cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Meeting room configuration and multiple camera calibration in meeting analysis

In video based cross-model analysis of planning meeting, the meeting events are recorded by multiple cameras distributed in the entire meeting room. Subject's hand gestures, hand motion, head orientations, gaze targets, body poses are very important for the meeting event analysis. In order to register everything to the same global coordinate system, build 3D model, get 3D data from the video, we need to create a proper meeting room configuration and calibrate all cameras to obtain their intrinsic and extrinsic parameters. However, the calibration of multiple cameras distributed in the entire meeting room area is a challenging task because it is impossible to let all cameras in the meeting room see a reference object at the same time and wide field-of-view cameras suffer under radial distortion. In this paper, we propose a simple approach to create a good meeting room configuration and calibrate multiple cameras in the meeting room. The proposed approach includes several steps. First, we create stereo camera pairs according to the room configuration and the requirements of the targets, the participants of the meeting. Second, we apply Tsai's algorithm to calibrate each stereo camera pair and obtain the parameters in its own local coordinate system. Third, we use Vicon motion capture data to transfer all local coordinate systems of stereo camera pairs into a global coordinate system in the meeting room. We can obtain the positions, orientations, and parameters for all cameras in the same global coordinate system, so that we can register everything into this global coordinate system. Next, we do calibration error analysis for the current camera and meeting room configuration. We can obtain error distribution in the entire meeting room area. Finally, we improve the current camera and meeting room configuration according to the error distribution. By repeating these steps, we can obtain a good meeting room configuration and parameters of all cameras for this room configuration.
Differences in the hydrolysis of enkephalin congeners by the two domains of angiotensin converting enzyme.

Abstract The hydrolysis of enkephalin (Enk) congeners by the isolated N- (N-ACE) and C-domain of angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) and by the two-domain somatic ACE was investigated. Both Leu 5 - and Met 5 -Enk were cleaved faster by the C-domain than by N-ACE; rates with somatic ACE were 1600 and 2500 nmol/min/nmol enzyme with both active sites being involved. Substitution of Gly 2 by d -Ala 2 reduced the rate to 1 3 rd to 1 7 th of that of the Enks. N-ACE cleaved Met 5 -Enk-Arg 6 -Phe 7 faster than the C-domain, probably with the highest turnover number of any naturally occurring ACE substrate (7600 min −1 ). This heptapeptide is also hydrolyzed in the absence of Cl − , but the activation by Cl − is unique; Cl − enhances the hydrolysis of the heptapeptide by N-ACE but inhibits it by the C-domain, yielding about a 5-fold difference in the turnover number at physiological pH. This difference may result in the predominant role of the N-domain in converting Met 5 -Enk-Arg 6 -Phe 7 to Enk in vivo .
Rates of Specific Antecedent Instructional Practices and Differences Between Title I and non-Title I Schools

The use of effective instructional strategies is clearly emphasized in current educational reform, especially in the area of reading. The purposes of this study were to investigate the rates at which specific instructional practices (i.e., attention signals, prior knowledge supports, previews, instructor modeling, student modeling, organizational prompts) were utilized during literacy time in elementary schools, determine if there were relationships among the instructional variables, and explore if teachers in Title I schools and teachers in non-Title I schools differed in their use of specific practices. Participants included teachers and students from 35 classrooms who were each observed for 5 hours, resulting in a total of 175 observation hours. The Setting Factors Assessment Tool (SFAT) was used to measure the antecedent instructional variables. Main results included that teachers in non-Title I classrooms used significantly more prior knowledge references than teachers in Title I schools; the effect size for this finding was large. Several correlations among the instructional variables were significant. The article concludes with a discussion of the main findings, implications for future research and the limitations of this study.
Basophil function in patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia

We have compared the release of histamine from basophils isolated from six patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and seven normal controls. No differences were noted in the release induced by rabbit anti-human IgE. However, basophils from CML patients released less than 20% of their intracellular histamine when challenged with the anaphylatoxin C5a at a concentration that caused greater than 50% release from normal basophils. Furthermore, basophils from CML donors showed a significantly lower release in the presence of the calcium ionophore A23187. These results suggest that basophils from CML patients have an inherent defect.
ICC profiles: are we better off without them?

Before ICC profiles, a device-independent document would encode all color in a device independent CIE space like CIELAB. When the document was to be printed, the press person would measure a target and create a color transformation from the CIE coordinates to device coordinates. For office and consumer color printers, the color transformation for a standard paper would be hardwired in the printer driver or the printer firmware. This procedure had two disadvantages: the color transformations required deep expertise to produce and were hard to manage (the latter making them hard to share), and the image data was transformed twice (from input device to colorimetric and then to output device coordinates) introducing discretization errors twice. The first problem was solved with the ICC profile standard, and the last problem was solved by storing the original device dependent coordinates in the document- together with an input ICC profile-so the color management system could first collapse the two profiles and then perform a single color transformation. Unfortunately, there is a wide variety in the quality of ICC profiles. Even worse, the real nightmare is that quite frequently the incorrect ICC profiles are embedded in documents or the color management systems apply the wrong profiles. For consumer and office printers, the solution is to forgo ICC profiles and reduce everything to the single sRGB color space, so only the printer profile is required. However, the sRGB quality is insufficient for print solution providers. How can a modern print workflow solve the ICC profile nightmare?
Neural transplantation studies reveal the brain's capacity for continuous reconstruction

Basic research using cell transplantation indicates that structural developmental mechanisms seen in immature brains can also function in the adult brain. As the brain matures, cellular migration and axonal growth is impeded. However, fetal neural transplantation studies have shown that directional cues are available for fetal axons to find specific host neurons in the adult brain. By reaching specific and distant CNS target zones, donor tissue with extended axonal growth periods demonstrate both an abundance and specificity of CNS neurotropic signals. The presence of specific guidance cues, despite strong inhibition of regenerative long-distance axonal growth, suggests that these cues play other physiological roles in the adult CNS, and could be utilized therapeutically for reconnection of neuronal pathways.
The impact of beech thickets on biodiversity

Beech bark disease has dramatically altered hardwood forest structure and composition across northeastern North America. Extensive overstory mortality has resulted in prolific root-sprouting in some stands leading to the development of understory thickets of clonal small-stemmed beech. Beech thickets may impact local forest biodiversity, but this has not been adequately evaluated. We hypothesized significant differences in diversity of groundcover flora, craneflies, amphibians, and small mammals between plots with and without beech thickets. Paired plots were established in uneven-aged northern hardwood forest stands with no recent management history at two sites in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. Groundcover plants, terrestrial craneflies, amphibians and small mammals were sampled on twenty paired plots. Discriminant analysis showed a significant difference between thicket and non-thicket (control) areas; significant variables in plot type separation were beech sapling abundance, leaf litter depth, and coarse woody debris volume. Groundcover plant cover, richness, and diversity were significantly lower in thicket compared to non-thicket plots, while beech sapling density explained 17–38 % in groundcover plant species diversity. There were no significant differences between the diversity of cranefly, amphibian and small mammal communities of each plot type. Beech thickets are important determinants of local biodiversity.
A Time Series Analysis of the Nile River Low Flows

Abstract Box-Jenkins modeling provides a method for measuring serial autocorrelation. In this example, an 812-year record of the Nile River annual low-flow stages is analyzed and found to be described best by an ARIMA (2,1,1) model. The substantial reduction of the variance resulting from the application of this model provides a quantitative measure of the combined effects of basin water retention and climatic persistence.
Relevance of WISC-III Indicators for Assessment of Learning Disabilities

The reliable and accurate diagnosis of learning disabilities (LD) is a prevailing concern for school psychologists and educators. Research seeking specific LD markers has often focused on the identification of characteristic performance profiles on cognitive measures. This study analyzed the scores of 308 learning disabled students on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISGIII). Variability indices, patterns of subtest strengths and weaknesses, and postulated profiles based on factor scores and recategorizations were examined in an attempt to identify useful diagnostic indicators. Factor scores were derived and clustered via a hierarchical group procedure in order to ascertain the presence of potential LD subgroups. Findings provide little support for the use of WISCIII subtest patterns in the diagnosis of learning disabilities. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Five-minute walking test of aerobic fitness for people with arthritis

To determine if a five-minute walking field test can be a valid indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with arthritis, distances walked were examined in relation to directly measured maximum oxygen consumption values. Pre- and post-exercise intervention data were obtained from five arthritis patients taking part in a larger exercise—arthritis research project. Correlations of r =.87 (P = 0.05) for both pre- and post-exercise measures suggest that the 5-minute walk is a valid field method for assessing relative cardiorespiratory fitness in arthritis patients. Further, compared to the longer traditional field test protocols, a shortened walking time is a safe, more realistic, and appropriate approach for field testing populations with low exercise tolerance such as arthritis patients.
The diagnosis of brown recluse spider bite is overused for dermonecrotic wounds of uncertain etiology

Abstract [Vetter RS, Bush SP. The diagnosis of brown recluse spider bite is overused for dermonecrotic wounds of uncertain etiology. Ann Emerg Med. May 2002;39:544-546.]
Expertise assessment with multi-cue semantic information

Assessing and managing the expertise of employees in knowledge and service industries is critical because human capital is the key differentiator among companies. Moreover, professional social networks are becoming increasingly popular. Besides the well-known public professional social network site Linked In, enterprise social networks are also now being widely used inside corporations and companies. In this paper, we address the critical workforce analytics problem of automatically assessing employees' skills by mining multiple cues found in enterprise and social data. In particular, we treat the assessment of employees' expertise as a matrix completion problem, where the rows represent individual employees and the columns represent individual skills. The multiple cues about employee expertise come from data we integrate on the existing skill assessment process within the company, the social networking and social media activity of the employees, and the semantic similarity of skills. Assessment results are evaluated as a binary classification recommendation. Extensive empirical study using a real-world data set from a large multinational Fortune 500 corporation corroborates the effectiveness of multi-cue analytics to improve the coverage and accuracy of skill assessment.
Proliferating and Migrating Mesangial Cells Responding to Injury Express a Novel Receptor Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase in Experimental Mesangial Proliferative Glomerulonephritis

The mesangial cell provides structural support to the kidney glomerulus. A polymerase chain reaction-based cDNA display approach identified a novel protein-tyrosine phosphatase, rPTP-GMC1, whose transcript expression is transiently and dramatically up-regulated during the period of mesangial cell migration and proliferation that follows mesangial cell injury in the anti-Thy 1 model of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis in the rat.In situ hybridization analysis confirmed that rPTP-GMC1 mRNA is up-regulated specifically by mesangial cells responding to the injury and is not detectable in other cells in the kidney or in many normal tissues. In cell culture, rPTP-GMC1 is expressed by mesangial cells but not by glomerular endothelial or epithelial cells (podocytes). The longest transcript (7.5 kilobases) encodes a receptor-like protein-tyrosine phosphatase consisting of a single catalytic domain, a transmembrane segment, and 18 fibronectin type III-like repeats in the extracellular segment. A splice variant predicts a truncated molecule missing the catalytic domain. rPTP-GMC1 maps to human chromosome 12q15 and to the distal end of mouse chromosome 10. The predicted structure of rPTP-GMC1 and its pattern of expression in vivo and in culture suggest that it plays a role in regulating the adhesion and migration of mesangial cells in response to injury.
C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansions in clinical Alzheimer disease.

Importance Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in the chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) gene underlie a significant fraction of frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Objective To investigate the frequency of C9orf72 repeat expansions in clinically diagnosed late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD). Design, Setting, and Patients This case-control study genotyped the C9orf72 repeat expansion in 872 unrelated familial AD cases and 888 control subjects recruited as part of the National Institute on Aging Late-Onset Alzheimer Disease Family Study cohort, a multisite collaboration studying 1000 families with 2 or more individuals clinically diagnosed as having late-onset AD. Main Outcomes and Measures We determined the presence or absence of the C9orf72 repeat expansion by repeat-primed polymerase chain reaction, the length of the longest nonexpanded allele, segregation of the genotype with disease, and clinical features of repeat expansion carriers. Results Three families showed large C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansions. Two additional families carried more than 30 repeats. Segregation with disease could be demonstrated in 3 families. One affected expansion carrier had neuropathology compatible with AD. In the National Institute on Aging Late-Onset Alzheimer Disease Family Study series, the C9orf72 repeat expansions constituted the second most common pathogenic mutation, just behind the PSEN1 A79V mutation, highlighting the heterogeneity of clinical presentations associated with repeat expansions. Conclusions and Relevance C9orf72 repeat expansions explain a small proportion of patients with a clinical presentation indistinguishable from AD, and they highlight the necessity of screening frontotemporal dementia genes in clinical AD cases with strong family history.
Renal Donor Evaluation

This feature is included in every issue and focuses on CT protocols and scanning techniques for a specific clinical indication. The protocols and recommendations are based on the clinical experience of the author.
Sensorimotor functioning and communication in mute autistic children.

There were two purposes underlying this study: to describe the sensorimotor functioning of mute autistic children and to relate their sensorimotor performance to nonverbal communication. Twelve mute children, diagnosed autistic, ranging from 4 years 9 months to 12 years of age, were administered four scales of sensorimotor development from the Uzgiris and Hunt (1975) series: object permanence, gestural imitation, means for obtaining environmental events, and causality. Subjects performed most poorly on the imitation scale with 9 of 12 performing below Piaget's fifth sensorimotor stage. In contrast, performance was highest on the object permanence scale: No child scored below Stage V. Regarding the subjects' non-verbal communication, Stage V performance on the means and causality scales and Stage III on the imitation scale appeared to form minimal prerequisites for intentional communication in a variety of situations. Finally, none of the subjects, even those with relatively complete sensorimotor development, spontaneously used what Bates (1976) has called “protodeclarative” gestures to point out or show objects to adults. The absence of protodeclarative gestures may represent a qualitatively distinct pattern of prelinguistic development in certain autistic children.
How the US Food and Drug Administration Defines and Detects Adverse Drug Events

Background: Examination of pediatric adverse drug events (ADEs) requires an understanding of the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) regulatory definitions of ADEs and methods for their assessment. Objective: The aim of this paper was to characterize the tools used by the FDA to define ADEs. Methods: FDA regulations and ADE reporting databases and resources were examined, including the Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS), drug-use profiles, population databases, and active surveillance systems. Results: The US Code of Federal Regulations defines ADEs and degrees of seriousness of ADEs for regulatory reporting purposes. Drug manufacturers must report certain ADEs to the FDA, whereas health care professionals and consumers may report such events voluntarily using the MedWatch program. All reported ADEs constitute the FDA's AERS, which is used along with other postmarketing surveillance components to determine drug safety signals. AERS detects rare ADEs well and inexpensively, but underreporting and the variable quality of reports can limit its usefulness. AERS is best used in conjunction with other data resources, such as active surveillance systems, information on the volume and patterns of medication use, disease-specific background incidence rates, and population databases that can link outcomes with drug exposures. Conclusions: The FDA uses a network of data resources to supplement detection of ADEs via AERS. These data resources can be used to amplify, validate, and quantify ADE signals and then compare them to their expected background occurrence in the population. Use of additional databases and perspectives will improve the ability to detect ADEs in all settings, including the pediatric population, and to monitor risk management efforts to curtail the occurrence of known ADEs.
Benefit of uncooked cornstarch in the management of children with dumping syndrome fed exclusively by gastrostomy

Benefit of uncooked cornstarch in the management of children with dumping syndrome fed exclusively by gastrostomy
Lattice vibrations at the Be(101̄0) surface

Abstract We have measured the surface phonon dispersion of Be(1010) by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and found three surface resonances at the surface Brillouin zone centre as well as two surface phonons at the Ā and M points. The experimental data do not agree with a calculation for the truncated bulk. In particular, the predicted loss associated with the Rayleigh wave at the zone boundaries is not observed. The character of the surface vibrations suggests that the bonding is more complicated than on Be(0001) where the qualitative features of the surface phonon dispersion can be described within a simple central force model.
An evaluation of various environmental factors affecting the propagation of Cryptococcus neoformans

Sterilized soil (pH 7.7) seeded withC. neoformans was incubated at different temperatures and under various atmospheric conditions during a summer and winter. Incubated for one year at constant temperatures in atmospheric humidities, the organism survived in greater number and for longer periods of time at 4–6° C. Increased humidity greatly enhanced the survival and proliferation of the organisms incubated at 4–6° C and 20–24° C but had little effect on organisms incubated at 37° C. Summer temperatures in Oklahoma coupled with direct exposure to the sun were lethal to the organism in 100 % humidity. In the winter months, exposure to sunlight had no effect on the viability ofC. neoformans. As incubation time in soil increased the thickness of the capsule decreased.Cryptococcus neoformans probably exists in nature in nearly nonencapsulated state. It survives best in alkaline soils, in areas of high humidity, and where the organisms are protected from high temperatures and direct sunlight.
Tax Structure and Natural Vacancy Rates in the Commercial Real Estate Market

A number of studies have postulated that the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (ERTA 1981) was responsible for the dramatic overbuilding that occurred between 1981 and 1986, primarily because returns became less sensitive to “real” demand. While there has been much research on how equilibrium or “natural” vacancy rates in the real estate market are determined, beginning with Rosen and Smith's seminal paper in 1983, virtually none of this work has dealt with the impact of the tax environment. This study makes an initial attempt to answer this question with respect to equilibrium vacancies resulting from tenant (or owner) turnover. A formal model is developed that considers as an objective function the landlord's desire to maximize his/her after-tax equity returns in an environment of monopolistic competition in which individual projects face downward-sloping demand curves, owing to market conditions and a degree of heterogeneity among tenants in search costs or some other characteristic. The natural vacancy rate is shown not to depend directly upon the tax environment, but to depend indirectly upon it only to the extent that equilibrium market rents are lowered. The nature of the vacancy response depends critically upon the shape of the tenant demand response relationship upon its transition to a lower-rent region. This response is interactive with the degree of turnover and supply responsiveness within individual markets.
Weight and Uniformity Estimators Using Catching Pen Sampling Methods

Abstract Current husbandry practices often require the frequent assessment of flock weight and uniformity characteristics. Samples obtained from birds corralled and cornered in catching pens indicate a tendency, which becomes more pronounced as their age and size increases, to catch heavier birds before lighter ones. Thus, all birds simultaneously corralled into a catching pen should be weighed to avoid sampling estimator bias.
The use of an inexpensive red acetate filter to improve the sensitivity of GAFChromic dosimetry.

The sensitivity of GAFChromic dosimetry using a conventional broad band light source densitometer has significantly been improved twofold using an inexpensive red acetate filter overlay during the densitometric measurements. This thin sheet of red acetate enhances the dosimetric analysis of radiochromic blue image distributions recorded on GAFChromic films. The combination provides higher sensitivity in the optical density measurements than the more expensive He–Ne laser-scanning densitometers.
Spectroscopic constants and potential energy curves of gallium nitride (GaN) and ions: GaN + and GaN -

Abstract Electronic states of GaN and their ions are studied by employing multi-reference configuration interaction (MRCI) and relativistic DKCCSD(T) calculations. The 3 Σ − state is 532 cm −1 below the 3 Π state using MRCI, whereas the DKCCSD(T)/CBS energy separation is 857 cm −1 . The low lying excited states undergo curve crossing with the dissociative 5 Σ − and 5 Π states causing predissociation. For GaN − , the ground state is 2 Σ + and an electron affinity of 1.44 ± 0.5 eV with an excited 2 Π state at 662 cm −1 . GaN + is weakly bound with an IP of 7.88 eV. The dissociation energy of GaN is 46.5 ± 1 kcal/mol.
Are We Filling the Data Void? An Assessment of the Amount and Extent of Plant Collection Records and Census Data Available for Tropical South America

Large-scale studies are needed to increase our understanding of how large-scale conservation threats, such as climate change and deforestation, are impacting diverse tropical ecosystems. These types of studies rely fundamentally on access to extensive and representative datasets (i.e., “big data”). In this study, I asses the availability of plant species occurrence records through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the distribution of networked vegetation census plots in tropical South America. I analyze how the amount of available data has changed through time and the consequent changes in taxonomic, spatial, habitat, and climatic representativeness. I show that there are large and growing amounts of data available for tropical South America. Specifically, there are almost 2,000,000 unique geo-referenced collection records representing more than 50,000 species of plants in tropical South America and over 1,500 census plots. However, there is still a gaping “data void” such that many species and many habitats remain so poorly represented in either of the databases as to be functionally invisible for most studies. It is important that we support efforts to increase the availability of data, and the representativeness of these data, so that we can better predict and mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances.
Prima Facie: The Photograph, the Unphotographed, and the Boston School

As much as the name the Boston School would suggest photographers with common content and form, this essay acknowledges, from the outset, as much disparity as similarity between 4 of its famous members: Mark Morrisroe, Jack Pierson, Nan Goldin, and Philip-Lorca diCorcia. Indeed, disparity and contingency may characterize not only their affiliation but also their photographic strategy as they document vulnerable queer populations beginning in the late 1970s. However, by, first, tracing out their attitude toward photography, and, second, by defining their long-term relationship to the communities they would portray, this essay proposes that the photograph in these oeuvres becomes something between a living document and a mortified image of an irretrievable past. Instead, this work might diagram a complex relationship between the surface of something (the “first blush” alluded to in “prima facie”) and the life, and lives, that pulse, supposedly, beneath.
Strategic studies in Markstrat

Abstract The objective of this article is to analyze opportunities for research using simulations such as Markstrat. More specifically, the characteristics of the simulation that are essential for assessing its appropriateness as a research environment are described first. The key elements of the models underlying the structure of the simulation are then described, as they provide the information necessary to understand the marketing dynamics of the simulation. Finally, various types of research approaches using Markstrat are discussed.
Changes in polypeptide distribution stimulated by different levels of electromagnetic and thermal stress

Abstract The distribution patterns of proteins synthesized by Sciara salivary gland cells in response to weak low frequency electromagnetic (EM) fields strongly resemble those following “heat shock” (HS). With increasing stimulus intensity of 60 Hz EM fields from 0.8 to 800 μT and HS temperatures from 25.5 to 45°C, there is also a similar sequence of changes. Two of the features in the molecular weight distribution, the %mass in the 30 kDa and 70 kDa ranges, show a similar alternating zigzag pattern in plots of the %mass with increasing stimulus intensity. The small differences between the responses to EM and HS appear to be due to the effects of the elevated temperatures in HS. The biosynthetic response to both EM and HS, when the two stimuli are given simultaneously or sequentially, is indistinguishable from the response to a single stimulus and is not additive. The responding cellular apparatus appears to be the same for both stimuli and to go through the same sequence of changes with increasing energy, even though the energies of the two stimuli differ by many orders of magnitude.
Who Is a Member of the AEA

The appointment of a new Secretary of the American Economic Association provides an opportunity for assessing the Association's membership trends and 'market coverage.' Toward these ends, the author has assembled information about trends in both aggregate Association membership and the proportion of academic economists who are members of the Association, and a snapshot of 1996 academic membership rates classified by academic ranks, types of colleges and universities, and individual institutions at which assistant professors earned their Ph.D.
Comparison of the Invesligalional drug, LV146032, with vancomycin in experimental pneumonia due to methidillln-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

The efficacy of LY146032 was compared with that of vancomycin in experimental pneumonia due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Emphysematous hamsters were challenged intratracheally with MRSA and given LY146032 (20 mg/kg 24h), vancomycin (40 mg/kg/24h) or normal saline by subcutaneous injection. Following infection with 2 X 10(9) cfu, survival among antibiotic-treated animals was significantly greater than that of the control group (P less than 0.01 at 96 h); however, no significant difference in survival between the hamsters given LY146032 and vancomycin was seen. To evaluate the influence of the antibiotics on the rate of bacterial killing within the lungs (pulmonary clearance), animals were challenged with a high inoculum (1 X 10(9) cfu) or low inoculum (1 X 10(6) cfu). Animals treated with LY146032 demonstrated a significant advantage in pulmonary clearance versus controls at both inocula; however, animals treated with vancomycin showed a statistically significant increase in pulmonary clearance versus controls only at the lower inoculum. We conclude that in this experimental model, LY146032 was as effective as vancomycin in treating infection with MRSA.
The depsychiatrisation of mental illness

Using as an example the mental health mass screening and treatment programmes instituted in some US states, Joseph Dumit describes how the western world has arrived at a state of ‘dependent normality’ in which being diagnosed and dependent on medication is rendered ordinary, largely through the marketing activities of the pharmaceutical industry, which seeks constantly to expand its market by defining at‐risk populations as broadly as possible, and through persuading the public that all risks must be combated with drugs.
The aggregate existence of precautionary saving: Time-series evidence from expenditures on nondurable and durable goods

Much research in consumption has focused its attention on the importance of precautionary saving in the accumulation of aggregate wealth. From these studies, it has been shown that approximately half of the aggregate wealth accumulated in the United States can be attributed to income uncertainty if the representative household possesses a precautionary demand for saving. Using time-series data, this paper develops a test to determine whether or not precautionary motives are in fact significant at the aggregate. The test yields substantial evidence identifying both an aggregate existence of precautionary saving and an important role for such saving in the accumulation of aggregate wealth.
Biculturality and HIV-risk behaviors among Puerto Rican drug users in New York City.

Biculturality refers to two independent processes of acculturation, one to the host society's culture and another to the culture of origin. This study examined the relationship between biculturality and HIV-related risk behaviors in a sample of injecting and noninjecting Puerto Rican drug users (N = 259), recruited in New York City in 2005–2006. Biculturality was measured by two scales: involvement in (i) American culture (AMBIC) and (ii) Puerto Rican culture Biculturality (PRBIC). The majority (78%) of the participants were males, with a mean age of 42 years. About half were born in Puerto Rico, and the average length of stay in the United States was 26 years. In multiple logistic-regression analysis, AMBIC was significantly related to lower injection risk after controlling for other factors including gender, age, and MMTP enrollment, while PRBIC was a significant predictor of higher sex risk. Involvement in the host culture and the culture of origin differed in their relationship to risk behaviors, indi...
Sliding-mode full-state feedback longitudinal control of vehicles in an automated highway system (AHS)

Sliding mode full-state feedback longitudinal control of vehicles in an automated highway system (AHS)Pushkin KachrooCenter for Transportation ResearchVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, VA 24061-0536ABSTRACTLongitudinal control of vehicles to maintain some desirable headway between vehicles is one of the mostimportant control issues in Advanced Vehicle Control Systems (AVCS) for Automated Highway Systems(AHS). This paper describes the design and simulation results of a nonlinear robust full-state feedbackcontrol design based on the sliding mode technique for the automatic maintenance of headway betweenvehicles. The longitudinal dynamic model of the system is nonlinear, time varying, and has functional andparametric uncertainties. These uncertainties are effectively addressed by the sliding mode controller (SMC).The problem of chattering in sliding mode is eliminated by introducing a boundary layer.Keywords: vehicle, feedback control, headway, sensor, sliding mode, automated highway system1. INTRODUCTIONFigure 1 shows the headway control scenario in an AHS. The aim of the controller is to maintain a desiredheadway between vehicles. The dynamics for the system are highly nonlinear and time varying, whichmotivates the use of sliding mode control strategy1. Lyapunov stability theorem based2'3 and sliding modebased4" controllers have been assessed by researchers. The headway feedback vehicle controller can beviewed as a part of the regulation layer of a five layer architecture for AHS 12• j
Comparison of Esomeprazole to Aerosolized, Swallowed Fluticasone for Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Both gastroesophageal reflux disease and allergy/atopy have been implicated in the pathogenesis of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). There are no prospective studies comparing treatment of EoE with acid suppression versus topical corticosteroids. To determine the outcome of adult eosinophilic esophagitis patients treated with esomeprazole versus topical fluticasone. Prospective randomized controlled trial. Academic medical center. Adults (18–80) diagnosed with EoE by symptoms of dysphagia and esophageal biopsies with ≥15 eosinophils/hpf. Subjects were randomized to esomeprazole (40 mg by mouth every morning) or aerosolized, swallowed fluticasone (440 mcg by mouth twice a day) for 8 weeks. Improvement in dysphagia (8-point scale), esophageal eosinophil infiltration before and after treatment, prevalence of GERD measured by validated questionnaire and baseline pH study. About 56% (14/25) had acid reflux by pH study. There was no difference between treatment groups in improvement in dysphagia scores [3/12 (25%) of the esomeprazole group versus 6/12 (50%) in the fluticasone group, P = 0.40]. Eosinophil infiltration decreased with treatment in both groups, and there was no difference in the amount of decrease between groups (P = 0.70). Small sample size, unexpectedly high drop-out rate. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is common in adult eosinophilic esophagitis patients. Dysphagia improves and esophageal eosinophilic infiltration decreases with either treatment. There was no difference in degree of improvement in dysphagia or eosinophil infiltration in patients treated with either topical fluticasone or oral esomeprazole. GERD may be important in the pathogenesis of adult EoE.
Selective effects of alcohol drinking on restraint-induced expression of immediate early genes in mouse brain.

Background:Analysis of immediate early gene expression in brain is a common contemporary method for mapping changes in neuronal activation with cellular resolution. This method has been applied previously in models of involuntary alcohol exposure. In this study, immunohistochemical expression analysis of immediate early genes c-fos, fosB, and zif268 was performed in brain of C57BL/6J mice after voluntary alcohol consumption. Methods:Mice were trained to consume 10% ethanol/10% sucrose, using a 30-min limited-access paradigm. Animals consumed approximately 1.5 g/kg of ethanol per session. Control animals consumed 10% sucrose solution. Gene expression was determined in half of the animals 1.5 hr after the drinking session. Gene expression in the remaining animals was determined after 0.5 hr of restraint stress, which is known to elevate expression of immediate early genes in many brain regions. Analysis of the stressed animals was also performed 1.5 hr after the drinking session. Results:Blood alcohol concentrations were significantly reduced in animals exposed to restraint stress. However, stressed mice showed the greatest alcohol-induced changes in gene expression. Specifically, animals consuming ethanol/sucrose with subsequent exposure to restraint stress had lower c-Fos expression in the CA3 region of hippocampus, and higher c-Fos expression in nucleus accumbens than mice exposed to restraint stress after drinking the sucrose solution. Consumption of the ethanol/sucrose solution also significantly reduced FosB expression in the basolateral amygdala and lateral hypothalamus, and Zif268 expression in the CA1 region of the hippocampus of stressed animals. Conclusions:These data confirm previous observations showing selective effects of alcohol administration on immediate early gene expression. Furthermore, the effects of voluntary alcohol self-administration on immediate early gene expression differ from involuntary alcohol exposure and suggest several brain regions as substrates for alcohol consumption.
Comments on “The Discrete Periodic Radon Transform”

In the above paper, the new discrete periodic Radon transform was proposed. We would like to prove that this transform was published earlier by Artyom Grigoryan in 1984 and 1986 in the USSR and was known as the tensor, or vector transform. The applications of the tensor and more advanced, paired transforms for image reconstruction of discrete images were also described by Artyom and Merughan Grigoryan in many publications from 1986 through 1990 and later. The paired transform was introduced as an orthogonal 2-D discrete transform which was completely defined by the direction binary functions. The paired transform showed a way of collecting the discrete linear integrals (or projection data) to compose the unitary 2-D transform and reconstruct the image.
The degradation of aluminium cathodes by fluoride ion during zinc electrowinning

The influence of fluoride ions on aluminium cathode surface degradation during zinc electrowinning has been studied. Electrolyte with a composition similar to that employed in plant operations has been used. A direct correlation is shown between the electrolyte fluoride content and the number of deposition cycles possible before zinc removal becomes difficult. The role of initial nucleation and starting electrode morphology is discussed in terms of the degree of adherence observed. Electrochemical tests have also been made on the electrodes at various stages of the process in an attempt to gain a better fundamental understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the adherence. The results indicate that the severity, of the adherence is generally determined by the amount of residual zinc remaining on the surface after stripping and the fluoride content of the solution during plating. The contribution of physical surface condition alone seems to be less significant than the chemical conditions imposed during deposition.
Vibration-induced drop atomization and the numerical simulation of low-frequency single-droplet ejection

Vibration-induced droplet ejection is a novel way to create a spray. In this method, a liquid drop is placed on a vertically vibrating solid surface. The vibration leads to the formation of waves on the free surface. Secondary droplets break off from the wave crests when the forcing amplitude is above a critical value. When the forcing frequency is small, only low-order axisymmetric wave modes are excited, and a single secondary droplet is ejected from the tip of the primary drop. When the forcing frequency is high, many high-order non-axisymmetric modes are excited, the motion is chaotic, and numerous small secondary droplets are ejected simultaneously from across the surface of the primary drop. In both frequency regimes a crater may form that collapses to create a liquid spike from which droplet ejection occurs. An axisymmetric, incompressible, Navier–Stokes solver was developed to simulate the low-frequency ejection process. A volume-of-fluid method was used to track the free surface, with surface tension incorporated using the continuum-surface-force method. A time sequence of the simulated interface shape compared favourably with an experimental sequence. The dynamics of the droplet ejection process was investigated, and the conditions under which ejection occurs and the effect of the system parameters on the process were determined.
Contracts, Norms, and Plural Form Governance

The organization of interfirm exchanges has become of critical importance in today’s business environment. Many scholars have criticized the inadequacies of legal contracts as mechanisms for governing exchange, especially in the face of uncertainty and dependence. Other scholars argue that it is not the contracts per se but the social contexts in which they are embedded that determine their effectiveness. This study investigates the performance implications of governance structures involving contractual agreements and relational social norms, individually and in combination (plural form) under varying conditions and forms of transactional uncertainty and relationship-specific adaptation. Hypotheses are developed and tested on a sample of 396 buyer-seller relationships. The results provide support for the plural form thesis—increasing the relational content of a governance structure containing contractual agreements enhances performance when transactional uncertainty is high, but not when it is low. Implications for theory and future research are discussed.
Young and Older Adults’ Beliefs about Effective Ways to Mitigate Age-Related Memory Decline

This study investigated whether young and older adults vary in their beliefs about the impact of various mitigating factors on age-related memory decline. Eighty young (ages 18–23) and eighty older (ages 60–82) participants reported their beliefs about their own memory abilities and the strategies that they use in their everyday lives to attempt to control their memory. Participants also reported their beliefs about memory change with age for hypothetical target individuals who were described as using (or not using) various means to mitigate memory decline. There were no age differences in personal beliefs about control over current or future memory ability. However, the two age groups differed in the types of strategies they used in their everyday life to control their memory. Young adults were more likely to use internal memory strategies, whereas older adults were more likely to focus on cognitive exercise and maintaining physical health as ways to optimize their memory ability. There were no age differences in rated memory change across the life span in hypothetical individuals. Both young and older adults perceived strategies related to improving physical and cognitive health as effective means of mitigating memory loss with age, whereas internal memory strategies were perceived as less effective means for controlling age-related memory decline.
Kinetochore Fiber Maturation in PtK1 Cells and Its Implications for the Mechanisms of Chromosome Congression and Anaphase Onset

Kinetochore microtubules (kMts) are a subset of spindle microtubules that bind directly to the kinetochore to form the kinetochore fiber (K-fiber). The K-fiber in turn interacts with the kinetochore to produce chromosome motion toward the attached spindle pole. We have examined K-fiber maturation in PtK1 cells using same-cell video light microscopy/serial section EM. During congression, the kinetochore moving away from its spindle pole (i.e., the trailing kinetochore) and its leading, poleward moving sister both have variable numbers of kMts, but the trailing kinetochore always has at least twice as many kMts as the leading kinetochore. A comparison of Mt numbers on sister kinetochores of congressing chromosomes with their direction of motion, as well as distance from their associated spindle poles, reveals that the direction of motion is not determined by kMt number or total kMt length. The same result was observed for oscillating metaphase chromosomes. These data demonstrate that the tendency of a kinetochore to move poleward is not positively correlated with the kMt number. At late prometaphase, the average number of Mts on fully congressed kinetochores is 19.7 ± 6.7 (n = 94), at late metaphase 24.3 ± 4.9 (n = 62), and at early anaphase 27.8 ± 6.3 (n = 65). Differences between these distributions are statistically significant. The increased kMt number during early anaphase, relative to late metaphase, reflects the increased kMt stability at anaphase onset. Treatment of late metaphase cells with 1 μM taxol inhibits anaphase onset, but produces the same kMt distribution as in early anaphase: 28.7 ± 7.4 (n = 54). Thus, a full complement of kMts is not sufficient to induce anaphase onset. We also measured the time course for kMt acquisition and determined an initial rate of 1.9 kMts/min. This rate accelerates up to 10-fold during the course of K-fiber maturation, suggesting an increased concentration of Mt plus ends in the vicinity of the kinetochore at late metaphase and/or cooperativity for kMt acquisition.