cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Guiding preventative wildland fire mitigation policy and decisions with an economic modeling system

Abstract The protection of private residences from wildland fire produces high levels of cost and safety risk to firefighters, especially with the expanding ex-urban settlement pattern in the wildland urban interface (WUI). Economic information on probable structure losses can help guide efficient wildfire management, policy, and investments. However, no single existing modeling tool is capable of accurately predicting existing wildland fire ignition risk to WUI residences, nor are there broadly accepted models to calculate needed investments to reduce risk to WUI structures. To fill this void, a representative set of rural residences in western Montana was selected to estimate a baseline, 30-year wildland fire ignition hazard and the cost effectiveness of optional investments to reduce risk from wildfire damage to these residences. The study applied a modeling system combining outputs from a structure ignition assessment model (SIAM) with wildland fire probabilities from an ecological disturbance model (SIMPPLLE). Results indicate that the probability of structure damage to a home when a fire visits a residence is 1.0 under conditions of extreme wildland fire weather. This contrasts with the low probabilities (0–0.05) that wildland fire will reach vegetation surrounding the residence. Cost-effectiveness analysis of two suites of preventative mitigation strategies demonstrated that home mitigation zone investments (modifying houses or fuels within 30.5 m (100 ft) of a residence) are generally more cost effective in reducing risk to WUI structures than investments in silvicultural operations in surrounding forests (within 2.4 km (1.5 mi) of homes). The effectiveness of the mitigation options in modifying average home loss due to wildfire ranges from negative 19.6% to positive 63% (some silvicultural treatments did increase the probability of wildfire in simulations). While both home ignition zone mitigations and silvicultural treatments can markedly reduce wildland fire hazard estimates, the former appear to provide a more pronounced reduction in hazard as correlated with expenditures.
Studies on candelilla wax. I. its n-acids and n-alcohols

A method has been described for separating the constituents of candelilla wax into three fractions, viz., paraffins, acids, and alcohols. To the list of acids and alcohols reported by others as constituents of this wax may now be added the C28 individuals. The presence of the C30, C32, and C34 homologues of both compounds has been confirmed. All are of then-type. Not confirmed however was the alleged presence of a lactone.
Integrated Folding, Alignment, and Latching for Reconfigurable Origami Microelectromechanical Systems

The design, implementation, and characterization of passively aligned reconfigurable three-dimensional (3-D) microelectromechanical systems via origami folding is presented. The process integrates into a two-mask pattern all of the features necessary for actuation, aligning, and latching segments into their correct positions under the influence of a single driving force with high tolerance to magnitude inaccuracy. Lorentz force folds the two-dimensional (2-D) elements out-of-plane. Their alignment is controlled by cascaded alignment features that create an initial interaction at coarse levels of alignment and deterministically drive the system to its as-designed final position. Reversible mechanical latches engage passively, preventing unfolding when the actuation force is released. The latches are designed to be able to be unlatched for future reconfiguration, either by returning to the unlatched state or by relatching into a second state. The proposed approach was demonstrated in an SU-8 corner cube connected by thin-film gold flexural hinges. The alignment mechanism is shown to correct for up to 11° of misalignment. The latches fasten and unfasten under forces of 13.1 and $12.5~\mu $ N, respectively. The average angle between folded segments of the final system is measured at 90.4° as compared with the design value of 90°, with a standard deviation of 0.6°.
The effect of NbC porosity on reaction-layer microstructure in NbC/Si diffusion couples

Further experimental observations have allowed us to refine and confirm some aspects of our recently proposed mechanism for reactive diffusion between Si single crystal and NbC powder compact, particularly regarding the prediction of Si as the dominant diffusing species and the nature of the dependence of SiC particle morphology on the presence of voids in the NbC end member. In Si|NbC diffusion couples annealed at either 1300 or 1350 °C, a two-phase NbSi2 + SiC reaction layer formed. Although NbSi2 was the matrix in all of the reaction layers, the SiC phase morphology depended upon NbC porosity: when high-porosity NbC was used, SiC was present as discontinuous particles greater than 1-μm-across, while when low-porosity or void-free NbC was used, SiC grew cooperatively with NbSi2 in the form of lamellae less than 0.5 μm thick. We propose that this difference arises from the effect of voids both as nucleation sites for SiC particles and as channels for unrestricted SiC growth. Marker experiments conclusively show that Si is the dominant diffusing species in the reaction layer.
Refractive surgery in glaucoma.

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to discuss the topics relevant to the topic of LASIK in glaucoma patients or suspects. The safety of LASIK and the implications of LASIK on glaucoma diagnostic testing are reviewed. Recent findings Most studies have found no change in the nerve fiber layer thickness or optic disc after LASIK. Several reports of steroid-induced glaucoma after LASIK have been published. Important new syndromes such as the interlamellar stromal cyst have been described. Most investigators, but not all, have found intraocular pressure to be lower after LASIK, most likely an artifact of measurement as a result of reduced central corneal thickness. Summary The safety of LASIK in patients with glaucoma has not been proved. However, based on the published literature, LASIK may be a viable option for some glaucoma patients. Although not an absolute contraindication, glaucoma is a relative contraindication, and careful patient education and life-long follow-up is mandatory. The clinician must be ever mindful of the important effects that LASIK may have on diagnostic testing.
Potassium intake and risk of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Aims/hypothesis Serum potassium has been found to be a significant predictor of diabetes risk, but the effect of dietary potassium on diabetes risk is not clear. We sought to determine if dietary potassium is associated with risk of incident type 2 diabetes in young adults.
Pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans cells immobilized on ECTEOLA-cellulose.

Cells of the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 42023 were immobilized by adsorption on the ion-exchange resin ECTEOLA (epichlorohydrin triethanolamine)-cellulose and the immobilized cells were examined for their ability to produce the polysaccharide pullulan using batch fermentation. It was found that the cells immobilized on the ECTEOLA-cellulose at pH 2.0 produced higher pullulan levels than those cells immobilized at pH 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 and 7.0 after 72 h at 30°C. The pH 2.0-immobilized cells were capable of producing pullulan for 2 cycles of 168 h. Pullulan production by the immobilized cells decreased slightly during the second production cycle but the difference in production was not statistically significant after 168 h.
Comparing the security risks of paper-based and computerized patient record systems

How should hospital administrators compare the security risks of paper-based and computerized patient record systems. There is a general tendency to assume that because computer networks potentially provide broad access to hospital archives, computerized patient records are less secure than paper records and increase the risk of breaches of patient confidentiality. This assumption is ill-founded on two grounds. Reasons exist to say that the computerized patient record provides better access to patient information while enhancing overall information system security. A range of options with different trade-offs between access and security exist in both paper-based and computerized records management systems. The relative accessibility and security of any particular patient record management system depends, therefore, on administrative choice, not simply on the intrinsic features of paper or computerized information management systems.
For Grades or Money? Charter School Failure in North Carolina

Purpose: Charter schools are unique public schools in part because this type of school can close if it fails to meet objectives set forth by the chartering body that approved it. Thus far, however,...
Strategic elements of Eastman Kodak's successful market entry in Russia

Eastman Kodak is a global imaging company with extensive reach and capabilities. This article examines Kodak's entry strategy in Russia. It explains that Kodak was able to succeed through strong personal relations with stakeholders and decisions to invest in local production. Kodak established consumer acceptance through open and frequent communications with their customers. This, combined with a multifaceted marketing strategy, helped them survive the Russian financial crisis. We argue that Kodak's success has been greatly facilitated by a set of policies that include appropriate adaptations of Western marketing and human resources practices. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
It’s All Come Down to Me: Meaning Making With Family Artifacts

The following autoethnography explores the author’s discoveries as she sorts through boxes of family photos, documents, and artifacts. The author confronts her initial resistance to taking on the work of the previous generations. As the process unfolds, the author discovers insights related to her current identity as the stories, full of memories and holes, emerge more clearly. The author’s insights are informed by feminist concerns of lost writing and lost stories, by family secrets and untold stories, and by how her own life emerges with more clarity as she illuminates the family stories. In the process, the author ponders memory and forgetting, discerns what to keep and what to burn, and in so doing, finds a dialogue with her ancestors.
Evaporation and consumptive use of water empirical formulas

As evaporation and transpiration are important elements in the water-cycle, they must be given careful consideration before the available water-resources of a drainage-basin can be satisfactorily ascertained. Evapo-transpiration or consumptive use of water involves problems of water-supply, both surface and underground. This subject is increasingly significant, particularly in the irrigated regions of the West, where consumptive use may be several times as great as precipitation. The consumptive-use requirement for water has become an important factor in the arbitration of controversies over major stream-systems where the public welfare of valleys, states and even nations is involved [see 1 of “References” at end of paper].
Tree Recruitment from On-site Versus Off-site Propagule Sources During Tropical Forest Succession

The management of successional forests has become an increasingly important tool for tropical forest restoration on disturbed lands. Successful management depends on understanding factors governing tree recruitment during succession. Recruits can be on-site propagules surviving disturbance (e.g. saplings) or seeds arriving after disturbance. Among disturbed sites, the importance of seed arrival from off-site should increase as availability of on-site propagules declines. This study examines how seed arrival from off-site seemed to influence natural forest regrowth on logged plantations in Uganda. Specifically, the effect of seed arrival from mammals (determined directly) and birds (determined inferentially) was estimated in two plantations with high and three plantations with low quantities of saplings surviving logging. In both plantation types, first-year recruitment seemed to originate from on-site (seed bank and sprouts from damaged trees) and off-site sources (seed-dispersing birds). Recruitment declined 2–3 years after logging in all plantations despite high densities of seed-dispersing birds. Recruitment was generally greater in plantations with low initial quantities of on-site propagules, and by 4–6 years forest structure was similar between plantation types. Recruitment was dominated by bird-dispersed species, rather than mammal- or wind-dispersed species. Taken together, these results illustrate that disturbed areas with low initial on-site propagule availability have much potential for forest regrowth.
Dynamics of functional impairment in late adulthood.

The inconclusive debate about Fries' theory of "natural death and the compression of morbidity" has diverted attention from two key issues--the modifiability and related dynamics of functional impairment in late adulthood. Evidence is presented from a large (N = 11,000) panel of adults aged initially 58-63 over the period of a decade which documents substantial modification of functional status. Further, patterned changes in functional status are related to the dynamics of income, historically a major determinant of functional status, and independently to educational attainment. The dynamics of functional status, of income, and of their relationship are explored using discrete time hazard models in an event history analysis incorporating time-varying income and functional status indicators. The importance of income and of education as positive, independent predictors of functional status and patterned changes of functional status is confirmed. The implications of this finding for differentiating distal (e.g. education) and proximate (e.g. income) measures of socioeconomic status and for assessing competing theories of social causation and social selection are discussed.
The Black Market Exchange Rate and Demand for Money in Iran

Abstract Using the Johansen-Juselius cointegration analysis and exclusion test, this paper demonstrates that in a country where there is a black market for foreign currencies, it is the black market exchange rate and not the official rate that should enter into the formulation of the demand for money. Iranian data over 1959–1990 period are employed to demonstrate this point.
Cyclic disulfide C(8) iminoporfiromycin: Nucleophilic activation of a porfiromycin

The clinical success of mitomycin C (1) and its associated toxicities and resistance have led to efforts to prepare semisynthetic analogues (i.e., KW-2149 (3), BMS-181174 (4)) that have improved pharmacological profiles. In this study, we report the preparation and evaluation of the novel 7-N-(1‘-amino-4‘,5‘-dithian-2‘-yl)porfiromycin C(8) cyclized imine (6) and its reference compound, 7-N-(1‘-aminocyclohex-2‘-yl)porfiromycin C(8) cyclized imine (13). Porfiromycin 6 contains a disulfide unit that, upon cleavage, may provide thiol(s) that affect drug reactivity. We demonstrated that phosphines dramatically accelerated 6 activation and solvolysis in methanolic solutions (“pH 7.4”) compared with 13. Porfiromycins 6 and 13 efficiently cross-linked EcoRI-linearized pBR322 DNA upon addition of Et3P. We found enhanced levels of interstrand cross-link (ISC) adducts for 6 and 13 compared with porfiromycin (7) and that 6 was more efficient than 13. The large Et3P-mediated rate enhancements for the solvolysis of 6 c...
Site preference of ternary alloying additions in FeAl and NiAl by first-principles calculations

Abstract First-principles calculations have been performed to investigate the site preference of ternary alloying additions in FeAl and NiAl. In FeAl, Cr and Ti are found to occupy the Al sublattice whereas Ni has a distinct preference for the Fe sublattice. The site substitutional behavior of 3d ternary elements in FeAl can be explained in terms of the trends in the heat-of-formation. In Al-rich NiAl, Fe atoms occupy exclusively the Ni sublattice. In Ni-rich NiAl, because of the small enthalpy difference between Fe occupying Al and Ni sublattices (i.e. less than 0.1 eV with a preference of Fe for Al sites at 0 K), the site distributions of Fe in these alloys are found to vary with alloy composition and temperature. Due to the large difference in the local magnetic moments between Fe atoms occupying Al and Ni sublattices (with values of 2.4 μ B and less than 0.1 μ B , respectively) in NiAl, magnetic susceptibility measurement should be the most effective way to measure the site distributions of Fe in NiAl.
Isolation and crystal structure of 5-hydroxy-2,8-dimethyl-6,7-dimethoxybenzopyran-4-one from Couepia paraensis

Abstract A highly substituted chromone constituent of Couepia paraensis was isolated and identified as 5-hydroxy-2,8-dimethyl-6,7-dimethoxychromone by spect
A fractal analysis of colloidal Au nanoparticle electrodes

Abstract An electrochemical fractal analysis of three types of colloidal Au nanoparticle electrodes is described. One type of electrode comprises multilayers of 12-nm diameter colloidal Au particles on glass substrates; another type consists of analogous films grown on conductive Au substrates. Plots of log( I ) vs. log( t ) data from electrochemical potential step experiments were used to determine D f , the fractal dimension. On the Au substrate, D f ranged from 2.16 to 2.47 for films consisting of 7–13 colloidal Au layers, respectively, while for the glass substrate D f varied from 1.54 to 2.33 over the same range of layers. A third type of Au nanoparticle-based electrode was prepared by enlargement of nanoparticles in Au colloid monolayers by exposure to NH 2 OH/Au 3+ . For these samples, D f varied from ca. 1.2 to 2.0. D f determination by atomic force microscopy gave values in the range of 2.3–2.4 for both types of nanoparticle electrodes on glass substrates, regardless of Au film thickness.
Species-specific effects on the optical signals of voltage-sensitive dyes.

The absorption changes of two merocyanine dyes in response to membrane potential changes were measured on several nueronal preparations to see whether the dyes would be useful in recording from these cells.
Surface versus shake-down effects in the deep-core photoemission of Sm- and Eu-based intermetallics

Shakedown effects, due to final-state screening of a core level by a (localized) $4f$ electron, have frequently been reported in x-ray photoemission spectroscopy core-level spectra of metallic systems based on the lighter rare-earth elements. Such effects appear to correlate with the hybridization between the $4f$ electrons and the conduction electrons, which decreases monotonically with increasing $Z$ in the rare-earth series because of the lanthanide contraction of the $4f$ subshell. This picture has been clouded by the recent report of a large shakedown satellite in the $3d$ emission from Eu${\mathrm{Pd}}_{3}$, such an effect being absent in Sm${\mathrm{Pd}}_{3}$ and negligibily small in Nd${\mathrm{Pd}}_{3}$. We have observed a similar effect in Sm${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$, where the required hybridization is expected to be small, and argue that in both cases the anomalous satellite is the emission from a divalent surface layer rather than a shakedown effect in the trivalent bulk.
The Absorption of Resonance Neutrons by Boron, Chlorine, Cobalt and Manganese

Measurements are made of the absorption of neutrons by boron and by several elements which capture the neutrons without activity (or with very weak activity). Rh, In, Ag, Mn, Br and I were used as thermal and resonance detectors, and their known boron absorption coefficients were redetermined more carefully. The resonance levels of only Rh and In appeared to be single. It is shown that, by comparing the boron absorption coefficients with the absorption coefficients of the nonradioactive elements, resonance levels of those elements can be located: Resonances are found for ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{36}$ near 1 volt, for ${\mathrm{Co}}^{58}$ near 1 and 30 volts, for Mn below 0.4 volt. Corrections for nonparallelism of the neutron beam are made semi-empirically and neutron scattering by the absorbers is shown to be quite small compared to neutron capture.
Differential requirement for nitric oxide in IGF‐1‐induced anti‐apoptotic, anti‐oxidant and anti‐atherosclerotic effects

Abstract We have shown previously that insulin like-growth factor I (IGF-1) suppressed atherosclerosis in Apoe−/− mice and activated endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase. To determine whether IGF-1-induced atheroprotection depends on NO, IGF-1- or saline-infused mice were treated with l -NAME, the pan-NO synthase inhibitor or with d -NAME (control). IGF-1 reduced atherosclerosis in both the d -NAME and l -NAME groups suggesting that IGF-1’s anti-atherogenic effect was NO-independent. IGF-1 increased plaque smooth muscle cells, suppressed cell apoptosis and downregulated lipoprotein lipase and these effects were also NO-independent. On the contrary, IGF-1 decreased oxidative stress and suppressed TNF-α levels and these effects were blocked by l -NAME. Thus IGF-1’s anti-oxidant effect is dependent on its ability to increase NO but is distinct from its anti-atherosclerotic effect which is NO-independent.
On the number of signals resolvable by a uniform linear array

An algebraic limitation on the maximum number of directions of arrival of plane waves that can be resolved by a uniform linear sensor array is studied. Achievable lower and upper bounds are derived on that number as a function of the number of elements in the array, number of snapshots, and the rank of the source sample-correlation matrix. The signals are assumed narrow-band and of identical and known center frequency. The results are also applicable in the coherent signal case and when directions of arrival are estimated from few snapshots. While in the multiple snapshot case the lower bounds coincide with known asymptotic results, the upper bounds indicate the potential for resolving more signals than by present methods of array processing.
Effects of euthanasia method on stable‐carbon and stable‐nitrogen isotope analysis for an ectothermic vertebrate

RATIONALE Stable isotope analysis is a critical tool for understanding ecological food webs; however, results can be sensitive to sample preparation methods. To limit the possibility of sample contamination, freezing is commonly used to euthanize invertebrates and preserve non-lethal samples from vertebrates. For destructive sampling of vertebrates, more humane euthanasia methods are preferred to freezing and it is essential to evaluate how these euthanasia methods affect stable isotope results. METHODS Stable isotope ratios and elemental composition of carbon and nitrogen were used to evaluate whether the euthanasia method compromised the integrity of the sample for analysis. Specifically, the stable isotope and C:N ratios were compared for larval wood frogs (Rana sylvatica = Lithobates sylvaticus), an ectothermic vertebrate, that had been euthanized by freezing with four different humane euthanasia methods: CO2, benzocaine, MS-222 (tricaine methanesulfonate), and 70% ethanol. RESULTS The euthanasia method was not related to the δ(13)C or δ(15)N values and the comparisons revealed no differences between freezing and any of the other treatments. However, there were slight (non-significant) differences in the isotope ratios of benzocaine and CO2 when each was compared with freezing. The elemental composition was altered by the euthanasia method employed. The percentage nitrogen was higher in CO2 treatments than in freezing, and similar (non-significant) trends were seen for ethanol treatments relative to freezing. The resulting C:N ratios were higher for benzocaine treatments than for both CO2 and ethanol. Similar (non-significant) trends suggested that the C:N ratios were also higher for animals euthanized by freezing than for both CO2 and ethanol euthanasia methods. CONCLUSIONS The euthanasia method had a larger effect on elemental composition than stable isotope ratios. The percentage nitrogen and the subsequent C:N ratios were most affected by the CO2 and ethanol euthanasia methods, whereas non-significant trends suggested that benzocaine and CO2 altered the stable isotope ratios. It appears that the use of MS-222 and freezing with dry ice are the most appropriate euthanasia methods for ectothermic vertebrates.
The effect of sleep upon the transmission of afferent activity in the somatic afferent system

Macaque monkeys were trained to fall asleep while sitting in a primate chair with their heads restrained. A gentle vibratory stimulus was delivered to the glabrous skin of the hand; it did not provoke awakening or change the sleep cycle of the macaque. Postcentral neuronal response to the amplitude of a sine wave mechanical stimulus and neuronal spontaneous activity were observed repetitively during all the phases of normal night sleep cycles. One hundred six neurons which could be entrained by a cutaneous mechanical stimulus were studied during both waking and sleep. At threshold, cyclic entrainment of the discharges of postcentral neurons decreased to 81±0.25% during light sleep (S1+S2), to 64±0.26% during deep sleep (S3+S4), and to 9±0.98% during desynchronized sleep with rapid eye movements (REMs).
Effect of a rotating bed on the incidence of pulmonary complications in critically ill patients.

The risk of nosocomial pneumonia and atelectasis is high among critically ill immobilized patients. We hypothesized that continuous turning on the kinetic treatment table would reduce their incidence. Sixty-five critically ill patients, immobilized because of head injury or traction, were prospectively randomized for treatment in a conventional bed (n = 38) or the kinetic treatment table (n = 27). Patients were well matched for baseline demographic and pulmonary risk factors. Patients in the conventional bed group had a higher incidence of cigarette smoking. The combined incidence of significant atelectasis or pneumonia was higher (66%) in the conventional vs. kinetic treatment table (33%) groups (p less than .01). Atelectasis, pneumonia, adult respiratory distress syndrome, requirements for ventilator treatment, for PEEP, and for an FIO2 greater than 0.50 were not significantly different, but tended to be higher in the control group. Survival and the incidence of decubitus ulcers were similar.
Levy-type finite element analyses of vibration and stability of thin and thick laminated composite rectangular plates

Abstract Levy-type (semi-analytical) finite element analyses of free vibration and stability of laminated composite rectangular plates based on both classical and first-order shear deformation theories are presented. In this finite element version, discretization occurs in one coordinate direction (say the y-axis), leaving the behavior in the x-direction and in time undetermined at the outset. In this formulation, arbitrary boundary conditions may be imposed on the two opposite ends of the plate in the y-direction. Hamilton's principle is used to derive the stiffness, mass and initial stress matrices that enter into the equations of motion. Periodic solution forms are taken in the x-direction, whereupon the analyses take the form of algebraic eigenproblems from which the frequencies and critical buckling loads may be extracted. To illustrate the method as well as the effect of transverse shear deformation on the frequencies and the buckling loads, a series of two- and three-layer regular cross-ply and angle-ply laminated composite square plates were analyzed. The influence of shear deformation for the material considered was shown to be quite considerable at plate thickness/length ( H a ) ratios of 0.05 and higher.
Ties Between the Lexicon and Grammar: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies of Bilingual Toddlers

Studies using the English and Spanish MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories demonstrated that the grammatical abilities of 20-30-month-old bilingual children were related more strongly to same-language vocabulary development than to broader lexical-conceptual development or maturation. First, proportions of different word types in each language varied with same-language vocabulary size. Second, individual changes in predicate and closed class word proportion scores were linked to growth in same-language vocabulary but not to total conceptual vocabulary. Third, increases in English utterance length and English and Spanish sentence complexity were related to growth in same-language vocabulary but not to growth in conceptual vocabulary. Increases in Spanish utterance length were linked to growth in both Spanish vocabulary and conceptual vocabulary. Possible mechanisms underlying these patterns are considered.
Serotonin receptors take the TRiPV4 highway in chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. Focus on "TRPV4 channel contributes to serotonin-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction and the enhanced vascular reactivity in chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension".

pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare human disease displaying a very poor prognosis of survival. The chronic increase in pulmonary vascular resistance associated with PAH eventually leads to right ventricular hypertrophy and failure, and ultimately death. It is well accepted that the
Birth Dates and Death Dates: An Examination of two Baseline Procedures and Age at Time of Death:

The present study continues analyses of variations in the frequencies of death in the near temporal proximity of decedents' birthdays. Observed frequencies were compared with expected frequencies as ascertained from two baseline distributions. One distribution was the usual rectangular distribution, based on summing the number of deaths across all frequency categories and then dividing by the number of categories. The other distribution was constructed by pairing one person's birth date with another person's death date. This latter distribution was intended to provide a true baseline, and provide a better gauge for assessing the likelihood that any obtained relationship reflected coincidence or chance. Two weeks before and two weeks after the birthday there were more deaths, and one week after the birthday there were fewer deaths, than would be expected on the basis of either baseline distribution. Day-by-day analyses within the birthweek confirmed earlier reports of high followed by low frequencies of de...
Quantification of single-breath underestimation of lung volume in emphysema.

Abstract The extent to which a single breath measurement represents available gas dilutional as well as compressible thoracic volume in emphysema patients has not been quantified. We therefore measured single breath (TLCSB) and rebreathe helium dilution (TLCRB), and plethysmographic lung volume (TLCpleth), in fifty-five outpatients with clinical and radiographic emphysema, and in twenty-one normal controls. Among emphysema patients, TLCSB increasingly underestimated both TLCpleth and TLCRB as FEV1% predicted decreased (p for interaction = 0.001 for both) by a mean of 1.7 l for TLCRB (p
Resonance fluorescence from a coherently driven semiconductor quantum dot in a cavity.

We show that resonance fluorescence, i.e., the resonant emission of a coherently driven two-level system, can be realized with a semiconductor quantum dot. The dot is embedded in a planar optical microcavity and excited in a waveguide mode so as to discriminate its emission from residual laser scattering. The transition from the weak to the strong excitation regime is characterized by the emergence of oscillations in the first-order correlation function of the fluorescence, $g(\ensuremath{\tau})$, as measured by interferometry. The measurements correspond to a Mollow triplet with a Rabi splitting of up to $13.3\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{eV}$. Second-order correlation measurements further confirm nonclassical light emission.
Color Image Segmentation: From the View of Projective Clustering

An intuitive way of color image segmentation is through clustering in which each pixel in an image is treated as a data point in the feature space. A feature space is effective if it can provide high distinguishability among objects in images. Typically, in the preprocessing phase, various modalities or feature spaces are considered, such as color, texture, intensity, and spatial information. Feature selection or reduction can also be understood as transforming the original feature space into a more distinguishable space or subspaces for distinguishing different content in an image. Most clustering-based image segmentation algorithms work in the full feature space while considering the tradeoff between efficiency and effectiveness. The authors' observation indicates that often time objects in images can be simply detected by applying clustering algorithms in subspaces. In this paper, they propose an image segmentation framework, named Hill-Climbing based Projective Clustering HCPC, which utilizes EPCH an efficient projective clustering technique by histogram construction as the core framework and Hill-Climbing K-means HC for dense region detection, and thereby being able to distinguish image contents within subspaces of a given feature space. Moreover, a new feature space, named HSVrVgVb, is also explored which is derived from Hue, Saturation, and Value HSV color space. The scalability of the proposed algorithm is linear to the dimensionality of the feature space, and our segmentation results outperform that of HC and other projective clustering-based algorithms.
Roughness-induced superhydrophobicity: a way to design non-adhesive surfaces

Non-adhesive and water-repellent surfaces are required for many tribological applications. Roughness-induced superhydrophobicity has been suggested as a way to reduce adhesion and stiction. In this paper, the theory of roughness-induced superhydrophobicity is presented. Wetting is studied as a multiscale process involving the macroscale (water droplet size), microscale (surface texture size), and nanoscale (molecular size). We study fundamental physical mechanisms of wetting, including the transition between various wetting regimes, contact angle and contact angle hysteresis. The effect of surface roughness upon wetting and capillary adhesion force is discussed. Practical recommendations for the design of superhydrophobic surfaces are formulated.
Implementation of the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) in nursing homes in New York City.

OBJECTIVE: To examine implementation of the Patient Self Determination Act (PSDA), verbal directives, procedures for determination of resident' decision-making capacity, and role of ethics committees in nursing homes in New York City. DESIGN: Telephone survey. PARTICIPANTS: Social workers in 109 (69%) nursing homes in New York City. MEASUREMENT: An 80-item instrument addressing: (1) social worker knowledge of the PSDA; (2) informing residents about advance directives (living wills and durable power of attorney for health care [health care proxies]); (3) determination of decision-making capacity to be informed about advance directives; (4) estimates of advance directives executed; (5) perceptions of PSDA effect; (6) ethics committees; (7) follow-up and documentation; and (8) staff and community education. MAIN RESULTS: Virtually all social workers in nursing homes stated that they made what they perceived to be a “serious effort” to inform residents about advance directives and to have residents execute directives (preferentially a health care proxy). More residents were thought to have executed a directive pursuant to the PSDA law than before the Act went into effect. Social workers in most homes informed residents about directives through face-to-face discussions. Most homes, however, did not inform residents who were thought to lack decision-making capacity about their right to execute a directive. Only 37% of homes had written procedures to determine a resident's decision-making capacity to be informed about directives; most homes relied on physician and social work assessments. Voluntary homes differed significantly from proprietary homes in that they were larger, more likely to have an ethics committee, and more aggressive in their implementation of the PSDA. Forty-five percent of homes with an ethics committee had written procedures for determination of resident decision-making capacity compared with 26% of homes without a committee. Overall, 24% of residents were thought to have executed an advance directive. The number of directives per bed did not vary significantly by facility size, ownership, religious affiliation, or whether they did or did not have an ethics committee. CONCLUSIONS: The fact that social workers in nursing homes speak with most residents about advance directives has the potential to improve resident understanding around end of life decisions. The practice of not informing residents about advance directives when they are perceived to lack decision-making capacity is problematic given that most homes have no clear procedures for determining residents' cognitive capacity to execute a directive. There is a need to replicate the benefits achieved by homes with ethics committees in implementing the PSDA in other homes.
Hand Grasping Assistance Device

Stroke can result in Hemiparesis, often resulting in the disuse of impaired limbs and the increased use of the unimpaired limbs. Disuse leads to muscle atrophy, contracture and stiffening of the joints, which impedes daily living and quality of life. Physical therapy can maintain or increase motor function following stroke, but the impaired limb may still have less motor function than the unimpaired limb, leading to further disuse. Thus negating the gains accomplished by therapy. The development of devices that assist motor function of the impaired limbs during daily activities would promote use and help maintain any progress from physical therapy. Automated motion assistance can overcome spasticity by allowing a user to perform a specific task multiple times, thus reducing the stiffness developed in the fingers.The purpose of this study was to develop prototype modules of a glove-like system for hand grasping assistance. The full system could be used during therapy sessions or worn to assist with activities of daily living. The force sensors positioned in the glove on the front and back of each fingertip would be used to determine whether an attempt is being made to grasp or to let go of an object. The system controls motors that wind or unwind cables that run along the forearm and connect independently to the glove for each finger. The modules were designed and assembled for testing. A simulation model was built for analysis. The early results appear promising, but further testing will be required to make developments toward the full system to assist with hand motor function.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Mapping tropical dry forest height, foliage height profiles and disturbance type and age with a time series of cloud-cleared Landsat and ALI image mosaics to characterize avian habitat

Abstract Remote sensing of forest vertical structure is possible with lidar data, but lidar is not widely available. Here we map tropical dry forest height (RMSE = 0.9 m, R2 = 0.84, range 0.6–7 m), and we map foliage height profiles, with a time series of Landsat and Advanced Land Imager (ALI) imagery on the island of Eleuthera, The Bahamas, substituting time for vertical canopy space. We also simultaneously map forest disturbance type and age. We map these variables in the context of avian habitat studies, particularly for wintering habitat of an endangered Nearctic-Neotropical migrant bird, the Kirtland's Warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii). We also illustrate relationships between forest vertical structure, disturbance type and counts of forage species important to the Kirtland's Warbler. The ALI imagery and the Landsat time series are both critical to the result for forest height, which the strong relationship of forest height with disturbance type and age facilitates. Also unique to this study is that seven of the eight image time steps are cloud-cleared images: mosaics of the clear parts of several cloudy scenes. We created each cloud-cleared image, including a virtually seamless ALI image mosaic, with regression tree normalization. We also illustrate how viewing time series imagery as red–green–blue composites of tasseled cap wetness (RGB wetness composites) aids reference data collection for classifying tropical forest disturbance type and age. Our results strongly support current Landsat Program production of co-registered imagery, and they emphasize the value of seamless time series of cloud-cleared imagery.
Broad categories for the diagnosis of eating disorders (BCD-ED): an alternative system for classification.

Objective: Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS), a residual category in DSM-IV, is the most commonly used eating disorder diagnosis in clinical settings. A diagnostic scheme, termed Broad Categories for the Diagnosis of Eating Disorders (BCD-ED), is proposed to diminish use of the EDNOS category while preserving the existing eating disorder categories. The objective of this review was to examine the advantages and disadvantages of adopting this scheme for DSM-V. Method: We reviewed published studies to assess the proportion of individuals with DSM-IV EDNOS that would be reclassified under the BCD-ED system, support for the hierarchy of the three categories, and the potential risk of “overdiagnosis.” Results: Adopting the BCD-ED scheme would have both advantages and disadvantages, but would likely substantially reduce the number of individuals who would receive an EDNOS diagnosis. Discussion: BCD-ED is a potential method of addressing the high frequency of EDNOS, but would be a major change in how eating disorders are categorized. © 2009 American Psychiatric Association. Int J Eat Disord 2009
Ligand Exchange during Unfolding of Cytochrome c

The productive folding pathway of cytochrome c passes through an obligatory HW intermediate in which the heme is coordinated by a solvent water molecule and a native ligand, His-18, prior to the formation of the folded HM state with both the native His-18 and Met-80 heme coordination. Two off pathway intermediates, a five-coordinated state (5C) and a bis-histidine state (HH), were also identified during the folding reaction. In the present work, the thermodynamics and the kinetics of the unfolding reaction of cytochrome c were investigated with resonance Raman scattering, tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy, and circular dichroism. The objective of these experiments was to determine if the protein opens up and diverges into the differing heme ligation states through a many pathway mechanism or if it passes through intermediate states analogous to those observed during the folding reaction. Equilibrium unfolding results indicate that, in contrast to 5C, the stability of HH with respect to HW decreases as the concentration of GdnHCl increases. The difference in their response to the denaturant indicates that the polypeptide structure of 5C is relatively loose as compared with HH in which the polypeptide is misfolded. Time-resolved resonance Raman measurements show that strikingly similar ligand exchange reactions occur during unfolding as were observed during folding. Combined with fluorescence data, a kinetic model is proposed in which local structural rearrangements controlled by heme ligand exchange reactions appear prior to the global relaxation of the polypeptide chain.
Spectral hole burning of the primary electron donor state of Photosystem I.

Persistent photochemical hole burned profiles are reported for the primary electron donor state P700 of the reaction center of PS I. The hole profiles at 1.6 K for a wide range of burn wavelengths (λB) are broad (FWHM∼310 cm-1) and for the 45:1 enriched particles studied exhibit no sharp zero-phonon hole feature coincident with λB. The λB hole profiles are analyzed using the theory of Hayes et al. [J Phys Chem 1986, 90: 4928] for hole burning in the presence of arbitrarily strong linear electron-phonon coupling. A Huang-Rhys factor S in the range 4–6 and a corresponding mean phonon frequency in the range 35–50 cm-1 together with an inhomogeneous line broadening of∼100 cm-1 are found to provide good agreement with experiment. The zero-point level of P700* is predicted to lie at∼710 nm at 1.6K with an absorption maximum at∼702 nm. The hole spectra are discussed in the context of the hole spectra for the primary electron donor states of PS II and purple bacteria.
Sodium/potassium ATPase in normal and cataractous human lenses.

Na/K ATPase activity has been determined in normal and cataractous human lenses using labeled ATP as a substrate. The enzyme is distributed throughout the lens with approximately 1/3 of the total activity in the capsule-epithelium and 1/2 of the activity in the cortex. Furthermore, the activity of Na/K ATPase decreases with increasing age and this decrease occurs primarily in the inner nuclear region. In severe cataractous lenses, a marked decrease in the Na/K ATPase activity has been demonstrated in all parts of the lens, in contrast to immature cataracts, where the decrease in the enzyme activity occurs primarily in the cortical and nuclear regions. A report of this investigation was presented at the 1931 ARVD meeting in Sarasota, Florida.
Act1-hsp90 heats up TH17 inflammation.

Psoriasis is associated with the TH17 subset of helper T cells. Dysregulation of interleukin 17 (IL-17) signaling leads to enhanced TH17 differentiation, more production of IL-22 and IL-22-dependent skin inflammation.
Investigation of the nature of the "stretch response" in suckling rats.

Abstract The “stretch response” in suckling rats has commonly been used as an index of milk ejection and milk intake. In the current study, we have compared the behavior of pups suckling on dams with either full, empty or ligated mammary glands. In response to an IV bolus of oxytocin, pups suckling on both full and empty nipples displayed the characteristic stretch behavior. Lack of milk release from the latter nipples was confirmed by lack of weight gain by the pups. In contrast to pups suckling on intact nipples, those suckling on ligated nipples did not display the stretch response. It is concluded that this behavior occurs in response to erection of the nipple and is not necessarily associated with milk release.
Trisomy 9p with an isochromosome of 9p.

An $$18 {\text{\raise.5ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 1$}\kern-.1em/ \kern-.15em\lower.25ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 2$} }}$$ -year-old female is described with moderately severe mental retardation, the phenotype of the trisomy 9p syndrome, and an isochromosome for the short arm of a chromosome 9, contained in an unique karyotype, 46,XX,-9,t(7q9q),+ iso 9p.
Energy and spectral efficient transmissions of coded ARQ systems

Energy efficiency (EE) and spectral efficiency (SE) feature one of the most fundamental tradeoffs in communication systems. In this paper, we propose an optimum transmission scheme for coded Type-I automatic repeat request (ARQ) systems to balance the EE-SE tradeoff. The optimization is performed with respect to a new design metric, the normalized EE (NEE), which is defined as the energy per bit normalized by the SE. Minimizing NEE means either reducing the energy per bit or increasing the SE, it thus yields a balanced tradeoff between the two. The system design incorporates a wide range of practical system parameters, such as circuit power, modulation, coding, and detection errors in the physical layer, and frame length and protocol overhead in the media access control layer. Under the constraints of fixed modulation level and data rate, the optimum transmission energy and frame length are identified as closed-form expressions of the system parameters. Simulation results show that minimizing the NEE instead of energy per bit almost doubles the SE with less than 1 dB loss in EE.