cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Ginkgo biloba Extract Ingestion on Plasma Total Cortisol Levels during an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test in Normal Glucose Tolerant Individuals

Protracted periods of increased cortisol production, as may be seen in an acute illness, may lead to transient hyperglycemia. Increasing evidence suggests that cortisol may then mediate the development of insulin resistance and potentially lead to the development of overt diabetes. Evidence in animal studies also suggests that under conditions of stress Ginkgo biloba extract could reduce plasma cortisol production and so the primary aim of this study was to determine the effect of Ginkgo biloba extract ingestion on plasma cortisol production during an acute period of glucose challenge. Healthy non-diabetic, glucose tolerant volunteers (n = 30, (10/20, M/F); age, 45.7 ± 9.9 years old) completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study when they ingested Ginkgo biloba extract (120 mg/day as a single dose) and placebo during each 3-month arm. A standard 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was performed at the end of each cycle and blood was collected and used to measure plasma glucose, insulin, c-peptide and cortisol. Fasting plasma cortisol was significantly lower after the Ginkgo biloba cycle than the placebo cycle (326 ± 149 vs. 268 ± 121 nmol/L, respectively; p = 019). The plasma cortisol area under the curve during the 2-hour test (AUC0-2) was also significantly lower after ingestion of the Ginkgo biloba cycle compared to the placebo (668 ± 265 vs. 530 ± 213 nmol/L/h, respectively; p Ginkgo biloba extract has effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis leading to reduced basal cortisol levels and reduced cortisol production in response to acute hyperglycemic challenge.
Utilizing university research and upper-division course material for an enhanced first-year design experience

Design projects give instructors a chance to integrate lecture material into an engaging engineering experience. Students working on “real-world” design projects can see how their projects apply to life outside the classroom. There has been much talk about implementing a “cornerstone” design experience into first-year classes, but how “real-world” can a design project be for first-year engineering students without the technical background of their upper-division counterparts? Can students see the applications of their designs when their models and simulations are limited due to their skill set? At Michigan Technological University, we are investigating what happens when first-year students learn about future research opportunities and coursework from upper-division students, and how this material is related to their design project. It is hoped that students will have a greater enthusiasm for their project when they know that their knowledge will be useful in the future or when they see where their design project work could lead. In addition, it is hoped that students will have a greater understanding of the application of their own work.
Reproduction and Early Life History of Sauger, Stizostedion canadense, in Lewis and Clark Lake

Abstract Sauger (Stizostedion canadense) reproduction and early life history have been studied to determine factors affecting year-class strength in Lewis and Clark Lake, a 28,000-acre reservoir on the South Dakota-Nebraska border. Sauger spawn over a rubble substrate in the Missouri River below Fort Randall Dam. Spawning is initiated at a water temperature of 43 F and is complete in approximately 2 weeks. Maximum egg survival occurs 4 ft below minimum river water level. Eggs hatch in 21 days at an average temperature of 47 F and larvae drift down the Missouri River and into Lewis and Clark Lake. The yolk sac is absorbed in 7 to 9 days and larvae feed primarily upon Cyclops. Larger size larvae feed on Daphnia and Diaptomus. Fish are a major food after sauger reach 70 to 110 mm lengths. Adult year-class strength was inversely related to water level fluctuations over the spawning grounds. Abundance of larvae was 15 times greater in 1965 when water levels fluctuated 2.67 ft/day than in 1963 when water levels...
Mechanistic studies of two dioxygenases in the methionine salvage pathway of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Two dioxygenases (ARD and ARD‘) were cloned from Klebsiella pneumoniae that catalyze different oxidative decomposition reactions of an advanced aci-reductone intermediate, CH3SCH2CH2COCH(OH)CH(OH) (I), in the methionine salvage pathway. The two enzymes are remarkable in that they have the same polypeptide sequence but bind different metal ions (Ni2+ and Fe2+, respectively). ARD converts I to CH3SCH2CH2COOH, CO, and HCOOH. ARD‘ converts I to CH3SCH2CH2COCOOH and HCOOH. Kinetic analyses suggest that both ARD and ARD‘ have ordered sequential mechanisms. A model substrate (II), a dethio analogue of I, binds to the enzyme first as evidenced by its λmax red shift upon binding. The dianion formation from II causes the same λmax red shift, suggesting that II bind to the enzyme as a dianion. The electron-rich II dianion likely reacts with O2 to form a peroxide anion intermediate. Previous 18O2 and 14C tracer experiments established that ARD incorporates 18O2 into C1 and C3 of II and C2 is released as CO. ARD‘ inco...
Segmental demyelination in the distal peripheral nerves of chronically diabetic chinese hamsters

Distal tibial nerves of 14 chronically diabetic and 6 control Chinese hamsters were examined using ultrastructural and teased whole-mount methods. Glucosuria was present for varying intervals up to 976 days, while 10 hamsters manifested ketonuria for intervals up to 551 days. Myelin internodal ensheathment patterns were analyzed from whole-mount preparations. A normal proportional relationship existed between myelin internodal length and fiber size in the peripheral nerves from control animals. Patterns of segmental demyelination were seen in the internode length/fiber size relationships of experimental animals. These changes were manifested by increased disparity of internode lengths along individual medullated fibers as well as by a generalized decrease of internode lengths, especially along large fibers. In addition, occasional fibers were seen undergoing acute axonal (Wallerian) degeneration in teased fiber preparations of diabetic animals. Variations in severity of structural alterations correlated with the length of diabetic state and were markedly increased in some animals with ketonuria. Examinations of some proximal sciatic nerves gave indications of a marked proximo-distal gradient in the manisfestations of the structural alterations in peripheral nerve. Electron microscopic evidence of demyelinative and remyelinative phenomena could be seen in diabetic hamsters. Both light and electron microscopic changes in diabetic animals were similar to those reported in diabetic neuropathy.
Back exchange of 18O-labeled amino acids by erythrocytes: the possible role of amino acid transport.

Abstract L-amino acids containing oxygen-18 at the carboxyl moiety have been found to undergo rapid loss of the stable isotope label through exchange with water in the presence of erythrocytes. This back exchange was found to be temperature dependent, stereo-specific, and dependent on intact cells. The results suggest that an erythrocyte system catalyzes the formation of an intermediate which adds water to the labeled acid. This system has many characteristics similar to amino acid transport.
Patterns of weight change among adolescents using hormonal contraceptives

Background Adolescent females are concerned about weight changes and often cite increased weight as a reason to discontinue a method of contraception. The purpose of this study is to examine patterns of weight change in adolescent females who are continual users of either depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) or the oral contraceptive pill (OCP). Methods A chart review was done to compare weight change in 47 adolescent females receiving DMPA to 48 adolescent females taking OCP's. All subjects were between the ages of 12–20 years at initiation of contraception. Charts were selected for review from a computer generated list of all DMPA and OCP users seen in urban community-based primary care adolescent clinics. Criteria for selection was a minimum of nine months of continual use of either contraceptive. Weight changes from initiation of contraception to 3, 6, and 9 months were compared. Chi-square and T-test were used for statistical analyses. Results The mean age was 16.2 (SD = 1.9) years for DMPA, 16.2 (SD = 1.4) years for OCP; there was no difference in age by type of contraceptive used (p = 0.86). From initiation of contraception to the nine month follow-up there was no significant difference in the amount of weight gained between the two groups. DMPA users gained an average of 5.9 pounds (SD = 10.3), OCP users 5.1 pounds (SD = 8.1), (p = 0.6). Thirty-four percent of DMPA recipients and 28% of OCP users lost or had no change in weight for the nine month period (p = 0.5). There were differences, however, in the pattern of weight changes during the initial 6 months of contraceptive use. In the 3 month period following initiation of contraception, adolescents using DMPA gained 0.6 (SD = 4.4)pounds compared to 3.5 (SD = 5.6) pounds among those using OCP (p = O.O1). Three to six months after initiation of contraception, DMPA users gained 2.8 (50 = 4.9) pounds, OCP users 0.8 (SD = 6.3) pounds (p = 0.09). There were no differences in the patterns of weight change in the six to nine months after initiation of contraception. Conclusions Adolescents who remain on DMPA or OCP for at least 9 months gain between 5 and 6 pounds, however, nearly a third of both groups lose or have no change in weight. Weight changes are an important issue for adolescent females and making them aware of the patterns of weight fluctuation over time by contraceptive method may prove useful in contraceptive counseling.
Heterosynaptic Plasticity Multiple Mechanisms and Multiple Roles

Plasticity is a universal property of synapses. It is expressed in a variety of forms mediated by a multitude of mechanisms. Here we consider two broad kinds of plasticity that differ in their requirement for presynaptic activity during the induction. Homosynaptic plasticity occurs at synapses that were active during the induction. It is also called input specific or associative, and it is governed by Hebbian-type learning rules. Heterosynaptic plasticity can be induced by episodes of strong postsynaptic activity also at synapses that were not active during the induction, thus making any synapse at a cell a target to heterosynaptic changes. Both forms can be induced by typical protocols used for plasticity induction and operate on the same time scales but have differential computational properties and play different roles in learning systems. Homosynaptic plasticity mediates associative modifications of synaptic weights. Heterosynaptic plasticity counteracts runaway dynamics introduced by Hebbian-type rules and balances synaptic changes. It provides learning systems with stability and enhances synaptic competition. We conclude that homosynaptic and heterosynaptic plasticity represent complementary properties of modifiable synapses, and both are necessary for normal operation of neural systems with plastic synapses.
A study of steam methanol reforming in a microreactor

Steam reforming of methanol is investigated numerically considering both heat and mass transfer of the species in a packed bed microreactor. The numerical results are shown to be in good agreement with experimental data [M.T. Lee, R. Greif, C.P. Grigoropoulos, H.G. Park, F.K. Hsu, J. Power Sources Transport in, 166 (2007) 194–201] with a BASF F3-01(CuO/ZnO/Al2O3) catalyst. A correlation for the conversion efficiency of methanol has been obtained as a function of the operating temperature and a dimensionless time parameter which represents the ratio of the characteristic time of the methanol flow to the time for chemical reaction. The results show that for the constant wall temperature condition the steam reforming process of methanol results in a nearly uniform temperature throughout the microreactor over the range of operating conditions.
The relationship between subject headings for works of fiction and circulation in an academic library

Subject headings for individual works of fiction have appeared on LC cataloging copy from the inception of the OCLC/LC Fiction Project in 1991. This study seeks to determine whether there is any relationship between the number of subject or genre headings per fiction record and mean circulation per record. Analysis of results indicates that no statistically significant correlation exists. Recommendation for a similar analysis of data from a public library is made.
Localization of globoside and forssman glycolipids on erythrocyte membranes

Using the freeze-etch technique, the membrane localization of globoside, a principal glycolipid in human erythrocytes, and Forssman antigen, the chief glycolipid in sheep erythrocytes was evaluated using ferritin and colloidal gold as morphological markers for rabbit antibodies prepared against these glycolipids. Brief trypsinization of human red cell ghosts markedly aggregated intramembranous particles and permitted labeling of globoside, which appeared in a clustered arrangement. The aggregates of ferritin-anti-globoside differed from those of ferritin-wheat germ agglutinin, a label for glycophorin, which corresponded with the aggregates of intramembranous particles. Double-labeling of human trypsinized ghosts with anti-globoside/ Staphylococcal protein A-colloidal gold and ferritin-wheat germ agglutinin indicated that the patterns of labeling were different and that the aggregates of globoside did not bear a direct relationship to the intramembranous particles, which represent transmembrane proteins. Resealed sheep erythrocyte ghosts labeled with ferritin-conjugated rabbit anti-Forssman showed small clusters of Forssman glycolipid on the erythrocyte surface, which could be markedly aggregated with a second goat anti-rabbit antibody, indicating relative mobility of the small glycolipid domains. The distribution of ferritin-anti-Forssman label in sheep ghosts treated at pH 5.5 to aggregate intramembranous particles also did not show definite correspondence between intramembranous particles and the clusters of ferritin-anti-Forssman.
Towards a New Paradigm for Optimization

Traditional optimization procedures were mostly developed under the constraints of limited memory in computer hardware and based on the use of real variables. The most prominent example is the award winning simplex method of linear programming. It embodies the essence of point-to-point iteration based on local information of directions of feasible descent (for minimization problems). However, with the advance in inexpensive computer memory and the prevalence of combinatorial type of system optimization problems, emphasis in solution approaches begin to shifts towards set-to set iteration of narrowing down the search. In this talk we shall examine this developing paradigm for optimization and discuss progress in this field of research.
Implications of Redaktionsgeschichte for the Textual Criticism of the New Testament

prevailing extremes range from that of Riddle and Parvis, who maintain that there are no spurious readings because "every significant variant records a religious experience which brought it into being,"' to the position of Riesenfeld and Gerhardsson, who defend "the written fixation of the text at a comparatively early date."2 In recent years there has emerged a via media in which the existence of theologically motivated variation is admitted but minimized by three factors: 1) continued stress upon the recovery of the original text as the primary goal of New Testament textual criticism, 2) a modification of Riddle's statement to read, in Epp's words: "many variants reveal a religious viewpoint (and perhaps a religious 'experience') which accounts for their origin,"3' and 3) increasing recognition that the procedures of transmission represent, to quote Epp again, "a basically conservative endeavour."' Despite certain criticisms of Epp's attempt to justify the via media on specific theological grounds criticisms I shall advance shortly this brief consideration of certain implications of Redaktionsgeschichte for the textual criticism of the New Testament supports Epp's mediating position. The other major presupposition of this paper is that the redaktionsgeschichtlich approach to the study of the Gospels is valid, despite the lack of unanimity and uniformity in the contributions to this discipline to date. I should stress in advance that it is not my intention to present new evidence nor profusely to illustrate the interaction of textual and
Modeling of “Living” Free-Radical Polymerization with RAFT Chemistry

A mathematical model is developed by combining living RAFT polymerization chemistry with a tank reactor model to analyze process development and design issues. Experimental data from MMA solution polymerization in a batch reactor are compared with the model to estimate the reversible reaction rate constants in the presence of the RAFT agent. Examples of a batch reactor, a single continuous stirred tank, a series of continuous stirred tank reactors, and a semibatch reactor are presented. Simulations show that a series of continuous stirred tanks might be appropriate for controlling polymer chain architecture as well as for achieving large-scale production of polymer products of interest. Semibatch reactors have the flexibility to prepare well-controlled polymers using RAFT chemistry. Selection of an initiator with an appropriate half-life and of the initiator concentration is important for good polymer properties and negligible initiator in the final product.
A relay approach to (+)-pleuromutilin. II. preparation of an advanced optically pure intermediate☆

Abstract A four-step degradation of (+)-pleuromutilin (1a) to levorotatory lactone 5 is detailed. The conversion of 5 into (-)-bicyclic diketone 9, an intermediate containing all 20 carbon atoms of the target molecule, is also described.
Optimal franchising in oligopolistic markets with uncertain demand

Abstract If oligopolistic firms can observe and enforce retail prices upon their retailers, they may select to do so, if retailers have private information about an uncertain state of the demand. Delegating the pricing decision to the retailer, has both an advantageous effect of alleviating price competition among firms, and a disadvantageous effect of transferring surplus from the firm to its agent. The disadvantageous effect may be dominant, if the products produced by the firms are sufficiently differentiated and/or the degree of prior uncertainty about the demand is sufficiently high.
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF A CERAMIC MEMBRANE SYSTEM FOR MICROFILTRATION OF CORN STARCH HYDROLYSATE

Abstract A ceramic microfiltration membrane was used for the clarification of corn starch hydrolysate, having a dextrose equivalence of 95, to study the effect of process variables (transmembrane pressure, cross-flow velocity, and feed concentration) on permeate flux. Flux increased with increased cross-flow velocity for all transmembrane pressures and feed concentrations up to a volume concentration ratio of 100. Flux became asymptotic at pressures of 200-375kPa, indicating that microfiltration performance was limited by concentration-polarization. The optimum transmembrane pressure was higher at higher cross-flow velocities. A process model based on the resistances-in-series concept adequately described the observed variation of permeate flux with process variables such as transmembrane pressure, cross-flow velocity and feed concentration. Resistance due to concentration polarization decreased linearly with increase in cross-flow velocities for all feed concentrations, while fouling resistance increased...
Raman study of a new high pressure phase of hydrogen sulfide

Abstract Raman spectra of a new solid phase of H 2 S, stable at high pressures and low temperatures, are reported. The number of observed peaks is indicative of a smaller unit cell than phase III that exists at zero pressure and low temperature. The dependence of both molecular and lattice mode frequencies on pressure is also investigated.
Meta-analytic evidence of systematic bias in estimates of neuroleptic malignant syndrome incidence

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to examine published reports for sources of excessive variance in neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) incidence estimates. Data Sources An unrestricted computerized MEDLINE search was conducted with a comprehensive search logic and supplemented by secondary references and a manual search of an extensive personal library. Study Selection Studies were analyzed if they presented original data and provided at least 2 of the following: number of NMS cases, number of patients at risk, or ratio of cases to patients at risk. Twenty-six of the 28 candidate studies met these minimal criteria. Data Extraction Variables included incidence, year of study publication, mean year of NMS occurrence, patient population at risk, study design, diagnostic criteria, and country of origin. Data Synthesis Standard error, which reflects study size, accounted for 90.8% of the variance ( β = .953, P χ 2 = 71.08, P ≪ .001). No other variable was significantly related to incidence. Conclusions Neuroleptic malignant syndrome incidence estimates to date are non–trivially biased such that larger study size (patients at risk) is strongly related to lower observed incidence. Future studies can minimize the contribution of this and other sources of experimental error by incorporating several very feasible recommendations.
Histidine ligand variants of a flavo-diiron protein: effects on structure and activities

Flavo-diiron proteins (FDPs) contain non-heme diiron and proximal flavin mononucleotide (FMN) active sites and function as terminal components of a nitric oxide reductase (NOR) and/or a four-electron dioxygen reductase (O2R). While most FDPs show similar structural, spectroscopic, and redox properties, O2R and NOR activities vary significantly among FDPs. A potential source of this variability is the iron ligation status of a conserved His residue that provides an iron ligand in all known FDP structures but one, where this His residue is rotated away from iron and replaced by a solvent ligand. In order to test the effect of this His ligation status, we changed this ligating His residue (H90) in Thermotoga maritima (Tm) FDP to either Asn or Ala. The wild-type Tm FDP shows significantly higher O2R than NOR activity. Single crystal X-ray crystallography revealed a remarkably conserved diiron site structure in the H90N and −A variants, differing mainly by either Asn or solvent coordination, respectively, in place of H90. The steady-state activities were minimally affected by the H90 substitutions, remaining significantly higher for O2R versus NOR. The pre-steady-state kinetics of the fully reduced FDP with O2 were also minimally affected by the H90 substitutions. The results indicate that the coordination status of this His ligand does not significantly modulate the O2R or NOR activities, and that FDPs can retain these activities when the individual iron centers are differentiated by His ligand substitution. This differentiation may have implications for the O2R and NOR mechanisms of FDPs.
Using sound to classify vehicle-terrain interactions in outdoor environments

Robots that operate in complex physical environments can improve the accuracy of their perception systems by fusing data from complementary sensing modalities. Furthermore, robots capable of motion can physically interact with these environments, and then leverage the sensory information they receive from these interactions. This paper explores the use of sound data as a new type of sensing modality to classify vehicle-terrain interactions from mobile robots operating outdoors, which can complement more typical non-contact sensors that are used for terrain classification. Acoustic data from microphones was recorded on a mobile robot interacting with different types of terrains and objects in outdoor environments. This data was then labeled and used offline to train a supervised multiclass classifier that can distinguish between these interactions based on acoustic data alone. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first time that acoustics has been used to classify a variety of interactions that a vehicle can have with its environment, so part of our contribution is to survey acoustic techniques from other domains and explore their efficacy for this application. The feature extraction methods we implement are derived from this survey, which then serve as inputs to our classifier. The multiclass classifier is then built from Support Vector Machines (SVMs). The results presented show an average of 92% accuracy across all classes, which suggest strong potential for acoustics to enhance perception systems on mobile robots.
Fluidized-bed incineration of paper pellets

Abstract Co-combustion of paper pellets and propane gas has been investigated in inert fluidized-beds of silica and alumina particles in the temperature range 1055–1289 K. Forty-eight combustion runs have been conducted to establish the influence of such operating parameters as the fuel feed rate, bed temperature, superficial fluidizing gas velocity, and excess air values on carbon combustion and thermal combustion efficiencies. These combustion efficiencies have been computed on the basis of mass and energy balance relations and, in addition, require the knowledge of air and fuel feed rates together with their flue gas compositions. The quality of the bed fluidization is characterized on the basis of pressure-drop fluctuation history records which are employed to compute several statistical functions, such as standard deviation, probability density function, skewness, kurtosis, autocorrelation function, and power spectral density function. The optimum conditions for incineration have been identified, and carbon monoxide emission from the incinerator is always found to be well within the limit set by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
Analysis of laser-ranging technology for sense and avoid operation of unmanned aircraft systems: the tradeoff between resolution and power

An investigation of power and resolution for laser ranging sensors is performed in relation to sense and avoid requirements of miniature unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Laser rangefinders can be useful if not essential complements to video or other sensing modalities in a sense and avoid sensor suite, particularly when applied to miniature UAS. However, previous studies addressing sensor performance requirements for sense and avoid on UAS have largely concentrated, either explicitly or implicitly, on passive imaging techniques. These requirements are then commonly provided in terms of an angular resolution defined by a detection threshold. By means of a simple geometric model, it is assumed that an imaging system cannot distinguish an object that subtends less than a minimum number of detector pixels. But for sensors based on active ranging, such as laser rangefinders and LADAR, detection probability is coupled to the optical power of the laser transmitter. This coupling enables the sensors to achieve sub-pixel resolution, or resolution better than the instantaneous field-of-view, and to compensate for insufficient angular resolution by increasing transmitter power. Consequently, when considering sense and avoid detection requirements for laser rangefinders or LADAR, a tradeoff emerges between resolution and power, which, owing to the inherent relationship of size and weight to system resolution, translates to a tradeoff between resolution and sensor size, weight, and power. In this presentation, we investigate the existence of an optimum compromise between sensor resolution and power, concentrating on platforms with particularly challenging payload limitations.
Components of Student-Faculty Evaluation Data.

The students' perception of overall teaching performance is very strongly aligned with his feeling about the course. Cross-classified data enable the separation of the effects of the teacher, the course, and the individual student groups. All three effects are highly significant and the effect of the course is by far the most prominent. Moreover, the effect of the student group is more important than the effect of the instructor.
Quantitative and qualitative study of sural nerve biopsies in Krabbe's disease

Sural nerve biopsies from two infants with Krabbe's disease were examined morphologically, and quantitatively analyzed to obtain the density and size distribution of myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers as well as the variation in internodal lengths along the course of teased nerve fibers. When compared with age-matched control material, these sural nerves revealed a 50% reduction in density of myelinated fibers with a relative preponderance of small myelinated fibers. It was estimated that each nerve contained about 15% of the large (7–10μ) nerve fiber population found in control nerve. No reduction in the density of unmyelinated fibers was detected. Studies of teased preparations revealed an intermittent shortening of myelin internodes with resulting increased disparity of internodal lengths along individual fibers. These changes were indicative of widespread and severe demyelination and remyelination involving peripheral myelinated nerve fibers of all sizes in Krabbe's disease. No evidence of axonal or Wallerian degeneration was detected. Lipid accumulations were seen within endoneurial macrophage and within Schwann cells of myelinated fibers in both sural nerves and in the sympathetic chain removed at autopsy in case 2. The Schwann cell deposits were osmiophilic and appeared as focal collections of paranodal granules along myclinated fibers of teased preparations.
Vorticity and curvature at a free surface

For two-dimensional flow there is a simple relation between the vorticity at a stress-free surface and the surface curvature. In this note the relation is generalized to flow in three dimensions. It is shown that in addition to a component of vorticity perpendicular to the flow there is also a component parallel to the direction of flow. The latter vanishes only at an umbilical point or when the flow is in one of the two principal directions of curvature.
Quantitative Investigation of QRS Detection Rules Using the MIT/BIH Arrhythmia Database

We have investigated the quantitative effects of a number of common elements of QRS detection rules using the MIT/BIH arrhythmia database. A previously developed linear and nonlinear filtering scheme was used to provide input to the QRS detector decision section. We used the filtering to preprocess the database. This yielded a set of event vectors produced from QRS complexes and noise. After this preprocessing, we tested different decision rules on the event vectors. This step was carried out at processing speeds up to 100 times faster than real time. The role of the decision rule section is to discriminate the QRS events from the noise events. We started by optimizing a simple decision rule. Then we developed a progressively more complex decision process for QRS detection by adding new detection rules. We implemented and tested a final real-time QRS detection algorithm, using the optimized decision rule process. The resulting QRS detection algorithm has a sensitivity of 99.69 percent and positive predictivity of 99.77 percent when evaluated with the MIT/BIH arrhythmia database.
Expression of CYP19 and CYP17 Is Associated With Leg Length, Weight, and BMI

This study investigates associations between gene expressions of aromatase (CYP19), 17α hydroxylase (CYP17), and estrogen receptors α and β and anthropometric measurements in offspring of the Michigan fish eater cohort. Leg and trunk length, height, weight, and BMI and gene expression in peripheral blood cells were measured in offspring of the Michigan fish eater cohort. The parental generation was followed between 1973 and 1991, and maternal age, height, and weight data were collected. Female offspring were contacted in 2001/2002 and followed up in 2006/2007; offspring information included age, education, reproductive history, smoking, and exercise. Gene expression was standardized against 18S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (18SrRNA) and RNA polymerase II (RNA PolII) expressions. Mixed models assessed the statistical effect of gene expression on anthropometric outcomes, accounting for multiple offspring from one mother. Anthropometric measurements and gene expression were measured in 139 female offspring. The two length and the height measurements were correlated, as were BMI and weight. CYP19 expression was correlated with the other gene expressions and both estrogen receptor expressions were associated. For every 1 unit of ΔCt (18SrRNA - CYP19) or ΔCt (RNA PolII - CYP19), BMI was increased by 0.9 (P = 0.03) and 0.87 kg/m2 (P = 0.04), respectively, and weight by 2.35 kg (P = 0.03) and 2.1 kg (P = 0.03), respectively. For every 1 unit of ΔCt (18SrRNA - CYP17), leg length was increased by 0.84 cm (P = 0.04). The results suggest that CYP17 gene expression may influence growth during childhood and adolescence while CYP19 may be associated with the concurrent measures of weight and BMI.
Genetic Counselor Perceptions of Genetic Counseling Session Goals: A Validation Study of the Reciprocal-Engagement Model

Although some researchers have attempted to define genetic counseling practice goals, no study has obtained consensus about the goals from a large sample of genetic counselors. The Reciprocal-Engagement Model (REM; McCarthy Veach, Bartels & LeRoy, 2007) articulates 17 goals of genetic counseling practice. The present study investigated whether these goals could be generalized as a model of practice, as determined by a larger group of clinical genetic counselors. Accordingly, 194 genetic counselors were surveyed regarding their opinions about the importance of each goal and their perceptions of how frequently they achieve each goal. Mean importance ratings suggest they viewed every goal as important. Factor analysis of the 17 goals yielded four factors: Understanding and Appreciation, Support and Guidance, Facilitative Decision-Making, and Patient-Centered Education. Patient-Centered Education and Facilitative Decision-Making goals received the highest mean importance ratings. Mean frequency ratings were consistently lower than importance ratings, suggesting genetic counseling goals may be difficult to achieve and/or not applicable in all situations. A number of respondents provided comments about the REM goals that offer insight into factors related to implementing the goals in clinical practice. This study presents preliminary evidence concerning the validity of the goals component of the REM.
A note on the Kenyon-Remila strip-packing algorithm

We show that a modification of the Kenyon-Remila algorithm for the strip-packing problem yields an improved bound on the value of the approximate solution. As a corollary we derive that there exists a polynomial-time algorithm that always finds a solution of value OPT+O(OPTlogOPT) where OPT is the optimal value.
Improved DPIV Accuracy Using Advanced Windowing Techniques

The Fourier based cross-correlation is the most common evaluation technique for DPIV estimation, due to its computational simplicity. However, because Fourier transforms are taken over discrete finite size regions, several systematic errors are introduced due to the improper windowing of the input signals. This study explores the potential of advanced windowing techniques to attenuate these Fourier based errors. The choice of window is shown to impact the spatial resolution, the measurement accuracy, and the peak detection process. Error analysis using artificial image simulations is able to characterize a set of optimal windows onto a single performance characteristic. Using this analysis, a set of criteria is defined for an optimal window, from the 50% Gaussian window is selected. The Gaussian window is further compared against standard evaluation techniques in both shear and vortex simulations, which indicate substantial performance benefits with this advanced technique. Further simulations reveal that background noise greatly amplifies the loss of correlation errors, which affect the peak detection process for non-rectangular windows. However, these effects are easily overcome through the use of image preprocessing or the Robust Phase Correlation (RPC). Images from the 2003 PIV challenge are used to validate the Gaussian window technique, which is able to remove nearly all of the erroneous vectors in comparison to standard windows.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Advanced MR imaging of the shoulder: dedicated cartilage techniques.

* Corresponding author. E-mail address: gold@stanford.edu (G.E. Gold). Osteoarthritis is an important cause of disability in our society, affecting millions and resulting in loss of time at work and activity limitations [1– 5]. Osteoarthritis is primarily a disease of articular cartilage from injury or degeneration [6–8]. Many treatment strategies for cartilage damage have been proposed [9–11], but methods for assessment of the effectiveness of these therapies are limited to clinical evaluation and occasional opportunities for arthroscopic examination. MR imaging offers a noninvasive means of assessing the degree of damage to cartilage and adjacent bone, and effectiveness of treatment. The accepted gold standard for monitoring cartilage damage in the shoulder is arthroscopy, with high resolution and the ability to probe the cartilage surface. Arthroscopy is invasive and expensive, and allows only visual inspection of the cartilage surface for such abnormalities as color changes and fissuring. Arthroscopy also allows probing of cartilage, which involves using a small metallic probe to apply pressure on the cartilage surface to assess softening (chondromalacia). Many imaging methods are available to assess articular cartilage in the shoulder. Conventional radiography can be used to detect gross loss of cartilage, evident as narrowing of the glenohumeral distance [12], but it does not image cartilage directly. Secondary changes, such as osteophyte formation or subchondral cysts, can be seen, but conventional radiography is insensitive to early chondral damage. Arthrography, alone or com-
Sub-diaphragmatic fascia: Role in the recurrence of hiatal hernias

One of the most common causes of a failed Nissen fundoplication is disruption of the crural repair. We investigated the thickness of the subdiaphragmatic fascia overlying the right and left limb of the right crus in cadavers to determine any difference. Sub-diaphragmatic fascia specimens were obtained from three sites adjacent to the hiatus in 20 preserved cadavers. One square centimeter of fascia was excised 3 cm from the arch of the hiatus on each side and approximately 2-3 mm from the edge of the hiatal opening (labeled RL and LPL). A third sample was taken 1 cm from the arch of the hiatus on the left side (labeled LAL). The thickness of these tissues was measured. The mean tissue thickness of RL, LPL and LAL were 0.22 mm, 0.23 mm and 0.4 mm, respectively. There was no difference in tissue thickness between the lower specimens on both sides (RL vs. LPL); however, LAL was significantly thicker than both RL and LPL (P < 0.05). The thickness of the subdiaphragmatic fascia overlying the right and left limb of the right crus does not differ significantly in the region used for crus closure during antireflux surgery; however, the fascia on the left is thicker anteriorly.
Terahertz-Wave Generation in Periodic GaAs Structures

We demonstrate efficient generation of narrow-band THz-wave pulses near 2.1 THz frequency (wavelength 140 μm) - using periodic GaAs structures and quasi-phase-matched optical rectification mechanism; 110-fs, 1-μJ mid-IR pulses were used as a pump.
Detailed Acoustic Structure above the Tropopause

Abstract The general features of atmospheric acoustic structure in the lower mesosphere have been known for several decades. Initial studies were accomplished by surface observations of anomalous propagation of pressure perturbations generated by explosions. Recently the expulsion of explosive grenades from rockets has served to reduce the spatial observation parameter from many miles to the order of 10,000 ft. The material considered here is based on a resolution of the order of 1000 ft over most of the region of interest. Data are presented on speed of sound structure evaluated from wind and temperature measurements obtained from meteorological rocket system observations. The environment is assumed to be a perfect gas of molecular composition the same as dry air at the earth's surface. The seasonal course of the general mesospheric sonic gradient is discussed, illustrating a midwinter maximum of some 6 × 10−3 per second and a mid-July minimum of 1 × 10−3 per second for a sound front approaching from the...
Cross-layer memory management for managed language applications

Performance and energy efficiency in memory have become critically important for a wide range of computing domains. However, it is difficult to control and optimize memory power and performance because these effects depend upon activity across multiple layers of the vertical execution stack. To address this challenge, we construct a novel and collaborative framework that employs object placement, cross-layer communication, and page-level management to effectively distribute application objects in the DRAM hardware to achieve desired power/performance goals. In this work, we describe the design and implementation of our framework, which is the first to integrate automatic object profiling and analysis at the application layer with fine-grained management of memory hardware resources in the operating system. We demonstrate the utility of our framework by employing it to more effectively control memory power consumption. We design a custom memory-intensive workload to show the potential of our approach. Next, we develop sampling and profiling-based analyses and modify the code generator in the HotSpot VM to understand object usage patterns and automatically determine and control the placement of hot and cold objects in a partitioned VM heap. This information is communicated to the operating system, which uses it to map the logical application pages to the appropriate DRAM ranks according to user-defined provisioning goals. We evaluate our framework and find that it achieves our test goal of significant DRAM energy savings across a variety of workloads, without any source code modifications or recompilations.
On Nuclear Forces

The various types of exchange forces that are being used in current discussions of nuclear structure may all be simply expressed in terms of a formalism which attributes five coordinates to each “heavy” particle and applies the Pauli exclusion principle to all the particles in the system. The simplest assumption for the interaction law is that which implies equality of proton-proton and neutron-neutron forces and also equality with the proton-neutron forces of corresponding symmetry. This is in accord with the empirical knowledge of these interactions at present.
Quality Control Information Systems in Manufacturing:Considerations and Concerns for Management

Management of quality control has shown a shift from an inspection‐oriented approach towards a defect‐prevention and organisation‐focused planning process. The development of a quality control information system (QCIS) should focus on management, planning and control issues. This article examines the QCIS from the aspect of its implications for management in a computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) environment.
MEAT CHOICES AND COOKERY METHODS OF NEBRASKANS1

A random sample of Nebraskans was surveyed by telephone to identify the types and cuts of meats consumed and cookery methods used to prepare them. Meat was eaten at 14%, 77%, and 88% of the breakfast, noon, and evening meals, respectively. Beef was chosen most often; pork and poultry were chosen less frequently, and seafood the least frequently (42%, 23%, 22%, and <10%, respectively, of the time meat was consumed). More than one-half of the time beef was eaten, ground beef was selected. Ham was the most common cut of pork (25% of the time pork was chosen). Beef and pork were most often fried, whereas poultry was roasted about as often as fried. Nearly one-half of poultry consumers removed the skin before and one-third removed the skin after cooking. These survey data indicate that consumer education should focus on increasing lean meat choices and on low-fat meat cookery methods.
Hepatic drug delivery and gene therapy

Abstract On September 21-22, 1995, an international meeting entitled "Targeting of Novel Therapeutics to the Liver and GI Tract" was held at the Natcher Conference Center on the campus of the National Institutes of Health. The conference was sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases through the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition and Digestive Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee (DDICC). Section 440A of Public Law 94-562 in 1976 created the DDICC for the purpose of coordinating the digestive disease-related research activities of relevant federal health agencies into a coordinated program aimed at combating digestive diseases. As part of this federal effort, an assessment of the "state of the art" for targeted drug therapeutics to the liver and gene therapy was undertaken through the conference, cochaired by Dr. Mark Zern (Thomas Jefferson Medical College) and Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal (University of California, San Diego, CA). The conference was divided into four sessions: Session I was Vectors and Techniques; Session II was Liver and Metabolic Diseases; Session III was Hepatitis and GI Disease; and Session IV was Approaches for HIV Infection. This summary focuses on the new technologies and the studies directly pertaining to liver disease. Table 1 lists the techniques and their applications. Table 2 describes viral vectors that have been employed for the purpose of hepatic gene therapy. Table 3 summarizes the studies presented as posters at the conference. (Hepatology 1997 Feb;25(2):484-91)
Duration of protection of loblolly pines from Ips bark beetles by lindane.

A single application of a 05% lindane-water emulsion to standing loblolly pines gave almost complete protection from Ips beetle attacks for one year. Average lindane bark residues decreased from 67 to 12 ppm during the study. Numbers of some common secondary insects attracted to treated trees were lower than check trees. Successful attacks by some secondary insects were reduced (Cerambycidae and Buprestidae) or eliminated (Platypodidae). Treated trees showed little deterioration relative to untreated trees one year after having been cut.