intra-patient and inter-patient seizure prediction from invasive electroencephalography (EEG) is proposed and tested. Multi-channel EEG signal are pre-processed, windowed and built into spatial-temporal covariance matrices. Multivariate features are extracted from these matrices, then reduced in dimensionality by principle component analysis (PCA). A support vector machine (SVM) system is trained with the features of classified segments of data to predict the un-classified segments. The cross-validation test shows that the proposed algorithm achieves significantly better performance than that achieved in existing literatures, with the area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.977 for intra-patient and 0.822 for inter-patient prediction. The significance test further proves that the result is statistically reliable for intra-patient prediction with p-value of 0.00, and well considerable for inter-patient prediction with p-value of 0.08.
Regulation of the PDK4 Isozyme by the Rb-E2F1 Complex

Loss of the transcription factor E2F1 elicits a complex metabolic phenotype in mice underscored by reduced adiposity and protection from high fat diet-induced diabetes. Here, we demonstrate that E2F1 directly regulates the gene encoding PDK4 (pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4), a key nutrient sensor and modulator of glucose homeostasis that is chronically elevated in obesity and diabetes and acutely induced under the metabolic stress of starvation or fasting. We show that loss of E2F1 in vivo blunts PDK4 expression and improves myocardial glucose oxidation. The absence of E2F1 also corresponds to lower blood glucose levels, improved plasma lipid profile, and increased sensitivity to insulin stimulation. Consistently, enforced E2F1 expression up-regulates PDK4 levels and suppresses glucose oxidation in C(2)C(12) myoblasts. Furthermore, inactivation of Rb, the repressor of E2F-dependent transcription, markedly induces PDK4 and triggers the enrichment of E2F1 occupancy onto the PDK4 promoter as detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis. Two overlapping E2F binding sites were identified on this promoter. Transactivation assays later verified E2F1 responsiveness of this promoter element in C(2)C(12) myoblasts and IMR90 fibroblasts, an effect that was completely abrogated following mutation of the E2F sites. Taken together, our data illustrate how the E2F1 mitogen directly regulates PDK4 levels and influences cellular bioenergetics, namely mitochondrial glucose oxidation. These results are relevant to the pathophysiology of chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes, where PDK4 is dysregulated and could have implications pertinent to the etiology of tumor metabolism, especially in cancers with Rb pathway defects.
Productivity Gradients for Paleo-Oceans: A New Application of Isotopes of C-13 and O-18: ABSTRACT

Based on the coincident relationship between the ^dgr13C and ^dgr18O of modern ocean water, above the O2 minimum, I have constructed a series of ocean-specific models designed to calculate open-ocean values of PO4 for paleo-oceans. Inherent in these models are the assumptions that the ^dgr18O and ^dgr13C of ocean water vary as functions of temperature and dissolved O2 (or AOU), respectively. In the Atlantic, for example, the derived model is: PO4 = 4.95 - 2.54 [log 16.9 - 4.206(^dgr18Oc - ^dgr18Ow) + (^dgr18Oc - ^dgr18Ow)2] - 0.32 [O2 saturation - (e7.15 - 3.45 ^dgr13Cw/43.5)]. Above the O2 minimum, foraminiferally derived values of ^dgr13C and ^dgr18O can be used to calculate PO4 concentrations at the levels at which the tests were secreted, resulting in a restratification of the PO4 concentration with depth for paleo-oceans. A more powerful application of these models is the construction of productivity (PO4) gradients using average concentrations of PO4 obtained from the sedimented tests of surface (0 to 50 m) and deep-dwelling (below 150 m) planktonic Foraminifera. The higher the value of PO4, the greater the productivity. Preliminary results for the Sargasso Sea suggest that plots of PO4 values are very effective in delineating water masses, and possibl strong surface currents. Calculated PO4 gradients are in agreement with observed PO4 gradients. Calculated concentrations of PO4 with depth in the Atlantic compare well with observed trends. Concentrations of PO4, derived from Holocene planktonic Foraminifera from the Indian Ocean, are noticeably similar to observed PO4 concentrations in the overlying water in which the tests were secreted. These results, although preliminary, suggest that PO4 gradients can be calculated and used to delineate water masses for paleo-oceans throughout the Cenozoic. End_of_Article - Last_Page 633------------
Regional brain [(11)C]carfentanil binding following tobacco smoking.

Abstract Objective To determine if overnight tobacco abstinent carriers of the AG or GG (*G) vs. the AA variant of the human mu opioid receptor (OPRM1) A118G polymorphism (rs1799971) differ in [ 11 C]carfentanil binding after tobacco smoking. Methods Twenty healthy American male smokers who abstained from tobacco overnight were genotyped and completed positron emission tomography (PET) scans with the mu opioid receptor agonist, [ 11 C]carfentanil. They smoked deniconized (denic) and average nicotine (avnic) cigarettes during the PET scans. Results Smoking avnic cigarette decreased the binding potential (BP ND ) of [ 11 C]carfentanil in the right medial prefrontal cortex (mPfc; 6, 56, 18), left anterior medial prefrontal cortex (amPfc; − 2, 46, 44), right ventral striatum (vStr; 16, 3, − 10), left insula (Ins; − 42, 10, − 12), right hippocampus (Hippo; 18, − 6, − 14) and left cerebellum (Cbl; − 10, − 88, − 34), and increased the BP ND in left amygdala (Amy; − 20, 0, − 22), left putamen (Put; − 22, 10, − 6) and left nucleus accumbens (NAcc; − 10, 12, − 8). In the AA allele carriers, avnic cigarette smoking significantly changed the BP ND compared to after denic smoking in most brain areas listed above. However in the *G carriers the significant BP ND changes were confirmed in only amPfc and vStr. Free mu opioid receptor availability was significantly less in the *G than the AA carriers in the Amy and NAcc. Conclusion The present study demonstrates that BP ND changes induced by avnic smoking in OPRM1 *G carriers were blunted compared to the AA carriers. Also *G smokers had less free mu opioid receptor availability in Amy and NAcc.
Anti-epiligrin cicatricial pemphigoid and relative risk for cancer.

Summary It is not known whether patients with anti-epiligrin cicatricial pemphigoid (AECP) have an increased risk of malignancy. We calculated the expected numbers of cancers in a c hort of 35 such patients based on respective incidence rates for all cancers in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (NCI SEER) Registry. Ten patients in this cohort had solitary solid cancers; eight patients developed cancer after onset of AECP (seven within 14 months). The relative risk (RR) for cancer in this cohort was 6·8 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 3·3-12·5). AECP seems to be associated with an increased relative risk for cancer.
Desmin organization during the differentiation of the dorsal myotome in Xenopus laevis.

Abstract The reorganization of desmin-type intermediate filaments during muscle differentiation has been studied primarily in cultured cell systems. Here we describe the process of desmin reorganization during the differentiation of the dorsal myotomal muscle of the clawed frog Xenopus laevis. This musle differs from those described previously primarily in that the desmin system forms de novo, i.e., without the presence of a pre-existing vimentin filament system. The most striking observation is that prior to myotomal segmentation and rotation desmin is concentrated at the medial and lateral tips of the myocytes. It remains concentrated in these regions following somite rotation and is localized primarily to the intersomite junctions as late as the stage 33–35 tadpole. As the muscle matures (stage 30 and later) desmin becomes increasingly associated with the sarcolemma and with the Z-discs. The concentration of desmin at the nascent intersomite junction suggests that desmin is involved in coupling somites to one another in the early Xenopus embryo.