cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Six Overall Evaluation Rating Scales

A study was conducted with a random sample of 131 college students to determine whether different overall evaluation rating scales would produce different results. Six different rating scales were used to measure four stimuli (their college, a core course, the college cafeteria, and the college library). The six overall evaluation rating scales were: an "overall how would you rate" rating scale, a "likely to recommend to a friend" rating scale, a "compared to the ideal" rating scale," a "how often, if at all, do you regret having chosen/taken/used" scale, a "compared to what you expected" rating scale," and an "overall satisfaction" rating scale. The results indicate that, in general, that the "compared to ideal" and "expectations" scales generally produce more negative evaluations while the "overall rating" and "regret" scales produce more positive evaluations. Thus, a researcher might inadvertently bias a study towards the negative side by phrasing the question in terms of expectations ("Overall, compared to what you expected, how would you rate___?") or as compared to the ideal ("Compared to the ideal___, how would you rate___?"). On the other hand, phrasing the question in terms of an overall rating ("Overall, how would you rate___?") will produce more positive overall evaluations.
Anterior Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment Syndrome in a Pediatric Patient Previously Diagnosed With Functional Abdominal Pain: A Case Report

Chronic abdominal pain is common in children and adolescents but challenging to diagnose, because practitioners may be concerned about missing serious occult disease. Abdominal wall pain is an often ignored etiology for chronic abdominal pain. Anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome causes abdominal wall pain but is frequently overlooked. Correctly diagnosing patients with anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome is important because nerve block interventions are highly successful in the remittance of pain. Here, we present the case of a pediatric patient who received a diagnosis of functional abdominal pain but experienced pain remittance after receiving a trigger-point injection and transverse abdominis plane block.
The effects of cooperative learning on peer relations, academic support, and engagement in learning among students of color

Despite Brown vs. Board of Education, prejudice still exists in the American school system. These attitudes can give rise to negative social experiences for students of color (i.e., discrimination)...
Radial Line Slot Array Antenna High Power Thermal Vacuum Testing

A Radial Line Slot Array (RLSA) High Gain Antenna will be used on NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission for its primary science downlink. Thermal balance tests were performed in Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) on a Qualification Model (QM) to verify the electrical, structural, and thermal performance. Four cases of varying temperatures and RF power levels were considered. Return loss measurements were used to monitor any changes in real-time.
Strategic Areas of Distribution and Specialization in Terms of Development of the Management of Agricultural Production

This paper is concerned with the problems of strategic development of the management of distribution and specialization of agricultural entities at the municipal level, where the principal threats are identified, related to the justification of the object of strategic management at the municipal level, assessment of its status, trends and prospects of its functioning, starting from the initial link of economic interactions of agricultural organizations, as well as the possibility of formation of agricultural production, sales and transformation of its potential, with the identification of a number of features corresponding to a certain relationship at this level. The top-priority principles of selection of the main strategic areas of the more efficient utilization of available opportunities have been justified, as a result of which a new or improved agricultural product will be created. The strategy of management of agricultural entities in terms of distribution and specialization has been transformed; its organizational structural model is presented, which will have a certain sequence and interactions at the municipal level.
Outcomes After Tracheostomy in Patients With Severe Acute Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Tracheostomy rates in mechanically ventilated neurological patients are high, though long-term outcomes are incompletely understood. We aimed to analyze long-term outcomes of patients with severe acute brain injury (SABI) after tracheostomy. Methods: We searched Pubmed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library between 1990 and 2017 for studies of adult patients with SABI who underwent tracheostomy placement. We excluded select patient populations and studies reporting selective outcomes as well as other neurological populations. We assessed study quality using a customized Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data was abstracted with a standardized collection template; authors of individual studies were contacted for additional data. We used a random effects model (single proportions with 95% CIs) to pool results. The primary outcome was functional outcome at 6 months or longer. Secondary outcomes included short-term and long-term mortality, decannulation rates, and discharge home rates. Findings: Of 1,137 studies identified, 45 underwent full manuscript review and 17 studies from 9 countries were included in the meta-analysis. Long-term outcome was available from four studies comprising 354 patients with stroke, where 26% (95% CI 11-50) achieved independence. The pooled short-term mortality for 18,860 patients with stroke (6 studies) and TBI (10 studies) was 14%, (95% CI 11-17) and the pooled long-term mortality was 23% (95% CI 11-42). At long-term follow-up, 79% (95% CI 51-93) of stroke survivors had been decannulated. Only 4% (SD 0.4) of stroke patients were discharged directly from the hospital to home. Heterogeneity was high for most outcome assessments (I2>75%). Interpretation: If we accept the substantial heterogeneity across studies, our findings suggest that one in 4 patients with SABI who undergo tracheostomy can eventually achieve independence. Future research is needed to better understand the reasons for this heterogeneity and identify those patients with promising outcomes as well as factors influencing outcome. Funding Statement:The authors declare: "none." Declaration of Interests: The authors state: "We declare no competing interests." Dr. Claire J. Creutzfeldt receives funding from the NIH–National Institutes of Neurological Disease and Stroke (NINDS) (K23 NS099421). Ethics Approval Statement: The authors developed a prespecified protocol in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and the Meta-analyses Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) checklist.
SOH Modelling of Li-Ion Coin Cells Subjected to Varying C-Rates, Depths of Charge, Operating Temperatures and Custom Charge Profiles

Portable consumer electronics devices continue to be one of electronics high-demand items, with rising interest in such products recently. Li-Ion batteries are the most popular power source choice of these products owing to a combination of high specific energy and specific power. In consumer electronics products, these batteries are generally employed in their coin form factor in biomedical devices, sensors, wireless earbuds, etc. These developments have boosted the research effort on Li-Ion power sources, and a major part of this effort is the prognostics of Li-Ion battery state of health (SOH) and predicting its remaining useful life. In addition to the common operation and environmental parameters such as the C-rate, the surrounding temperature and the depth of charge, additional parameters such as custom charge profiles employed by products need to be considered while modelling battery SOH degradation. This study focuses on the development of a SOH estimation model for two types of Li-ion coin cells subjected to accelerated life testing along with varying C-rates, operating temperature and depths of charge. Moreover, a custom charge profile wherein the charging current supplied to the battery was modified throughout its life cycle depending upon its instantaneous capacity was experimented to see its effect on the SOH degradation rate. Finally, regression models, focusing on the relation between SOH degradation and battery use parameters was developed.
Arachnoiditis Ossificans in the Thoracic Spine With Associated Cyst and Syringomyelia: A Rare, Intraoperative Finding Complicating Dural Opening.

Arachnoiditis ossificans (AO) is a rare spinal pathology that develops because of bony metaplasia secondary to chronic inflammation. AO may present with debilitating myelopathy secondary to nerve root compression, making it distinct from spinal calcification commonly seen with aging. AO is extremely rare, having been reported less than 100 times, most commonly in the thoracic spine. Even rarer still, AO has been associated with syringomyelia and arachnoid cyst because of associated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow disruption. In this report, we describe a case of AO that presented with right shoulder pain, right-hand numbness, and bilateral lower extremity fatigue who had syringomyelia and arachnoid cyst discovered on MRI imaging. When brought to the operating room for syrinx shunting and cyst fenestration the dural opening was complicated by severe calcification and a diagnosis of AO was made. The patient was treated with partial resection of the calcified plaques. Syringomyelia shunting was abandoned due to low volume. Post-operatively, the patient had improvement in their myelopathy though syrinx was still visualized on follow-up imaging. This report reviews the pathology, clinical and radiographic diagnosis, and treatment strategies for arachnoiditis ossificans.
The role of trust on the web: the development of an online trust creation model for eTravel agents.

The purpose of this study was to identify areas of concern of online travelers that impact trust when interacting with eTravel agent Websites. To this end an Online Trust Creation (OTC) model was developed and tested using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The results of this analysis identified the eTravel agent’s Competence (perceived product information quality and data handling/privacy policy) as well as Integrity (product warranty/legality and customer service) as major factors influencing the online trust creation process.
NOS uncoupling in oxidative stress-associated neurogenic hypertension induced by the high fructose diet (682.2)

The reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced from uncoupled nitric oxide synthase (NOS) leads to oxidative stress. In the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), where sympathetic premotor neurons located, oxidative stress is involved in neural mechanism of hypertension. We investigate in this study the significance of NOS uncoupling in oxidative stress-associated neurogenic hypertension induced by the high fructose diet (HFD). In normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats, oral ingestion of the HFD for 8 weeks resulted in insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, sympathoexcitation and hypertension, accompanied by an increase in tissue level of superoxide but a decrease in NO level in the RVLM. Protein expression of the neuronal NOS (nNOS) and protein inhibitor of nNOS (PIN) was increased, but NOS activity and ratio of dimer over monomer of nNOS were decreased. Gene knocking down of PIN in the RVLM by the small interfering RNA (siRNA) or intracisternal infusion of L-arginine increased NOS activity, mainta...
On the accurate identification of network service dependencies in distributed systems

The automated identification of network service dependencies remains a challenging problem in the administration of large distributed systems. Advances in developing solutions for this problem have immediate and tangible benefits to operators in the field. When the dependencies of the services in a network are better-understood, planning for and responding to system failures becomes more efficient, minimizing downtime and managing resources more effectively.This paper introduces three novel techniques to assist in the automatic identification of network service dependencies through passively monitoring and analyzing network traffic, including a logarithm-based ranking scheme aimed at more accurate detection of network service dependencies with lower false positives, an inference technique for identifying the dependencies involving infrequently used network services, and an approach for automated discovery of clusters of network services configured for load balancing or backup purposes. This paper also presents the experimental evaluation of these techniques using real-world traffic collected from a production network. The experimental results demonstrate that these techniques advance the state of the art in automated detection and inference of network service dependencies.
Stated Privacy Preferences versus Actual Behaviour in EC Environments: a Reality Check

As electronic commerce environments become more and more interactive, privacy is a matter of increasing concern. Many surveys have investigated households' privacy attitudes and concerns, revealing a general desire among Internet users to protect their privacy. To complement these questionnaire'based studies, we conducted an experiment in which we compared self-reported privacy preferences of 171 participants with their actual disclosing behavior during an online shopping episode. Our results suggest that current approaches to protect online users' privacy, such as EU data protection regulation or P3P, may face difficulties to do so effectively. This is due to their underlying assumption that people are not only privacy conscious, but will also act accordingly. In our study, most individuals stated that privacy was important to them, with concern centering on the disclosure of different aspects of personal information. However, regardless of their specific privacy concerns, most participants did not live up to their self-reported privacy preferences. As participants were drawn into the sales dialogue with an anthropomorphic 3-D shopping bot, they answered a majority of questions, even if these were highly personal. Moreover, different privacy statements had no effect on the amount of information disclosed; in fact, the mentioning of EU regulation seemed to cause a feeling of ‵false security′'. The results suggest that people appreciate highly communicative EC environments and forget privacy concerns once they are ‘inside the Web ’.
Causes and consequences of lymphatic disease

The visceral manifestations of lymphatic disorders (lymphangiomatosis and lymphangiectasia) are particularly severe. Any pathology of the lymphatic vasculature, whether superficial or internal, regional, or systemic, is predominated by the appearance of lymphedema, the characteristic form of tissue edema that occurs when lymphatic dysfunction supervenes. Disease manifestations may include dysregulation of body fluid homeostasis, immune traffic impairment, and disturbances of lipid and protein reabsorption from the gut lumen. The appearance of lymphatic edema invokes complex biological alterations. Many of these changes seem to relate uniquely to chronic lymphatic edema, including a profound stimulus to collagen and adipose deposition. Despite the recent advances in our understanding of these disorders, substantial knowledge gaps remain; these gaps inhibit our ability to accurately identify, categorize, treat, and prevent these diseases. Future diagnostic, therapeutic, and reproductive decisions for affected individuals require an accurate knowledge of the clinical and laboratory presentation, mode of inheritance, treatment response, outcomes, and prognosis.
Fault identification and prevention for PVC management in ATM networks

In order to meet the need of network management for emerging large complex heterogeneous communication networks, a distributed proactive self-adjusting management (DPSAM) framework was developed. The framework facilitates the incorporation of artificial intelligence and distributed computing technologies in building advanced network management systems. PMS, a PVC (permanent virtual circuit) management system for ATM networks, is developed based on DPSAM framework. PMS provides a scalable, end-to-end path management solution required for today's ATM network and service management. It aims to assist network operators to perform PVC operations with simplified procedures and automatic optimum route selection. It also provides effective decision-making support for PVC fault identification and prevention. In this paper, PVC fault identification and prevention along with an overview of the DPSAM framework and PMS are presented.
Terahertz surface plasmon polariton coupling on metallic grating structures

We report efficient coupling and decoupling of free-space terahertz radiation to surface plasmon polaritons on various metallic gratings.
Review article: drug hepatotoxicity.

SUMMARY Background Drug toxicity is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States. Further understanding of hepatotoxicity is becoming increasingly important as more drugs come to market. Aims (i) To provide an update on recent advances in our understanding of hepatotoxicity of select commonly used drug classes. (ii) To assess the safety of these medications in patients with pre-existing liver disease and in the post-liver transplant setting. (iii) To review relevant advances in toxicogenomics which contribute to the current understanding of hepatotoxic drugs. Methods A Medline search was performed to identify relevant literature using search terms including ‘drug toxicity, hepatotoxicity, statins, thiazolidinediones, antibiotics, antiretroviral drugs and toxicogenomics’. Results Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid is one of the most frequently implicated causes of drug-induced liver injury worldwide. Statins rarely cause clinically significant liver injury, even in patients with underlying liver disease. Newer thiazolidinediones are not associated with the degree of liver toxicity observed with troglitazone. Careful monitoring for liver toxicity is warranted in patients who are taking antiretrovirals, especially patients who are co-infected with hepatitis B and C. Genetic polymorphisms among enzymes involved in drug metabolism and HLA types may account for some of the differences in individual susceptibility to drug hepatotoxicity. Conclusions Drug-induced hepatotoxicity will remain a problem that carries both clinical and regulatory significance as long as new drugs continue to enter the market. Future results from ongoing multicentre collaborative efforts may help contribute to our current understanding of hepatotoxicity associated with drugs.
Charge transfer reaction of multi-charged oxygen ions with O2☆

Abstract The rate of transfer of electrons from O 2 to O 2+ and O 3+ has been measured at energies ≲ 2 eV using a stored ion technique. The rate for O 2+ is k = 1.0(0.3) × 10 −9 cm 3 /s and for O 3+ , k = 2.5(0.3) × 10 −9 cm 3 /s, compared to calculated Langevin rates of 1.8 × 10 −9 cm 3 /s and 2.7 × 10 −9 cm 3 /s respectively.
Hubble Space Telescope Observations of the Post-- Core-Collapse Globular Cluster NGC 6752: A Search for Cataclysmic Variables

We report the results of HST WFPC2 observations of the core of NGC 6752. We identify two candidate cataclysmic variables (CVs) from their strong narrowband Hα emission, periodic variability, and, in one case, a UV excess. We interpret the variability of these stars as being double-peaked, ellipsoidal light curves, in which case the orbital periods are 5.1 and 3.7 hr. The CV candidates fall at the edge of the error circle of one of the known X-ray sources in the cluster.
An overview of hypersonic aerothermodynamics

This paper briefly reviews some national studies and new programs concerning hypersonic flight. The flight environment that will be encountered by this new class of hypersonic vehicles is described, and the fluid-dynamic and chemical phenomena that occur in hypersonic flight are examined. Ground-based facilities are briefly described, and their use in helping to validate the codes is examined.
NO and H2O2 induced by Verticillium dahliae toxins and its influence on the expression of GST gene in cotton suspension cells

Nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) have been shown to be important signaling molecules that participate in the regulation of several physiological processes. In particular, they have significant role in plant resistance to pathogens by contributing to induction defense genes. Here, whether NO and H2O2 participate in the resistance responses against Verticillium dahliae toxins (VD-toxins) and their effects on the expression of GST gene are studied. The results reveal that NO and H2O2 are produced as part of a complex network of signals that respond to VD-toxins and may converge to function both synergistically and independently by inducing resistant responses. GST gene is potentially involved in the resistance mechanism in the cotton suspension cells. NO induces the expression of GST gene independently of H2O2. H2O2 may be a more potent signal in the resistance responses against VD-toxins.
Factors effecting adventitious shoot regeneration from leaf explants of quince ( Cydonia oblonga )

A procedure for adventitious shoot regeneration from leaf explants of quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) using thidiazuron (TDZ) was developed. Excised leaves of cultures grown on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 5 μM benzyladenine (BA) and 0.9% Gibco Phytagar were used. Several experiments were conducted to determine optimum concentrations of thidiazuron, α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and sucrose. When the medium contained 1.5 μM TDZ and 2.5 μM NAA, 85% of the discs regenerated shoots with an average of eight shoots per leaf disc. An incubation period of three weeks in the dark was necessary for optimum shoot regeneration. Leaves excised from four to six-week-old cultures gave a higher percent shoot regeneration than leaves from cultures older than six weeks. Regeneration percentages were significantly reduced when sucrose concentration in the medium was less than 3%. A significantly higher percentage of shoots regenerated when leaf discs were placed on the regeneration medium abaxial side down as compared to the adaxial side.
Verifying conformance of multi-agent commitment-based protocols

Although several approaches have been proposed to specify multi-agent commitment-based protocols that capture flexible and rich interactions among autonomous and heterogeneous agents, very few of them synthesize their formal specification and automatic verification in an integrated framework. In this paper, we present a new logic-based language to specify commitment-based protocols, which is derived from ACTL^*^c, a logic extending CTL^* with modalities to represent and reason about social commitments and their actions. We present a reduction technique that formally transforms the problem of model checking ACTL^*^c to the problem of model checking GCTL^* (an extension of CTL^* with action formulae). We prove that the reduction technique is sound and we fully implement it on top of the CWB-NC model checker to automatically verify the NetBill protocol, a motivated and specified example in the proposed specification language. We also apply the proposed technique to check the compliance of another protocol: the Contract Net protocol with given properties and report and discuss the obtained results. We finally develop a new symbolic algorithm to perform model checking dedicated to the proposed logic.
Conjugate Thermal Transport in Gas Flow in Long Rectangular Microchannel

This paper is directed at the numerical simulation of pressure-driven nitrogen slip flow in long microchannels, focusing on conjugate heat transfer under uniform heat flux wall boundary condition. This problem has not been studied in detail despite its importance in many practical circumstances such as those related to the cooling of electronic devices and localized heat input in materials processing systems. For the gas phase, the two-dimensional momentum and energy equations are solved, considering variable properties, rarefaction, which involves velocity slip, thermal creep and temperature jump, compressibility, and viscous dissipation. For the solid, the energy equation is solved with variable properties. Four different substrate materials are studied, including commercial bronze, silicon nitride, pyroceram, and fused silica. The effects of substrate axial conduction, material thermal conductivity and substrate thickness are investigated in detail. It is found that substrate axial conduction leads to a flatter bulk temperature profile along the channel, lower maximum temperature, and lower Nusselt number. The effect of substrate thickness on the conjugate heat transfer is very similar to that of the substrate thermal conductivity. That is, in terms of axial thermal resistance, the increase in substrate thickness has the same impact as that caused by an increase in its thermal conductivity. By comparing the results from constant and variable property models, it is found that the effects of variation in substrate material properties are negligible.
A new technique for spatially resolved thermal lensing measurements

Abstract A new method is presented for spatially resolved thermal lensing measurements using multiple narrow probe beams and a two-dimensional array detector. The method is applied to an Er, Tm, Ho: YAG laser rod. No significant deviation from a parabolic temperature profile has been found although there is extraordinarily strong thermal lensing in the crystal. Thermo-optical constants of the material are reported.
Kinetics and Mechanism of Nucleation, Growth and Stabilization of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles

Reactive metallic fragments that are formed by the decomposition of organometallic complexes, undergo a nucleation and growth process that gives rise to the formation of nanocrystals. In the absence of stabilizing molecules, the aggregation process is restricted mainly due to the decreasing mobility of the particles and their declining diffusional rates as a function of their increasing size. On the other hand, in the presence of a polymer in the reaction medium, the growing metallic particles are stabilized by the surface adsorption of the polymer chains, thus lowering their surface energy and creating a barrier to further aggregation. Studies of the nucleation and aggregation kinetics of metallic particles formed from the decomposition of organometallic precursors have been used to shed light on the mechanism of their formation. In these studies, the rate of decomposition of the precursor organometallic complexes used has been considered to represent the overall rate of the process. Moreover, it has been implicitly assumed that the formation kinetics of the metal nanoclusters directly coincides with the decomposition kinetics of their precursors. In this study, we attempt to decouple the kinetic characteristics of the various steps that comprise the overall nucleation and aggregation process cobalt oxide nanoclusters. A combination of infrared and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, and particle size determination by dynamic light scattering, are used to identify the individual contribution of each step to the overall mechanism of metal nanocluster formation.
An Adaptive Bias in the Perception of Looming Auditory Motion

Rising acoustic intensity can indicate movement of a sound source toward a listener. Perceptual overestimation of intensity change could provide a selective advantage by indicating that the source is closer than it actually is, providing a better opportunity for the listener to prepare for the source's arrival. In Experiment 1, listeners heard equivalent rising and falling level sounds and indicated whether one demonstrated a greater change in loudness than the other. In 2 subsequent experiments listeners heard equivalent approaching and receding sounds and indicated perceived starting and stopping points of the auditory motion. Results indicate that rising intensity changed in loudness more than equivalent falling intensity, and approaching sounds were perceived as starting and stopping closer than equidistant receding sounds. Both effects were greater for tones than for noise. Evidence is presented that suggests that an asymmetry in the neural coding of egocentric auditory motion is an adaptation that p...
Characteristics and Symptom Management of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: A Multidisciplinary Approach

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative disorder that may be mistaken for Parkinson's disease early in its course, is the most common type of atypical parkinsonism. PSP is fatal; it transforms a normal person into an invalid within 5-7 years of the onset of symptoms. PSP requires a multidisciplinary approach to symptom management and treatment. The neuroscience nurse who is knowledgeable about PSP and the complex way in which it overlaps with numerous other devastating neurological diagnoses can help in achieving the correct diagnosis and treatment. The nurse must understand the disease pathophysiology and the plan of care required and is instrumental in recognizing the needs of the patient and the family.
Phenylalanine plus ultraviolet light: preliminary report of a promising treatment for childhood vitiligo.

: l-Phenylalanine is a promising agent for the treatment of vitiligo when taken orally and followed with ultraviolet light (UVA) irradiation. Of 13 children so treated, 3 experienced repigmentation of all vitiliginous areas, 6 showed 50% to 90% improvement, and 4 falied to respond. None of the children experienced side effects during the treatment.
Activity-Dependent Modulation of the Rate at which Synaptic Vesicles Become Available to Undergo Exocytosis

The number of vesicles contained in the readily releasable pool at excitatory hippocampal synapses has recently been identified as a major determinant of the strength of these synapses. Here, we show that the rate at which this pool refills following depletion is variable from neuron to neuron and can be increased by the accumulation of intracellular calcium during action potential-mediated activation of the synapses. The refilling rate nearly doubles during the first second of a high frequency train of action potentials and does not increase further with additional stimulation. During periods of rest, the rate relaxes back to its original value, with a time constant of about 10 s. Since this refilling rate helps set the strength of synapses during high frequency bursts of action potentials and is modulated by physiological signaling, it is an attractive candidate point of control in the storage and manipulation of information by the central nervous system.
Artifacts of the presence era: visualizing presence for posterity

We present Artifacts of the Presence Era, an art installation that uses a geological metaphor to create an impressionistic visualization of the evolving history in a museum's gallery. The piece captures people's presence in the galleries: the images and sounds of visitors as they move through the museum. People's rhythms and activities in this public space become the accumulating layers in a growing landscape of past events. We designed the piece so that visitors could move through the layers of the history, behaving like archaeologists, "excavating" the traces left in the visualization to get a sense of how the space had been used over time.
Test and Evaluation Software for a Prototype Network of Water Level Measurement Stations

The National Ocean Service is replacing its National Water Level Observation Network with the Next Generation Water Level Measurement System. A prototype network of 20 field units will be used to test and evaluate the initial design concept and to define final technical specification. Special Test and Evaluation (T&E) software was developed to support this field evaluation. The T&E software, which is written for an IBM PC/AT, acquires data directly from the field units via telephone and via the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite system. These data are decoded, reformatted, and maintained in a relational database. The software exports data for supplementary analysis by other applications that use LOTUS 123 spreadsheets and graphic output and others that use the existing tides analysis software.
Effect of uremia on incorporation of acetate into rat plasma and tissue lipids.

Abstract Experimental uremia was induced in rats by means of bilateral nephrectomy or bilateral ureteral ligation. Incorporation of acetate-1-14C into expired 14CO2 and into plasma and tissue lipids was studied immediately after surgery and at 48 hr, when the rats were uremic. In rats studied immediately after surgery, bilateral nephrectomy, but not bilateral ureteral ligation, significantly decreased the conversion of acetate-1-14C metabolism to 14CO2 was not significantly altered in either group. Plasma triglyceride concentrations and 14C-acetate incorporation into triglycerides were increased in the 48-hr uremic groups, but plasma and liver triglyceride specific radioactivities were not significantly altered. Plasma free fatty acid concentrations and incorporation of acetate into free fatty acids were lower in the 48-hr uremic groups than in controls. Plasma cholesterol concentrations and specific radioactivities were increased in these uremic groups, as were liver free cholesterol specific activities. These results suggest that increased triglyceride and cholesterol synthesis from acetate may contribute to the hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia observed in uremic rats.
SMARXO: towards secured multimedia applications by adopting RBAC, XML and object-relational database

In this paper, a framework named SMARXO is proposed to address the security issues in multimedia applications by adopting RBAC (Role-Based Access Control), XML, and Object-Relational Databases. Compared with the other existing security models or projects, SMARXO can deal with more intricate situations. First, the image object-level security and video scene/shot-level security can be easily achieved. Second, the temporal constrains and IP address restrictions are modeled for the access control purpose. Finally, XML queries can be performed such that the administrators can proficiently retrieve useful information from the security roles and policies.
The Effect of Methylene Blue Addition to Whole Blood during Prolonged Storage

Abstract : Addition of methylene blue (MB) in concentrations of 0.001 to 0.00001 M to CPD blood resulted in lowered levels of glutathione and glutathione reductase. The levels of adenosinetriphosphate were not affected by the addition of MB. However, the 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels remained higher than the control values after 21 to 42 days of storage at all MB concentrations used. Hemoglobin function was better maintained by the two lower concentrations of MB during most of the storage period. The high concentration had an adverse or opposite effect. (Author)
Feeding and Oviposition of the Boll Weevil, Anthonomus grandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), on the Rose-of-Sharon, an Alternate Host

The calyx that enclosed the developing bud of the Rose-of-Sharon ( Hibiscus syriacus L.) until the prebloom stage deterred feeding and oviposition of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, on this alternate host. When the calyxes were removed, weevils fed on and oviposited in the buds at about the same rate as on flower buds (squares) of cotton. Although the calyxes were not a morphological barrier, they contained a substance that discouraged weevil feeding and oviposition during the bud stage of development and contributed to Rose-of-Sharon's undesirability as a host. Field observations showed that infestation of Rose-of-Sharon by the boll weevil occurs only when the plant grows near cotton.
Incipient Separation of a Supersonic Turbulent Boundary Layer at High Reynolds Numbers

Two-dimensional compression corner and axisymmetric flare geometries were used in this study of shock wave interaction with a compressible turbulent boundary layer. The study was carried out at a Mach number of 2.9 and over a Reynolds number range of 10 5<Re60<107 (Re^up to 10 9). Detailed surface pressure, schlieren, and oil-flow data were obtained for several corner angles. A major finding of this study is that incipient separation is a gradual rather than an abrupt phenomenon. Incipient separation corner angles were found to be within a band of about 16°-18° and essentially independent of Reynolds number over the range studied.
Varenicline and combination nicotine replacement therapy are the most effective pharmacotherapies for treating tobacco use.

Commentary on: Cahill K, Stevens S, Perera R, et al.Pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation: an overview and network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev2013;(5):CD009329. If current trends continue, tobacco use will cause one billion premature deaths globally this century.1 Predominantly in the form of cigarettes, smoking causes 12% of male and 6% female deaths around the world annually.2 Preventing tobacco-related diseases in cigarette smokers commonly requires treatment; and pharmacotherapy is a cornerstone of therapy. Several pharmacotherapies are currently available and others have been evaluated and abandoned. Understanding their comparative efficacies and risks will help guide treatment, policy and future research. Cahill and colleagues searched the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) from inception through to November 2012. Cochrane systematic reviews include only randomised clinical trials. The quality was assessed using standardised methodologies. Network meta-analyses were conducted, which use information across all available comparisons …
A Research Note on English-Speaking Buddhists in the United States

Using data from the 2007 Pew Religious Landscape survey (PRLS), which includes over 650 Buddhist respondents (after weighting), this research note examines the usefulness of previously devised typologies for describing the religious and social characteristics of Buddhists in the United States. Existing “two Buddhisms” typologies capture the category breaks of the U.S. Buddhist landscape, with a couple of exceptions: convert Buddhists report higher rates of belief and higher rates of social activity than do those born into the religion. Analysis also shows that three-group typologics capture additional complexity within the U.S. Buddhist landscape. Examination of the social characteristics of Buddhists in the United States mostly corroborates previous assumptions with one exception, women do not outnumber men.
Reconsideration of the Criteria to Determine Practical Fluctuational Concentration Limits in Atomic-Absorption Flame Photometry:

A study is presented on the influence of the instrumental time constant value in the determination of fluctuational sensitivity in atomic-absorption flame photometry. Fluctuational concentration limit (detection limit) has been defined as a function of the noise level of the blank reading (blank adjusted at the 0% absorption level), while the signal noise is a direct function of the time constant of the readout system employed. Employing a Beckman 979 atomic-absorption system and recorder, a scale expander unit was modified to provide a time constant control. The behavior of several elements is presented as an example of the dependence of the fluctuational concentration limit on the system time constant. These results, clearly indicating a basic relationship, lead to the establishment and presentation of a new criterion in an attempt to define and to compare concentration limits of a fluctuational nature.
Hepatitis B virus, hepatitis A virus and persistently elevated aminotransferases in hemophiliacs.

To determine the exposure to hepatitis A and hepatitis B viruses (HAV, HBV) following intravenous replacement therapy in patients with classic hemophilia and to assess the role of these viruses in persistently elevated aminotransferases, sera were studied from 136 patients from 9 months to 67 years of age who were transfused with either single-donor cryoprecipitate (CRYO) or Antihemophilic Factor Concentrate (AHF) for periods ranging from a few months to 15 years. Serologic evidence of past or present infection with HBV was detected in 90% of all 136 patients and in 85% of those 34 patients 10 years of age or younger. Sixty-four percent of those with serologic markers of hepatitis B had high liters of antibody to the hepatitis B surface antigen and low titers of antibody to the hepatitis B core antigen. These findings are consistent with the known high frequency of early exposure to HBV in hemophiliacs receiving replacement therapy and with recovery from these hepatitis B infections. Sixteen percent of these patients had persistently elevated aminotransferase levels; HBV could not be implicated as the cause of the enzyme elevations in most of these cases.
Frame-type selection for offline MPEG encoding

Efficient MPEG encoding begins with the selection of each frame's coding type. Depending on the constraints of a given application, the options available for individual frame types differ. These options are further limited by the encoding environment, in particular the frame buffer size and computational power available. In this work we assume an off-line encoding environment, with its implicit unlimited frame buffer and arbitrarily fast computations. Such an environment enables us to examine ideal frame types for a variety of situations, with changing emphasis between encoded bits and motion estimation error. We find that the optimal frame types vary dramatically as focus shifts from bit allocation to motion estimation error, even for ``natural'' video sequences. When additional video effects such as fades and scene cuts are introduced, the frame types become even more interesting, deviating significantly from the M and N fixed-spacing scheme used by many real-time MPEG encoders.
Malware propagation in online social networks: nature, dynamics, and defense implications

Online social networks, which have been expanding at a blistering speed recently, have emerged as a popular communication infrastructure for Internet users. Meanwhile, malware that specifically target these online social networks are also on the rise. In this work, we aim to investigate the characteristics of malware propagation in online social networks. Our study is based on a dataset collected from a real-world location-based online social network, which includes not only the social graph formed by its users but also the users' activity events. We analyze the social structure and user activity patterns of this network, and confirm that it is a typical online social network, suggesting that conclusions drawn from this specific network can be translated to other online social networks. We use extensive trace-driven simulation to study the impact of initial infection, user click probability, social structure, and activity patterns on malware propagation in online social networks. We also investigate the performance of a few user-oriented and server-oriented defense schemes against malware spreading in online social networks and identify key factors that affect their effectiveness. We believe that this comprehensive study has deepened our understanding of the nature of online social network malware and also shed light on how to defend against them effectively.
Raynaud's Disease by Ocular Complications

In the case here reported attacks of migrain, with visual disturbances, temporary loss of memory and disordered sensations, had preceded the blanching of the fingers and gangrene of one distal phalanx. The ocular fundus showed papilledema, hemorrhages and altered caliber of the retinal vessels. Under treatment these symptoms disappeared.
Development of communicative behavior in autistic children: a parent program using manual signs.

Mothers of four 6- and 7-year-old autistic classmates were taught to use manual signs with verbalizations to aid development of appropriate communicative behavior and to deter undesirable behavior in their children. The experimental treatment was initiated in a daily mother-child laboratory session using a multiple-baseline design across subjects. The preschool classroom program remained unchanged. Data were recorded for each child daily over a 5-week period, in the classroom and in a mother-child session, on four types of communicative behavior and four types of inappropriate behavior. Communicative behaviors increased and inappropriate behaviors decreased in relation to baseline conditions for each child. The manual sign program facilitated generalization of communicative behavior to the child's total environment. Desirable behaviors were maintained and had improved in the classroom 3 months after initiation of the program.
Neuroanatomical localization ofκ1and κ2 opioid receptors in rat and guinea pig brain

Abstract The neuroanatomical localization of κ opioid receptors in rat and guinea pig brain was determined by quantitative in vitro receptor autoradiography. Our study shows striking differences in k 1 and k 2 receptor distributions both between species and within each species. In the rat brain, κ 1 sites (labeled by [ 3 H]U-69,593) are of low density and confined to a small number of structures. These include the claustrum, endopiriform nucleus, caudate putamen, nucleus accumbens, midline nuclear group of the thalamus, superficial grey layer of the superior colliculus, and central grey. κ 2 sites (labeled by [ 3 H]ethylketocyclazocine or [ 3 H]bremazocine under conditions in which μ, δ, and κ 1 binding was suppressed) are more widely distributed throughout all levels of rat brain. κ 2 sites occur at high density in the caudate putamen, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, thalamus, and interpeduncular nuclei. In guinea pig brain, κ 1 sites predominate and are of high density in layers I and VI of the neocortex, claustrum, endopiriform nucleus, caudate putamen, nucleus accumbens, and molecular layeer of the cerebellum. As in rat brain, κ 2 sites in guinea pig are more uniformly and widely distributed throughtout the brain than are κ 1 sites. The highest density of κ 2 sites is in the dorsal parabrachial nucleus, interpeduncular nuclei, mammillary nuclei, and posterior thalamic nuclei. Results from this study demonstrate important interspecies differences in the distribution of κ 1 andκ 2 opioid receptors. In particular, κ 1 receptors found in high density in layers I and VI of guinea pig neocortex and their virtual absence in the corresponding cortical layers of rat brain might mediate the enhanced analgesic response to κ opioids exhibited by guinea pigs relative to rats. The differences in neuroanatomical localization of κ 1 andκ 2 receptors within each species provide further support for heterogeneity in the κ opioid receptor system.