cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictive simulation of human walking transitions using an optimization formulation

A general optimization formulation for transition walking prediction using 3D skeletal model is presented. The formulation is based on a previously presented one-step walking formulation (Xiang et al., Int J Numer Methods Eng 79:667---695, 2009b). Two basic transitions are studied: walk-to-stand and slow-to-fast walk. The slow-to-fast transition is used to connect slow walk to fast walk by using a step-to-step transition formulation. In addition, the speed effects on the walk-to-stand motion are investigated. The joint torques and ground reaction forces (GRF) are recovered and analyzed from the simulation. For slow-to-fast walk transition, the predicted ground reaction forces in step transition is even larger than that of the fast walk. The model shows good correlation with the experimental data for the lower extremities except for the standing ankle profile. The optimal solution of transition simulation is obtained in a few minutes by using predictive dynamics method.
Classification, Prediction, and Verification of the Regioselectivity of Fungal Polyketide Synthase Product Template Domains

The fungal iterative nonreducing polyketide synthases (NRPKSs) synthesize aromatic polyketides, many of which have important biological activities. The product template domains (PT) embedded in the multidomain NRPKSs mediate the regioselective cyclization of the highly reactive polyketide backbones and dictate the final structures of the products. Understanding the sequence-activity relationships of different PT domains is therefore an important step toward the prediction of polyketide structures from NRPKS sequences and can enable the genome mining of hundreds of cryptic NRPKSs uncovered via genome sequencing. In this work, we first performed phylogenetic analysis of PT domains from NRPKSs of known functions and showed that the PT domains can be classified into five groups, with each group corresponding to a unique product size or cyclization regioselectivity. Group V contains the formerly unverified PT domains that were identified as C6-C11 aldol cyclases. The regioselectivity of PTs from this group were verified by product-based assays using the PT domain excised from the asperthecin AptA NRPKS. When combined with dissociated PKS4 minimal PKS, or replaced the endogenous PKS4 C2-C7 PT domain in a hybrid NRPKS, AptA-PT directed the C6-C11 cyclization of the nonaketide backbone to yield a tetracyclic pyranoanthraquinone 4. Extensive NMR analysis verified that the backbone of 4 was indeed cyclized with the expected regioselectivity. The PT phylogenetic analysis was then expanded to include ∼100 PT sequences from unverified NRPKSs. Using the assays developed for AptA-PT, the regioselectivities of additional PT domains were investigated and matched to those predicted by the phylogenetic classifications.
The role of attentional breadth in perceptual change detection

Previous research has shown that changes to scenes are often surprisingly hard to detect. The research reported here investigated the relationship between individual differences in attention and change detection. We did this by assessing participantś breadth of attention in a functional field of view task (FFOV) and relating this measure to the speed with which individuals detected changes in scenes. We also examined how the salience, meaningfulness, and eccentricity of the scene changes affected perceptual change performance. In order to broaden the range of individual differences in attentional breadth, both young and old adults participated in the study. A strong negative relationship was obtained between attentional breadth and the latency with which perceptual changes were detected; observers with broader attentional windows detected changes faster. Salience and eccentricity had large effects on change detection, but meaning aided the performance of young adults only and only when changes also had low salience.
Influence of race and ethnicity on access to care among children with frequent ear infections

Abstract Objective Determine the impact of racial/ethnic disparities on access to care for children with frequent ear infections (FEI). Identify disparities to target for intervention. Study Design Cross-sectional analysis of national database. Setting Academic medical center. Subjects and Methods The National Health Interview Survey (1997 to 2006) was utilized to identify children with FEI (defined as three or more ear infections in the preceding year). Age, sex, race/ethnicity, income level, and insurance status were extracted. Access to care was measured by ability to afford medical care and prescription medications, specialist visitation, and emergency department visits. Multivariate analysis determined the influence of demographic variables on the ability to access health care resources. Results An annualized population of 4.65 ± 0.08 million children reported FEI. Overall, 3.7 percent could not afford care, 5.6 percent could not afford prescriptions, and only 25.8 percent saw a specialist. A larger percentage of the black (42.7%) and Hispanic children (34.5%) with FEI were below the poverty level, versus white children (12.4%; P P P P P Conclusion Racial/ethnic disparities among children with FEI significantly influence health care resource access and utilization. These disparities should be targeted for intervention.
Delay differential analysis of electroencephalographic data

We propose a time-domain approach to detect frequencies, frequency couplings, and phases using nonlinear correlation functions. For frequency analysis, this approach is a multivariate extension of discrete Fourier transform, and for higher-order spectra, it is a linear and multivariate alternative to multidimensional fast Fourier transform of multidimensional correlations. This method can be applied to short and sparse time series and can be extended to cross-trial and cross-channel spectra CTS for electroencephalography data where multiple short data segments from multiple trials of the same experiment are available. There are two versions of CTS. The first one assumes some phase coherency across the trials, while the second one is independent of phase coherency. We demonstrate that the phase-dependent version is more consistent with event-related spectral perturbation analysis and traditional Morlet wavelet analysis. We show that CTS can be applied to short data windows and yields higher temporal resolution than traditional Morlet wavelet analysis. Furthermore, the CTS can be used to reconstruct the event-related potential using all linear components of the CTS.
COMPARISON OF CONSTANT CURRENT AND CONSTANT VOLTAGE STIMULATORS FOR SCALP-RECORDED SOMATOSENSORY RESPONSES.

Abstract The intensity-response functions of scalp-recorded somatosensory potentials evoked by a constant current and a constant voltage stimulator were compared in the same subjects. There was little reason for preferring one stimulator over the other as results were equally reliable and indicated comparable individual differences.
Effects of Method of Presynchronization and Source of Selenium on Uterine Health and Reproduction in Dairy Cows

Abstract The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of method of presynchronization and source of supplemental Se on uterine health and reproductive performance of lactating dairy cows. Holstein cows (n=512) were assigned randomly to 2 methods of presynchronization, Presynch (2 PGF 2a given 14 d apart) or CIDR-PS (controlled internal drug releasing inserted for 7 d with an injection of PGF 2a at removal) and 2 sources of Se, sodium selenite (SS) or selenized yeast (SY) supplemented at 0.3 mg/kg from 25 d before calving to 80 d in milk (DIM) arranged in a 2×2 factorial. Cows were inseminated following the Ovsynch protocol (d 0 GnRH, d 7 PGF 2a , d 9 GnRH, timed artificial insemination (AI) 12h after the final GnRH) starting at 12 and 3 d after Presynch and CIDR-PS, respectively. Cows were diagnosed for pregnancy at 28, 42, and 56 d after AI. Source of Se did not influence uterine health and resumption of cyclicity, but fewer CIDR-PS than Presynch cows were cyclic at the beginning of the Ovsynch, although differences in the proportion cyclic may have been caused by the timing when corpus luteum evaluations were performed in the different pre-synchronization treatments. Ovulatory responses were not influenced by source of Se. However, the CIDR-PS increased ovulation to the first GnRH, double ovulation to the final GnRH, and size of ovulatory follicle at PGF 2a and final GnRH of the Ovsynch, but did not influence ovulation at the final GnRH of the Ovsynch. Concentrations of estradiol during the Ovsynch increased with follicle diameter and were greater for cows receiving CIDR-PS than Presynch, but they were not influenced by source of Se. Pregnancy per AI on d 28 (32.7%), 42 (28.5%), and 56 (25.9%) after AI, and pregnancy loss (20.5%) from 28 to 56 d were not influenced by source of Se or method of presynchronization. Although cows receiving CIDR-PS had an increased incidence of ovulation to the first GnRH (73.2 vs. 57.8%) and double ovulation to the final GnRH of the Ovsynch (18.7 vs. 9.0%), both of which enhanced pregnancy, the CIDR-PS protocol did not improve pregnancy per AI or reduce pregnancy loss compared with presynchronization with PGF 2a alone.
Modeling silicon dots fabrication using self-limiting oxidation

In this paper, an extended spherical Deal-Grove model for self-limiting oxidation to fabricate nanoscale silicon dots is presented. Stress effects on the chemical reaction rate are estimated by fluid-mechanics scale analysis and then coupled into the model to form a closed equation by assuming an incompressible oxide in the oxidation process. The model results are consistent with the reported data. It is proposed that the stress accumulation slows down the chemical reaction rate and leads to the observed self-limiting oxide growth. Deviation of the model prediction from the experiment in the initial oxidation stage is also observed and discussed.
Photodetachment of Li- from the Li 3s threshold to the Li 6s threshold.

Eigenchannel R-matrix calculations (including effects of long-range multipole interactions beyond the reaction volume) for ${\mathrm{Li}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ photodetachment partial cross sections from the vicinity of the Li 3s threshold to the Li 6s threshold (3.8 eV \ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\Elzxh}\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\le} 5.65 eV) are presented. Excellent agreement with the relative total cross section measurements of U. Berzinsh et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 4795 (1995)] in the vicinity of the Li 3s and Li 3p thresholds is found. The calculated resonance structures are analyzed in detail. In particular, the energy region between the Li 4s and Li 5p thresholds (for which there are as yet no experimental measurements) is shown to have types of doubly excited resonances which are prominent only because of the nonhydrogenic ${\mathrm{Li}}^{+}$ core; such types are weak or absent in higher-energy regions as well as in ${\mathrm{H}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ photodetachment spectra. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Knockdown of VEGF receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) impairs macrophage infiltration, angiogenesis and growth of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CRCC)

Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth and metastasis. VEGF has been shown to be a central player in this process. The biological activity of VEGF is mainly mediated by two tyrosine kinase receptors, VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2. While increasing evidence suggests that VEGF/VEGFR-1 signaling is crucial for tumor angiogenesis, its molecular mechanism is not well understood. Here we show that VEGFR-1 knockdown dramatically inhibits tumor growth. This inhibition is associated with significant decrease of tumor VEGF levels and tumor angiogenesis as well as an increased tumor necrosis. Moreover, we demonstrate that VEGF in CRCC tumors is mainly produced by tumor stromal cells instead of the tumor cells themselves. It has been shown that macrophages constitute a significant part of tumor stromal cells and produce a large amount of VEGF. We therefore examined the macrophage infiltration in the xenograft tumors. Remarkably, VEGFR-1 knockdown attenuates the tumor macrophages infiltration. To understand the mechanism, we investigated the impact of VEGFR-1 knockdown on the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), one of the main chemoattractants for macrophages. Significantly, VEGFR-1 knockdown inhibits MCP-1 expression of CRCC cells. Taken together, these data indicate that VEGF/VEGFR-1 signaling plays an essential role in initiating tumor angiogenesis by regulating MCP-1 expression, which in turn, attracts macrophages infiltration and VEGF production. Thus, these studies suggest that blockade of VEGFR-1 function may provide a tumor-specific, VEGF-based therapeutic strategy for treatment of CRCC.
Role of netrin UNC‐6 in patterning the longitudinal nerves of Caenorhabditis elegans

The nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans comprises circumferential and longitudinal axon tracts. Netrin UNC-6 is required for the guidance of circumferential axon migrations and is expressed by ventral neuroglia and neurons in temporally and spatially regulated patterns. Migrating axons mediate the UNC-6 signal through the UNC-5 and UNC-40 receptors. It is thought that UNC-6 is secreted and becomes associated with basement membranes and cell surfaces to form gradients that direct circumferentially migrating axons toward or away from the ventral UNC-6 sources. Little is known about the effects of UNC-6 on longitudinally migrating axons. In unc-6, unc-5, and unc-40 null mutants, some longitudinal nerves are dorsally or ventrally misdirected. Furthermore, the organization of axons are disrupted within nerves. We show that cells ectopically expressing UNC-6 can redirect the migrations of some neighboring longitudinal axons, suggesting that the gradients postulated to direct circumferential migration also help specify the dorsoventral positions of these longitudinal nerves. We also manipulated the temporal and spatial expression pattern of UNC-6 by two different means. First, we removed the PVT midline neuron which expresses UNC-6 for a short time during axon outgrowths. Second, we expressed UNC-6 uniformly in the nervous system throughout development. The results suggest that changing UNC-6 expression patterns modify the distribution of the cue by providing new localized sources. This new guidance information is critical for organizing the axons of longitudinal nerves.
Rapid quantitative assessment of myocardial perfusion: Spectral analysis of myocardial contrast echocardiographic images

Abstract We described a novel rapid spectral analysis technique performed on raw digital in-phase quadrature (IQ) data that quantitatively differentiated perfused from nonperfused myocardium based on the simultaneous comparison of local fundamental and harmonic frequency band intensity levels. In open-chest pigs after ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and continuous venous contrast infusion, the fundamental-to-harmonic intensity ratio (FHIR) for samples placed within the left ventricular (LV) cavity (10.8 ± 1.7 dB) and perfused myocardium (13.7 ± 1.6 dB) were significantly ( P P (J Am Soc Echocardiog 2002;15:63-8.)
Sensory convergence in the parieto-insular vestibular cortex

Vestibular signals are pervasive throughout the central nervous system, including the cortex, where they likely play different roles than they do in the better studied brainstem. Little is known about the parieto-insular vestibular cortex (PIVC), an area of the cortex with prominent vestibular inputs. Neural activity was recorded in the PIVC of rhesus macaques during combinations of head, body, and visual target rotations. Activity of many PIVC neurons was correlated with the motion of the head in space (vestibular), the twist of the neck (proprioceptive), and the motion of a visual target, but was not associated with eye movement. PIVC neurons responded most commonly to more than one stimulus, and responses to combined movements could often be approximated by a combination of the individual sensitivities to head, neck, and target motion. The pattern of visual, vestibular, and somatic sensitivities on PIVC neurons displayed a continuous range, with some cells strongly responding to one or two of the stimulus modalities while other cells responded to any type of motion equivalently. The PIVC contains multisensory convergence of self-motion cues with external visual object motion information, such that neurons do not represent a specific transformation of any one sensory input. Instead, the PIVC neuron population may define the movement of head, body, and external visual objects in space and relative to one another. This comparison of self and external movement is consistent with insular cortex functions related to monitoring and explains many disparate findings of previous studies.
Mechanisms of Interactions of the Nucleotide Cofactor with the RepA Protein of Plasmid RSF1010. Binding Dynamics Studied Using the Fluorescence Stopped-Flow Method

The dynamics of the nucleotide binding to a single, noninteracting nucleotide-binding site of the hexameric helicase RepA protein of plasmid RSF1010 has been examined, using the fluorescence stopped-flow method. The experiments have been performed with fluorescent analogues of ATP and ADP, TNP-ATP and TNP-ADP, respectively. In the presence of Mg2+, the association of the cofactors proceeds as a sequential three-step processRepA hexamer+N⇄k−1k1(H−N)1⇄k−2k2(H−N)2⇄k−3k3(H−N)3The sequential nature of the mechanism indicates the lack of significant conformational equilibria of the helicase prior to nucleotide binding. The major conformational change of the RepA helicase−nucleotide complex occurs in the formation of (H−N)2, which is characterized by a very high value of the partial equilibrium constant and large positive changes in the apparent enthalpy and entropy. Strong stabilizing interactions between subunits of the RepA hexamer contribute to the observed dynamics and energetics of the internal transitions...
Overcontrolled hostility, empathy, and egocentric balance in violent and nonviolent psychiatric offenders.

Psychiatric offenders, divided into five groups on the basis of their criminal charges (murder, assault with a deadly weapon, rape, pedophilia, nonviolent property offenses), were administered the overcontrolled hostility scale, a measure of emotional empathy as well as a self-focus sentence-completion test. Data were also obtained regarding aggressive behavior of the 115 subjects during the course of hospitalization. Contrary to predictions, none of the paper-and-pencil measures discriminated significantly between offender groups and the canonical correlation between criminal charges and scores on the personality measures was only of low moderate value. Implications of results regarding suitable measures and future research strategies are discussed.
Guns to butter: Technology-transfer strategies in the national laboratories

The military threat to national security has substantially diminished, and the need for a stronger focus on economic competitiveness for the US is becoming more pronounced every day. We must find ways to accomplish more-effective technology transfer. This paper outlines four technology-transfer strategies used by the Department of Energy's national laboratories: the passive strategy, the active strategy, the entrepreneurial strategy, and the national-competitiveness strategy. It compares these strategies in terms of organizational structure, performance measures, and staffing, and it discusses the implications of these comparisons of technology transfer. The findings contained in this paper are based on the author's interviews with technology-transfer staff and program directors at the national laboratories and on analysis of the institutional plans.
Essential fatty acids and ionic permeability of lecithin membranes

Abstract Lecithins were isolated from egg yolk, and from internal organs of fish, essential fatty acid (EFA)-deficient rats, and control rats. From each, lecithin-dicetyl phosphate liquid-crystal vesicular particles were formed in 145mM NaCl. Extraparticulate Na + was removed by dialysis, and the subsequent rate of Na + efflux from within the particles was determined at various temperatures. The “membranes” of EFA-deficient lecithin permitted a faster rate of Na + efflux at 25°C and a slower rate at 50°C than those of egg, fish, or control rat lecithins. At 37°C the rate of Na + efflux from within “membranes” of EFA-deficient rat lecithins was greater than that for the “membranes” of control rat lecithins. Activation energies for Na + efflux, as calculated from Arrhenius Plots, were 15, 11.5, 9.5, and 4.5 kcal/mole Na + for control rat, fish, egg, and EFA-deficient rat lecithin “membranes,” respectively. The percentages of linoleic (ω6) and linolenic (ω3) fatty acid families, respectively, were: control rat-43.6% and 2.3%; fish-15.5% and 39.1%; egg-30.2% and 0.6%; and EFA-deficient rat-4.5% and 1.0%. Differences in ω6 and ω3 fatty acid levels appeared to be more closely related to differences in activation energies than were differences in individual fatty acid levels.
Induction of heat-shock proteins enhances myocardial and endothelial functional recovery after prolonged cardioplegic arrest

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the role of heat-shock proteins after heat-shock stress on the postischemic recovery of cardiac mechanical and endothelial function following a prolonged cardiac arrest. Isolated working rat hearts were subjected to a cardioplegic arrest for 4 hours at 4 °C. Three groups (n = 8 in each) were studied: (1) control, (2) sham-treated, and (3) heat-shocked rats. Postischemic recovery of cardiac output and endothelial function (as percent of preischemic control values) was 57.8% ± 2.8% and 20.8% ± 3.9% in group 1, 50.9% ± 4.0% and 26.3% ± 5.9% in group 2, and 74.0% ± 2.4% and 51.2% ± 8.0% in group 3, respectively. Both postischemic myocardial and endothelial function were improved by heat stress.
Pattern analysis of electromyographic linear envelopes exhibited by subjects with uninjured and injured knees during free and fast speed walking.

We wished to determine whether anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury caused changes in patterns of activity of individual or groups of muscles that control the knee joint. The electromyographic (EMG) patterns of six muscles in 26 individuals with uninjured knees and 20 individuals with ruptured ACL were studied during free and fast speed walking. A previously developed clustering technique was used for analysis. This technique involves making the Fourier transform of the average linear envelope (LE) of each muscle for each subject and using the amplitude and phase angles of the lower frequency harmonics as features to describe a pattern. These features are then grouped to subdivide the population of EMG patterns into different types. The results of analyses on single muscles showed that there exists a typical or "normal" pattern for each muscle which most uninjured and some injured subjects exhibit as well as several atypical patterns which mostly injured subjects exhibit, and that the atypical patterns are much more evident at fast walking speed. The characteristics of atypical patterns with respect to normal include time shifts in the peak of major phases of activity, the absence of a second phase of activity, and the existence of additional phases of activity. Synergy analysis showed that if one muscle has an atypical pattern, then several do; i.e., ACL injury induces major changes in the control strategy of the knee. The implications are that for rehabilitation programs one must focus on the training and strengthening of more than one muscle, and that for reconstructive procedures the changes in mechanics of the joint can possibly induce a significant change in its control strategy.
Suicide in Indian country: the continuing epidemic in rural Native American communities

Suicide continues to be an epidemic in Indian Country, especially among young American Indians and Alaska Native (AI/AN) individuals. In Indian Country, suicide must be seen within the context of how historical and ongoing present-day trauma has impacted Native communities. The disparities in health, education, and employment opportunities, coupled with the high prevalence of violence and substance abuse, serve to both exacerbate mental health problems and disconnect Native youth from their community and culture. The combination of these stressors contributes to the alarmingly high rate of youth suicides in Indian Country. This article provides an overview of the nature of suicide in Indian Country and introduces promising practices of suicide intervention programs utilized within Indian Country. Additionally, recommendations for the future development of AI/AN suicide prevention programs are provided.
The Relationship between Perceptions of Corporate Citizenship and Organizational Commitment

The results of a survey of business professionals verified a relationship between perceptions of corporate citizenship and organizational commitment. More important, the results demonstrated that the relationship between corporate citizenship and organizational commitment was stronger among employees who believe highly in the importance of the social responsibility of businesses. The results also indicated that the ethical measure of corporate citizenship was a stronger predictor of organization commitment than the economic, legal, and discretionary measures. Last, the results revealed that the discretionary measure was more strongly associated with organizational commitment among female employees.
Fair Trade Wine: South Africa's Post-Apartheid Vineyards and the Global Economy

Abstract The history of unfair labour practices in South Africa's wine industry is as old as the sector itself, dating back to the seventeenth century. The situation, however, has begun to slowly change since the fall of Apartheid in 1994. While the South African wine industry is still largely white owned, the country's major wine production zone (the Western Cape) is now dotted with a variety of black-owned and black co-owned vineyards that are Fair Trade certified or marketing their wines as worker produced or black owned. This study explores these various arrangements (Fair Trade, worker produced, and black owned), and their connections to local and international wine markets. In particular, it explores the potential of these arrangements to create real change in labour conditions and the welfare of historically disadvantaged farm workers. In comparison to other agricultural sectors in South Africa, the wine industry is an especially interesting case because of its economic importance, growing export p...
Calidad de vida y satisfacción postquirúrgica en pacientes pediátricos operados de Pectus excavatum mediante técnica de Nuss

ABSTRACT Quality of life and postsurgical satisfaction among pediatric patients operated on for Pectus excavatum using nuss procedure Pectus excatavum is the most common congenital deformity of the anterior wall of the chest. This condition is approached surgically for cosmetic and/or functional purposes. The Nuss procedure is a minimally-invasive procedure with excellent cosmetic outcomes and is less traumatic than other techniques. This study was con-ducted to determine pediatric patients and their parents’ postoperative satisfaction and changes in quality of life after the Nuss technique. Patients and Method : A descriptive and single cohort study was performed sub-jecting patients and their parents to evaluate their quality of life and postoperative satisfaction using the Nuss and Krasopoulos questionnaires. The data was analyzed based on sample of n, median, interquartile ranges and t-student test, with p <0.05, according to paired-sample Wilcoxon test. Results: 31 patients were operated on for
Anonymous Gossip: improving multicast reliability in mobile ad-hoc networks

In recent years, a number of applications of ad-hoc networks have been proposed. Many of them are based on the availability of a robust and reliable multicast protocol. We address the issue of reliability and propose a scalable method to improve packet delivery of multicast routing protocols and decrease the variation in the number of packets received by different nodes. The proposed protocol works in two phases. In the first phase, any suitable protocol is used to multicast a message to the group, while in the second concurrent phase, the gossip protocol tries to recover lost messages. Our proposed gossip protocol is called Anonymous Gossip (AG) since nodes need not know the other group members for gossip to be successful. This is extremely desirable for mobile nodes, that have limited resources, and where the knowledge of group membership is difficult to obtain. As a first step, anonymous gossip is implemented over MAODV without much overhead and its performance is studied. Simulations show that the packet delivery of MAODV is significantly improved and the variation in number of packets delivered is decreased.
Rivermead Mobility Index: a brief review of research to date.

Objective: To determine the extent of use of the Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI) in published research and document findings relevant to the RMI in that research.Design: Literature search and document analysis.Results: Eight research articles in which the RMI was used were found. The RMI was described as reliable, correlated with other published scales, and responsive to changes over time.Conclusions: The RMI possesses characteristics desirable in a measurement scale. It warrants broader application.
Climate change and Ixodes tick-borne diseases of humans

The evidence that climate warming is changing the distribution of Ixodes ticks and the pathogens they transmit is reviewed and evaluated. The primary approaches are either phenomenological, which typically assume that climate alone limits current and future distributions, or mechanistic, asking which tick-demographic parameters are affected by specific abiotic conditions. Both approaches have promise but are severely limited when applied separately. For instance, phenomenological approaches (e.g. climate envelope models) often select abiotic variables arbitrarily and produce results that can be hard to interpret biologically. On the other hand, although laboratory studies demonstrate strict temperature and humidity thresholds for tick survival, these limits rarely apply to field situations. Similarly, no studies address the influence of abiotic conditions on more than a few life stages, transitions or demographic processes, preventing comprehensive assessments. Nevertheless, despite their divergent approaches, both mechanistic and phenomenological models suggest dramatic range expansions of Ixodes ticks and tick-borne disease as the climate warms. The predicted distributions, however, vary strongly with the models' assumptions, which are rarely tested against reasonable alternatives. These inconsistencies, limited data about key tick-demographic and climatic processes and only limited incorporation of non-climatic processes have weakened the application of this rich area of research to public health policy or actions. We urge further investigation of the influence of climate on vertebrate hosts and tick-borne pathogen dynamics. In addition, testing model assumptions and mechanisms in a range of natural contexts and comparing their relative importance as competing models in a rigorous statistical framework will significantly advance our understanding of how climate change will alter the distribution, dynamics and risk of tick-borne disease.
Analysis of Information Dissemination in Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks With Application to Cooperative Vehicle Safety Systems

Cooperative vehicle safety systems (CVSSs) rely on vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) for the delivery of critical vehicle tracking information. The wireless channel in such systems is shared by vehicles within the transmission range of each other. Due to the near-linear spatial distribution of vehicles in a highway scenario, the vehicular broadcast network is heavily affected by the hidden node interference phenomenon, which considerably limits its capacity. The performance of vehicle tracking application that is the basis for CVSS is therefore significantly affected by the performance of the underlying network. The two main parameters that affect the network condition and performance are the range and rate (frequency) of transmission of safety and tracking messages. In this paper, we analyze the effect of different choices of rate and range and present models that quantify network performance in terms of its ability to disseminate tracking information. Following a thorough analysis of the hidden node affected VANET, we show that channel occupancy or busy ratio can be used as a feedback measure that quantifies the success of information dissemination and, consequently, the CVSS, under different network conditions. These findings are used to design feedback control schemes for transmission range adaptation, which are robust to variations of road and network traffic.
Responses to the Commentaries

I am honored by and grateful for the careful, thoughtful, stimulating commentaries given by Bredo, Collins, Macbeth, and McClain. Eric Bredo’s commentary clarifies the aims and means of my effort, concludes generously that I accomplished the aims that I took on, and did not accomplish some that I might have been thought to attempt. I offer a pointer toward possible development in that direction. Doug Macbeth’s commentary presents a fundamental challenge to the program that I am trying to contribute to. Macbeth challenges the aim of explanatory hypotheses. In response, I discuss recent development of a concept of mechanistic explanation in philosophy of science, which I believe is consistent with the accounts of activity that I have proposed as well as with those provided in ethnomethodology, including Macbeth’s accounts here. Kay McClain’s commentary correctly argues that my paper neglected important functions of teachers in determining the agenda for their classrooms. I am grateful for McClain’s suggestion that the theoretical frame that I have been working to develop could provide a contribution to the field of teacher development. Allan Collins’s commentary discusses representational and metarepresentational competence, including an important issue of designing activities in which students develop both technical capabilities for representational practices and positive intellective identities.
A current steering CMOS folding amplifier

This paper presents a low power current steering CMOS folding amplifier. This folding amplifier can reduce not only the number of reference current sources, but also the power dissipation of a CMOS folding ADC. Simulation in both 5 V and 3.3 V CMOS process has demonstrated that the current steering folding amplifier can run much faster than the conventional folding amplifier at the same power consumption.
Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy is a nonlinear optical vibrational spectroscopy, which has been shown to have submonolayer surface sensitivity. It has been developed into a powerful technique to investigate molecular structures of surfaces and interfaces. This paper introduces the technique of SFG spectroscopy and discusses several important SFG applications. One of the most important advantages of SFG over many traditional surface-sensitive techniques is that SFG does not require high vacuum to operate. Therefore, it can be applied to investigate liquid surfaces and interfaces, as well as interfacial biological molecules in biologically relevant environments. The SFG applications discussed in this article are (i) simple liquid surfaces and interfaces, (ii) polymer surfaces in water and polymer/silane interfaces, and (iii) interfacial structures of peptides and proteins.
Distortion-adjusting optical elements

Distortion can be corrected in an image by placing a fourth-order aspheric optical element near the image plane. Moving the aspheric surface longitudinally changes the amount of distortion that is added by the aspheric surface without changing the paraxial image. Third-order astigmatism limits the performance of distortion correctors and may be eliminated by adding another fourth-order aspheric surface. Example elements were fabricated by diamond turning and were shown to introduce distortion without significantly degrading image quality. Three arrangements of distortion correctors are discussed: a single-element planoaspheric arrangement, an antisymmetric two-element arrangement, and a bi-aspheric arrangement in which distortion is not adjustable.
Terminal Sliding Mode Adaptive Control for Robotic Manipulators

A robust model-based adaptive control strategy is proposed for rigid manipulators subjected to unknown parameters and external disturbances. This method constructs firstly an estimated system to approximate manipulator's dynamic behavior by adaptive estimated law, and then additional part based on the terminal sliding mode is used to compensate the approximated errors and achieve robustness of the control system. Dead-zone is introduced to adaptive control law to prevent the drift of the estimated parameters. Because of its strong disturbance-rejected properties, the sliding mode control can also alleviate the drawback of dead-zone adaptive control. Simulation studies indicate a satisfactory control performance as well as strong robustness can be guaranteed by using the proposed controller.
Extracellular recordings from patterned neuronal networks using planar microelectrode arrays

Neuronal cell networks have been reconstructed on planar microelectrode arrays (NMAs) from dissociated hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Microcontact printing (pCP) and a photoresist-liftoff method were used to selectively localize poly-L-lysine (PLL) on the surface of NWAs. Haptotaxis led to the organization of the neurons into networks localized adjacent to microelectrodes. Various grids of PLL with 2-25-pm-wide lines spaced by 50-200 pm with 15-25-pm nodes at intersection points were used to guide cell body attachment and neurite outgrowth. Bursting activity with spike attenuation was observed, and multichannel recordings detected instances of coincident firing activity. Finally, we present here an extracellular recording from a -2 pm bundle of guided neurites.
Principal component analysis of 1/fα noise

Principal component analysis (PCA) is a popular data analysis method. One of the motivations for using PCA in practice is to reduce the dimension of the original data by projecting the raw data onto a few dominant eigenvectors with large variance (energy). Due to the ubiquity of 1/f α noise in science and engineering, in this Letter we study the prototypical stochastic model for 1/f α processes—the fractional Brownian motion (fBm) processes using PCA, and find that the eigenvalues from PCA of fBm processes follow a power-law, with the exponent being the key parameter defining the fBm processes. We also study random-walk-type processes constructed from DNA sequences, and find that the eigenvalue spectrum from PCA of those random-walk processes also follow power-law relations, with the exponent characterizing the correlation structures of the DNA sequence. In fact, it is observed that PCA can automatically remove linear trends induced by patchiness in the DNA sequence, hence, PCA has a similar capability to the detrended fluctuation analysis. Implications of the power-law distributed eigenvalue spectrum are discussed.  2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
SOME MOLECULAR EFFECTS IN DRAG REDUCTION: A SUMMARY†

Dilute solutions of high molecular weight polymers have drawn a great deal of interest in recent years because of their drag reducing characteristics. It is well-known now that a substantial reduction in turbulent frictional drag can be achieved with a very small amount of polymeric additives, usually only a few parts per million by weight (ppmw) in concentration. This unique phenomenon has offered a new dimension in the design development of new marine systems for higher speed, longer range, larger payload as well as possibly quieter machinery. Although the discovery of this turbulent drag reduction phenomenon may be traced back to Toms1 and Mysels2 in the 1940's, the U.S. Navy's exploration of the turbulent drag reduction effect did not begin until the pioneering effort of Hoyt and Fabula in the 1960's. 3 During a period of several years in the early 19707apos;s, an interdisciplinary group at the Naval Research Laboratory undertook an intensive basic research effort to study the effects of polymer molec...
The Offense Rate

We begin our description of the offending population with what is probably the most important parameter of all—the offense rate. Certainly the offense rate, λ, has received more attention than any other descriptor. There are a variety of reasons for this. For one, the offense rate is critical to estimates of the effects of collective incapacitation strategies. If the average value of λ for all active offenders were known, it would not be difficult to establish a minimum value for the effects of changes in the likelihood and length of incarceration on the crime rate (Cohen, 1978). And the distribution of offense rates among offenders is critical to estimates of the effects of selective incapacitation. In fact, most current selective proposals resulted more or less directly from the Philadelphia cohort study, which verified that a few offenders commit a lot of crimes (Wolfgang, Figlio, & Sellin, 1972).
Photocleavable Hydrogels for Light‐Triggered siRNA Release

A photocleavable hydrogel system for on-demand delivery of genetic material is reported. The release of short interfering RNAs can be triggered by the application of UV light without any loss in bioactivity. This approach provides a promising external stimulus-based nucleic acid delivery platform for applications in disease therapeutics and tissue regeneration.
Premedication with oral midazolam in children--an assessment of psychomotor function, anxiolysis, sedation and pharmacokinetics.

We studied 30 children, aged 4 to 12 years, undergoing elective circumcision, premedicated with midazolam 0.5 mg.kg-1 and atropine 0.02 mg.kg-1 by mouth. A modified postbox test and the coding component of the Wechsler intelligence scale (WISC-R) was used to assess the preoperative effect of premedication on psychomotor function. Mood and sedation were also scored and related to serum midazolam concentrations. The children showed a significant decline in psychomotor performance 30 and 60 minutes after premedication when compared with their best unmedicated performance recorded the previous evening. This decline in psychomotor performance was only weakly associated with serum midazolam concentrations (r = 0.1). The postbox toy ratio is a suitable measurement of psychomotor performance in children because of its simplicity and ease of use in the clinical environment, although it may suffer the "test-retest" limitations of similar types of assessment. The sedative and anxiolytic effects of midazolam provide a quiet environment for a smooth induction of anaesthesia.
Master stability islands for amplitude death in networks of delay-coupled oscillators.

This paper presents a master stability function (MSF) approach for analyzing the stability of amplitude death (AD) in networks of delay-coupled oscillators. Unlike the familiar MSFs for instantaneously coupled networks, which typically have a single input encoding for the effects of the eigenvalues of the network Laplacian matrix, for delay-coupled networks we show that such MSFs generally require two additional inputs: the time delay and the coupling strength. To utilize the MSF for determining the stability of AD of general networks for a chosen nonlinear system (node dynamics) and coupling function, we introduce the concept of master stability islands (MSIs), which are two-dimensional stability islands of the delay-coupling parameter space together with a third dimension (``altitude'') encoding for eigenvalues that result in stable AD. We numerically compute the MSFs and visualize the corresponding MSIs for several common chaotic systems including the R\"ossler, the Lorenz, and Chen's system and find that it is generally possible to achieve AD and that a nonzero time delay is necessary for the stabilization of the AD states.
PARAMETER IDENTIFICATION FOR SOME LINEAR SYSTEMS WITH FRACTIONAL BROWNIAN MOTION

Abstract A parameter identification problem is formulated and solved for a multidimensional parameter of a stochastic system where the parameter appears in the drift term of a stochastic differential equation that has the Brownian motion replaced by a fractional Brownian motion with the Hurst parameter in (1/2, 1). These latter fractional Brownian motions seem to be useful models for many physical phenomena where Brownian motion is not appropriate. A different stochastic calculus is required for these processes because they are not semimartingales. A family of estimates is given that arises from a formal application of a least squares algorithm. The strong consistency of the family of estimates is verified.
Influence of the Molting Cycle on the Aggregation Response of Trogoderma glabrum (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) Larvae to Wheat Germ Oil

Larvae of Trogoderma glabrum (Herbst) responded to wheat germ oil, a food attractant, during a relatively short period of time during the intermolt period. The response was highest immediately after a completed molt and reached a minimum just before the next molt. Larvae which were starved in individual tubes were generally much less responsive to wheat germ oil than normally fed larvae. Starved larvae which had undergone a retrogressive molt within the previous 2 days regained their responsiveness to wheat germ oil. The ideal bioassay specimens should be within 1 day of each other in age and 24 h from the previous molt. This finding has major implications for any behavioral assay for larvae of this species.
Troponin assay use in the emergency department for management of patients with potential acute coronary syndrome: current use and future directions

Troponins are proteins commonly found in cardiac tissue that are released during myocardial ischemia or necrosis. These troponins can be detected by assays that can then be used to guide clinical decision-making and disposition, especially if the suspected insult is related to acute coronary syndrome. Timing of troponin measurement can be important as elevations may not be detectible immediately after an insult. New assays have been designed to detect troponin con-centrations previously too low to be detected by conventional assays. These tests are known as high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays. Current research is aimed at evaluating the clinical sig-nificance of troponin elevations detected by these new assays especially in management of pa-tients with suspected acute coronary syndrome. A number of risk-stratification scores exist to assist physicians with evaluating chest pain in the emergency department in the context of de-tection (or absence) of troponins in systemic circulation. Additionally, investigators are working to integrate data generated by hs-cTn measurements into existing and new risk-stratification scores.