cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Freezing molecular vibrational energy flow with coherent control

Abstract In a previous report, we examined the possibility of ‘freezing’ intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) in organic molecules by using optimal coherent control. Here we describe the new methodology developed to achieve stabilization of initially excited nonstationary states. Our approach combines an approximate but full-dimensional molecular vibrational Hamiltonian, a frequency-domain wavelet representation of the electric field, a fast symplectic propagator to compute the IVR decay, and simulated annealing optimization of the electric field parameters. We find that the complexity of the vibrational wavepacket increases sufficiently slowly with time, so that with available pulse shapers, vibrational dephasing can be ‘frozen’ for 1–2 orders of magnitude in time beyond the usual IVR decay time. Slowing the IVR clock into the multi-picosecond regime may allow the natural selective reactivity (via Franck–Condon factors) of the initially excited nonstationary vibrational states to emerge.
A high-resolution electron microscopy investigation of some low-angle and twin boundary structures

Abstract A number of grain boundaries prepared from evaporated Au thin films have been investigated by high-resolution electron microscopy. The dislocation configurations have been analyzed for a number of boundary plane orientations of 10° /[110] tilt boundaries and a 16° /[100] tilt boundary. A full atomic structure determination and the arrangement of close-packed polyhedra at the interface has been deduced for the (112) interface of a growth twin in Au. Observations in low-angle GaAs bicrystals clearly reveal dislocation arrangements which depend on the boundary plane and bear a close simularity to those observed in Au.
Continuing medical education reform for competency-based education and assessment.

AbstractThe development of competency-based education and evaluation for residents and practicing physicians by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), respectively, includes the competency of practice-based learning and improvem
α2-Adrenergic Receptors: Structure, Function and Therapeutic Implications

Abstract edited by S. M. Lanier and L. E. Limbird, Harwood Academic Publishers, 1997.£55.00 (193 pages) ISBN 9 0570 2019 X
Thermal tolerance, evaporative water loss, air-water oxygen consumption and zonation of intertidal prosobranchs: a new synthesis

Duration of emergence increases with tidal height on rocky shores therefore, emergence adaptations in intertidal species such as littorine and other prosobranch gastropods have been considered correlated with zonation patterns; temperature tolerance, desiccation resistance and aerial respiration rate all commonly assumed to increase progressively with increasing zonation level. Such direct correlations are rarely observed in nature. Maximal aerial gas exchange occurs in mid-shore, not high shore species. Temperature tolerance and desiccation resistance do not increase directly with shore height. Thus, hypotheses regarding physiological correlates of zonation require revaluation. A new hypothesis is presented that the high tide mark presents a single major physiological barrier on rocky shores. Above it, snails experience prolonged emergence and extensive desiccation; below it, predictable submergence and rehydration with each tidal cycle. Thus, desiccation stress is minimal below the high tide mark and maximal above it. Therefore, species restricted below high tide (the eulittoral zone) should display markedly different adaptive strategies to emergence than those above it (the eulittoral fringe). A review of the literature indicated that adaptations in eulittoral species are dominated by those allowing maintenance of activity and foraging in air including: evaporative cooling; low thermal tolerance; elevated aerial O2 uptake rates; and high capacity for radiant heat absorption. Such adaptations exacerbate evaporative water loss. In contrast, species restricted to the eulittoral fringe display adaptive strategies that minimize desiccation and prolong survival of emergence including: foot withdrawal, preventing heat conduction from the substratum; aestivation in air; elevated thermal tolerance reducing necessity for evaporative cooling; position maintenance by cementation to the substratum and increased capacity for heat dissipation. In order to test of this hypothesis the upper thermal limits, tissue and substratum temperatures on emergence in direct sunlight and evaporative water loss and tissue temperatures on emergence in 40 °C were evaluated for specimens of six species of eulittoral and eulittoral fringe gastropods from a granite shore on Princess Royal Harbour near Albany, Western Australia. The results were consistant with adaptation to the proposed desiccation barrier at high tide. The eulittoral species, Austrocochlea constricta, Austrocochlea concamerata, Nerita atramentosa and Lepsiella vinosa, displayed adaptations dominated by maintenance of activity and foraging during emergence while the eulittoral fringe littorine species, Bembicium vittatum and Nodilittorina unifasciata displayed adaptations dominated by minization of activity and evaporative water loss during emergence. The evolution of adaptations allowing tolerance of prolonged desiccation have allowed littorine species to dominate high intertidal rocky shore gastropod faunas throughout the world’s oceans.
Uncoupling the correlates of locomotor costs: a factorial approach.

Although the metabolic cost of running has been found to vary systematically with running speed and body mass in animals, no mechanistic model of cost determination has been widely accepted. Because two suggested cost determinants—mechanical power output and the rate of force application—covary with running speed when gait (stride frequency) is unconstrained, examining the influence of each factor on cost has been problematic. We experimentally uncoupled the usual relationships between three readily manipulated cost correlates—speed, stride frequency, and mass distribution—to study the determinants of the cost of running in humans along a section of the cost response surface. Two levels of each cost correlate were used in a factorial design in which subjects ran at all eight combinations of factor levels while rate of oxygen consumption ( ), mechanical power, and contact time were measured as response variables. Contact time and mechanical power were measured from high-speed cinefilm. Mechanical power accounted for 88%, and contact time (rate of force application) 57%, of speed-related variation. Variation in cost produced by changes in stride frequency and mass distribution were largely explained by mechanical power. Contact time was not significantly correlated with overall variation in , while mechanical power output explained 80% of that variation. For the range of conditions tested, we conclude that the mechanical power derived from muscular contractions is an important determinant of the cost of running. While we have shown that the rate at which muscles shorten is not the sole determinant of the cost of running, the extent to which this factor influences cost remains unclear. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A genomewide screening of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-mutagenized mice for musculoskeletal phenotypes.

Abstract Chemical mutagenesis followed by screening for abnormal phenotypes in the mouse holds much promise as a method for revealing gene function. We describe a mouse N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis program incorporating a genomewide screen of dominant as well as recessive mutations affecting musculoskeletal disorders in C3H/HeJ mice. In a primary screen, progeny of one-generation dominant mutations (F1) and three-generation recessive (F3) mutations were screened at 10 weeks of age for musculoskeletal disorders using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometery (DEXA) and biochemical markers affecting bone metabolism, such as osteocalcin, type I collagen breakdown product, skeletal alkaline phosphatase, and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). Abnormal phenotypes were identified as ±3SD units different from baseline data collected from age- and sex-matched nonmutagenized control mice. A secondary screen at 16 weeks of age, which included peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) in addition to those parameters described in our primary screen, was used to confirm the abnormal phenotypes observed in the primary screen. The phenodeviant or outlier mice were progeny tested to determine whether their abnormality segregates bimodally in their offspring with the expected 1:1 or 1:3 Mendelian ratio, in dominant and recessive screens, respectively. With the above screening strategy, we were able to identify several mice with quantitative abnormalities in BMD, BMC, bone size, and bone metabolism. We have progeny tested and confirmed four outliers with low BMD, low bone size, and growth-related abnormality. Our results indicate that the magnitude of change in quantitative phenotypes in the ENU-mutagenized progeny was between 10 and 15%, and hence, the yield of outliers was dependent on the precision of the methods. So far, this ENU mutagenesis program has identified four outliers that can undergo positional cloning.
Identification of the sites of tau hyperphosphorylation and activation of tau kinases in synucleinopathies and Alzheimer's diseases.

ObjectiveMost neurodegenerative diseases contain hyperphosphorylated Tau [p-Tau]. We examined for the first time epitopes at which Tau is hyperphosphorylated in Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s disease, and also select Tau kinases. MethodsPostmortem frontal cortex from Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer’s disease and striata from Parkinson’s disease, were analyzed by immunoblots using commercially available antibodies against 20 different phospho-epitopes of Tau. Major Tau kinases were also screened. Results in diseased tissues were compared to nondiseased controls. ResultsIn Alzheimer’s disease, Tau was hyperphosphorylated at all the 20 epitopes of p-Tau. In dementia with Lewy bodies, p-Tau formation occurred at 6 sites sharing 30% overlap with Alzheimer’s disease, while in Parkinson’s frontal cortex, an area which does not degenerate, Tau hyperphosphorylation was seen at just 3 epitopes, indicating 15% overlap with Alzheimer’s disease. In Parkinson’s disease striatum, an area which undergoes considerable neurodegeneration, Tau was hyperphosphorylated at 10 epitopes, sharing 50% overlap with Alzheimer’s disease. Between frontal cortex of Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, there were only two p-Tau epitopes in common. In striata of Parkinson’s disease, there were 3 clusters of Tau hyperphosphorylated at 3 contiguous sites, while two such clusters were detected in dementia with Lewy bodies; such clusters disrupt axonal transport of mitochondria, cause microtubule remodeling and result in cell death. p-GSK-3β, a major Tau kinase, was activated in all brain regions examined, except in dementia with Lewy bodies. Activation of other Tau kinases was seen in all brain regions, with no clear pattern of activation. InterpretationOur studies suggest that the three neurodegenerative diseases each have a signature-specific profile of p-Tau formation which may be useful in understanding the genesis of the diseases and for the development of a panel of specific biomarkers.
Photoconductivity Spectra of Single-Carbon Nanotubes: Implications on the Nature of Their Excited States

We have measured the photoconductivity excitation spectra of individual semiconducting carbon nanotubes incorporated as the channel of field-effect transistors. In addition to the pronounced resonance that correlates with the second van Hove transition (E22) in semiconducting carbon nanotubes, a weaker sideband at about 200 meV higher energy is observed. Electronic structure calculations that include electron−phonon coupling indicate that the spectra originate from the simultaneous excitation of an exciton (main resonance) and a C−C bond stretching phonon (sideband). The spectral features are not compatible with an interband interpretation of the excitation involved.
A Scheme for Representing Cumulus Convection in Large-Scale Models

Abstract Observations of individual convective clouds reveal an extraordinary degree of inhomogeneity, with much of the vertical transport accomplished by subcloud-scale drafts. In view of these observations, a representation of moist convective transports for use in large-scale models is constructed, in which the fundamental entities are these subcloud-scale drafts rather than the clouds themselves. The transport by these small-scale drafts is idealized as follows. Air from the subcloud layer is lifted to each level i between cloud base and the level of neutral buoyancy for undilute air. A fraction (ϵi) of the condensed water is then converted to precipitation, which falls and partially or completely evaporates in an unsaturated downdraft. The remaining cloudy air is then assumed to form a uniform spectrum of mixtures with environmental air at level i; these mixtures ascend or descend according to their buoyancy. The updraft mass fluxes Mi are represented as vertical velocities determined by the amount o...
Hydrone and Water: Thunderstorms and Globe Lightning

PROF. ARMSTRONG (NATURE, Dec. 8, p. 827) humorously appeals to me and other physicists to rush in and immerse ourselves in his aqueous difficulties, where apparently he hesitates to tread. Had FitzGerald been alive he might have been a willing victim, for he was always ready to apprehend the difficulties of others and often illuminated them by a flash of genius.
On the rate loss and construction of source codes for broadcast channels

In this paper, we first define and bound the rate loss of source codes for broadcast channels. Our broadcast channel model comprises one transmitter and two receivers; the transmitter is connected to each receiver by a private channel and to both receivers by a common channel. The transmitter sends a description of source (X, Y) through these channels, receiver 1 reconstructs X with distortion D1, and receiver 2 reconstructs Y with distortion D2. Suppose the rates of the common channel and private channels 1 and 2 are R0, R1, and R2, respectively. The work of Gray and Wyner gives a complete characterization of all achievable rate triples (R0,R1,R2) given any distortion pair (D1,D2). In this paper, we define the rate loss as the gap between the achievable region and the outer bound composed by the rate-distortion functions, i.e., R0+R1+R2 ≥ RX,Y (D1,D2), R0 + R1 ≥ RX(D1), and R0 + R2 ≥ RY (D2). We upper bound the rate loss for general sources by functions of distortions and upper bound the rate loss for Gaussian sources by constants, which implies that though the outer bound is generally not achievable, it may be quite close to the achievable region. This also bounds the gap between the achievable region and the inner bound proposed by Gray and Wyner and bounds the performance penalty associated with using separate decoders rather than joint decoders. We then construct such source codes using entropy-constrained dithered quantizers. The resulting implementation has low complexity and performance close to the theoretical optimum. In particular, the gap between its performance and the theoretical optimum can be bounded from above by constants for Gaussian sources.
Disruptive Behavior Disorders in Adolescents With ASD: Comparisons to Youth With Intellectual Disability or Typical Cognitive Development

© 2015, Routledge. All rights reserved. Dual diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and behavior problems and/or mental disorders has become increasingly recognized and studied. Reported rates in samples of mixed-age youth with ASD are often above 70%, making this comorbidity more the rule than the exception. The present study compared rates of disruptive behavior disorder diagnosis in a sample of 13-year-old adolescents with ASD (n = 58), intellectual disability (ID; n = 40), or typical cognitive development (TD; n = 100). In youth without ASD, there was a high negative correlation between IQ and disruptive behavior disorders, assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC). In youth with ASD, however, the presence of a comorbid disruptive behavior disorder was unrelated to IQ, indicating that higher intelligence was not a protective factor for disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) in ASD. On four CBCL scales and two DISC scales examined, youth with ASD had significantly higher rates than TD youth, though not generally higher than youth with ID. The most commonly diagnosed comorbid disorder in the early adolescents with ASD was attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. This has implications for planning school-based interventions, particularly for high-functioning children with ASD who are more likely to be fully included in general education.
The Distance and Mass of the Galaxy Cluster Abell 1995 Derived from Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect and X-Ray Measurements

We present multiwavelength observations of the Abell 1995 galaxy cluster. From an analysis of X-ray spectroscopy and imaging data, we derive the electron temperature, cluster core radius, and central electron number density. Using optical spectroscopy of 15 cluster members, we derive an accurate cluster redshift and velocity dispersion. Finally, the interferometric imaging of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect toward Abell 1995 at 28.5 GHz provides a measure of the integrated pressure through the cluster. The X-ray and Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect observations are combined to determine the angular diameter distance to the cluster of D(sub A) = 1294(sup +294 +438, sub -283 -458) Mpc (Statistical followed by systematic uncertainty), implying a Hubble constant of H(sub 0) = 52.2(sup +11.4 +18.5, sub -11.9 -17.7) km/s.Mpc for Omega(sub M) = 0.3 and Omega(sub lambda) = 0.7. We find a best-fit H(sub 0) of 46 km/s.Mpc for the Omega(sub M) = 1 and Omega(sub lambda) = 0 cosmology, and 48 km/s.Mpc for Omega(sub M) = 0.3 and Omega(sub lambda) = 0.0. The X-ray data are also used to derive a total cluster mass of M(sup HSE, sub tot)(r(sub 500)) = 5.18(sup +0.62, sub -0.48) x 10(exp 14)/h solar mass; the optical velocity dispersion yields an independent and consistent estimate of M(sup virial, sub tot)(r(sub 500)) = 6.35(sup +1.51, sub -1.19) X 10(exp 14) /h solar mass. Both of the total mass estimates are evaluated at a fiducial radius, r(sub 500) = 830 /h kpc, where the overdensity is 500 times the critical density. The total cluster mass is then combined with gas mass measurements to determine a cluster gas mass fraction of F(sub g) = 0.056(sup +0.010, sub -0.013) /h(sup 3/2) in combination with recent baryon density constraints, the measured gas mass fraction yields an upper limit on the mass density parameter of Omega(sub M) h(sup 1/2) <= 0.34(sup +/0.06, sub 0.05.
Magnon-Magnon Interactions in Doped Antiferromagnets

There have been a series of optical experiments recently in which two magnons are created on or near an impurity in an antiferromagnet. It is shown that if at least one of these magnons is localized around the impurity, the three-body problem reduces to a series of effective two-body problems. Green's function methods have been used to calculate the line shapes for ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{++}$-doped RbMn${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$ and KMn${\mathrm{F}}_{3}$, giving good agreement with experiment.
630 FECAL CARBOHYDRATE ANALYSIS BY HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

Various techniques which assess carbohydrate (CHO) absorption are available. Determinations of stool pH and reducing substances are nonspecific, and oral CHO tolerance tests assume that gastric emptying and monosaccharide transport are normal. Breath hydrogen analysis quantitates intestinal bacterial degradation of unabsorbed CHO. We have developed a high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) technique to qualitate and quantitate unabsorbed CHO in feces. Individual dietary mono-saccharides and disaccharides can be identified. We can detect <1 mg CHO/g fresh stool. Mean recovery rates for fructose, glucose, galactose, sucrose and lactose were greater than 85% over a range of 15-70 mg CHO/g spiked stool. Only maltose demonstrated fecal degradation with 34% recovered as maltose and 50% as glucose. Four “normal” newborns less than two weeks of age had no detectable CHO in their stools. Twelve infants <1 year old with watery, acidic stools were evaluated; 7 had unabsorbed fecal CHO up to 173 mg/g stool. Six of the 12 were evaluated with CHO tolerance tests during convalescence; 3 patients with normal tolerance tests had no fecal CHO while the other 3 had flat tolerance tests and up to 15 mg CHO/g stool during the test. HPLC stool analysis identifies a variety of digestion/absorption defects. A single stool specimen is required and qualitative information is available in one hour.
FORS: a graph based design environment

Abstract This paper describes a design environment (FORS) which is based on a network representation of the design effort. Each design network consists of (a) tools which are programs distributed over the whole network, and (b) aspects which are the models to which the tools are applied. The system provides an icon based interface that is self-explanatory, allows for the dynamic reconfiguration of the design network, maintains libraries of records, tools and aspects, and attempts to develop mechanisms for collaboration between the different tools. The addition and the deletion of tools are relatively easy and the user has the ability to access information and data from old design efforts. FORS is a new approach to the design environments equally based on tools and data. It embodies some old ideas, like object-oriented representation of the tools, but simultaneously extends these and creates a modular and flexible environment. The system also addresses the problem of remote effects and some solutions are proposed. FORS is being used in the mechanical design of a car's window regulator, while implementation in the area of power systems is in progress. The final goal is further implementation of FORS in the VLSI design.
Cardiac sarcolemma of the hamster. Enrichment of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase.

Abstract Cardiac sarcolemma was prepared from normal hamsters using gentle homogenization, extraction with 0.6 M KCl and continuous density gradient centrifugation. The final fraction exhibited high (Na + + K + )-ATPase activity (24 μmol/mg per h) and contained minimal contamination from mitochondria, myofibrils and lysosomes.
Global Banking Glut and Loan Risk Premium

European global banks intermediating U.S. dollar funds are important in influencing credit conditions in the United States. U.S. dollar-denominated assets of banks outside the United States are comparable in size to the total assets of the U.S. commercial bank sector, but the large gross cross-border positions are masked by the netting out of the gross assets and liabilities. As a consequence, current account imbalances do not reflect the influence of gross capital flows on U.S. financial conditions. This paper pieces together evidence from a global flow of funds analysis, and develops a theoretical model linking global banks and U.S. loan risk premiums. The culprit for the easy credit conditions in the United States up to 2007 may have been the “Global Banking Glut” rather than the “Global Savings Glut.”
Secondary aerosol formation from the oxidation of toluene by chlorine atoms

Abstract Oxidation of toluene by chlorine atoms (Cl) was studied in a chamber. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) yields ranged from 3.0 to 7.9% for aerosol concentrations up to 12.0 μg m −3 . SOA yields from toluene/Cl reactions and model parameters related to aerosol growth depend on the initial ratio of molecular chlorine to toluene. Data from an Aerodyne quadrupole Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (Q-AMS) indicate that a small fraction of the generated aerosol mass is inorganic chloride (approximately 4%), that inorganic chloride aerosol growth ceases contemporaneously with that of SOA, and that particles are mixed internally. Analysis of Q-AMS spectra indicates predominance of species that traditionally are thought to be representative of SOA but with increased importance of aromatic/ring-retaining products. Mechanistic modeling of the toluene system indicates that final SOA products likely result from the oxidation of quinone type compounds derived via oxidation of the first-generation product benzaldehyde. Zero-dimensional calculations indicate Cl-initiated oxidation could be as important as hydroxyl-radical-initiated oxidation in SOA formation from toluene in early morning in certain coastal or industrialized areas.
What is this IEEE business? The IEEE can be more than a resume filler. Your Student Branch activities can make you a more skilled student and place you in a favorable light

When I was an undergraduate at the University of Missouri (Columbia campus), nearly 20 years ago, I recall being strongly persuaded by a certain faculty member to attend student IEEE meetings and presentations. His tactics were rather effective since he took roll at these meetings. If a sizable number of students in his class were absent, he would pop quizzes the next day. Needless to say, attendance flourished, as he managed to move some of us through the “What's this IEEE?” fog.
Unintentional Injury in Early Childhood: Its Relationship with Childcare Setting and Provider

We hypothesized that young children cared for by non-parents outside of the home are at higher odds of injury compared to children cared for by parents at home. Data were obtained from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health. Parent-reported injury prevalence within the last 12 months for 1–5 year-olds was compared for children with different childcare providers and settings. Child age, gender, race/ethnicity, special healthcare needs, residence in a Metropolitan Statistical Area, region of United States (U.S.), and measures of poverty, family structure, and parent education were considered as covariates in logistic regression models. The prevalence of injury in the U.S. for children aged 1–5 is 11.9 %. Children who attend childcare centers ≥10 h per week have a higher injury prevalence than those cared for by parents at home (13.9 vs. 10.4 % respectively, p < 0.05), but this differs by age. Among 1-year olds, the odds of injury is lower for those with care at a center compared to at home, but among 2–5 year olds, the OR is 1.37 (95 % CI 1.04, 1.80) for childcare center versus home care, after adjusting for covariates. The relationship between care at a center and unintentional injury appears stronger when no parent in the household has a high school degree. National data indicate that children aged 2–5 who attend childcare centers may be at increased odds of injury. Future population-based studies should capture the severity and context of the injury and characteristics of the childcare center to better define this relationship.
Compatibility of the biocontrol fungus Fusarium oxysporum strain CS-20 with selected fungicides

Fusarium oxysporum strain CS-20 reduces incidence of Fusarium wilt in tomato and other crops. To be integrated into most production systems, strain CS-20 must be compatible with other management practices. We assessed the compatibility of strain CS-20 with seven fungicides recommended for tomato in Maryland. Radial growth of strain CS-20 was recorded on agar medium amended with various concentrations of the fungicides. Fungicides tested did not kill strain CS-20 at the concentrations tested in the in vitro experiment. Azoxystrobin (Quadris) and chlorothalonil (Bravo) were most toxic to strain CS-20 and significantly reduced growth rate and final colony size at 10 ppm a.i. or greater concentrations compared to growth on unamended medium. Thiram (thiram) significantly reduced final colony size at 30 ppm or greater. Mefenoxam + chlorothalonil (Ridomil Gold Bravo) significantly reduced final colony size at 50 ppm or greater. Mancozeb (Manzate) and mancozeb + copper (Mankocide) reduced final colony size only at 100 ppm, while mefenoxam (Ridomil Gold) and mefenoxam + copper (Ridomil Gold Copper) did not affect growth of strain CS-20. In greenhouse tests, tomatoes were drenched with strain CS-20 at seeding and just before transplanting into field soil infested with the pathogen. Plants were treated with fungicides at the highest label rate. Mancozeb is labeled as both a seed treatment and a spray, and was applied each of these ways as separate treatments. Disease incidence of plants from seeds treated with thiram and strain CS-20 was not different from those in the pathogen only control, indicating that thiram was toxic to strain CS-20. Other fungicides toxic in vitro, were less toxic in greenhouse tests, probably because they are applied as sprays to the above-ground portions of the plant.
Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the platelet GPIIb/IIIa inhibitor tirofiban in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: implications for adjustment of tirofiban and clopidogrel dosage.

Abstract Introduction Despite extensive data supporting the use of platelet glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa (GPIIb/IIIa) inhibitors in the therapy of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), there is considerable debate as to the optimal choice of antiplatelet regimen. The objective of this study was to conduct a detailed time-resolved analysis of the effects of the GPIIb/IIIa inhibitor tirofiban with concomitant clopidogrel in ACS patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to improve the dosing regimen of these two commonly used antiplatelet drugs. Methods The study was performed in 14 patients with non-ST-segment elevation (NSTE) ACS who underwent PCI while being treated with the current typically utilized regimen of tirofiban (10 μg/kg bolus, 0.15 μg/kg/min infusion) and clopidogrel (300 mg). Platelet function was assessed before, during, and after tirofiban infusion using a panel of agonists for ADP receptors, PAR1 and PAR4 thrombin receptors, and collagen receptors. Results Measurements of circulating tirofiban levels demonstrated a trough, which paralleled a reduction in platelet inhibition for all platelet agonists during the time when PCI was being performed. Interestingly, younger ACS patients ( Conclusions This study shows that the currently utilized tirofiban dosage is suboptimal and suggests that patients may benefit from a higher dose regimen.
Calibration of spaceborne laser Altimeters-an algorithm and the site selection problem

Meeting the accuracy demand of products derived from spaceborne laser altimetry requires post-launch calibration/validation procedures. Over general surfaces, such as the ones land or ice offer, calibration methods that suite undulating topography should be applied. Whereas the estimation of calibration parameters usually refers to the derivation of an error model, the problem here extends beyond that. Not knowing in advance the offsets between the recorded and actual footprint locations implies that the offsets and the calibration parameters should be estimated jointly. In addition, concerns arise regarding the reliability and quality of the estimates, namely avoiding convergence to a false solution and avoiding estimates that are highly correlated and with a low level of accuracy. The correlation and the accuracy can indeed be estimated in retrospect, but the preference is to learn in advance what factors affect them and under what circumstances they can be optimized. This paper analyzes the calibration problem along the lines of correctness and reliable estimation and shows that the error recovery model provides ample information that can lead to a solution that is both efficient and an integral part of a calibration model. Analysis of the model shows that over natural topography relatively short sites are sufficient for achieving a reliable calibration. The paper then shows that by applying optimization criteria on the estimation, rules for predicting the quality of the solution can be derived as well as general measures for evaluating sites considered for calibration.
Measuring Transactions Costs from Observed Behavior: Market Choices in Peru

Author(s): Vakis, Renos; Sadoulet, Elisabeth; de Janvry, Alain | Abstract: Farmers incur proportional and fixed transactions costs in selling their crops on markets. Using data for Peruvian potato farmers, we propose a method to measure these transactions costs. When opportunities exist to sell a crop on alternative markets, the observed choice of market can be used to infer a monetary measure of transactions costs in market participation. The market choice model is first estimated at the reduced form level with a conditional logit, as a function of variables that explain transactions costs. We then use these market choice equations to control for selection in predicting the idiosyncratic prices that would be received on all markets and the idiosyncratic proportional transactions costs that would be incurred to reach all markets. The net between the two gives us a measure of effective farm-level prices. This allows us to estimate a semi-structural conditional logit of the market choice model. In this model, the choice of market is a function of predicted effective farm-level prices, and of market information that accounts for fixed transactions costs. We can use the estimated coefficients to derive the price equivalence of the fixed cost due to information. We find that the information on market price that farmers receive from their neighbors reduces fixed transactions costs by the equivalent of doubling the price received, and is equal to four times the average transportation cost.
Microelectromechanical Components For Articulated Microrobots

We propose to create a class of articulated micromanipulator robots with multiple degrees of freedom, workspaces on the order of a cubic millimeter, and payloads on the order of a milligram. We have created rigid links, mechanical couplings, and large-force, large-displacement micromotors. Hollow triangular beams made from rotated microhinged polysilicon plates can withstand axial loads of up to 2.3 gm. Mechanical couplings are used to rotate folded structures off the substrate with less than 2μN of force. Linear electrostatic stepper motors with an estimated force of 6.5μN at 35V and a travel of 40μm have also been demonstrated.
Analysis of Deformation of a Fireclay Refractory

Rate process theory was applied in a study of the creep behavior of a fireclay refractory (firebrick) after different heat treatments. The analysis was based on the assumption that, in the absence of phase changes, equivalent deformation substructures are produced for a given strain at constant stress independent of temperature. An activation energy of about 170 kcal/mole was determined for the flow process in a heat-treated firebrick, which corresponds closely to the value for mullite specimens. Varying but higher values obtained under different test conditions indicated that phase changes were also occurring during the creep tests. The effect of the amount and texture of the components on the creep behavior and strength of the firebrick specimens is discussed. Useful correlations based on this approach are presented, making it possible to predict creep behavior at constant or variable temperatures and also to calculate stress distributions through a wall containing a temperature gradient after a given strain is reached in a given time.
Electronic collection of inpatient and ambulatory hospital care data: national hospital care survey

The National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS) is a groundbreaking undertaking that meets the demand for timely estimates and efficient use of hospital care data by taking advantage of electronic modes of communication, collection, and dissemination. By adapting to new technologies that are available to both hospitals and government, NHCS is redefining the way agencies can collect survey data while still protecting the confidentiality of survey participants, both hospitals and patients. Creating a relationship with a base cohort of hospitals allows NHCS to make the most of future technological advances. However, challenges remain. The protection of the confidentiality of hospitals and patients is always paramount; some hospital software systems are unable to output electronic claims data in the preferred format; and some hospitals require automatic transmission of data. Nonetheless, by establishing electronic relationships with hospitals now, the National Center for Health Statistics is poised to take advantage of future technological advances, such as electronic abstraction of electronic health records for clinical data.
Regimes and scaling laws for rotating deep convection in the ocean

Numerical experiments are presented which explore the dependence of the scale and intensity of convective elements in a rotating fluid on variations in external parameters in a regime relevant to open ocean deep convection. Conditions inside a convection region are idealized by removing buoyancy at a uniform rate B from the surface of an initially homogeneous, motionless, incompressible ocean of depth H with a linear equation of state, at a latitude where the Coriolis parameter is tf. The key nondimensional parameters are the natural Rossby number Ro∗ =(B/f3H2)12 and the flux Rayleigh number Raf = BH4/(κ2ν), where κ and ν are (eddy) diffusivities of heat and momentum. Ro∗ is set to values appropriate to open ocean deep convection (0.01 < Ro∗ < 1), and moderately high values of Raf (104 < Raf < 1013) were chosen to produce flows in which nonlinear effects are significant. The experiments are in the ‘geostrophic turbulence’ regime. As Ro∗ and Raf are reduced the convective elements become increasingly quasi-two-dimensional and can be described as a field of interacting ‘hetons’. The behavior of the flow statistics—plume horizontal length scale L, speed scale U and buoyancy scale G, and the magnitude of the mean adverse density gradient measured by the stratification parameter H—are studied as a function of Ro∗ and Raf. Physically motivated scaling laws are introduced, which, when appropriate, employ geostrophic and hydrostatic contraints. They are used to interpret the experiments. In the heton regime, in which the motion is predominantly geostrophic and hydrostatic, the observed scales are sensitive to moderate variations in Ro∗ and large variations in Raf. We demonstrate broad agreement between our numerical experiments and previous laboratory studies. The lateral scale of the convective elements and the (adverse) stratification in which they exist adjust to one another so that NH/fL≈ 1; the horizontal scale of the hetons is thus controlled by a pseudo Rossby radius based on the unstable stratification parameter N, the scale at which the overturning forces associated with N are balanced by the counter-overturning forces associated with rotation.
A Computer-Controlled Ultrasound Pulser-Receiver System for Transskull Fluid Detection using a Shear Wave Transmission Technique

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a computer-controlled ultrasound pulser-receiver system incorporating a shear mode technique for transskull fluid detection. The presence of fluid in the sinuses of an ex vivo human skull was examined using a pulse-echo method by transmitting an ultrasound beam through the maxilla bone toward the back wall on the other side of the sinus cavity. The pulser was programmed to generate bipolar pulse trains with 5 cycles at a frequency of 1 MHz, repetition frequency of about 20 Hz, and amplitude of 100 V to drive a 1-MHz piezoelectric transducer. Shear and longitudinal waves in the maxilla bone were produced by adjusting the bone surface incident angle to 45deg and 0deg, respectively. Computer tomography (CT) scans of the skull were performed to verify the ultrasound experiment. Using the shear mode technique, the echo waveform clearly distinguishes the presence of fluid, and the estimated distance of the ultrasound traveled in the sinus is consistent with the measurement from the CT images. Contrarily, using the longitudinal mode, no detectable back wall echo was observed under the same conditions. As a conclusion, this study demonstrated that the proposed pulser-receiver system with the shear mode technique is promising for transskull fluid detecting, such as mucus in a sinus.
Further Evidence for the Division of Attention Among Non-contiguous Locations

Models of visual attention have, with few exceptions, suggested that attention is deployed to unitary regions of visual space. Kramer and Hahn (1995) recently reported that attention is considerably more flexible than previously believed, such that under some conditions attention may be focused on multiple non-contiguous areas of the visual field. In the five studies reported here, we examined the boundary conditions on the ability to divide attention among different locations in visual space. In each of the studies, subjects performed a same-different matching task with target letters that were presented on opposite sides of a set of distractor letters. Experiments 1, 2 and 3 provide further support for our proposal that subjects can concurrently attend to non-contiguous locations as long as new objects do not appear between the attended areas. Experiment 4 examined whether the disruption of multiple attentional foci was the result of the capture of attention by new objects per se, or by task-irrelevant ...
Influence of Steam-Flaked Sorghum Grain and Supplemental Fat on Performance of Dairy Cows in Early Lactation

Effects of sorghum grain processing and fat supplementation on milk yield and composition and nutrient digestibilities were studied. Thirty-six Holstein cows were assigned at 5 d of lactation for 91 d to treatment: 1) dry-rolled sorghum, no added fat; 2) dry-rolled sorghum plus Ca salts of long-chain fatty acids; 3) steam-flaked sorghum, no added fat; and 4) steam-flaked sorghum plus Ca salts of long-chain fatty acids. Fat increased ether extract in diets from 5.7 to 7.5% of DM. Milk yield was 4.0 kg/d (12%) higher for cows fed steam-flaked than dry-rolled sorghum. Fat tended to decrease milk yield because of lower DMI, and feed efficiencies increased 15%. Milk protein decreased .14% on dry-rolled sorghum with added fat, but only .01% on the steam-flaked diet. Milk protein yield was higher for cows fed flaked than rolled sorghum. Flaking decreased milk fat percentage, but not yield. Added fat decreased shorter chain fatty acids in milk (C4 to C14), but oleic acid increased. Flaking increased C10, C12, and C14, but decreased oleic acid. Digestibilities for DM, CP, starch, and ether extract were higher for flaked and fat-supplemented diets. Flanking of sorghum prevented the milk protein decrease reported for early lactation cows fed added fat.
Social Factors and Selective Technology Adoption: The Case of Integrated Pest Management

The adoption of most introduced technologies is limited and often partial, even when their benefits have been proven through research and experimentation. This study illustrates the extent to which farmers are selective and adaptive in their adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices for pears in California, USA. Adoption was studied in relation to five social factors: education, influence of agricultural extension, market strategy, farm diversity, and farm type (business or family). The incidence of selective adoption can have important consequences for the success or failure of agricultural technologies and should be a subject for adaptive research by social scientists.
Spiritual Well-Being, Sleep Disturbance and Mental and Physical Health Status in HIV-infected Individuals

A growing body of evidence demonstrates a significant relationship between spirituality and health. HIV-infected individuals often find new meaning and purpose for their lives while establishing new connections and strengthening old ones. This descriptive, correlational study examined the relationships among spiritual well-being, sleep quality, and health status in 107 HIV-infected men and women. Spiritual well-being was found to be a significant factor related to both sleep quality and mental and physical health status. Every study participant reported sleep disturbance. The findings suggest that spiritual well-being and sleep quality need to be assessed so appropriate interventions can be implemented to improve health outcomes in this population.
Role of p38 in replication of Trypanosoma brucei kinetoplast DNA.

Trypanosomes have an unusual mitochondrial genome, called kinetoplast DNA, that is a giant network containing thousands of interlocked minicircles. During kinetoplast DNA synthesis, minicircles are released from the network for replication as θ-structures, and then the free minicircle progeny reattach to the network. We report that a mitochondrial protein, which we term p38, functions in kinetoplast DNA replication. RNA interference (RNAi) of p38 resulted in loss of kinetoplast DNA and accumulation of a novel free minicircle species named fraction S. Fraction S minicircles are so underwound that on isolation they become highly negatively supertwisted and develop a region of Z-DNA. p38 binds to minicircle sequences within the replication origin. We conclude that cells with RNAi-induced loss of p38 cannot initiate minicircle replication, although they can extensively unwind free minicircles.
The Health and Mortality of Women and Children, 1850–1860

I investigate health as determined by nonsurvival in manuscript schedules of families matched in successive censuses. Losses were systematically greater for infants of the unskilled and of residents in large cities; for young children who lived on the frontier or had more young siblings; and for women who lived on the frontier or in the South. The findings have implications for fertility studies based on child-woman ratios, estimation of interregional migration, generality of regional mortality studies, slave-white differences in health, the modern rise of population, and wealth estimation from probate records.
Attenuation characteristics of coplanar waveguides at subterahertz frequencies

We present experimental and simulation data of subterahertz attenuation of coplanar waveguides (CPWs) with wide and narrow ground planes. Experimental data are obtained by using a subpicosecond measurement technique based on electrooptic sampling. While time-domain data qualitatively describe the attenuation characteristics, they are converted to the frequency domain by a Fourier transform to give a quantitative interpretation. Simulation data are obtained by full-wave analysis and compared with the experimental results. It is shown that the simulation results consistently agree with experimental results. Furthermore, in the case of CPWs with wide ground planes, both of them are consistent with analytical theory. While CPWs with narrow ground planes have not been analytically studied, our results show that they suffer considerably lower attenuation, which we attribute to a reduced coupling between the CPW mode and substrate modes. The effects of ground-plane width and line dimensions on the attenuation characteristics are discussed in detail.