cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Responses of interposed and dentate neurons to perturbations of the locomotor cycle

This study examined the relationship of antidromically identified neurons in the dentate and interposed nuclei to perturbed and unperturbed locomotion in the pre-collicular, mid-mamillary, decerebrate cat. During treadmill locomotion two methods were used to perturb the step cycle. In the first, the treadmill was braked in different phases of the step cycle, the “treadmill” perturbation. In the second, the motion of the ipsilateral forelimb was interrupted by a rod placed transiently in the limb's path, the “single limb” perturbation. Most interposed cells were modulated during locomotion, their discharge being highly correlated with the EMG of the ipsilateral biceps or triceps. When the locomotion was perturbed, the modulation ceased for the duration of the perturbation. A few interposed cells displayed activity patterns unrelated to the EMG but were responsive to perturbations of a single limb. These responses may be explained by the putative activation of peripheral afferents produced by the perturbation. Most dentate cells were not modulated during unperturbed locomotion but did respond to features of the treadmill perturbation. Usually the response was coupled to the resumption of treadmill motion. A minority of dentate neurons was modulated slightly during unperturbed locomotion. Their modulation was less dramatic than that of interposed cells and was only weakly related to limb movement or EMG activity. Like the interposed neurons, these dentate cells responded to the treadmill perturbation with a cessation of modulation. All dentate cells were unresponsive to single limb perturbations. In a preparation lacking cerebral cortical input, the findings show that neurons of the interposed and dentate nuclei are modulated differently during perturbed and unperturbed treadmill walking in the decerebrate cat. The activity of interposed neurons is related to specific features of EMG activity recorded from muscles in the ipsilateral forelimb. Although some dentate cells were weakly modulated during unperturbed locomotion, the majority of these neurons responded most dramatically to the occurrence of a perturbation which completely stopped the walking behavior.
Does Inpatient Interdisciplinary Geriatric Assessment Help the Family Caregivers of Acutely Ill Older Patients

Comprehensive geriatric assessment has emerged as an effective strategy for improving outcomes for frail older patients in the hospital setting. Attention, however, has not been given to determining whether this process has any effect on their family caregivers. As part of a randomized controlled clinical trial designed to test the efficacy of early interdisciplinary geriatric assessment for acutely ill hospitalized patients 75 years of age or older, their family caregivers were studied to determine if the process had a positive effect on caregivers' self-reported health and emotional well-being. One hundred forty-two caregivers were approximately evenly distributed between experimentals (n = 69) and controls (n = 73). By three months after the patients' hospitalization, experimental caregivers were more likely to report good general health (81% vs 63%, P = .049) than were controls. The positive effect persisted after statistical adjustment for confounding variables. Experimental caregivers were not significantly more likely to have good emotional health at follow-up than were controls (65% vs 58%, P = .43), even after statistical adjustment. Although the findings are modest, they suggest that the acute hospital setting may be an ideal place to develop interventions designed to enhance family caregivers' well-being during the early months following hospitalization. This may be particularly true when the interventions with caregivers are coupled with a geriatric assessment and care plan process.
A Comparison of Visual and Photoelectric Measurements of the Attenuation of Brightness Contrast by the Atmosphere

A comparison has been made of visual and photoelectric measurements of the attenuation of brightness contrast by the atmosphere. The comparison is being made to attempt to gain an insight into the reasons for the apparently great scatter of atmospheric attenuation data obtained by early investigators in this field. In particular it is of interest to determine whether or not the lack of consistency of the early attenuation data may be attributed to unusual atmospheric conditions or to poor experimental design. The results of the comparison indicate excellent agreement between the atmospheric data obtained by the two methods mentioned. It is concluded that if proper experimental techniques are followed, there is no reason to expect visual photometry to lead to different atmospheric attenuation data than those obtained by photographic and by photoelectric processes.
Interatrial conduction time and left atrial function in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction: effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Background Prolonged interatrial conduction time (IACT) can be associated with abnormal left atrial (LA) function but has not been characterized in patients with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction (LVSD) and QRS intervals >130 ms. Methods Two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography and Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) were performed in 41 patients with LVSD (mean LV ejection fraction, 26 ± 5%) and 41 similarly aged normal controls. Two-dimensional measurements included LV volume and ejection fraction and LA volume for the determination of LA emptying fraction and LA ejection fraction. IACT was defined as the time from the onset of the P wave to the onset of the DTI-derived late diastolic (A′) velocity at the lateral mitral annulus. Two-dimensional Doppler measurements were reassessed in patients with LVSD 4 ± 2 months after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Results IACT was longer in patients with compared to controls (105 ± 25 vs 74 ± 12 ms, P 100 ms. In patients with LVSD, IACT was correlated modestly with measurements of LA volume ( r = .41-.48, all P values 100 ms (n = 20) prior to CRT had larger LA volumes and lower indices of LA function after CRT compared to those with IACTs ≤100 ms. Significant reductions in LV end-systolic volumes and increases in LV ejection fractions occurred in both groups after CRT. Conclusion DTI-derived IACT can be prolonged in patients with severe LVSD and wide QRS intervals. An IACT > 100 ms can affect LA remodeling and function at early follow-up after CRT but does not influence the response in LV end-systolic volume or ejection fraction.
Performance of a-Si:H Photodiode Technology-Based Advanced CMOS Active Pixel Sensor Imagers

Amorphous silicon photodiode technology is a very attractive option for image array integrated circuits because it enables large die-size reduction and higher light collection efficiency than c-Si arrays. The concept behind the technology is to place the photosensing element directly above the rest of the circuit, thus eliminating the need to make areal tradeoffs between photodiode and pixel circuit. We have developed an photodiode array technology that is fully compatible with a 0.35um CMOS process to produce image sensors arrays with 10-bit dynamic range that are 30% smaller than comparable c-Si photodiode arrays. The work presented here will discuss performance issues and solutions to lend itself to cost-effective high-volume manufacturing. The various methods of interconnection of the diode to the array and their advantages will be presented. The effect of doped layer thickness and concentration on quantum efficiency, and the effect of a-Si:H defect concentration on diode performance will be discussed. The photodiode dark leakage current density is about 80 pA/cm 2 , and its absolute quantum efficiency peaks about 85% at 550 nm. These sensors have 50% higher sensitivity, and 2x lower dark current when compared to bulk silicon sensors of the same design. The cell utilizes a 3 FET design, but allows for 100% photodiode area due to the elevated nature of the design. The VGA (640x480), array demonstrated here uses common intrinsic and p-type contact layers, and makes reliable contact to those layers by use of a monolithic transparent conductor strap tied to vias in the interconnect.
The logic of impossible quantities

Abstract In a ground-breaking essay Nagel contended that the controversy over impossible numbers influenced the development of modern logic. I maintain that Nagel was correct in outline only. He overlooked the fact that the controversy engendered a new account of reasoning, one in which the concept of a well-made language played a decisive role. Focusing on the new account of reasoning changes the story considerably and reveals important but unnoticed similarities between the development of algebraic logic and quantificational logic.
VLF bursts in the night ionosphere of Venus: Estimates of the Poynting flux

Even though the Pioneer Venus plasma wave instrument returns a measure of only one component of the electric field due to waves, for the 100 Hz channel it is possible to calcualte an approximate Poynting flux of the waves by making several assumptions. When this is done the Poynting flux at lowest altitudes in a 30 Hz band centered on 100 Hz is found to be about 10 to the -7th W/sq m, independent of ionospheric conditions as indicated by the strength of the magnetic field. The local time variation of the approximate Poynting flux shows a maximum from about 2000 to 2200 LT in accord with inferences from the higher frequency channels. The observed wave energy flux is consistent with that expected from lightning given rates and flash strengths on Venus that are similar to or greater than that of the earth.
A comparative study of anodized titania nanotube architectures in aqueous and nonaqueous solutions

The unique and highly utilized properties of TiO2 nanotubes are a direct result of nanotube architecture. To create different engineered architectures, the effects of electrolyte solution, time, and temperature on the anodization of titanium foil were studied along with the resultant anodized titanium oxide (ATO) nanotube architectures encompassing nanotube length, pore diameter, wall thickness, smoothness, and ordered array structure. Titanium foil was anodized in three different electrolyte solutions: one aqueous [consisting of NH4F and (NH4)2SO4] and two nonaqueous (glycerol or ethylene glycol, both containing NH4F) at varying temperatures and anodization times. Variation in anodization applied voltage, initial current, and effect of F- ion concentration on ATO nanotube architecture was also studied. Anodization in the aqueous electrolyte produced short, rough nanotube arrays, whereas anodization in organic electrolytes produced long, smooth nanotube arrays greater than 10 urn in length. A position effect, relative to the solution-air interface, was observed in this work. Furthermore, it was found that anodization in glycerol at elevated temperatures for several hours could possibly produce freely dispersed individual nanotubes.
NADPH-Cytochrome P-450 Reductase from Untreated Rat Testicular and Liver Microsomes: Isolation and Comparison

NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase (EC 1.6.2.4), the enzyme involved in progesterone 17-hydroxylation, was purified to apparent homogeneity by detergent solubilization of the microsomal fractions of liver and testis from untreated rats. The enzymes from these two tissues were then compared with regard to several parameters. The liver and testicular reductases have the same subunit mol wt (79,000), determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and have similar specific activity for cytochrome c reduction (48.1 and 58.2 μmol min−1 mg−1, respectively). The absolute flavin absorption spectra of liver and testicular reductase were very similar. The spectra of native, reduced, and oxidized reductases were characteristic of flavoprotein with two flavin groups. The Km values for NADPH during cytochrome reduction were shown to be the same, within experimental error (5.29 ± 0.46 μM−1 for liver and 4.37 ± 0.53 μM−1 for testis). Monospecific antiserum was prepared against both rat ...
Optimization of femtosecond Yb-doped fiber amplifiers for high-quality pulse compression

We both theoretically and experimentally investigate the optimization of femtosecond Yb-doped fiber amplifiers (YDFAs) to achieve high-quality, high-power, compressed pulses. Ultrashort pulses amplified inside YDFAs are modeled by the generalized nonlinear Schrodinger equation coupled to the steady-state propagation-rate equations. We use this model to study the dependence of compressed-pulse quality on the YDFA parameters, such as the gain fiber’s doping concentration and length, and input pulse pre-chirp, duration, and power. The modeling results confirmed by experiments show that an optimum negative pre-chirp for the input pulse exists to achieve the best compression.
Inelastic x-ray scattering at ultrahigh pressures

Inelastic x-ray scattering (IXS) provides high-pressure research with an arsenal of analytical capabilities for key measurements that were previously unattainable, and high-pressure research provides IXS with numerous applications where the technique has unique advantages over other methods. High-pressure investigations can now be conducted using non-resonant IXS, resonant IXS, nuclear resonant IXS and x-ray emission spectroscopy with energy resolutions of 100 meV to 1 eV for electronic transitions and 1 to 10 meV for phonon studies. By pressure-tuning materials over a wide range, we are able to investigate fundamental properties of the electron gas, strongly correlated electron systems, high-energy electronic excitations and phonons in energy and momentum space. The results have important implications for a variety of materials problem applications as well as providing basic information for understanding the deep interior of the Earth and other planets.
Function of uterine and blood-derived polymorphonuclear neutrophils in mares susceptible and resistant to chronic uterine infection : phagocytosis and chemotaxis

In vitro phagocytosis and chemotaxis of uterine and blood-derived polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) were compared in mares with different resistance to chronic uterine infection (CUI). Both the primary in vitro function of PMNs and the role of uterine environmental factors on PMN function were investigated. The uteri of mares susceptible to (n = 6) and resistant to CUI (n = 5) were inoculated with 5 x 10(6) Streptococcus zooepidemicus when the mares were in estrus. Uterine secretions in addition to uterine and blood-derived PMNs were sampled at 5 and 24 h later. During a subsequent estrus, bacterial inoculation of the uterus was repeated, and samples were removed from the mares 12 and 36 h later. Neither the phagocytic nor the chemotactic capacity of PMNs changed over time in any of the groups. However, chemoattractive properties of uterine secretions declined over time in both resistant (p < 0.0007) and susceptible mares (p < 0.01). Significantly higher phagocytosis (p < 0.03) and chemotaxis (p < 0.05) by uterine derived PMNs were found in the susceptible mares compared to resistant mares when a standardized opsonin (pooled plasma) was used. However, uterine secretions from susceptible mares demonstrated a poorer opsonizing capacity (p < 0.00002) but were more chemoattractant (p < 0.004) than secretions from resistant mares. When opsonins and chemoattractants were provided by plasma, no differences were detected in phagocytosis between blood-derived and uterine PMNs. In contrast, chemotaxis of uterine PMNs were superior to blood-derived PMNs in both resistant (p < 0.007) and susceptible mares (p < 0.0001) under these conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Carpet-dust chemicals as measures of exposure: Implications of variability

Background: There is increasing interest in using chemicals measured in carpet dust as indicators of chemical exposures. However, investigators have rarely sampled dust repeatedly from the same households and therefore little is known about the variability of chemical levels that exist within and between households in dust samples. Results: We analyzed 9 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, 6 polychlorinated biphenyls, and nicotine in 68 carpetdust samples from 21 households in agricultural communities of Fresno County, California collected from 20032005. Chemical concentrations (ng per g dust) ranged from < 2-3,609 for 9 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, from < 1-150 for 6 polychlorinated biphenyls, and from < 20-7,776 for nicotine. We used random-effects models to estimate variance components for concentrations of each of these carpet-dust chemicals and calculated the variance ratio, l, defined as the ratio of the within-household variance component to the between-household variance component. Subsequently, we used the variance ratios calculated from our data, to illustrate the potential effect of measurement error on the attenuation of odds ratios in hypothetical case-control studies. We found that the median value of the estimated variance ratios was 0.33 (range: 0.13-0.72). Correspondingly, in case-control studies of associations between these carpet-dust chemicals and disease, given the collection of only one measurement per household and a hypothetical odds ratio of 1.5, we expect that the observed odds ratios would range from 1.27 to 1.43. Moreover, for each of the chemicals analyzed, the collection of three repeated dust samples would limit the expected magnitude of odds ratio attenuation to less than 20%. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that attenuation bias should be relatively modest when using these semivolatile carpet-dust chemicals as exposure surrogates in epidemiologic studies.
Papovavirus of JC type in progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Rapid identification and subsequent isolation.

A papovavirus of the JC type was identified in the brain of a patient dying of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) complicating chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Rapid antigenic typing of the virus was carried out by fluorescent antibody staining of the brain and by electron microscopic agglutination of virus particles extracted directly from the brain. Subsequently, the virus was isolated from brain tissue in primary cell cultures of human fetal brain. This second association of JC virus with PML confirms that at least two antigenically distinct viruses may cause PML and demonstrates that methods are now available for the rapid identification of the papovaviruses that may be related to the disease.
Identification of Phosphoglycerate Kinase 1 (PGK1) as a reference gene for quantitative gene expression measurements in human blood RNA

Blood is a convenient sample and increasingly used for quantitative gene expression measurements with a variety of diseases including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Quantitative gene expression measurements require normalization of target genes to reference genes that are stable and independent from variables being tested in the experiment. Because there are no genes that are useful for all situations, reference gene selection is an essential step to any quantitative reverse transcription-PCR protocol. Many publications have described appropriate genes for a wide variety of tissues and experimental conditions, however, reference genes that may be suitable for the analysis of CFS, or human blood RNA derived from whole blood as well as isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), have not been described. Literature review and analyses of our unpublished microarray data were used to narrow down the pool of candidate reference genes to six. We assayed whole blood RNA from Tempus tubes and cell preparation tube (CPT)-collected PBMC RNA from 46 subjects, and used the geNorm and NormFinder algorithms to select the most stable reference genes. Phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) was one of the optimal normalization genes for both whole blood and PBMC RNA, however, additional genes differed for the two sample types; Ribosomal protein large, P0 (RPLP0) for PBMC RNA and Peptidylprolyl isomerase B (PPIB) for whole blood RNA. We also show that the use of a single reference gene is sufficient for normalization when the most stable candidates are used. We have identified PGK1 as a stable reference gene for use with whole blood RNA and RNA derived from PBMC. When stable genes are selected it is possible to use a single gene for normalization rather than two or three. Optimal normalization will improve the ability of results from PBMC RNA to be compared with those from whole blood RNA and potentially allows comparison of gene expression results from blood RNA collected and processed by different methods with the intention of biomarker discovery. Results of this study should facilitate large-scale molecular epidemiologic studies using blood RNA as the target of quantitative gene expression measurements.
MRI volumetric analysis of multiple sclerosis: methodology and validation

We present an automatic mixture-based algorithm for segmentation of brain tissues (white and gray matters-WM and GM), cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), and brain lesions to quantitatively analyze multiple sclerosis. The method performs intensity-based tissue classification using multispectral magnetic resonance (MR) images based on a stochastic model. With the existence of white Gaussian noise and spatially invariant blurring in acquired MR images, a Karhunen-Loeve (K-L) domain Wiener filter is applied for accurate noise reduction and resolution restoration on blurred and noisy images to minimize the partial volume effect (PVE), which is a major limiting factor for the quantitative analysis. Following that, we utilize a Markov random field Gibbs model to integrate the local spatial information into the well-established expectation-maximization model-fitting algorithm. Each voxel is then classified by a maximum a posterior (MAP) criterion, indicating its probabilities of belonging to each class, i.e., each voxel is labeled as a mixel with different tissue percentages, leading to further minimization of the PVE. The volumes of WM, GM, CSF, and brain lesions are extracted from the mixture-based segmentation and the corresponding brain atrophies are computed. In this study, we have investigated the accuracy and repeatability of the algorithm with inclusion of noise analysis and point spread function for image resolution enhancement. Experimental results on phantom, healthy volunteer, and patient studies are presented.
The effects of ultraviolet light and cholecalciferol and its metabolites on the development of leg abnormalities in chickens genetically selected for a high and low incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia

Four experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of ultraviolet (UV) light exposure and several cholecalciferol metabolites on the development of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) and other parameters associated with vitamin D metabolism in chickens selected for high (HTD) and low (LTD) incidence of TD. In Experiment 1, exposure of chickens to UV light reduced the incidence and severity of TD more in LTD chickens than in HTD chickens, as evident by the significant interactions (P < 0.10 and 0.04). In Experiment 2, the addition of cholecalciferol to diets that were deficient in cholecalciferol linearly decreased the incidence of vitamin D rickets and increased bone ash, but increased the incidence of severe TD. The LTD chickens had a higher maximal bone ash of 40.0 +/- 0.7% than did the HTD chickens, which had a maximal bone ash of 37.0 +/- 0.7%. In Experiment 3, the addition of 5 micrograms/kg of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol [25-(OH)D3], 1-alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol, or 1,25- dihydroxycholecalciferol decreased the incidence and severity of TD in the LTD chickens and had no effect on TD in HTD chickens. In Experiment 4, increasing dietary 25-(OH)D3 increased plasma 25-(OH)D3 levels in both lines, but HTD chickens had higher plasma 25-(OH)D3 levels at 20 and 40 micrograms/kg of dietary 25-(OH)D3. The incidence and severity of TD were reduced in the LTD chickens by dietary 25-(OH)D3, but little effect was noted in HTD chickens. The LTD chickens reached a maximal bone ash at 9.7 +/- 1.9 micrograms/kg and HTD chickens reached the same bone ash at 33.0 +/- 7.0 micrograms/kg. These results indicate that UV light and vitamin D metabolites are not effective in preventing TD in HTD chickens, but that altered vitamin D metabolism does exist between HTD and LTD chickens.
Meridional energy transport in the coupled atmosphere-ocean system: Scaling and numerical experiments

We explore meridional energy transfer in the coupled atmosphere-ocean system, with a focus on the extratropics. We present various elementary scaling arguments for the partitioning of the energy transfer between atmosphere and ocean, and illustrate those arguments by numerical experimentation. The numerical experiments are designed to explore the effects of changing various properties of the ocean (its size, geometry and diapycnal diffusivity), the atmosphere (its water vapour content) and the forcing of the system (the distribution of incoming solar radiation and the rotation rate of the planet). We find that the energy transport associated with wind-driven ocean gyres is closely coupled to the energy transport of the midlatitude atmosphere so that, for example, the heat transport of both systems scales in approximately the same way with the meridional temperature gradient in midlatitudes. On the other hand, the deep circulation of the ocean is not tightly coupled with the atmosphere and its energy transport varies in a different fashion. Although for present-day conditions the atmosphere transports more energy polewards than does the ocean, we find that a wider or more diffusive ocean is able to transport more energy than the atmosphere. The polewards energy transport of the ocean is smaller in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere; this arises because of the effects of a circumpolar channel on the deep overturning circulation. The atmosphere is able to compensate for changes in oceanic heat transport due to changes in diapycnal diffusivity or geometry, but we find that the compensation is not perfect. We also find that the transports of both atmosphere and ocean decrease if the planetary rotation rate increases substantially, indicating that there is no a priori constraint on the total meridional heat transport in the coupled system. Copyright c � 2009 Royal Meteorological Society
Social Identity and Interrole Conflict for Hospital Superintendents in the Early 1900s

PURPOSE. This research explores interrole conflict for nurse hospital superintendents in the early decades of the twentieth century. METHODS. An extensive review of nursing, medical, and administrative journals published in the early decades of the twentieth century. FINDINGS. Throughout the early decades of the twentieth century, hospital administration was dominated by nurses who were responsible for the hospital's administrative functions, participated in patient care, and oversaw the nursing school. The multiple roles were highly integrated, and the superintendent moved easily among them. This role integration was challenged as the nursing leadership worked towards professionalizing nursing and as the American Hospital Association leadership worked towards professionalizing hospital administration as a separate and male occupation. CONCLUSION/DISCUSSION. The work of the nursing leadership and of the American Hospital Association represented boundary work that made it harder to move between roles and created interrole conflict for the nurse superintendent. The conflict abated as the occupation masculinized, because the new administrator focused entirely on administrative functions, and as a man fit the recast image of the hospital executive as a business leader. The discussion links the work of today's nurse managers to this past.
Asymptotic stability analysis of a fuzzily controlled flexible-joint robotic manipulator

This paper presents Lyapunov stability analysis for flexible-joint robotic manipulators controlled by a fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller developed by the present authors. This fuzzy PID controller is extended to a MIMO configuration for the multiple link robotic manipulator. A single Lyapunov function that guarantees global asymptotic stability for the complete full-order system will be presented.
Resource-driven content adaptation

Recent trends have created new challenges in the presentation of multimedia information. First, large, high-resolution video displays are increasingly popular. Meanwhile, many mobile devices, such as PDAs and mobile telephones, can display images and videos on small screens. One obvious issue is that content designed for a large display is inappropriate for a small display. Moreover, wireless bandwidth and battery lifetime are precious resources for mobile devices. In order to provide useful content across systems with different resources, we propose "resource-driven content adaptation" by augmenting the content with metadata that can be used to display or render the content based on the available resources. We are investigating several problems related to resource-driven content adaptation. These include: adaptation of the presented content based on available resources- display resolution, bandwidth, processor speed, quality of services, and energy. Content adaptation may add or remove information based on available resources. Adaptive content can utilize resources more effectively but also present challenges in resource management, content creation, transmission, and user perception.
Estimation of the Poisson Parameter from Truncated Samples and from Censored Samples

Abstract Maximum likelihood estimators of the Poisson parameter applicable to both truncated and censored samples are derived in this paper. Singly and doubly truncated samples as well as singly and doubly censored samples are considered. The estimators obtained are presented in simple algebraic forms and their application to practical problems with the aid of standard Poisson tables is illustrated with numerical examples. Asymptotic variances of estimates for the different cases considered are obtained from second derivatives of the likelihood functions and are simplified to forms which permit ready evaluation. * Preliminary report presented before American Mathematical Society, Auburn, Alabama, November 23, 1951. Abstract published in Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society, 58 (1952), 60
Cigarette smoking among low-income African Americans: a serious public health problem.

Background This study examines the current prevalence of cigarette smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked in a community-based sample of 1021 low-income African-American men and women. Methods Participants were selected using a two-stage, area probability sample design. Data were collected in 2002–2003 in face-to-face interviews and analyzed in 2005. All data and analyses were weighted to account for the complex sampling design. Results Fifty-nine percent of men and 41% of women were current smokers, with younger individuals apparently initiating smoking at an earlier age than older individuals. Conclusions The high prevalence of cigarette use provides further evidence that the excess burden of tobacco-related disease among low-income African-American families may be on the rise. This is of great concern, and if confirmed by further research, indicates an urgent need for preventive intervention.
Physiological Epistasis, Ontogenetic Conflict and Natural Selection on Physiology and Life History

Ontogenetic conflict arises when optima for alleles governing fitness variation differ between juveniles and adults or between adult sexes. Loci that govern development of alternative phenotypes in the sexes, hereafter termed morph-determining loci, mediate development through the endocrine system. Morphotypic selection is defined to be multivariate selection favoring discrete alternative morphotypes (e.g., optima). When the optimal combinations of alleles for alternative morphs differ between the sexes, it generates conflicting selection pressure and thus ontogenetic conflict. Selection on morph alleles promotes ontogenetic conflict because it perturbs physiological epistasis that governs the expression of male versus female traits. Expression of physiological traits arises from homeostasis that maintains trait expression within a normal range. The genetic basis of homeostasis is likely to arise from interactions among several genes (e.g., genetic epistasis) or protein products (e.g., physiological epistasis). For example, endocrine regulation arises from interactions between gondatropins, which are protein hormones produced by the hypothalamic-pituitary glands, and steroid hormones, which are produced by the gonads (e.g., HPG axis). The side-blotched lizard system is discussed with respect to physiological bases of ontogenetic conflict. We also describe a novel molecular marker strategy for uncovering genome-wide physiological epistasis in nature. Finally, ontogenetic conflict exerts selection on females to evolve mate selection or cryptic choice that is reflected in different sires being chosen for son versus daughter production. We describe how side-blotched lizard females ameliorate ontogenetic conflict by cryptic choice of male genotypes to produce sons versus daughters.
Nonuniform sampling reconstruction applied to sparse array beamforming

We investigate the application of nonuniform sampling reconstruction to sparse array beamforming to gain insight into its potential and identify additional challenges. The central concept of the nonuniform sampling beamformer is to use the nonuniform samples to reconstruct the samples of a uniform array with the same sampling density as the nonuniform array and then perform conventional beamforming. Our results show the potential of replacing elements in a sparse uniform linear array with uniform linear subarrays and using a nonuniform sampling reconstruction formula in improving the near-in (bandwidth supported by the array sampling density) grating lobes performance. However, this improved performance comes at the expense of significantly worsened performance in the out-of-band region (beyond the near-in grating lobe region). Additionally, the performance of the nonuniform sampling beamformer is extremely sensitive to phase noise. Although increasing the sampling density improved performance, the out-of-band performance and sensitivity are still areas of concern for most sparse arrays.
Survey of the Types of Cervical Lesions and HPV Genotypes Found in HPV-vaccinated Women

Introduction: The introduction of population-wide HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination in young women has lead to a global re-evaluation of the overall need and frequency requirements for cytologic cervical screening. As a result, the gynecological algorithms for the detection of cervical lesions have been in flux in recent years in an attempt to optimize the various screening modalities while simultaneously balancing cost and effectiveness. In this study, we investigated the types of cervical lesions and HPV genotypes actually found in HPV-vaccinated women from a practical, real-world clinical perspective. Materials and Methods: Data was collected on a series of 297 consecutive women with HPV immunization. The following parameters were gathered: age, dates(s) of immunization(s), type(s) of vaccine, cytology results, and surgical biopsy results, if available. The presence of pre-vaccination HPV infection was also noted whenever possible. Specimens with abnormal cytologic results (as defined by an abnormal Pap smear result, including an ASCUS with a positive reflex high-risk HPV) subsequently underwent molecular screening for HR HPV using either the Hologic or the Roche method. All samples were then reflexed to the LiPA assay for specific genotyping. Results: Of the 297 women, 27 patients (9.1%) had an abnormal cytologic result. Two specimens had insufficient material remaining for molecular testing, and one specimen failed to run due to excessive clotting. Of the 24 remaining specimens, 21 (87.5 %) showed a positive HR HPV result on initial screening with the Hologic or Roche tests. Twenty-three samples were then successfully genotyped. Frequencies for the genotypes covered by HPV vaccination (HPV 16, 18, 6, and 11) were 17.4%, 4.3%, 4.3%, and 0%, respectively. Of note, the one patient with HPV 18 infection had received an incomplete immunization series, and one of the patients with HPV 16 had definite pre-existing cervical dysplasia before immunization. The most common HR HPV genotypes were HPV 39, 59, and 66 (17.4% each). The average number of HPV strains per patient was 2.6. Conclusions: Immunized women are not exempt from HR HPV infection. Although our data supports Gardasil ’s efficacy against HPV 16 and 18 infections, the current vaccination scheme offers only limited protection against cervical cancer. Our study clearly demonstrates that co-infection with multiple HPV strains, including combinations of both high-risk and low-risk types, is extremely common in immunized women; hence, continued careful screening by cervical cytology and/or HPV testing is critical in continuing to limit the morbidities of cervical cancer.
Quarantine Security of Bananas at Harvest Maturity Against Mediterranean and Oriental Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Hawaii

Culled bananas (dwarf ‘Brazilian’, ‘Grand Nain’, ‘Valery’, and ‘Williams’) sampled from packing houses on the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, and Oahu identified specific “faults” that were at risk from oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), infestation. Faults at risk included bunches with precociously ripened bananas, or bananas with tip rot, fused fingers, or damage that compromised skin integrity to permit fruit fly oviposition into fruit flesh. No Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), or melon fly, B. cucurbitae (Coquillett), infestations were found in culled banana samples. Field infestation tests indicated that mature green bananas were not susceptible to fruit fly infestation for up to 1 wk past the scheduled harvest date when attached to the plant or within 24 h after harvest. Recommendations for exporting mature green bananas from Hawaii without risk of fruit fly infestation are provided. The research reported herein resulted in a USDA-APHIS protocol for exporting mature green bananas from Hawaii.
Electronic and thermal transport study of sinusoidally corrugated nanowires aiming to improve thermoelectric efficiency

Improvement of thermoelectric efficiency has been very challenging in the solid-state industry due to the interplay among transport coefficients which measure the efficiency. In this work, we modulate the geometry of nanowires to interrupt thermal transport with causing only a minimal impact on electronic transport properties, thereby maximizing the thermoelectric power generation. As it is essential to scrutinize comprehensively both electronic and thermal transport behaviors for nano-scale thermoelectric devices, we investigate the Seebeck coefficient, the electrical conductance, and the thermal conductivity of sinusoidally corrugated silicon nanowires and eventually look into an enhancement of the thermoelectric figure-of-merit [Formula: see text] from the modulated nanowires over typical straight nanowires. A loss in the electronic transport coefficient is calculated with the recursive Green function along with the Landauer formalism, and the thermal transport is simulated with the molecular dynamics. In contrast to a small influence on the thermopower and the electrical conductance of the geometry-modulated nanowires, a large reduction of the thermal conductivity yields an enhancement of the efficiency by 10% to 35% from the typical nanowires. We find that this approach can be easily extended to various structures and materials as we consider the geometrical modulation as a sole source of perturbation to the system.
Disorganized attachment in infancy predicts greater amygdala volume in adulthood

Early life stress in rodents is associated with increased amygdala volume in adulthood. In humans, the amygdala develops rapidly during the first two years of life. Thus, disturbed care during this period may be particularly important to amygdala development. In the context of a 30-year longitudinal study of impoverished, highly stressed families, we assessed whether disorganization of the attachment relationship in infancy was related to amygdala volume in adulthood. Amygdala volumes were assessed among 18 low-income young adults (8M/10F, 29.33±0.49years) first observed in infancy (8.5±5.6months) and followed longitudinally to age 29. In infancy (18.58±1.02mos), both disorganized infant attachment behavior and disrupted maternal communication were assessed in the standard Strange Situation Procedure (SSP). Increased left amygdala volume in adulthood was associated with both maternal and infant components of disorganized attachment interactions at 18 months of age (overall r=0.679, p<0.004). Later stressors, including childhood maltreatment and attachment disturbance in adolescence, were not significantly related to left amygdala volume. Left amygdala volume was further associated with dissociation and limbic irritability in adulthood. Finally, left amygdala volume mediated the prediction from attachment disturbance in infancy to limbic irritability in adulthood. Results point to the likely importance of quality of early care for amygdala development in human children as well as in rodents. The long-term prediction found here suggests that the first two years of life may be an early sensitive period for amygdala development during which clinical intervention could have particularly important consequences for later child outcomes.
Study on Seat Belt Wearing among Drivers and Front-seat Passengers in Yixing in 2009

[Objective] To investigate the status and attitude of seat belt wearing among drivers and front passengers in Yixing city in 2009 after the National Road Traffic Safety Law and its Ordinance have been carried out for 5 years.[Methods]4 view points were selected in Yixing urban area,the status of seat belt wearing among drivers and front passengers on four types of vehicles,which included taxi,cars,minibus and pickup trucks,were observed at different time.[Results]In 2009,1816 vehicles and their drivers,and 661 front passengers were observed. The seat belt wearing rate and not wearing rate among drivers were 31.2% and 68.9% respectively,the seat belt wearing rate and not wearing rate among passengers were 6.1% and 93.9% respectively. After adjustment for age and types of vehicles,non-use of seat belt among drivers would increase the non-use risk of seat belt among front passengers (OR=2.19,P0.05). The perception and attitudes toward seat belt among 866 drivers and passengers showed that 83.4% of them chose always wearing,10.5% of them chose sometimes wearing,and 6.2% of them chose not wearing. The most important reason for not wearing seat belt was uncomfortable feeling. The most effective measures to increase seat belt wearing rate were heavy fines and increasing the crash reports which described lives saved by seat belts.[Conclusion]At present,the awareness of wearing seat belt among drivers and front passengers reached a certain level,but the actual wearing rate was still relatively low,then the management should be improved.
Not So Safe and Sound

Despite its historical role as a refuge for people from all over the world seeking protection and a new life, in recent years, the United States of America (U.S.) has started to roll back its human rights protections for asylum seekers. Jamil Dakwar describes how, in response to the Paris attacks and other events in Europe and the U.S., which raised alarm over the threat of terrorism, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation known as the SAFE Act that specifically targets Syrian and Iraqi refugees and excludes them from protection in the U.S. Dakwar notes how the growing Islamophobic hysteria that has characterised much of the U.S. presidential cycle is threatening to dismantle critical human rights protections and the domestic civil rights not only of foreign-born refugees seeking assistance in the U.S., but also of minority communities already living in the country. These restrictive and discriminatory immigration policies have also targeted asylum-seekers arriving in the U.S. from Central America with devastating consequences for families and young children. In explicitly denying protections for Syrian and Iraqi refugees fleeing appalling danger, this article explores how the SAFE Act violates several fundamental human rights laws and principles.
Anthropocentric by Default? Attribution of Familiar and Novel Properties to Living Things.

Humans naturally and effortlessly use a set of cognitive tools to reason about biological entities and phenomena. Two such tools, essentialist thinking and teleological thinking, appear to be early developmental cognitive defaults, used extensively in childhood and under limited circumstances in adulthood, but prone to reemerge under time pressure or cognitive load. We examine the nature of another such tool: anthropocentric thinking. In four experiments, we examined patterns of property attribution to a wide range of living and non-living objects, manipulating time pressure, response type, and property (either novel or familiar) in a total of 471 participants. Results showed no tendency toward increased similarity-based attribution patterns indicative of anthropocentric thinking under time pressure. However, anthropocentric thinking was consistently observed for unfamiliar properties. These findings suggest that anthropocentric thinking is not a developmentally persistent cognitive default, but rather a cognitive strategy deliberately employed in situations of uncertainty.
The Transition from Childhood

In the first chapter, Freud’s notion of fixation and Sullivan’s notion of an arrest of development were used rather loosely, as if they were synonymous. But, they are not. Freud formulated fixation as a partial or more or less total halt of libidinal development. For him the paradigm of fixation is sexual. Of course, other psychoanalysts who claim to belong to the Freudian school may broaden or modify this and other Freudian concepts. It is rare these days to find a masterly and undiluted explication of the essentials of Freud’s psychology such as Brenner’s. In any case, Sullivan stated that arrest of development does not imply that things have become static, and that, henceforth, the person will remain just as he was in any essential aspect as he was at the time that development was arrested. He further asserted that the conspicuous evidence of arrest and deviation of development is, at first, a delay in the “showing” of change which characterizes the statistically usual course, and later, the appearance of eccentricities of interpersonal relations. Although by no means self-evident, they are signs of the developmental experiences which have been missed or sadly distorted. But, the freedom and velocity of constructive change are said to be very markedly reduced.
Two Differences Between Interval Type-2 and Type-1 Fuzzy Logic Controllers: Adaptiveness and Novelty

Interval type-2 fuzzy logic controllers (IT2 FLCs) have been attracting great research interests recently. Many reported results have shown that IT2 FLCs are better able to handle uncertainties than their type-1 (T1) counterparts. A challenging question is: What are the fundamental differences between IT2 and T1 FLCs? Once the fundamental differences are clear, we can better understand the advantages of IT2 FLCs and hence better make use of them. This chapter explains two fundamental differences between IT2 and T1 FLCs: (1) Adaptiveness, meaning that the embedded T1 fuzzy sets used to compute the bounds of the type-reduced interval change as input changes; and, (2) Novelty, meaning that the upper and lower membership functions of the same IT2 fuzzy set may be used simultaneously in computing each bound of the type-reduced interval. T1 FLCs do not have these properties; thus, a T1 FLC cannot implement the complex control surface of an IT2 FLC given the same rulebase.