cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
WHAT ARE THE $pi$--$pi$ SCATTERING LENGTHS.

Weinberg has calculated the $\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\pi}$ scattering lengths assuming current algebra, (3, $\overline{3}$)-symmetry breaking, an expansion to first order in the squared energies $s$, $t$, $u$ and mass variables ${{q}_{i}}^{2}$, and a strong form of pion-pole dominance. We show that essentially the same scattering lengths are obtained if the strong pion-pole dominance and expansion in ${{q}_{i}}^{2}$ assumptions are replaced by a much weaker form of pion-pole dominance. Canonical lightcone and Regge-pole assumptions and techniques are used in the calculation.
Cure or curse: Does downsizing increase the likelihood of bankruptcy?

Abstract Downsizing is a common organizational practice, yet research on the outcomes of downsizing has produced mixed findings. To contribute to this debate, we use an organizational change perspective to investigate whether the large-scale changes inherent in downsizing set firms on a negative path that is difficult to overcome and ultimately increases the likelihood of bankruptcy. Additionally, we investigate what factors, if any, can mitigate this likelihood. To do so, we build on the resource-based view to suggest that valuable resources can reduce the likelihood that downsizing will lead to bankruptcy. We find support for our theorizing across a sample of publicly traded firms. Our findings suggest that downsizing firms are significantly more likely to declare bankruptcy than firms that do not engage in downsizing and that intangible resources help to mitigate this likelihood. We do not, however, find support for the role of physical and financial resources in preventing bankruptcy.
Púrpura Anafilactoide (Púrpura de Henosch-Schönlein)

La purpura anafilactoide o purpura de Henosch-Schonlein, es una enfermedad de probable oriden inmunologico que compromete varios organos y puede ocasionar falla renal cronica. Generalmente se presenta en nilos y mas raras veces en adultos. Se caracteriza por 4 grupos de sintomas: lesiones cutaneas, artralgias, sintomas gastrointestinales y compromiso renal. De todos ellos, el compromiso renal es el mas serio. El pronostico es excelnte. En la actualidad no existe tratamiento especifico.
Sideline Opinions on Intercollegiate Athletics

(1925). Sideline Opinions on Intercollegiate Athletics. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 30, No. 9, pp. 500-502.
Load’s temporal characteristics for annulling forced vibrations of linear elastic plates

Abstract We consider trapezoidal load-time pulses with linearly increasing and affinely decreasing durations equal to integer multiples of the time period of the first bending mode of vibration of a linearly elastic structure. For arbitrary spatial distributions of loads applied to monolithic and laminated orthotropic plates, it is shown through numerical solutions that plates’ vibrations become miniscule after the load is removed. This phenomenon is independent of the dwell time (i.e., the time duration between the rising and the falling portions) during which the load is kept constant. The primary reason for this response is that for such time-dependent loads, nearly all of plate’s strain energy is concentrated in deformations corresponding to the fundamental bending mode of vibration. Thus plate’s deformations can be studied by taking the mode shape of the 1st bending mode as the basis function and reducing the problem to that of solving a single second-order ordinary differential equation. We have verified this postulate by comparing strain energies computed from the 3-dimensional deformations of different plate geometries and boundary conditions with those determined by using the single degree of freedom (DoF) model. Thus for trapezoidal time-dependent loads applied on plates, the 1 DoF model provides reasonably accurate results and saves considerable computational effort.
Open Problem: First-Order Regret Bounds for Contextual Bandits

We describe two open problems related to first order regret bounds for contextual bandits. The first asks for an algorithm with a regret bound of \(O^\tilde(L^*\sqrt{K\ln N})\) where there are \(K\) actions, \(N\) policies, and \(L^*\) is the cumulative loss of the best policy. The second asks for an optimization-oracle-efficient algorithm with regret \(O^\tilde({L^*}^{2/3}poly(K,\ln(N/\delta)))\). We describe some positive results, such as an inefficient algorithm for the second problem, and some partial negative results.
Role of Sca2 and RickA in the Dissemination of Rickettsia parkeri in Amblyomma maculatum.

ABSTRACT The Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterium Rickettsia parkeri is an emerging tick-borne human pathogen. Recently, R. parkeri Sca2 and RickA have been implicated in adherence and actin-based motility in vertebrate host cell infection models; however, the rickettsia-derived factors essential to tick infection are unknown. Using R. parkeri mutants lacking functional Sca2 or RickA to compare actin polymerization, replication, and cell-to-cell spread in vitro, similar phenotypes in tick and mammalian cells were observed. Specifically, actin polymerization in cultured tick cells is controlled by the two separate proteins in a time-dependent manner. To assess the role of Sca2 and RickA in dissemination in the tick host, Rickettsia-free Amblyomma maculatum, the natural vector of R. parkeri, was exposed to wild-type, R. parkeri rickA::tn, or R. parkeri sca2::tn bacteria, and individual tick tissues, including salivary glands, midguts, ovaries, and hemolymph, were analyzed at 12 h and after continued bloodmeal acquisition for 3 or 7 days postexposure. Initially, ticks exposed to wild-type R. parkeri had the highest rickettsial load across all organs; however, rickettsial loads decreased and wild-type rickettsiae were cleared from the ovaries at 7 days postexposure. In contrast, ticks exposed to R. parkeririckA::tn or R. parkerisca2::tn had comparatively lower rickettsial loads, but bacteria persisted in all organs for 7 days. These data suggest that while RickA and Sca2 function in actin polymerization in tick cells, the absence of these proteins did not change dissemination patterns within the tick vector.
Compression of a Yb:KGW Laser with Multi-Plate and Hollow-Core Fiber Compressors

We investigate the potential of multi-plate and hollow-core fiber-based pulse compressors to generate few-cycle pulses from a moderately high energy (400 μJ) and average power (20 W) Yb:KGW laser with 280 fs input duration.
Teacher Practice and Students' Sense of Belonging

The purpose of this chapter is to examine recent research (published and unpublished) that expands our understanding of the significant role that the sense of belonging plays in learning, with a focus on aspects of teacher practice that either enhance or detract from students’ experience. Specifically, this research provides evidence that students perceived as “problematic” are less likely to experience belongingness and more likely to experience isolation or rejection by teachers and peers. These experiences, in turn, contribute to anger, directed toward self and others, further aggravating the problem. At the same time, other research illustrates that attention to students’ academic needs, as well as their personal needs and the utilization of effective teacher practices, enhances the sense of belonging and engagement in the classroom.
Outsourcing and International Labor Mobility: A Political Economy Analysis

We analyze the political economy of worker displacement, in an environment characterized by individual-specific uncertainty about the precise distributional consequences of a change in the economic environment. This change allows the displacement of high-paid Northern workers by low-paid, skilled Southern workers who were previously barred from competing with Northern workers, due to restrictions on the mobility of workers, and/or because of technological limits on the mobility of jobs. But while a policy of relative openness may be economically efficient, it may also have adverse distributional consequences. The dilemma faced by the Northern politician is that limiting the inflow of human capital might exacerbate the outflow of jobs, as firms “outsource” or “offshore” tasks that had previously been performed domestically. In particular, why does the outsourcing of service sector jobs have greater political resonance than the loss of manufacturing jobs? Why does the displacement of information technology workers seem to generate a disproportionate amount of political backlash? We trace the political implications of differences in the “vulnerability” of workers, and suggest that one answer may lie in the general-purpose nature of information technology, which allows greater mobility of workers and tasks across sectors than an improvement in sector-specific productivity.
Abstract 16946: Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived cKitLowSca1HighFlkHigh Progenitor Cells Undergo Angiomyogenic Differentiation in the Infarcted Heart and Preserve Global Heart Function

Background: We have previously established that induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells spontaneously differentiate into beating cardiomyocytes. The present study was designed to identify cardiac progenitor cell (PCs) population in iPS cells and determine their cellular and molecular characteristics and myocardial regenerative potential. Methods and Results: PCs were sorted from day-5 embryoid bodies (EBs) on flow cytometer. Surface marker analysis showed that PCs were cKit low Sca1 high Flk high besides positivity for Nkx2.5 and GATA4. When exposed to 1% hypoxia for 24 hours, PCs showed significant increase in gene expression of proangiogenic and cardiomyogenic factors like VEGF, Flt-1, Angiopoietin-1, vWF, and Nkx2.5 as compared to the cells cultured under normoxia. VEGF secretion in the conditioned medium from PCs cultured under hypoxia was 290 pg/ml ( p vs cells under normoxia, 126pg/ml) and showed enhanced in vitro angiogenic potential as determined by tube formation assay (39.8±1.9, p vs control) and cell invasion assay (220.5±1.8; p vs control) using rat aortic endothelial cells. For in vivo determination of cardiogenic potential of PCs, 20µl DMEM without cells (group1, n=6) or containing 5.0x10 5 male cKit low Sca1 high Flk high PCs labeled with PKH26 and cultured under normoxia (group2, n=8) or 1% hypoxia for 24 hours (group3, n=8) were injected intramyocardially in a female mouse model of acute coronary artery ligation. Real time PCR on day7 for Sry gene (n=4/group) showed higher survival in group-3 ( p vs group-2). Echocardiography at 4 weeks after cell transplantation, significant improvement in global heart function was observed in group-3 (LVEF =55.9%, LVFS =21%; p vs group-2). Fluorescence immunostaining of the histological sections for myogenic and endothelial cell specific markers showed cardiac differentiation and increased blood vessel density in group-3 at 40x ( p vs group-2). Conclusions: iPS cell-derived PCs comprise a multipotent precursor population capable of repopulating the infarcted heart to preserve global cardiac function.
Crisis Relocation Planning

Crisis relocation planning (CRP) was an effort to plan for the relocation of people from larger United States cities and other likely areas of attack in the event of a nuclear attack upon this country. The program was envisioned as a collaborative planning effort between the federal government, the fifty states, and some 3,000 local governments (FEMA, 1980b). But the collaboration degenerated. Some states and localities refused to participate in the planning effort, and in other instances states diverted crisis relocation planners to other planning activities. Neither the refusals to participate nor the diversions of effort were deemed substantial enough by FEMA officials to undermine the overall program. However, federal officials were faced with the problem of deciding how to respond to worrisome erosion in the partnership.
Model Checking Clinical Decision Support Systems Using SMT.

Individual clinical Knowledge Artifacts (KA) are designed to be used in Clinical Decision Support (CDS) systems at the point of care for delivery of safe, evidence-based care in modern healthcare systems. For formal authoring of a KA, syntax verification and validation is guaranteed by the grammar. However, there are no methods for semantic verification. Any semantic fallacy may lead to rejection of the outcomes by care providers. As a first step toward solving this problem, we present a framework for translating the logical segments of KAs into Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT) models. We present the effectiveness and efficiency of our work by automatically translating the logic fragment of publicly available KAs and verifying them using Z3 SMT solver.
Sociodemographic Differences in Young Children Meeting 24-Hour Movement Guidelines.

BACKGROUND Little is known about variation in meeting the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines (including physical activity [PA], sleep, and screen time [ST]) in early childhood. The aim was to evaluate sociodemographic differences in meeting the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines. METHODS Parents of 3-4 year old children reported sociodemographic information and ST. Sleep and PA were measured using accelerometry, and height and weight were objectively measured. The 24-Hour Movement Guidelines include daily PA (total PA: ≥3 h; including ≥1 h of moderate to vigorous), sleep (10-13 h), and ST (≤1 h). Meeting guidelines by age, sex, race, poverty level, and weight status were assessed using chi-square and linear regression models. RESULTS Of 107 children, 57% were white and 26% lived in households at or below the poverty level. Most children met the PA (91.5%) and sleep (86.9%) guidelines, but few met ST (14.0%) or all 3 (11.3%) guidelines. African American children and children who lived at or below the poverty level were less likely to meet the sleep, ST, and all 3 guidelines compared with others (P < .01 for all). There were no other differences. CONCLUSION These results suggest future interventions should focus on reducing differences in movement, namely in sleep and ST.
Twenty Universal Features of Excellent Engineering Documents

Aside from using the recommended document algorithms and geometries to guide the design and production of your engineering documents, I suggest that you also be aware of and incorporate (whenever useful and applicable) a set of essential features that often distinguish effective versus ineffective engineering documents. Below, I have put together a list of 20 of these hallmarks of excellence. The list is not meant to be absolute or comprehensive. I chose to highlight these 20 features based on my own practical experience as well as their alignment with and repeated appearance within the preceding chapters.
OpenArm 2.0: Automated Segmentation of 3D Tissue Structures for Multi-Subject Study of Muscle Deformation Dynamics

We present a novel neural-network-based pipeline for segmentation of 3D muscle and bone structures from localized 2D ultrasound data of the human arm. Building from the U-Net [1] neural network framework, we examine various data augmentation techniques and training data sets to both optimize the network’s performance on our data set and hypothesize strategies to better select training data, minimizing manual annotation time while maximizing performance. We then employ this pipeline to generate the OpenArm 2.0 data set, the first factorial set of multi-subject, multi-angle, multi-force scans of the arm with full volumetric annotation of the biceps and humerus. This data set has been made available on SimTK (https://simtk.org/projects/openarm) to enable future exploration of muscle force modeling, improved musculoskeletal graphics, and assistive device control.
Goals-of-Care Consultation Associated With Increased Hospice Enrollment Among Propensity-Matched Cohorts of Seriously Ill African American and White Patients.

Abstract Context African Americans are less likely to receive hospice care and more likely to receive aggressive end-of-life care than Whites. Little is known about how palliative care consultation to discuss goals-of-care (hereafter “PCC”) is associated with hospice enrollment by race. Objectives To compare enrollment in hospice at discharge between propensity-matched cohorts of African Americans with and without PCC, and Whites with and without PCC. Methods Secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study at a high-acuity hospital; employing stratified propensity-score matching for 35,154 African Americans and Whites age 18+ admitted for conditions other than childbirth or rehabilitation, who were not hospitalized at end of study, and didn’t die during index hospitalization (hospitalization during which first PCC occurred). Results Compared to African Americans without PCC, African Americans with PCC were 15 times more likely to be discharged to hospice from index hospitalization (2.4% vs. 36.5%, P Conclusion In propensity-matched cohorts of seriously ill patients, palliative care consultation to discuss goals-of-care was associated with significant increases in hospice enrollment at discharge among both African Americans and Whites. Research is needed to understand how PCC influences decision-making by race, how PCC is associated with post-discharge hospice outcomes such as disenrollment and hospice length of stay, and if PCC is associated with improving racial disparities in end-of-life care.
Protocol-Driven Surgical Care of Necrotizing Enterocolitis and Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation.

Abstract Background There is no clear consensus on the optimal operative management of premature infants with surgical necrotizing enterocolitis (sNEC) or spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP); thus, a protocol was developed to guide surgical decision making regarding initial peritoneal drainage (PD) versus initial laparotomy (LAP). We sought to evaluate outcomes after implementation of the protocol. Methods Pre-post study including multiple urban hospitals. Premature infants with sNEC/SIP were accrued after implementation of surgical protocol-directed care (June 2014-June 2019). Patients with a birth weight of Results Preprotocol and postprotocol cohorts comprise 35 and 73 patients, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in age at intervention between historical control PD (14 ± 13 d) and postprotocol PD (9 ± 4 d) groups (P = 0.01), PD patient's birth weight (716 ± 212 g versus 610 ± 141 g, P = 0.02) and estimated gestational age of LAP patients (27 ± 1.7 wk versus 31 ± 4 wk, P = 0.002). PD was definitive surgery in 27% (12 of 44) of postprotocol patients compared with 13% (3 of 23) historical controls. A trend in improved survival postprotocol occurred in all PD infants (73% versus 65%), all LAP (75% versus 70%), and for initial PD and subsequent LAP (82% versus 67%). Conclusions Utilization of a surgical protocol in sNEC/SIP is associated with improved success of PD as definitive surgery and improved survival.
Frequency and Symptomatology of Hiccups in Patients With Cancer: Using an On-Line Medical Community to Better Understand the Patient Experience.

Background:Cancer patients are at risk for hiccups, but the incidence and impact on quality of life are unclear.Methods:A survey (modified from the Functional Living Index with the inclusion of qua...
Superposition of Renewable-Energy Supply from Multiple Sites Maximizes Demand-Matching: Towards 100% Renewable Grids in 2050

Abstract When planning for the transition to 100% renewable grids, areas of high solar-insolation or wind energy are often looked at as alluring sites for installation to match a country’s hourly or total demand. Due to the intermittent nature of renewable energies that generate a supply–demand mismatch, this often required relatively large energy-storage systems. In this work, however, we show using Jordan as a case study, and through comparison to previous designs, that a single high-potential-site system is devious, and optimization of multiple sites to simultaneously feed into the grid can lead to a much higher renewable energy system (RES) fraction (>99%) even without storage systems; a result of utilizing the superposition of the varying energy-supply profiles at different sites to match the demand profile. Multi-objective optimization was performed using the global ParetoSearch algorithm, with RES and demand–supply fractions (DSF) on one hand, and the Levelized Cost of electricity on the other hand as a conflicting objective. Results showed that a hybrid solar-wind system optimized at multiple locations can supply 99% of the hourly demand in Jordan, forecasted for the year 2050 without an energy storage system (ESS). Additionally, the size of the RES without ESS is reduced by almost 16% when multiple sites were used compared to a single high potential location, with better matching of 99.33%. Even with an energy storage system, multiple locations led to a 14% reduction in the RES size and almost three folds reduction in ESS size compared to the single location approach.
Drive for thinness in adolescents predicts greater adult BMI in the Growth and Health Study cohort over 20 years.

Objective In youth, a preoccupation with weight and the desire to be thinner, or drive for thinness, might persist into adulthood and predict reward-based compulsive eating and greater weight status. Methods A total of 623 women were enrolled from a prospective cohort study starting at 10 years old and assessed up to 20 years later. Drive for thinness was measured five times during adolescence. In adulthood (mean age = 39.5), drive for thinness, reward-based eating drive, and BMI were measured. Results Structural equation modeling found cumulative adolescent drive for thinness predicted higher scores for both adult drive for thinness and reward-based eating drive. Youth drive for thinness was not directly associated with adult BMI but rather indirectly through adult drive for thinness. Reward-based eating drive was not associated with adult BMI. Conclusions Drive for thinness during the critical developmental years may exert long-term effects on adulthood eating behaviors tied to greater weight gain, potentially reflecting an important early target of intervention.
Cash Investments are Required for Restaurant Purchases

An individual considering a restaurant purchase must look at a number of major items that require financing. An initial cash investment is also necessary. The author enumerates and discusses what the buyer must have to
Relating local electric field in a ferroelectric capacitor to externally measurable voltages

The field-dependent polarization model is a commonly proposed model to describe the hysteresis loop of a ferroelectric material. The electric field in the model refers to the local field which varies with position within the ferroelectric film. However, the parameters in the field-dependent polarization are usually extracted based on the macroscopic experimentally averaged field, i.e., applied voltage divided by film thickness. In this work physical quantities such as field, potential, electric displacement and polarization inside the ferroelectric capacitor are obtained by assuming that the capacitor is wholly depleted. The resultant electric field distribution demonstrates the significant difference between the local electric field and the macroscopic average field, indicates that extension of some modeling works is necessary. For the assumption of complete depletion to be valid, a constraint is required upon the film thickness at a given value of doping. A design curve is constructed that shows the maximum allowable film thickness for typical PZT film doping levels in order for the assumption of complete depletion to be valid. The technique presented in this work provides a simple and direct way of relating the macroscopic properties of the capacitor to the actual electric field and potential distribution in the ferroelectric film, furthermore, it will serve as a basis for the C-V modeling of ferroelectric capacitors.
The isolation and characterization of an RNA helicase from nuclear extracts of HeLa cells.

An RNA helicase, isolated from nuclear extracts of HeLa cells, displaced duplex RNA in the presence of any one of the eight common nucleoside triphosphates. The unwinding reaction was supported most efficiently by ATP and GTP and poorly by dCTP and dTTP. The enzyme activity, purified 300-fold, contained two major protein bands of 80 and 55 kDa when analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. All fractions that contained RNA helicase activity also possessed single-stranded RNA-dependent nucleoside triphosphatase activity. Purified RNA helicase fractions displaced a hybrid of U4/U6 RNAs with the same efficiency as it displaced other duplex RNA structures. In contrast, the RNA helicase did not displace duplex RNA/DNA and DNA/DNA structures. Evidence is presented that suggests that this RNA helicase can displace duplex RNA by translocating in both the 3' to 5' and the 5' to 3' directions. The properties of the RNA helicase described here differ from the deaminase RNA unwinding activity described in Xenopus oocytes (Bass, B.L., and Weintraub, H. (1987) Cell 48, 607-613) and from the p68 HeLa RNA helicase (Hirling, H., Scheffner, M., Restle, T., and Stahl, H. (1989) Nature 339, 562-564).
A C++ software environment for the development of embedded signal processing systems

A new environment for the rapid development of embedded signal processing software is described. The environment encourages incremental design via modular and hierarchical structuring of applications, and additional features are included which support the prototyping, testing, implementation, and integration stages of the system design cycle. Written in C++, the environment is comprised of a scripting language for the definition of system components and a class library which includes a basic application framework. Support is provided for incorporating both numeric and symbolic signal representations, as well as integrating multiple signal processing techniques within a single application. A sophisticated control mechanism allows dynamic scheduling of signal processing operations according to algorithmically defined schema. Signal processing applications developed in this environment are themselves objects, and are suitable for embedding within a larger overall system.
General Overview: Atomistics of Environmentally-Induced Fracture.

That the mechanical behavior of solids is affected by surface and environmental conditions is now well-known and was, in fact, the subject of an earlier NATO Advanced Study Institute on Surface Effects in Crystal Plasticity.1 While the plastics properties (yield strength, work hardening rate, etc.) are sometines substantially affected by the presence of surface films, solvent environments and the like, it is the remarkable effect of environments on the fracture of solids that is of most consequence in a technological sense. Generally the latter interactions are considered to be adverse, and this is often a reputation that is well deserved. Stress corrosion cracking2,3, hydrogen embrittlement 4,, liquid metal embrittlement5,6 and other such failure phenomena take on catastrophic consequences. As engineers, we are of course typically concerned with the prevention and or control of such failures. On the other hand, we should not forget that there are entire industries based upon the fragmentation of solids: materials removal operations such as metal cutting and ceramic machining, grinding, comminution, rapid excavation of hard rock, and others. Is it possible that in these circumstances one might use controlled embrittlement to advantage in order to reduce the work of fracture or fragmentation? While this approach is not typical of current practice in industry, it seems clear that controlled embrittlement is not only feasible but may well prove technologically attractive.
The impact of grafted modification of silicone surfaces with quantum‐sized materials on protein adsorption and bacterial adhesion

The majority of the infections associated with the biomedical devices including cardiovascular implants and catheters are instigated by the adhesion of bacteria including staphylococcus aureus, which is subsequently followed by biofilm formation. Keeping in mind the detrimental effect of bacterial adhesion, the objective of the study is to probe the impact of grafted modification of silicone surfaces with quantum-sized carbon on biofilm formation. Also, explored is the effect of protein adsorption on modified surface and its subsequent influence on bacterial adhesion. We compare and contrast the architecture and foot print of protein adsorption on unmodified and modified model silicone surfaces on bacterial adhesion. The study underscores that protein adsorption on quantum-sized carbon-grafted surface acts as a repellant for bacterial adhesion because of steric repulsion between the negatively charged protein and bacteria. Thus, we establish here the efficacy of modified surfaces in preventing biofilm formation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A:100A: 3197–3204, 2012.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection and Neurologic Abnormalities: Retrospective Cohort Study:

Respiratory syncytial virus is a common cause of acute respiratory infection in children. Previous reports have associated respiratory syncytial virus infection and acute neurologic symptoms, inclu...
Mortality after emergency department thoracotomy for pediatric blunt trauma: Analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank 2007–2012

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of children who survived after emergency department thoracotomy (EDT) for blunt trauma using a national database. Methods A review of the National Trauma Data Bank was performed for years 2007–2012 to identify children Results Eighty-four children Conclusion There were no survivors after EDT for blunt trauma in the pediatric population in this national dataset. Usual indicators for EDT after blunt trauma in adults may not apply in children, and use should be discouraged without compelling evidence of a reversible cause of extremis .
Termite Behavior: Measuring the Postanoxic Consumption Rates of Landscape Mulches by Eastern Subterranean Termites.

Populations of the Eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes, are widespread throughout most of the eastern United States. Subterranean termites have the ability to survive flooding conditions by lowering their metabolism. This lesson investigates the connection between the ability of termites to lower their metabolism to survive floods and their feeding behavior. Using an incubator, Petri dishes, and different types of mulch, termite consumption can be measured and compared. These results can be analyzed with a simple statistical test to look for significance.
Physical characteristics of next-generation ureteral access sheaths: buckling and kinking.

Objective To evaluate physical characteristics of next-generation access sheaths that impact clinical failure. Methods Testing of the Cook Flexor (12/14 Fr × 35cm, Cook), ACMI UroPass (12/14 Fr × 38 cm, ACMI), Bard Aquaguide (11/13 Fr × 35 cm Bard), and Boston Scientific Navigator (11/13 Fr × 36 cm BSCI-11, 13/15 Fr × 36 cm BSCI-13) was performed on a linear motion stage driven by a stepper motor with a resolution of 5 μm per step. Force was measured at a sampling rate of 5 Hz with a Wagner FDIX digital force gauge. Friction force was measured by pulling sheaths at 2.5 mm/s through 2.78 mm (8.3 Fr) holes drilled in 36 mm thick biologic material. Buckling force was measured as the force required to compress a 25-cm length of sheath in a clamp-clamp configuration during a 30 mm move. Kinking was measured as the slope of the force-deflection curve for wall compression over a deflection of 2 mm. Results No significant difference was noted in the friction force of the Cook (1.2 N), Bard (1.3 N), BSCI-11 (1.0 N), and BSCI-13 (1.0 N). Buckling force was significantly greater for the Cook (5.1 ± 0.49 N) than the Bard (2.8 ± 0.31 N), BSCI-11 (2.0 ± 0.25 N), ACMI (3.2 ± 0.33 N), and BSCI-13 (2.9 ± 0.31 N). Kinking force was significantly lower with the Bard (9 N/mm) than the Cook (42 N/mm), BSCI-11 (41 N/mm), and BSCI-13 (30 N/mm), and significantly higher with the ACMI (83 N/mm). Conclusions The Cook Flexor sheath is most resistant to buckling forces that would predict failure to advance up the ureter. The Bard Aquaglide is most likely to kink after removal of the inner obturator, whereas the ACMI Uropass is most resistant to kinking.
Control of a Passive Mobility Assist Robot

In this paper, a control methodology for a mobility assist robot is presented. There are various types of robots that can help persons with disabilities. Among these, mobile robots can help to guide a subject from one place to the other. Broadly, the mobile guidance robots can be classified into active and passive types. From a user's safety point of view, passive mobility assist robots are more desirable than the active robots. In this paper, a two-wheeled differentially driven mobile robot with a castor wheel is considered the assistive robot. The robot is made to have passive mobility characteristics by a specific choice of control law, which creates damperlike resistive forces on the wheels. The paper describes the dynamic model, the suggested control laws to achieve the passive behavior, and proof of concept experiments on a mobile robot at the University of Delaware. From a starting position, the assistive device guides the user to the goal in two phases. In the first phase, the user is guided to reach a goal position while pushing the robot through a handle attached to it. At the end of this first phase, the robot may not have the desired orientation. In the second phase, it is assumed that the user does not apply any further pushing force while the robot corrects the heading angle. A control algorithm is suggested for each phase. In the second phase, the desired heading angle is achieved at the cost of deviations from the final position. This excursion from the goal position is minimized by the controller. This control scheme is first verified in computer simulation. Then, it is implemented on a laboratory system that simulates a person pushing the robot, and the experimental results are presented.
Impedance-controlled ultrasound probe

An actuated hand-held impedance-controlled ultrasound probe has been developed. The controller maintains a prescribed contact state (force and velocity) between the probe and a patient's body. The device will enhance the diagnostic capability of free-hand elastography and swept-force compound imaging, and also make it easier for a technician to acquire repeatable (i.e. directly comparable) images over time. The mechanical system consists of an ultrasound probe, ball-screw-driven linear actuator, and a force/torque sensor. The feedback controller commands the motor to rotate the ball-screw to translate the ultrasound probe in order to maintain a desired contact force. It was found that users of the device, with the control system engaged, maintain a constant contact force with 15 times less variation than without the controller engaged. The system was used to determine the elastic properties of soft tissue.
Waste reduction at Du Pont: Business opportunities

A Corporate Waste Minimization Committee at Du Pont has a charter to coordinate common concerns and solutions for reducing waste and to increase the awareness throughout the organization of the potential opportunities and economic benefits for minimizing waste.
AN ADDITIONAL 5'-UPSTREAM EXON EXISTS IN THE HUMAN PLEIOTROPHIN-ENCODING GENE

A 2-kb 5' fragment of hPTN (human pleiotrophin-encoding) genomic DNA was sequenced. Within this region we identified a new, upstream exon (U2). Cloning and sequencing of the PCR products of cDNAs from a human melanoma cell line revealed that a 401-bp intron was spliced out between exon U2 and a previously described untranslated exon U1. Our analysis also revealed that previously reported transcription start points (tsp) of PTN are located within exon U1.
Multiple and pairwise non‐nested tests of the influence of taxes on money demand

The minimal computational requirements of the linear embedding techniques initiated by Davidson and MacKinnon (1981) accommodate multiple and binary tests of autoregressive, non-nested regression models with different dependent variables. The small sample adjustments of Fisher and McAleer (1981) effectively reduce the size of the P-tests for our models. Our application to transactions demand for money models supports the Holmes and Smyth (1972) hypothesis that pre-tax variables are preferred to GNP in M1 money equations.
Collaborative Reference Work in the Blogosphere

Purpose – This paper explores the use of blogs as a platform for providing reference service, and discusses Lyceum, an open source software project from ibiblio.org, for this purpose.Design/methodology/approach – The following topics are explored: the evolution of libraries' uses of blogs, the advantages of conducting the reference transaction as a collaborative effort, and the use of blogs as an environment that fosters collaboration. The argument is made that blogs may be used to good effect in reference servicesFindings – It is argued that blogs may be used to good effect in reference services. Lyceum, an open source blogosphere application, is discussed as an environment for blog‐based reference service.Originality/value – To date, blogs are not being used by a library reference services, and by few online reference service unaffiliated with libraries. This paper will be useful to libraries and other reference services interested in conducting the reference transaction as a community effort.
Enzymatic analysis of uridine diphosphate N-acetyl-D-glucosamine.

Abstract The Methanococcus maripaludis MMP0352 protein belongs to an oxidoreductase family that has been proposed to catalyze the NAD+-dependent oxidation of the 3′′ position of uridine diphosphate N-acetyl- d -glucosamine (UDP–GlcNAc), forming a 3-hexulose sugar nucleotide. The heterologously expressed MMP0352 protein was purified and shown to efficiently catalyze UDP–GlcNAc oxidation, forming one NADH equivalent. This enzyme was used to develop a fixed endpoint fluorometric method to analyze UDP–GlcNAc. The enzyme is highly specific for this acetamido sugar nucleotide, and the procedure had a detection limit of 0.2 μM UDP–GlcNAc in a 1-ml sample. Using the method of standard addition, UDP–GlcNAc concentrations were measured in deproteinized extracts of Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and HeLa carcinoma cells. Equivalent concentrations were determined by both enzymatic and chromatographic analyses, validating this method. This procedure can be adapted for the high-throughput analysis of changes in cellular UDP–GlcNAc concentrations in time series experiments or inhibitor screens.
Hierarchical constraint logic programming

A constraint describes a relation to be maintained; it states what the relationship is as opposed to how to maintain it. In many applications, such as interactive graphics, planning, document formatting, and decision support, one needs to express preferences as well as strict requirements. Such constraints are sometimes called soft constraints; the required ones are called hard constraints. We allow an arbitrary number of levels of preference, each successive level being more weakly preferred than the previous one. A collection of constraints at various levels of preference is known as a constraint hierarchy. Constraint Logic Programming (CLP) is a general scheme for extending logic programming to include constraints. It is parameterized by ${\cal D},$ the domain of the constraints. However, CLP(${\cal D}$) languages, as well as most other constraint systems, only allow the programmer to specify constraints that must hold. If we wish to make full use of the constraint paradigm, we need ways to represent these defaults and preferences declaratively, as constraints, rather than encoding them in the procedural parts of the language. We describe a scheme for extending CLP(${\cal D}$) to include both required and preferential constraints. We present a theory of constraint hierarchies, and an extension, Hierarchical Constraint Logic Programming, of the CLP scheme to include constraint hierarchies. We give an operational, model theoretic and fixed-point semantics for the HCLP scheme. Finally, we describe two interpreters we have written for instances of the HCLP scheme, give example programs, and discuss related work.
ESTABLISHING A WILDLIFE RESPONSE AFTER THE ASHLAND OIL SPILL

ABSTRACT On January 2, 1988, an Ashland Oil Company storage tank in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ruptured, spilling about 750,000 gallons of No. 2 diesel fuel into the Monongahela River. This spill, the largest documented inland oil spill in history, occurred in an area that was unprepared for this kind of environmental disaster. Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Inc., was requested by state and federal authorities to establish a wildlife response plan, set up a treatment center, and train professionals and volunteers to treat contaminated wildlife. Using previously developed training packets and supplies lists, Tri-State personnel established task forces, trained volunteers in tested medical protocols, equipped a center, and began treating birds within 12 hours of their arrival at the scene. While only 5 percent of the birds affected could be retrieved, 94 percent of the birds retrieved were successfully treated, released, and subsequently monitored in the wild. This paper focuses on the need for rapid resp...
Ethnopharmacologic studies. I. Rapid solution to a problem--oral use of Heliopsis longipes--by means of a multidisciplinary approach.

Etude des proprietes chimiques d'une plante utilisee en milieu rural au Mexique pour soigner les maux de dent.
Dynamic control of optically-driven rotation of micro-particles via transferring of angular momentum of light

We report an experimental approach to transfer, and to linearly superimpose the angular momentum in various laser modes into optically-bound microscopic colloidal particles, thereby allowing a dynamic-configurable rotation of the particle assemblies via optically-manipulation.
Melting of a Two-Dimensional Colloidal Crystal Confined between Charged Plates

The melting of a two-dimensional lattice of polystyrene spheres ("polyballs") via dislocation pair unbinding is calculated according to the Kosterlitz-Thouless theory. The polyballs are suspended in a thin film of water bounded by two glass plates. In emulation of a recent experiment, the glass-water interfaces are assumed to be highly charged (σ 1014 e/cm2). The calculated density at which the lattice melts as a function of film thickness compares very well with that of the experiment.
SIDEBAND ELIMINATION AND HIGH EFFICIENCIES IN A STRONGLY TAPERED FREE-ELECTRON LASER AMPLIFIER

Abstract It is demonstrated by numerical simulation that strongly tapered free-electron laser amplifiers exhibit negligible sideband growth, consistent with the predictions of a recent analytical theory [R.P. Pilla and A. Bhattacharjee, Phys. Plasma 1 (1994) 390]. One-dimensional simulations are presented for a short-wavelength (∼10 μm) amplifier with a quadratically tapered wiggler. For pre-bunched electrons with a phase-spread in the range ( 1 3 – 1 2 ) mod 2π and thermal spread in the range (0.5–1)%, the extraction efficiency lies in the range (50–33)%.
Neighbourhood environment and the incidence of depressive symptoms among middle-aged African Americans

Aim: To investigate the association between attributes of subject location and incidence of clinically relevant levels of depressive symptoms (CRLDS), and to investigate whether an association remained after adjusting for individual-level factors using data from the population-based African American Health Study. Methods: An 11-item depression scale (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale) was obtained at baseline and 3 years later through in-home evaluations. Census tract and block group deprivation indices were obtained from the 2000 census. The external appearance of the block where the subject lived was rated during sample enumeration, and the interior and exterior of the subject’s dwelling were observed during the initial in-home interview. Results: Of 998 subjects at baseline, 21.1% had CRLDS. Although 12.7% of the 672 people without CRLDS at baseline developed them by the 3-year follow-up, univariate and propensity-adjusted analyses revealed no association between the subject’s location and the incidence of CRLDS. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings. Conclusion: Despite other studies showing independent effects of neighbourhood characteristics on the prevalence of CRLDS, attributes of subject location are not independent contributors to the incidence of CRLDS in middle-aged urban African Americans.
Polygon plate-cutting with a given order

This note is a complement to the paper by Hoeft and Palekar [1] which describes the problem of cutting polygonal shapes from large plates of metal or glass. More specifically, we focus on polynomial time solvability for a number of subproblems of the more general plate-cutting problem. A primary result of this note is the polynomial time solvability for the plate-cutting problem with a given order and convex polygons.
L-arginine potentiates GABA-mediated synaptic transmission by a nitric oxide-independent mechanism in rat dopamine neurons

Effects of L-arginine in the nervous system are often attributed to nitric oxide. Using whole-cell patch pipettes to record membrane currents in voltage-clamp from dopamine neurons in the rat midbrain slice, the present studies found that L-arginine potentiates GABA-dependent membrane currents via a nitric oxide-independent mechanism. L-Arginine (0.3-10 mM) increased the peak amplitude, half-width duration and time constant of decay of GABA(B) receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents in a concentration-dependent manner. In the presence of CGP 35348 (300 microM), a GABA(B) receptor antagonist, L-arginine also prolonged the duration of inhibitory postsynaptic currents mediated by GABA(A) receptors, but their amplitudes were reduced. L-Arginine (10 mM) also evoked 17+/-3 pA of outward current (at -60 mV) which was significantly increased in the presence of exogenous GABA (100 microM). Pressure-ejection of GABA from micropipettes produced outward currents mediated by GABA(B) receptors (recorded in bicuculline) or GABA(A) receptors (recorded in CGP 35348); both types of receptor-mediated currents were increased by L-arginine (10 mM). In contrast, outward currents evoked by baclofen, a GABA(B) receptor agonist, were not potentiated by L-arginine. The GABA transport inhibitors NO 711 (1 microM) and nipecotic acid (1 mM) significantly increased the half-width duration and time-constant of decay of GABA(B)-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents, thus mimicking effects of L-arginine. However, nitric oxide donors failed to mimic effects of L-arginine on GABA(B) inhibitory postsynaptic currents, and inhibitors of nitric oxide synthesis failed to selectively block the action of L-arginine. These findings suggest that L-arginine potentiates GABA synaptic transmission by a nitric oxide-independent mechanism. Similarities between effects of L-arginine, NO 711 and nipecotic acid suggest that L-arginine inhibits a GABA transporter.