cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fluorophore−Quencher Based Activatable Targeted Optical Probes for Detecting in Vivo Cancer Metastases

In vivo molecularly targeted fluorescence imaging of tumors has been proposed as a strategy for improving cancer detection and management. Activatable fluorophores, which increased their fluorescence by 10-fold after binding tumor cells, result in much higher target to background ratios than conventional fluorophores. We developed an in vivo targeted activatable optical imaging probe based on a fluorophore−quencher pair, bound to a targeting moiety. With this system, fluorescence is quenched by the fluorophore−quencher interaction outside cancer cells, but is activated within the target cells by dissociation of the fluorophore−quencher pair. We selected the TAMRA (fluorophore)−QSY7 (quencher) pair and conjugated it to either avidin (targeting the d-galactose receptor) or trastuzumab (a monoclonal antibody against the human epithelial growth factor receptor type2 (HER2/neu)) and evaluated their performance in mouse models of cancer. Two probes, TAMRA−QSY7 conjugated avidin (Av-TM-Q7) and trastuzumab (Traz-...
Management of Low Levels of High-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol

A 61-year-old healthy man presents for a routine outpatient clinic visit. He was diagnosed with hypertension 6 years ago with blood pressure well controlled on amlodipine 5 mg daily. He is a lifelong nonsmoker and has no family history of premature coronary disease. He is employed as a business executive. Exercise is limited to 15 minutes of walking daily in transit to work. Diet includes frequent dining out with clients and occasional moderate alcohol consumption. Examination is notable for a blood pressure of 125/70 mm Hg and a body mass index of 32 kg/m2. A fasting lipid panel is notable for total cholesterol of 188 mg/dL, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) of 31 mg/dL, calculated low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) of 125 mg/dL, and triglycerides of 160 mg/dL. A 58-year-old man with coronary artery disease presents for follow-up. When he was 50 years of age, chest discomfort led to diagnosis of a non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Cardiac catheterization revealed a 90% left anterior descending lesion, which was stented, and 40% left circumflex artery stenosis. A lipid profile was returned with total cholesterol of 180 mg/dL, LDL-C of 130 mg/dL, HDL-C of 28 mg/dL, and triglycerides of 150 mg/dL. In addition to other cardiovascular medications, the patient was treated with atorvastatin 80 mg. The follow-up LDL-C was 72 mg/dL, and HDL-C was 26 mg/dL; vital signs were well controlled. Four years ago, at 54 years of age, he re-presented with exertional chest discomfort. Stress testing led to repeat catheterization and stenting of a 90% left circumflex lesion and a 90% left anterior descending lesion distal to the previous intervention. Lipoprotein(a), checked because of a family history of premature coronary artery disease, was 110 mg/dL (upper limit of normal, 40 mg/dL). A trial of niacin was started, and titrated, which the patient tolerated. On 2 …
Metastases From Nested Variant Urothelial Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder in Pancreatic Allograft Mimicking Graft Rejection

While not an uncommon tumor, urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder is rare in bladders draining pancreatic allografts. A case of urothelial carcinoma directly involving a pancreatic allograft with metastasis that occurred in a 49-year-old pancreas and kidney transplant recipient is described. Her initial clinical presentation and findings of CT scan of the abdomen suggested pancreatitis with features worrisome for rejection. A biopsy of her pancreatic allograft contained poorly differentiated carcinoma and cystoscopic biopsy disclosed an invasive high grade urothelial carcinoma arising in the background of extensive urothelial carcinoma in situ. Exploratory laparotomy revealed that the tumor invaded the right ovary and fallopian tube, cecum, and allograft with extensive retroperitoneal involvement. She underwent en bloc resection of distal ileum and cecum, resection of transplant pancreas, partial cystectomy, ileocolostomy anastomosis, and right salpingo-oophorectomy. Postoperatively, the patient was treated with four cycles of carboplatin and gemcitabine. She ultimately succumbed to her disease approximately 1 year after diagnosis. This case should alert physicians and radiologists to be aware of atypical presentation of urothelial carcinoma in bladder-drained pancreas grafts, the aggressiveness of such lesions, and the need for early biopsy to avoid diagnostic confusion with rejection. Keywords Bladder cancer; Nested variant of urothelial carcinoma; Pancreas and kidney transplantation
Comparisons in demographic rates of bay scallops in eelgrass and the introduced alga, Codium fragile , in New York

Bay scallops, Argopecten irradians, supported vibrant fisheries which subsequently collapsed, as such, they are a focus species for many restoration efforts along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. The scallops’ preferred habitat, seagrass, has also dramatically declined, and some scallop populations have increased post-restoration despite reduced seagrass cover. This has led to the hypothesis that macroalgae may serve as suitable alternative habitats for bay scallops. This study is the first to compare demographic rates, such as long-term survival, growth, condition and reproductive potential of scallops between the native eelgrass, Zostera marina, and the introduced alga, Codium fragile. Although long-term survival was not different between habitats, results suggest site-specific and inter-annual variation in the impacts of Codium on scallop growth. While demographic rates did not differ in Shinnecock Bay, in Sag Harbor, growth and/or condition were significantly different between both vegetated habitats depending on the year. However, recruit density, size and condition did not vary significantly, adding to the complexity of this relationship. Despite potential site-specific and inter-annual differences, this study supports the hypothesis that habitats other than eelgrass can benefit bay scallops.
Variegated cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): leaf-area consumption, feeding site preference, and economic injury level calculation for potatoes.

Mean total leaf area consumption of potato foliage by Peridroma saucia (Hubner) instars four to six was 158.4 ± 18.7 cm2. Mean number of days for development for instars four to six was 16.2 ± 1.5 days. Larval instars three to six showed significantly different preferences for different parts of the potato plant. Leaf measurements of ‘Russet Burbank’ and ‘Superior’ cultivar potatoes were taken during four and five growing seasons, respectively. Leaf-area change over the growing season was predicted using the Weibull model. Information on larval consumption, feeding site preference, and plant leaf area was used in conjunction with defoliation-yield loss information to calculate economic injury level for variegated cutworm on potatoes.
A Brief History of Generative Models for Power Law and Lognormal Distributions

Recently, I became interested in a current debate over whether file size distributions are best modelled by a power law distribution or a lognormal distribution. In trying to learn enough about these distributions to settle the question, I found a rich and long history, spanning many fields. Indeed, several recently proposed models from the computer science community have antecedents in work from decades ago. Here, I briefly survey some of this history, focusing on underlying generative models that lead to these distributions. One finding is that lognormal and power law distributions connect quite naturally, and hence, it is not surprising that lognormal distributions have arisen as a possible alternative to power law distributions across many fields.
Dynamic Study of MEMS Variable Capacitive Device for Power Harvesting

This work shows the complicated dynamic responses of the MEMS parallel plate capacitor for power harvesting resulting from the onset of rocking instability. Rocking instability or symmetry breaking is a relatively new area of study as it pertains to plate instability. It is important because the instability decreases the total amount of power that can be harvested especially when the tips of the moving plate make contact with the fixed plate. Two different designs characterized by the number of variable capacitors are studied. Power harvesting is achieved by the motion of a moving plate under external forces of vibration. The dynamics of the moving plate under sinusoidal excitations are obtained using numerical integration. We show that capacitive plates can become non-parallel due to the onset of rocking instability. Complicated dynamic phenomena including period doubling and chaos can occur. Consequently, the harvested power is greatly reduced when rocking instability occurs.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
On the Optimum Synthesis of Four-bar Linkages Using Differential Evolution and the Geometric Centroid of Precision Positions

Mechanism synthesis, the identification of the parameters of a mechanism, has been extensively studied especially for four-bar linkages using graphical and numerical optimization approaches. Graphical techniques follow a number of predefined steps and rely heavily on the user. Numerical optimization techniques that require the user to provide "good initial guesses" or bounds for the design variables have also been applied. In general, a linkage is synthesized for function generation, motion generation, and path generation. This article studies four-bar mechanism synthesis by combining Differential Evolution, an evolutionary optimization scheme that can search outside the initial defined bounds for the design variables, and a newly developed novel technique called the Geometric Centroid of Precision Points (GCPP) and the distant precision point in defining the initial bounds for the design variables. The developed methodology has been applied to the synthesis of four-bar linkages for path generation with p...
Coarse Network Coding: A Simple Relay Strategy for Two-User Gaussian Interference Channels

Reminiscent of the parity function in network coding for the butterfly network, it is shown that forwarding an even or odd indicator bit for a scalar quantization of a relay observation recovers 1 bit of information at the two destinations in a noiseless interference channel where interference is treated as noise. Inspired by this observation, a scalar quantization-binning strategy for a two-user interference relay channel is proposed where the relay simultaneously helps both users using an out-of-band link of constant rate R0. For the proposed strategy, we devise practical coding schemes using low-density parity-check codes for two scenarios: 1) a matched scenario where the input alphabet of the interference signal is known to the destination decoder, and 2) a mismatched scenario that assumes no such knowledge. In both scenarios, we show that our strategy significantly improves the performance. We also present a theoretical analysis of our coding scheme using generalized mutual information.
Analyzing Incomplete Data Subject to a Threshold using Empirical Likelihood Methods: An Application to a Pneumonia Risk Study in an ICU Setting

The initial detection of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) for inpatients at an intensive care unit needs composite symptom evaluation using clinical criteria such as the clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS). When CPIS is above a threshold value, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is performed to confirm the diagnosis by counting actual bacterial pathogens. Thus, CPIS and BAL results are closely related and both are important indicators of pneumonia whereas BAL data are incomplete. To compare the pneumonia risks among treatment groups for such incomplete data, we derive a method that combines nonparametric empirical likelihood ratio techniques with classical testing for parametric models. This technique augments the study power by enabling us to use any observed data. The asymptotic property of the proposed method is investigated theoretically. Monte Carlo simulations confirm both the asymptotic results and good power properties of the proposed method. The method is applied to the actual data obtained in clinical practice settings and compares VAP risks among treatment groups.
Mate attraction by females in a sexually cannibalistic praying mantis

We studied mate attraction by females of the praying mantid, Tenodera aridifolia sinensis, testing honest signaling of mate availability versus deceptive signaling to attract males for sexual cannibalism. We experimentally varied female diet and mating history and measured the rate of attraction of a wild population of males to caged females. Honest signaling theory predicts that virgin females will attract males at the greatest rate whereas deceptive signaling predicts that hungry females (which are more likely to cannibalize males) will attract more males, particularly among non-virgin females. Our results show that hungry females did not attract more males than well-fed females. Indeed, the opposite was true: hungry females attracted significantly fewer males. Moreover, hungry females were no more likely than well-fed females to attract males subsequent to mating, and mated females attracted males at a lower rate than did virgin females. We also observed female T. aridifolia sinensis and male Mantis religiosa arriving at the caged females and we discuss the significance of these observations. The results refute the hypothesis of deceptive signaling and show that mate attraction signals of female T. aridifolia sinensis are honest indicators of female mate availability and a lower risk of sexual cannibalism.
CORRELATES OF TRIDIMENSIONAL PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRE SCALES WITH SELECTED MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY SCALES

The pattern of correlations between selected MMPI scales and the scales of the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire were examined in a convenience sample of 88 patients who had received both tests. Time between tests (usually less than one year) did not affect the correlations, but MMPI response-set variables (L, F, K, F-K) did. The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire harm avoidance scale and subscales had many correlates on the MMPI. The Novelty seeking scale and subscales showed a number of moderate correlations with a smaller number of MMPI scales; these correlations did not significantly exceed the correlations with MMPI response-set variables. The Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire reward dependence scale and subscales had few, if any, significant MMPI correlates. It was also noted that no Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire scales were related to MMPI repression factor scores.
Murine lymphocyte comitogenesis by phorbol esters, and its inhibition by retinoic acid and inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis

Abstract 12- O -Tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and other phorbol-derived tumor-promoting agents were shown not to be mitogenic per se, but to enhance mitogenesis in concanavalin A (Con A)- and phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated splenic lymphocytes for the first time in the mouse, the species in which the phenomenon of tumor promotion was first established. The comitogenesis observed was dose-dependent, and a good correlation was established between degree of proliferative enhancement and previously reported potency as skin tumor promoter in the same animal species among the phorbol esters examined. Phorbol, the unesterified parent polyhydric alcohol which lacks skin tumor promoting capability, was inactive. Comitogenesis could be inhibited, without concurrent effect on mitogenesis, by retinoic acid and α,α-difluoromethylornithine, an inhibitor of the synthesis of the polyamine putrescine. In the latter respect the murine cells differed from their bovine counterparts. In contrast methyglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), an inhibitor of the spermidine and spermine synthesis, inhibited both mitogenesis and comitogenesis over the same dose range. Since retinoids have also been shown to inhibit induction of polyamine synthesis by TPA, our findings are consistent with the theory that polyamines play a key role in both epidermal tumor promotion and lymphocyte comitogenesis in the same species. Our results further suggest, however, that in the same animal model, the mouse, the two ostensibly dissimilar events share a similar, but not identical, biochemical basis.
The Influence of Oxidative Stress on Symptom Occurrence, Severity and Distress During Childhood Leukemia Treatment

Children with cancer experience multiple symptoms resulting from their disease and treatment. Pain, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting are among the most frequently reported symptoms during childhood cancer treatment (Kestler & LoBiondo-Wood, 2012). Any treatment-related symptom can create significant toxicity leading to complications, therapy-dose reductions, and treatment delays and can compromise long-term survival. Children with cancer report treatment-related symptoms as the worst part of treatment because they create difficulties with completing daily activities and are remembered a long time after treatment has ended (Woodgate & Degner, 2003). To date, most oncology symptom research focuses on describing single symptoms related to their occurrence, severity, and distress with limited effort analyzing factors associated with these symptoms (Henly, Kallas, Klatt, & Swenson, 2003; Van Cleve et al., 2012). Pediatric oncology researchers are now beginning to focus on the interaction and synergy of multiple symptoms. As this work continues to develop, the combined effect of multiple symptoms will provide a more comprehensive picture of the child's cancer treatment experience. Limited research exists on the role physiologic biomarkers may play in evaluating the severity of symptoms experienced by pediatric oncology patients (Pierce, McCabe, White, & Clancy, 2012). This study advances the understanding of childhood cancer treatment symptoms, their interactions, and changes in symptom severity over time, all critical aspects that must be incorporated into symptom research. Even more critical to understanding symptom experiences during childhood leukemia treatment is the need for exploration of “why” individual symptom differences occur; this will allow identification of who may be most susceptible to treatment toxicities. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the oxidative stress pathway on symptom severity during the first 16 months of childhood leukemia treatment.
Sonographic Diagnosis of Fibromatosis Colli

Fibromatosis colli is a frequent cause of congenital muscular torticollis, a condition in which the patient suffers from a benign neck mass within the sternocleidomastoid muscle that considerably shortens the length of the affected side. The origin of fibromatosis colli has been linked to traumatic birth, intrauterine malposition, or vascular occlusion. Infants who present with fibromatosis colli often develop congenital muscular torticollis. Torticollis is described as the tilting of the head with the chin angled to the nonaffected side. Because of its low cost, lack of ionizing radiation, and the fact that no sedation is needed, sonography has proven to become the modality of choice when evaluating infants who present with a pediatric neck mass. This article offers a case report, the sonographic appearance, the suspected causes, and applicable research that may prove indispensable in achieving the sonographic diagnosis of fibromatosis colli.
Comparison of entropy generation and conventional method of optimizing a gas turbine regenerator

Abstract A gas turbine counterflow plate-finned regenerator is sized for (a) a minimum volume at a given cycle efficiency degrade (η∞−η) which is the same magnitude as entropy generation, NST, and (b) the volume resulting in minimum generation, NST, along a path of constant mass velocity, G, as suggested by Bejan (A S M E J. Heat Transfer 99, 374 (1977)). This latter procedure results in much larger regenerators for any (η∞−η) or NST.
Hermit crab population structure and association with gastropod shells in the northern Bering Sea

Abstract Most models of the impacts of climate change on the distributions of animals have focused on limits to thermal tolerances of individual species. Such “bioclimatic envelope” models do not consider the importance of interactions among species, each of which may respond to climate change in its own way. Hermit crabs (Paguridae) cannot exist without shells produced by gastropods. Thus, their ranges are expected to depend not only on their own physiological tolerances, but also on tolerances of gastropod species that produce shells of suitable sizes for growing crabs that use successively larger shells. To assess their potential importance to range shifts of hermit crabs, we characterized these relationships over a large area of the northern Bering Sea in May to early June. Of 1539 hermit crabs collected, Pagurus rathbuni comprised 55%, Pagurus trigonocheirus 44%, and Labidochirus splendescens 1%, with only four individuals of three other Pagurus species. P. rathbuni used shells of mostly moon snails (Naticidae); only 7 to 19% used whelk shells (Buccinidae) in the first four size classes, and 34% in the largest size class. P. trigonocheirus also used shells of mainly moon snails, but its use of whelk shells ranged from 18 to 44% in the first four size classes, and 70% in the largest size class. Densities of P. rathbuni and P. trigonocheirus varied independently (r2 = 0.08, p = 0.09, N = 36 stations). Other studies suggest that hermit crabs obtain most of their shells from gastropods that have recently died, and that such empty shells are available for a relatively short period before being buried in sediments; thus, available shells should resemble the local pool among living gastropods. Correlation of P. rathbuni densities with densities of living gastropods with suitable shells was weak (r2 = 0.18, p
Acquisition of instance attributes via labeled and related instances

This paper presents a method for increasing the quality of automatically extracted instance attributes by exploiting weakly-supervised and unsupervised instance relatedness data. This data consists of (a) class labels for instances and (b) distributional similarity scores. The method organizes the text-derived data into a graph, and automatically propagates attributes among related instances, through random walks over the graph. Experiments on various graph topologies illustrate the advantage of the method over both the original attribute lists and a per-class attribute extractor, both in terms of the number of attributes extracted per instance and the accuracy of the top-ranked attributes.
Cryogenics and Nuclear Physics: Solid-state and nuclear physics advance together through research at ultralow temperatures.

Static and dynamic methods for orienting nuclei at low temperatures are reviewed. The effects of nuclear orientation on alpha -, beta -, and gamma - emission angular distributions are outlined. Attention is devoted to beta decay and parity nonconservation. The achievement of nuclear cooling'' by a method analogous to that used in the isentropic demagnetization of paramagnetic salts is described. (T.F.H.)
Nature, Affordability, and Privacy as Motivations for Exurban Living

Current demographic trends indicate that the 21st century will be one of exurban growth as more Americans seek out countryside home sites and their accompanying lifestyles. Two of the literature's conventional wisdoms regarding exurban migration motivations are critically examined in this study: (1) exurbanites are seeking home sites in close proximity to natural places, and (2) exurbanites are drawn to countryside areas because of the affordability of such locations. This study uses 34 snowball-sampled, semistructured interviews from Indiana and Illinois exurbanites to examine these two commonly held beliefs. Subjects reported that the natural environment did not primarily motivate their moves. Current home sites were, however, attractive due to their perceived affordability. The main, and remarkable, finding of this study is the strong desire for privacy that drew people to exurbia. The desire for privacy was cited as a main motivator by a large majority of the subjects interviewed.
Electromagnetic fields in layered-inhomogeneous uniaxial media: Validation criterion and higher-order solutions of the geometrical-optics approximation

We study the electromagnetic fields in layered-inhomogeneous uniaxial planar structures using the geometrical-optics approximation (GOA). Explicit expressions for the fields in the higher- (first-) order GOA are obtained. We also obtain the validation criterion for the zeroth-order GOA. There results are important for studying the true significance of the geometrical-optics approximation and the extension of its usefulness. The GOA solution shows that when total internal reflection occurs in the medium, the field amplitudes become zero and the angle of refraction becomes \ensuremath{\pi}/2. The azimuthal dependence of the ray direction and total internal reflection is discussed. The results are applied to a wave propagation in a hybrid oriented uniaxial nematic liquid crystal in an external field.
Discoid and Asymmetrical Micro-Satellite Propulsion Mode Attitude Control with Great Mass Change and without Angular Rate Sensor

The center of mass of the micro-satellite can offset due to fuel consumption in the course of propulsion, with the interference of external orbital environment such as gravity gradient torque and solar radiation torque. If the structural shape is discoid and asymmetrical, the attitude control may be difficult. The only solution is to design a robust controller, so that the attitude pointing of the satellite can meet the mission requirements with the interference of internal parameter perturbation and external disturbance. This study applied the robust control theory control law in the design of Formosat-3 propulsion mode attitude control, and carried out cross validation of the feasibility of the controller by time domain and frequency domain stability analyses. This study used controller as the experimental result. The time domain performance indexes (e.g., rise time, maximum overshoot and stabilization time) of the designed controller were consistent with the robust stability margin of stable performance index of frequency domain. Meanwhile, in order to reduce the weight and manufacturing cost of satellite, in the design of satellite attitude angular rate determination, the project used unscented kalman filter (UKF) algorithm, coarse sun sensor (CSS) and earth horizon sensor (EHS) as measurement components to obtain the satellite attitude without rate gyro. The research method and procedures in this study are applicable to any shaped and asymmetrical satellites with large mass variation and without angular rate sensor. The attitude sensors include three-axis magnetometer, horizon sensor, CSS as the analytic platform for stability of attitude control.
Atomic force microscope observations of otoconia in the newt

Calcitic and aragonitic otoconia from the Japanese red-bellied newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster, were examined using an atomic force microscope. The surface structure of both otoconial polymorphs consisted of arrays of elements approximately 50 nm in diameter. Elements were generally round and were separated by shallow depressions of no more than 20 nm. The elements are suggested to be single crystals of calcium carbonate. The relationship of these observations to theories of otoconial genesis is discussed.
Comparison of trunk muscle reflex activation patterns between active and passive trunk flexion–extension loading conditions

Abstract The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of trunk flexion–extension loading on the neuromuscular reflexive latencies and amplitude responses of the trunk musculature. Eighteen male and female subjects (18–27 yrs) participated in active and passive trunk flexion extension, performed ∼7 days apart. Subjects performed 60 trunk flexion–extension repetitions. Surface electromyography (EMG) was collected bilaterally from paraspinal and abdominal muscles. In the active condition, subjects volitionally moved their trunks, while in the passive condition the dynamometer controlled the movements. The trunk was perturbed before and immediately after 30 repetitions. Latency of muscle onset, latency of first peak, latency of maximum peak, and peak EMG amplitude were evaluated. No differences between conditions, sides, or perturbation session were apparent. Overall latencies were shorter in females ( p p p
Leveraging virtualization to optimize high-availability system configurations

Leveraging redundant resources is a common means of addressing availability requirements, but it often implies redundant costs as well. At the same time, virtualization technologies promise cost reduction through resource consolidation. Virtualization and high-availability (HA) technologies can be combined to optimize availability while minimizing costs, but merging them properly introduces new challenges. This paper looks at how virtualization technologies and techniques can augment and amplify traditional HA approaches while avoiding potential pitfalls. Special attention is paid to applying HA configurations (such as active/active and active/passive) to virtualized environments, stretching virtual environments across physical machine boundaries, resource-sharing approaches, field experiences, and avoiding potential hazards.
Finite-frequency dynamics of vortex loops at the 4He superfluid phase transition

The finite-frequency dynamics of the 4He superfluid phase transition can be formulated in terms of the response of thermally excited vortex loops to an oscillating flow field. The key parameter is the Hausdorff fractal dimension dH of the loops, which affects the dynamics because the frictional force on a loop is proportional to the total perimeter P of the loop, which varies as P ~ adH where a is the loop diameter. Solving the 3D Fokker-Planck equation for the loop response at frequency ω yields a superfluid density which varies at Tλ as ω1/(dH-1). This power-law variation with ω agrees with the scaling form found by Fisher, Fisher, and Huse, since the dynamic exponent z is identified as z = dH -1. Flory scaling for the self-avoiding loops gives a fractal dimension in terms of the space dimension d as dH = (d + 2)/2, yielding z = d/2 = 3/2 for d = 3, in complete agreement with dynamic scaling.
Respi-Care: An Innovative Home Care Program for the Patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a hospital-based home care program for a group of patients with severe COPD. Respi-Care was a multidisciplinary home care program administered by Norwalk Hospital in cooperation with the public health nursing departments of the city of Norwalk and the town of Wilton, Conn. The overall goal of Respi-Care was to provide more comprehensive home care services to patients previously requiring frequent hospitalizations by combining the advantages of hospital resources and community agencies through a unique cooperative effort. Preprogram and on-program data were collected on the following variables for the 48 months of Respi-Care operation: hospitalizations; hospital days; emergency room visits; home care services; and the costs of these services. Costs of operating the Respi-Care program were included in on-program data. Seventeen subjects completed 320.5 months on Respi-Care. Each subject was matched to an equal length of time prior to entering the program, for a total of 641 months analyzed. There were 88 preprogram hospitalizations for the group; hospitalizations while participating in Respi-Care dropped to 53 (p = 0.022; paired t statistics). On-program hospital days showed a significant decrease, from 1,181 preprogram days to 667 on-program days (p = 0.024). Emergency room visits decreased from 105 before the program to 64 during the program (p = 0.017). Costs of care also decreased. Costs for hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and home care fell from $908,031 to $802,999, resulting in a $105,032 savings or $328 per patient per month. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that a hospital-based home care program for persons with chronic pulmonary disease was successful in reducing hospitalizations, hospital days, emergency room visits, and costs and perhaps improved the quality of life for participants in the program. (Chest 1991; 100:607-12)
Strontium and paleodietary research: A review

The measurement of skeletal strontium/calcium (Sr/Ca) ratios can provide information on the proportion of meat and vegetable foods in the diets of prehistoric peoples. This information is based in the well-documented reduction of Sr/Ca ratios in terrestrial food chains. The reduction, and therefore the paleodietary technique, is complicated by (a) differences in Sr/Ca ratios entering food chains, and (b) metabolic considerations such as age, pregnancy, etc. Changes in Sr/Ca ratios during interment may also obscure biological Sr/Ca levels. The theoretical basis of the technique, its complications, and practical use by anthropologists are reviewed, in an attempt to define the quality of information currently and potentially available from Sr/Ca analyses.
Eigenvalue distributions of random unitary matrices

Let U be an n × n random matrix chosen from Haar measure on the unitary group. For a fixed arc of the unit circle, let X be the number of eigenvalues of M which lie in the specified arc. We study this random variable as the dimension n grows, using the connection between Toeplitz matrices and random unitary matrices, and show that (X -E [X])/(\Var (X))1/2 is asymptotically normally distributed. In addition, we show that for several fixed arcs I1, ..., Im, the corresponding random variables are jointly normal in the large n limit.
Supply and quality choices in private child care markets: Evidence from São Paulo ☆

Abstract Many developing countries have adopted the market approach for expanding the supply of child care, but little is known about the economic behavior of independent providers. Drawing on uniquely rich census data on child care providers from Sao Paulo, we document three main facts: (1) the stock of private suppliers is considerably larger in high-income city districts; (2) the quality of private provision – as measured by teachers' schooling, group size and equipment – is highly heterogeneous across space and increases systematically with local household income; and (3) a considerable share of centers operates below recommended (but not regulated) quality standards, especially in low-income districts. These findings are consistent with a model of endogenous entry and quality choices by heterogeneous providers. Market-driven heterogeneity in the quality of provision across space is an important consideration for the design of regulations in child care markets.
MRI-based multiparametric strain analysis predicts contractile recovery after aortic valve replacement for aortic insufficiency

Background Guidelines for referral of chronic aortic insufficiency (AI) patients for aortic valve replacement (AVR) suggest that surgery can be delayed until symptoms or reduction in left ventricular (LV) contractile function occur. The frequent occurrence of reduced LV contractile function after AVR for chronic AI suggests that new contractile metrics for surgical referral are needed.
In-Situ Polymerized PLOT Columns III: Divinylbenzene Copolymers and Dimethacrylate Homopolymers

Studies of divinylbenzene copolymers and dimethacrylate homopolymers indicate that the polymer pore size controls the separation of water and ammonia on porous-layer-open-tubular (PLOT) columns. To a lesser degree, the polarity of the polymers also affects the separation of a water-ammonia gas mixture. Our results demonstrate that the pore size can be regulated by controlling the cross-linking density or the chain length between the cross-linking functional groups. An optimum pore size will provide the best separation of water and ammonia.
A Lewis acid-free and phenolate-based magnesium electrolyte for rechargeable magnesium batteries

A novel Lewis acid-free and phenolate-based magnesium electrolyte has been established. The excellent reversibility and stability of this electrolyte in battery cycling render this novel Lewis acid-free synthetic approach as a highly promising alternative for the development of highly anodically stable magnesium electrolytes for rechargeable magnesium batteries.
Bredereck's Reagent Revisited: Latent Anionic Ring‐Opening Polymerization and Transesterification Reactions

The ring-opening polymerization of lactide with commercially available Bredereck-type reagents in the presence or absence of alcohol initiators was carried out affording polylactide with controlled molecular weight and narrow polydispersities. An anionic mechanism involving heterolytic cleavage to alkoxides is proposed, where these reagents function as latent anionic initiators for the ring-opening polymerization of lactide.
Localization of Objects Using Cross-Correlation of Shadow Fading Noise and Copulas

While fading, in general, is detrimental to accurately localizing a target, fading correlation between adjacent receivers may be exploited to improve localization accuracy. Therefore, this paper presents a novel wireless localization scheme that employs a combination of cross-correlation between shadow fading noise and copula technique to recursively estimate the location of a transmitter. A stochastic filter that models multipath fading as an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process followed by a Generalized Auto Regressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) filtering is proposed to extract shadow fading residuals from measured RSSI values. Subsequently, Student-t Copula function is used to create the log likelihood function, which acts as the cost function for localization, by combining spatial shadow fading correlation arising among adjacent receivers due to pedestrian traffic in the area. Maximum Likelihood Estimate (MLE) is used for position estimation as it inherits the statistical consistency and asymptotic normality. The performance of our proposed localization method is validated over simulations and hardware experiments.
Trap: Kate Millett, Japan, Fluxus and Feminism

This essay addresses Kate Millett's environmental work Trap (1967). This large-scale art installation links Millett's experiences in the Japanese avant-garde in the early 1960s and subsequent association with Fluxus with her feminism. In discussing the transnational interdisciplinary circles in which Millett worked, this essay explores the politics implicit to avant-garde intermedia, art that operates between traditional media.
Active longitudes and coronal structures during the rising phase of the solar cycle

Abstract The longitudinal structure of the solar corona has been investigated during the transition period between solar cycles 22 and 23 and at the beginning of the current cycle 23 using the SOHO/EIT data obtained in 171 A, 195 A, 284 A and 304 A EUV lines. The EIT images were transformed into synoptic maps for each of the spectral lines, and for the 195A/171A line ratio, which is an index of the coronal temperature. The synoptic maps reveal stable longitudinal structures in the coronal intensities and temperature, that are related to large-scale magnetic field structures. We discuss the relation between the coronal and photospheric magnetic structures obtained from the SOHO and Kitt Peak Solar Observatory data, and compare the rotation rates of these structures with the rotation profile of the solar interior in order to determine the possible origin of the coronal structures.
The phases of polymers as determined by NMR

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has been used to study the morphology and dynamics in semicrystalline polymers. Dynamics may be observed through NMR relaxation rates that are sensitive to motions in the 1-10 8 Hz range, or through modulation of anisotropic magnetic interactions, such as the chemical shift and dipole-dipole interactions. Morphological structure may be inferred through NMR measurements of polymer dynamics or investigated directly through studies of the magnetic interactions. Here, we discuss the study of morphological structure in semicrystalline polymers using NMR, and review results on poly(ethylene terephthalate) that address the question of the number of phases in this semicrystalline polymer.
Agouti-related protein(83-132) aggregates and crosses the blood-brain barrier slowly.

Abstract Agouti-related protein (AgRP), expressed in both the periphery and the brain, can result in obesity. Its active C-terminal fragment, AgRP(83-132), was recently reported to increase feeding and antagonize alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and leptin. We used multiple-time regression analysis to show that the rate at which AgRP(83-132) crossed the blood-brain barrier (BBB) from the blood to the brain was very slow (K i = 0.6 × 10 −4 mL/g · min). Entry was not self-inhibited by excess AgRP(83-132) after either intravenous (IV) injection or perfusion in blood-free medium, indicating the absence of a saturable transport system, and was not cross-inhibited by α-MSH or leptin. Not only did AgRP(83-132) cross much slower than the saturably entering leptin, but the entry was slower than almost all other non-saturably entering endogenous peptides or neurotrophins. Nevertheless, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed that the small amount of AgRP(83-132) crossing the BBB did so in intact form, and capillary depletion showed that it entered the brain parenchyma rather than binding to capillary endothelial cells or adhering to vascular components. There was no rapid efflux system out of the brain that might have misleadingly appeared as slow entry for AgRP(83-132). Poor lipophilicity was shown by a low octanol/buffer partition coefficient. By size-exclusion chromatography, AgRP(83-132) appeared as a 17-kd substance in both blood and buffer. Since protein was absent from the buffer, the 17-kd peak probably represented a trimer of the 5.7-kd AgRP(83-132). Capillary electrophoresis confirmed that most of the AgRP(83-132) existed as a trimer, with much smaller amounts as a dimer and monomer. Thus, although intact AgRP(83-132) can cross the BBB from the blood to the brain, its nonsaturable rate of entry is very slow, probably influenced by aggregation. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company
Temperature and atmospheric pressure may be considered as predictors for the occurrence of bacillary dysentery in Guangzhou, Southern China

Introduction The control of bacillary dysentery (BD) remains a big challenge for China. Methods Negative binomial multivariable regression was used to study relationships between meteorological variables and the occurrence of BD during the period of 2006-2012. Results Each 1°C rise of temperature corresponded to an increase of 3.60% (95%CI, 3.03% to 4.18%) in the monthly number of BD cases, whereas a 1 hPa rise in atmospheric pressure corresponded to a decrease in the number of BD cases by 2.85% (95%CI = 3.34% to 2.37% decrease). Conclusions Temperature and atmospheric pressure may be considered as predictors for the occurrence of BD in Guangzhou.
A comparative analysis of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene and small intestinal submucosa--implications for patch repair in ventral herniorrhaphy.

Background Small intestinal submucosa and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene are commonly used as adjuncts to repair in ventral herniorrhaphy. Despite their overlapping indications, the physical characteristics of the two materials are quite distinct. This study compares the in vivo properties of two bioprosthetic products, small intestinal submucosa (SiS Gold; Cook Biotech, West Lafayette, IN) and lyophilized small intestinal submucosa (LyoSiS; Cook Biotech), with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE; W.L. Gore and Associates, Flagstaff, AZ). Methods Six pigs underwent placement of duplicate samples of each material (SiS Gold, LyoSiS, and ePTFE) within the abdomen as peritoneal onlays (total of six samples per pig). Gross characteristics were evaluated and random samples harvested for histological analysis at 8 wk following implantation. The percentage of contraction was determined by comparing pre-implant to post-implant area. Neovascularity (percent area blood vessels, %Abv) was quantitatively assessed by immunohistochemical staining with an endothelial marker, CD-31 antibody. Sites of active collagen deposition were identified and distinguished from pre-existing collagen using a pro-collagen antibody to characterize tissue incorporation and remodeling. Results Compared with the original area of 22.75 cm2, significant contraction was observed in SiS Gold, LyoSiS, and ePTFE at 8 wk (post-implant area; 7.6 cm2, 5.7 cm2, and 11.2 cm2 respectively, P Conclusion The host response to ePTFE, SiS Gold and LyoSiS differs at 8 wk following implantation; SiS Gold and LyoSiS undergo tissue ingrowth and remodeling whereas ePTFE undergoes little or no incorporation or morphological change. The physical properties of the materials differ as well; SiS Gold, and LyoSiS experience significantly more contraction than ePTFE. Future comparative analysis may help determine which characteristic, contraction or incorporation, contributes more to long-term success in the patch repair of ventral hernia.
Non-negative solutions and positive resolving kernels with negative solution averages in linear inverse theory

SUMMARY Using the duality theorem of linear programming, it is shown that, for a linear inverse problem, the non-existence of a non-negative solution is equivalent to the existence of a positive-resolving kernel associated with a negative solution average. If no such resolving kernel can be found, we are then guaranteed the existence of a non-negative solution.
Impact of Climate Change on Crop Yield: A Case Study of Rainfed Corn in Central Illinois

This paper assesses the effect of climate change on crop yield from a soil water balance perspective. The uncertainties of regional-scale climate models, local-scale climate variability, emissions scenarios, and crop growth models are combined to explore the possible range of climate change effects on rainfed corn yield in central Illinois in 2055. The results show that a drier and warmer summer during the corn growth season and wetter and warmer precrop and postcrop seasons will likely occur. Greater temperature and precipitation variability may lead to more variable soil moisture and crop yield, and larger soil moisture deficit and crop yield reduction are likely to occur more frequently. The increased water stress is likely to be most pronounced during the flowering and yield formation stages. The expected rainfed corn yield in 2055 is likely to decline by 23%‐34%, and the probability that the yield may not reach 50% of the potential yield ranges from 32% to 70% if no adaptation measures are instituted. Among the multiple uncertainty sources, the greenhouse gas emissions projection may have the strongest effect on the risk estimate of crop yield reduction. The effects from the various uncertainties can be offset to some degree when the uncertainties are considered jointly. An ensemble of GCMs with an equal weight may overestimate the risk of soil moisture deficits and crop yield reduction in comparison with an ensemble of GCMs with different weight determined by the root-meansquare error minimization method. The risk estimate presented in this paper implies that climate change adaptation is needed to avoid reduced corn yields and the resulting profit losses in central Illinois.