cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multi-Parameter Quantum Groups Related to Link-Diagrams*

We apply the Faddeev-Reshetikhin-Taktajan method for the construction of Quantum Groups to the Yang-Baxter matrices which are related to the invariants of oriented links in Σ×[0,1], where Σ is a non-trivial 2-dimensional surface. We obtain multi-parameter ribbon Hopf algebras that differ in many respects from their one-parameter counterparts. Among the main differences we mention the existence of a non-central quantum determinant and the fact that the number of independent generators is higher than in the one-parameter case.
RNA toxicity is a component of ataxin-3 degeneration in Drosophila

Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a class of dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders caused by the expansion of a CAG repeat encoding glutamine within the coding region of the respective genes. The molecular and cellular pathways underlying polyQ-induced neurodegeneration are the focus of much research, and it is widely considered that toxic activities of the protein, resulting from the abnormally long polyQ tract, cause pathogenesis. Here we provide evidence for a pathogenic role of the CAG repeat RNA in polyQ toxicity using Drosophila. In a Drosophila screen for modifiers of polyQ degeneration induced by the spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) protein ataxin-3, we isolated an upregulation allele of muscleblind (mbl), a gene implicated in the RNA toxicity of CUG expansion diseases. Further analysis indicated that there may be a toxic role of the RNA in polyQ-induced degeneration. We tested the role of the RNA by altering the CAG repeat sequence to an interrupted CAACAG repeat within the polyQ-encoding region; this dramatically mitigated toxicity. In addition, expression of an untranslated CAG repeat of pathogenic length conferred neuronal degeneration. These studies reveal a role for the RNA in polyQ toxicity, highlighting common components in RNA-based and polyQ-protein-based trinucleotide repeat expansion diseases.
Effect of 15-HETE on cerebral arterioles of newborn pigs

Effects of topical application of 15-HETE on pial arteriolar diameter and cortical periarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) prostanoid concentrations were investigated in chloralose-anesthetized newborn pigs. Pial arteriolar diameters were measured using a closed cranial window, and CSF samples from under the window were collected for prostanoid analysis after applying artificial CSF without drug and CSF containing 15-HETE (1, 10, 100, 10000 ng/ml). 15-HETE caused significant dose-related constriction from 162 +/- 17.0 microns (control diameter) to 136 +/- 14.5 and 129 +/- 18.7 microns (100 and 1000 ng/ml, respectively). The concentration of PGE2 (but not of PGF2 alpha or 6-keto-PGF1 alpha) increased in CSF at 100 and 1000 ng/ml of 15-HETE. Pial arteriolar responses to 15-HETE were determined before and after indomethacin treatment (5 mg/kg, i.v.). 15-HETE (100 ng/ml) constricted pial arterioles before indomethacin (diameter change, -15 +/- 10%); after indomethacin, constriction was potentiated in response to the same dose (diameter change, -26 +/- 7%). These data support the hypothesis that, in newborn piglets, 15-HETE exerts a vasoconstrictor effect on pial arterioles, which appears to be attenuated by 15-HETE-induced stimulation of dilator prostanoids.
Human fetal hypothalamic GnRH neurosecretion: Dopaminergic regulation in vitro

SUMMARY An in-vitro perifusion system was used to investigate GnRH release from fetal (21–23 weeks gestation) human hypothalami in response to dopamine (DA) and the DA receptor antagonist haloperidol. Administration of 1 μmol/l DA during five perifusions in which 1 μmol/l haloperidol was added to the medium failed to alter basal GnRH release. In contrast DA evoked a rapid and sustained 95·8 ± 20·3% increase (P > 0·01) in GnRH release during five matching perifusions with medium containing the α-adrenergic antagonist phentolamine. While exposure to 0·01 μmol/l DA failed to alter basal GnRH release during three perifusions, 0·1 μmol/l DA elicited a 145·7 ± 65·2% increase (P > 0·05) in GnRH release in three matching perifusions, indicating a dose-dependent effect. These studies demonstrate that DA can stimulate in-vitro release of GnRH from the mid-gestation fetal human hypothalamus by a DA receptor mediated mechanism.
A rapid determination of methionine in crude proteins.

Abstract A procedure for the determination of the methionine content of proteins in 1 hour, including hydrolysis time, is described. The procedure also permits the analysis of relatively impure samples in this brief period giving good results in agreement with the literature and with samples analyzed by standard procedures.
Half-life of the electron-capture decay of 97 Ru: Precision measurement shows no temperature dependence

We have measured the half-life of the electron-capture (ec) decay of $^{97}\mathrm{Ru}$ in a metallic environment, both at low temperature $(19 \mathrm{K})$, and also at room temperature. We find the half-lives at both temperatures to be the same within $0.1%$. This demonstrates that a recent claim that the ec decay half-life for $^{7}\mathrm{Be}$ changes by $0.9%\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2%$ under similar circumstances certainly cannot be generalized to other ec decays. Our results for the half-life of $^{97}\mathrm{Ru}$, $2.8370(14)$ d at room temperature and $2.8382(14)$ d at $19$ K, are consistent with, but much more precise than, previous room-temperature measurements. In addition, we have also measured the half-lives of the ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-emitters $^{103}\mathrm{Ru}$ and $^{105}\mathrm{Rh}$ at both temperatures, and found them also to be unchanged.
Recurrent Respiratory Infections, Specific Antibody Deficiencies, and Memory B Cells

Objectives To investigate the immunological phenotypes detected in children with recurrent upper and lower respiratory infections that have normal total immunoglobulin concentrations.
Life-Cycle Cost Analysis using Deterministic and Stochastic Methods: Conflicting Results

Life-cycle cost analysis is an essential approach to differentiating alternative rehabilitation strategies for steel bridge paint systems. An economic analysis ~EA!, which is a deterministic method, and the Markov decision process ~MDP!, which is a stochastic method, were used to carry out the life-cycle cost analysis. These analyses were applied to data from two state Departments of Trans- portation. The deterioration curves for steel bridge paint condition rating against age were constructed. Different rehabilitation scenarios were proposed for steel bridge paint. The EA and the MDP were used to analyze and differentiate among the proposed rehabilitation scenarios. The results of the EA were different from those of MDP for the two data sets. MDP favored the ''do nothing'' scenario until the end of paint life and then a complete repainting. EA indicated that the scenario ''do spot repairs at state 3 of the paint life'' and repeat that until the end of the bridge life was superior. The results were analyzed to determine the reason for the conflict.
Invertebrate central pattern generator circuits

There are now a reasonable number of invertebrate central pattern generator (CPG) circuits described in sufficient detail that a mechanistic explanation of how they work is possible. These small circuits represent the best-understood neural circuits with which to investigate how cell-to-cell synaptic connections and individual channel conductances combine to generate rhythmic and patterned output. In this review, some of the main lessons that have appeared from this analysis are discussed and concrete examples of circuits ranging from single phase to multiple phase patterns are described. While it is clear that the cellular components of any CPG are basically the same, the topology of the circuits have evolved independently to meet the particular motor requirements of each individual organism and only a few general principles of circuit operation have emerged. The principal usefulness of small systems in relation to the brain is to demonstrate in detail how cellular infrastructure can be used to generate rhythmicity and form specialized patterns in a way that may suggest how similar processes might occur in more complex systems. But some of the problems and challenges associated with applying data from invertebrate preparations to the brain are also discussed. Finally, I discuss why it is useful to have well-defined circuits with which to examine various computational models that can be validated experimentally and possibly applied to brain circuits when the details of such circuits become available.
Mandibular Bone Formation Rates in Aged Ovariectomized Rats Treated with Anti-resorptive Agents Alone and in Combination with Intermittent Parathyroid Hormone

Anti-resorptive agents--including estrogen (E), calcitonin (CT), and bisphosphonates--are established in the treatment of osteoporosis. Intermittent administration of parathyroid hormone (PTH) stimulates bone formation and is a possible therapeutic agent for the restoration of bone mass. The purpose was to determine the effects of the anti-resorptive agents alone and in combination with intermittent PTH on bone formation in the mandible and a long bone in the aged ovariectomized (Ovx) rat. Female rats were ovariectomized or sham-operated. One year later, groups of Ovx rats were treated with E, CT, or the bisphosphonate, Risedronate (NE). Additional groups of Ovx rats were treated with each of these agents in combination with human PTH for 10 weeks. Estrogen treatment suppressed most indices of bone formation in the humerus and mandible, while NE decreased some indices of formation at the endocortical and endosteal surfaces of the mandible and humerus. Increased double-labeled surface and mineral apposition rates were observed only on the mandibular endosteal surfaces following CT treatment. When the anti-resorptive agents were combined with intermittent PTH, most indices of bone formation at all skeletal sites were substantially greater than those of the untreated Ovx controls as well as the E-, CT-, and NE-treated groups, respectively. These results provide additional evidence that established and emerging therapies for osteoporosis affect osseous tissues in the oral cavity, and this may influence the progression of diseases and/or aging changes at this site.
miR-29b defines the pro-/anti-proliferative effects of S100A7 in breast cancer.

Introduction S100A7 (Psoriasin) is an inflammatory protein known to be upregulated in breast cancer. However, the role of S100A7 in breast cancer has been elusive, since both pro- and anti-proliferative roles have been reported in different types of breast cancer cells and animal models. To date, the mechanism by which S100A7 differentially regulates breast cancer cell proliferation is still not clear.
A Hybrid Approach to CAM-Based Longest Prefix Matching for IP Route Lookup

Ternary Content Addressable Memories (CAMs) are widely used by high-speed routers to find matching routes in a routing table, because they enable the longest prefix matching operation to complete in a single clock cycle. However, they are costly and their power consumption is very high. In this paper, we identify two kinds of redundancy in the usage of TCAMs in IP route lookup, and then propose a hybrid scheme which combines Binary CAMs and Ternary CAMs to reduce the total area and power consumption, exploiting the uneven distribution of IP prefix lengths in real-world IP routing tables. We also introduce shared memory blocks for further simplification of the lookup circuit. The simulation results show that our approach can save morethan 50% of transistors in CAMs, compared with the traditional way in storing a set of real-world routing tables, and that it reduces the critical path in IP route lookup significantly.
Folk Zoological Life‐Forms: Their Universality and Growth

Folk zoological life-form terms, like folk botanical life-form terms (Brown 1977a), are added to languages in a highly regular manner. Life-forms of the triad FISH, BIRD, and SNAKE are lexically encoded first, although in no particular order, followed by WUG (e.g., American English hug) and then MAMMAL. Four general principles of naming-behavior underlie these regularities: (1) criteria clustering; (2) conjunctivity (including binary opposition); (3) dimension salience; and (4) marking. In addition, size of folk zoological life-form vocabularies is positively correlated with societal complexity. This is caused by the decay of folk biological taxonomies as societies become more complex. [cognitive anthropology, ethnobiology, folk classification, language universals, language change]
Radiative Lepton Production by a Neutrino Beam

The reaction $\ensuremath{\nu}+n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\mu}+p+\ensuremath{\gamma}$ is considered. To an extensive perturbation-theory type model for the nonradiative reaction ($\ensuremath{\nu}+n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\mu}+p$) are added electromagnetic interactions of the particles involved. Total and differential cross sections are computed for several neutrino energies in the BeV range. Results when normalized to the nonradiative cross sections are found to be insensitive to parameters in the model except the nucleon anomalous moments. For high-energy neutrinos, the effect of the anomalous moments is manifest as a striking peak in the photon spectrum when displayed as $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\mathrm{ln}k}$ versus $\mathrm{ln}k$. This offers the possibility of testing for the excitation of higher nucleon resonances in the reaction.
Multiple-wavelength diode laser superarray

A monolithic array of four diode laser arrays operating at four widely separated wavelengths over a 30 nm bandwidth is demonstrated. The multiple-wavelength superarray is fabricated from GaAs/AlGaAs separate-confinement laser material in which the thickness of the single-quantum-well active layer is laterally graded to control its effective bandgap. Lateral thickness control is achieved by using laser-induced desorption to selectively thin the epitaxial layer during the MOCVD growth cycle. Transmission electron microscopy is used to demonstrate the variation of the quantum-well thickness from approximately 8 to 13 nm across the 1- mu m-long chip as a result of the desorption. Individually addressable subarrays containing 10 gainguided emitters are defined after growth by conventional proton bombardment and localized metallization. Optical performance characteristics of the superarray are presented and discussed. >
VraSR Two-Component Regulatory System Contributes to mprF-Mediated Decreased Susceptibility to Daptomycin in In Vivo-Selected Clinical Strains of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Daptomycin (DAP) is a new class of cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic highly active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Proposed mechanisms involve disruption of the functional integrity of the bacterial membrane in a Ca-dependent manner. In the present work, we investigated the molecular basis of DAP resistance in a group of isogenic MRSA clinical strains obtained from patients with S. aureus infections after treatment with DAP. Different point mutations were found in the mprF gene in DAP-resistant (DR) strains. Investigation of the mprF L826F mutation in DR strains was accomplished by inactivation and transcomplementation of either full-length wild-type or mutated mprF in DAP-susceptible (DS) strains, revealing that they were mechanistically linked to the DR phenotype. However, our data suggested that mprF was not the only factor determining the resistance to DAP. Differential gene expression analysis showed upregulation of the two-component regulatory system vraSR. Inactivation of vraSR resulted in increased DAP susceptibility, while complementation of vraSR mutant strains restored DAP resistance to levels comparable to those observed in the corresponding DR wild-type strain. Electron microscopy analysis showed a thicker cell wall in DR CB5012 than DS CB5011, an effect that was related to the impact of vraSR and mprF mutations in the cell wall. Moreover, overexpression of vraSR in DS strains resulted in both increased resistance to DAP and decreased resistance to oxacillin, similar to the phenotype observed in DR strains. These results support the suggestion that, in addition to mutations in mprF, vraSR contributes to DAP resistance in the present group of clinical strains.
Zinc Tin Oxide Thin-Film-Transistor Enhancement/Depletion Inverter

A fabrication process to create a zinc tin oxide (ZTO) thin-film-transistor (TFT) enhancement/depletion inverter using 15-mum channel lengths is developed. Both enhancement- and depletion-mode staggered bottom-gate ZTO TFTs are simultaneously fabricated on a single substrate using a single sputter target and postdeposition anneal step. At a rail voltage of 10 V, this inverter has a gain of 10.6 V/V.
Protein kinase C mediates x-ray inducibility of nuclear signal transducers EGR1 and JUN

Abstract The cellular response to ionizing radiation includes growth arrest and DNA repair followed by proliferation. Induction of immediate early response genes may participate in signal transduction preceding these phenotypic responses. We analyzed mRNA expression for different classes of immediate early genes (JUN, EGR1, and FOS) after cellular x-irradiation. Increased expression of the EGR1 and JUN genes was observed within 0.5-3 hr following x-ray exposure. Preincubation with cycloheximide was associated with superinduction of JUN and EGR1 in x-irradiated cells. Inhibition of protein kinase C activity by prolonged stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or the protein kinase inhibitor H7 prior to irradiation attenuated the increase in EGR1 and JUN transcripts. FOS expression was not coregulated with that of EGR1 following x-irradiation, suggesting a distinct regulatory pathway of this gene as compared with its regulation following serum and phorbol ester. These data implicate the EGR1 and JUN proteins as signal transducers during the cellular response to radiation injury and suggest that this effect is mediated in part by a protein kinase C-dependent pathway.
Informed consent in functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

Objectives: Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is one of the more common procedures performed by otolaryngologists. Before performing FESS, surgeons are obligated to discuss the procedure and its risks through the process of informed patient consent. The study identifies current practices in informed consent for FESS and formulates guidelines for informed consent for FESS. Study Design: Survey. Methods: Surveys were sent to 1000 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery members in the United States. Surveys inquired about current informed consent practices related to FESS. Results: Three hundred forty-six surveys were returned. Nearly 60% of respondents thought that 1% incidence of a complication warrants a discussion with patients. The percentage of respondents who discuss specific risks were as follows: bleeding, 96.7%; infection, 84.8%; cerebrospinal fluid leak, 99.1%; orbital injury, 96.7%; smell changes, 40.2%; cerebrovascular accident, 17.9%; myocardial infarction, 8%; and death, 28.0%. Conclusions: The study suggests that there is variability in specific informed consent practices for FESS among otolaryngologists. It also suggests that the incidence or severity of a complication does not necessarily correlate with whether or not it is mentioned during the informed consent process. The authors think that practicing otolaryngologists may be able to use this information to improve their consent practices.
Learning Methods for DNA Binding in Computational Biology

We describe some recently developed and new applications of learning theory to prediction of binding by transcription factors to DNA in yeast and humans, as well as location of binding sites. This has potential applications to new types of biochemical bindings as well. Some related algorithms for identifying binding site locations are described.
From the Outside, Looking In with a Smile: A Summary and Discussion of CES’s Credentialed Evaluator Designation

Drawing upon information presented in this issue, the article discusses the CES’s Credentialed Evaluator designation using three frameworks: the Context, Inputs, Processes, and Products (CIPP) model to provide an overview of the program; developmental evaluation to examine key events and principles in the program’s evolution; and adaptive action to raise issues both for the CES as it revises the program and for others around the world as they consider the possible benefits and risks of establishing evaluator credentialing programs. The Credentialed Evaluator designation has provided proof of concept for a viable evaluator credentialing system run by a voluntary organization of professional evaluators (VOPE). Specific considerations in moving forward in settings beyond Canada include the following: (a) the exercise of caution when using evaluator competencies to structure a credentialing program, (b) the importance of a perceived need for or value of a credential, (c) skillful attention to milieu, (d) finding qualified and committed people to develop and manage the program, and (e) ensuring that all stakeholders, including those outside the profession, are involved. En tirant des informations fournies dans ce numero, cet article presente une discussion du titre d’Evaluateur accredite de la SCE par le biais de trois cadres: le modele Contexte, intrants, processus, et produits (CIPP) pour fournir un survol du programme; l’evaluation du developpement du programme pour examiner les evenements et principes cles de son evolution; et l’action adaptee pour soulever certaines problematiques, a la fois pour la SCE lors de sa revision du programme et pour les autres intervenants du monde entier qui evaluent les avantages et les risques de mettre sur pied un programme d’evaluateur accredite. Le titre d’Evaluateur accredite a demontre la faisabilite d’un systeme de titres professionnels pour les evaluateurs gere par une organisation volontaire d’evaluateurs professionnels (VOPE). En dehors du Canada, les elements a prendre en consideration pour aller de l’avant incluent : (a) faire preuve de prudence lors d’utilisation des competences de l’evaluateur pour structurer un programme de titres professionnels, (b) accorder de l’importance a la perception du besoin et de la valeur d’un titre, (c) porter une attention adroite au milieu, (d) trouver des personnes competentes et engagees pour developper et gerer le programme, et (e) assurer l’implication de tous les intervenants, meme ceux qui n’oeuvrent pas dans le domaine de l’evaluation. doi: 10.3138/cjpe.29.3.134
Creativity or Coercion: Alternative Perspectives on Rights to Intellectual Property

Part one of this paper considers the question of property rights in general and asks how such rights can be justified, contrasting Consequentialist with other approaches and concludes that it is impossible to avoid a broadly Consequentialist approach. Part two considers the question of intellectual property (IP) and asks how property rights justifications apply to it. The basic economics if IP is indispensable in this discussion. Finally, part three, considers IP in the light of modern technological developments. I conclude that the real dangers lie more in the specific ways government and special interests respond to this technology than from the nature of IP rights themselves.
Patterns and performance of distributed real-time and embedded publisher/subscriber architectures

This paper makes four contributions to the design and evaluation of publisher/subscriber architectures for distributed real-time and embedded (DRE) applications. First, it illustrates how a flexible publisher/subscriber architecture can be implemented using standard CORBA middleware. Second, it shows how to extend the standard CORBA publisher/subscriber architecture so it is suitable for DRE applications that require low latency and jitter, periodic rate-based event processing, and event filtering and correlation. Third, it explains how to address key performance-related design challenges faced when implementing a publisher/ subscriber architecture suitable for DRE applications. Finally, the paper presents benchmarks that empirically demonstrate the predictability, latency, and utilization of a widely used real-time CORBA publisher/subscriber architecture. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to strike an effective balance between architectural flexibility and real-time quality of service for important classes of DRE applications.
Estimation of single furniture carpet beetle ( Anthrenus flavipes LeConte) sex pheromone release by dose-response curve and chromatographic analysis of pentafluorobenzyl derivative of ( Z )-3-decenoic acid

A single-insect aeration apparatus was designed for the study of the pheromone release rate of furniture carpet beetlesAnthrenus flavipes LeConte. Tenax® was selected as the pheromone adsorption agent. The quantity of (Z)-3-decenoic acid (A. flavipes female pheromone) produced per day was estimated by a dose-response curve and bioassay of the collected pheromone. A procedure was established to quantitatively determine the furniture carpet beetle pheromone involving pentafluoro-benzylation of (Z)-3-decenoic acid and subsequent gas chromatographic analysis utilizing flame-ionization and electron-capture detectors.
Analyzing finasteride data.

Published data on the safety and efficacy of finasteride in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia are studied and compared with published conclusions. The need for publishing correlation studies of both the benefits and side-effects, to allow for informed physician and patient decisions, is detailed. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A high resolution, monolithic crystal, PET/MRI detector with DOI positioning capability

We report on a high resolution, monolithic crystal PET detector design that provides depth of interaction (DOI) positioning within the crystal and is compatible for operation in a MRI scanner to support multimodal anatomic and functional imaging. Our design utilizes a novel sensor on the entrance surface (SES) design combined with a maximum likelihood positioning algorithm. The sensor will be a two-dimensional array of micro-pixel avalanche photodiodes (MAPD). MAPDs are a new type of solid-state photodetector with Geiger mode operation that can provide signal gain similar to a photomltipiler tube (PMT). In addition, they can be operated in high magnetic fields to support PET/MR imaging. Utilizing a multi-step simulation process, we determined the intrinsic spatial resolution characteristics of a detector using the proposed design. For a 48.8 mm by 48.8 mm by 15 mm LSO crystal detector readout by an 8 by 8 array of 5.8 mm by 5.8 mm MAPD elements the intrinsic spatial resolution is 0.83 mm FWHM in X, 0.92 mm FWHM in Y and 1.83 mm FWHM in Z (i.e., DOI) for normally incident photons. Comparing the results versus using a conventional design with the photosensors on the backside of the crystal, an average improvement of 25% in X, 23% in Y, and 20% in Z is achieved.
Attitudes Towards Cervical Cancer Screening: A Study of Beliefs Among Women In Mexico

Pap smear testing continues to be the single most effective tool in reducing deaths due to cervical cancer (Watkins, Gabali, Winkleby, Gaona & Lebaron, 2002). Despite the creation of a national cervical cancer screening program, more than 4,000 women die every year in Mexico from this disease. This study explored the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of Mexican women regarding cervical cancer screening, and identified beliefs and barriers that may influence cervical health. All analyses compared women who had ever had a Pap test in their lives (“ever”) with women who had never had a Pap test (“never”). In bivariate analyses, the following variables were significantly associated (p<0.05) with ever having a Pap test at least once in their life: being given information on Pap test by their doctor, number of pregnancies, knowing someone who has been diagnosed with cervical cancer, education level, age, and type of healthcare facility used most often. The surprisingly high rate of ever screening in this sample (85%) was an unexpected finding in this study. More research is needed in order to understand the cultural beliefs and screening behaviors of this unique population. Future interventions must address the barriers cited by the women in our sample by tailoring interventions specifically to Mexican women and their belief system.
Classifier performance measures in multifault diagnosis for aircraft engines

Classifier performance evaluation is an important step in designing diagnostic systems. The purposes of performing classifier performance evaluation include: 1) to select the best classifiers from the several candidate classifiers, 2) to verify that the classifier designed meets the design requirement, and 3) to identify the need for improvements in the classifier components. In order to effectively evaluate classifier performance, a classifier performance measure needs to be defined that can be used to measure the goodness of the classifiers considered. This paper first argues that in fault diagnostic system design, commonly used performance measures, such as accuracy and ROC analysis are not always appropriate for performance evaluation. The paper then proposes using misclassification cost as a general performance measure that is suitable for binary as well as multi-class classifiers, and -most importantly- for classifiers with unequal cost consequence of the classes. The paper also provides strategies for estimating the cost matrix by taking advantage of fault criticality information obtained from FMECA. By evaluating the performance of different classifiers considered during the design process of an engine fault diagnostic system, this paper demonstrates that misclassification cost is an effective performance measure for evaluating the performance of multi-class classifiers with unequal cost consequence for different classes.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Skills for Children Entering Kindergarten

Assessing kindergarten entry skills is complex, requiring attention to skill proficiency and interactive behaviors deemed critical for learning to occur. In our analysis of a state initiative, pilot data were collected on early literacy and numeracy and 2 aspects of important student interactions in the classroom (social and task behaviors) within the first 6 weeks of kindergarten students' entry into school. Using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling, we provide initial evidence that supports a theoretical model referencing skill acquisition and classroom participation. These entry skills may be important to serve as a baseline for the beginning of students' schooling, identify students at risk of not meeting grade-level expectations, inform instruction, and document growth.
Protection of Superalloys for Turbine Application

Superalloys are so named because they retain useful strength to temperatures approaching 2000°F (1093°C). Unfortunately, the alloying elements responsible for imparting high-temperature strength are often responsible for lowering the alloy’s resistance to aggressive environments. Since superalloys are used extensively in aircraft, marine, industrial, and vehicular gas turbines, where some of the most severe environments are encountered, this lack of environmental resistance proves to be a serious problem. Attention has therefore been focused in recent years on developing suitable coatings and claddings.
The Effect of Phenylpropanolamine on 24-Hour Blood Pressure in Normotensive Subjects Administered Indomethacin

We evaluated the effect of phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride (PPA) in 14 young, healthy, normotensive women who concurrently received indomethacin. Subjects received sustained-release (SR) indomethacin 75 mg bid and were randomly assigned to receive double-blind SR PPA 75 mg/d or placebo for four days. After a six-day washout period, subjects were crossed over to the opposite four-day double-blind treatment. Following an additional six-day washout period, subjects received indomethacin placebo and PPA placebo during a final, single-blind four-day period. Twenty-four-hour blood pressure (BP) monitoring every 30 minutes and a 24-hour urine collection for prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were performed on the fourth day of each treatment period. Compliance with the medication regimen was confirmed by drug concentrations, pill counts, and urinary PGE2 concentrations. Compared with the indomethacin and placebo treatment periods, the combination of indomethacin and PPA had no significant effect on mean systolic or diastolic BP during the 24-hour study period or during any four-hour interval. We conclude that the combination of SR PPA 75 mg/d and SR indomethacin 150 mg/d for four days has no adverse effect on BP in normotensive women.
66. Field Research in EMS: Who is Doing the Work?

Purpose: To determine what types of EMS systems (public vs. private) are contributing to the peer reviewed field research in EMS and what type of research is being done by these agencies.Methods: A Medline literature search was conducted of all peer reviewed journals using the search terms: EMS, emergency medical services, EMT, paramedic, and ambulance. Studies published between 1976 and 1995 meeting these criteria were reviewed and classified as field or non-field studies. Studies were classified as field studies if they evaluated clinical outcomes or overall EMS system structure and performance. The type of EMS system in which the study was conducted was classified as: public (PB), private (PR), or a mixture of public and private agencies (PP). If the type of system was not evident in the paper, the primary author or EMS agency was contacted by phone. The primary affiliation of the first author was classified as being with: an educational institution, hospital, government agency, or EMS agency. Each study was also classified as being primarily clinical or evaluating EMS system structure. Review articles, editorials, and meta-analyses were excluded as were studies in which critical data elements could not be verified. Fischer's exact test was used for statistical analysis.Results: A total of 365 studies were evaluated with 66 non-field studies being excluded from analysis. 75 studies did not meet inclusionary criteria. This left 224 studies for analysis. PB systems accounted for 167 (74.5%) of field studies, with PP 44 (19.6%) and PR 13 (5.8%). Clinical studies were more commonly done by PB systems (72.5%) when compared to PR systems (38.5%), p = 0.02. System structure studies accounted for the majority of studies done by PR systems (61.5%). An affiliation with an educational institution such as a university occurred in 61.2% of the studies. The number of field studies done by PB systems has increased steadily over the last 10 years while field studies published by PR and PP systems has remained at a low level, with none published from 1992–1994.
A Five-Year Change in an Assemblage of Wood Rat Houses

The house of the dusky-footed wood rat ( Neotoma fuscipes ) in California is an impressive structure compared with the small size of the animal that makes it. The owner of a house assembles sticks, bark, plant cuttings, and miscellaneous objects that it deposits in a conical heap, which may tower six feet or higher above the ground and have a basal diameter of eight feet. Passageways penetrate the interior and one or more chambers contain a soft nest for the repose of the occupant. Old and dominant individuals generally maintain and control several houses from which they exclude all other members of the colony. A mother and her young may occupy a house, but otherwise a single rat lives in a house. Long residence in the same house is rare. More often a rat shifts its headquarters frequently to a different dwelling within its sphere of influence. Occasionally, too, abandoning its own property, it may make a major move to a new area where it takes over a group of houses that belonged to an animal that died or moved elsewhere. As a rule only established rats build new houses. When young rats leave the maternal abode, they must find unoccupied dwellings in which to live, for construction of new homes is time consuming, and homeless rats cannot survive long enough to make a new shelter. Increase of a population of rats, therefore, is dependent in part upon the frequency with which established animals build houses and the vigor with which they maintain old houses. Most houses are occupied by a succession of tenants that persist in the upkeep of the structure, which then represents the work of many generations of rats. If a house is vacant for a considerable time, it loses its rat sign, such as deposits of feces …
The Genus Mylittopsis

Sixty years ago Patouillard published a lucid and detailed descrip? tion, and five years later clear illustrations, of a fungus which he as? signed to a new genus Mylittopsis, a cartilaginous, nodular or cerebriform member of the Auriculariaceae. Since that time, partly from the rarity of the fungus, and partly from uninhibited misinterpretation of the description, the genus has become and remained unknown in the literature and to mycologists. The single species, M. Langloisii, was represented by a single collection, divided between the herbaria of Ellis and Patouillard. The only later student to discuss Mylittopsis in print was Hohnel (Ann. Myc. 15: 293-296. 1917), who examined neither of these specimens, and whose imaginative attempts to equate the fungus to others of which also he had seen no original material resulted in complete confusion. In the United States, an influential contemporary mycologist saw in Mylittopsis (as his notes show) only the Ptychogaster form illustrated in Brefeld's Untersuchungen (8: pl. 8, f. 26-33. 1889). The authors of the two standard compilations of genera, Killermann (E. & P. Nat. Pfl. 2 Aufl. 6: 108) and Clements & Shear (Gen. Fung. 341), seem to have been misled by Hohnel rather than informed by Patouillard; at any rate, they set Mylittopsis aside as a genus dubium. Examination of the type collection of Mylittopsis Langloisii shows that Patouillard's interpretation is correct and his characterizations accurate, lacking only a description of the spores, which he did not find, but which are present in his material. Two more recent collections are at hand to confirm the description, and an earlier one, regrettably, as evidence that Patouillard was not the first to name the fungus.
Reaction Intermediates during the Dehydrogenation of Metal Borohydrides: A Cluster Perspective

Complex light metal hydrides such as alanates, amides, and borohydrides have among the highest hydrogen storage capacities of any materials investigated thus far. However, their use in the transportation industry is plagued by poor thermodynamics and kinetics as well as lack of reversibility at ambient pressure and temperature. To achieve a fundamental understanding of the properties of these materials, considerable efforts have been made to study the reaction intermediates as hydrogen continues to desorb. Recent experiments(1) have confirmed the formation of [B12H12]2− complexes during the dehydrogenation of metal tetrahydroborates. We show that the existence of these complexes can be understood by studying the stability of borane clusters and their interaction with metal atoms. We further examine the possibility that other reaction intermediates with different B and H stoichiometry may be present during the dehydrogenation process. Study of the interaction of boron−hydrogen complexes with various metal ...
Cookie-cutter curriculum is no recipe for success.

![Figure][1] CREDIT: GEORGINA PALMER/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM Graduate education in the biomedical sciences has recently been the subject of much discussion ([ 1 ][2]–[ 5 ][3]). In the Policy Forum “Promoting convergence in biomedical science” (29 July, p. [527][4]), P. A. Sharp and R. Langer
Analyzing the Determinants of Everyday Conversion

Traditionally, sociologists studying religious conversion have focused primarily on radical realignments of belief occurring on the religious fringe. This article reexamines and questions this strategy, arguing that previous analyses have tended to obscure the role of less dramatic affiliation shifts, which are the dominant form of religious mobility in the American mainstream. Using organizational theory to highlight the theoretical and practical significance of such "everyday" conversions, this article extends theories from the sociology of deviance to form a conceptual framework for understanding these events. A preliminary quantitative examination offers support for this approach and further delineates the nature of the affiliation process.
Hybrid power supplies for particle accelerators

A hybrid power supply topology is proposed for large particle accelerators/colliders. This topology combines the One-Cycle Controlled switching converter and the phase-controlled thyristor converter and it is suitable for two quadrant (rectifier and inverter) applications that require low ripple, high current, large dynamic range. >
Genetic perturbations suggest a role of the resting potential in regulating the expression of the ion channels of the KCNA and HCN families in octopus cells of the ventral cochlear nucleus

Low-voltage-activated K+ (gKL) and hyperpolarization-activated mixed cation conductances (gh) mediate currents, IKL and Ih, through channels of the Kv1 (KCNA) and HCN families respectively and give auditory neurons the temporal precision required for signaling information about the onset, fine structure, and time of arrival of sounds. Being partially activated at rest, gKL and gh contribute to the resting potential and shape responses to even small subthreshold synaptic currents. Resting gKL and gh also affect the coupling of somatic depolarization with the generation of action potentials. To learn how these important conductances are regulated we have investigated how genetic perturbations affect their expression in octopus cells of the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN). We report five new findings: First, the magnitude of gh and gKL varied over more than two-fold between wild type strains of mice. Second, average resting potentials are not different in different strains of mice even in the face of large differences in average gKL and gh. Third, IKL has two components, one being α-dendrotoxin (α-DTX)-sensitive and partially inactivating and the other being α-DTX-insensitive, tetraethylammonium (TEA)-sensitive, and non-inactivating. Fourth, the loss of Kv1.1 results in diminution of the α-DTX-sensitive IKL, and compensatory increased expression of an α-DTX-insensitive, tetraethylammonium (TEA)-sensitive IKL. Fifth, Ih and IKL are balanced at the resting potential in all wild type and mutant octopus cells even when resting potentials vary in individual cells over nearly 10 mV, indicating that the resting potential influences the expression of gh and gKL. The independence of resting potentials on gKL and gh shows that gKL and gh do not, over days or weeks, determine the resting potential but rather that the resting potential plays a role in regulating the magnitude of either or both gKL and gh.
Contracting for Torts

This article focuses on agreements to commit or induce the commission of a tort. Examples include an agreement between factories to use a production process that would pollute a lake, or an agreement where one entices another to publish a false statement by promising to share the cost of the injury. Such agreements are unenforceable under contract law. However, the article reveals that tort law not only enforces such wrongdoings, it encourages them. Tort law picks up where contract law leaves off. Tort law allows the injurers who acted on the agreement (the polluting factories and the publisher) to recover expectation damages from the breaching party who behaved carefully (the factory that promised to use a polluting process but did not pollute). It also requires the party who commissioned a wrong (the one who enticed the publisher) and then refused to shoulder the cost of the victim’s injury to pay her share as promised. Tort law even goes a step further and facilitates “tort-tracting”—the act of agreeing, or pre-committing, to engage in or sponsor a wrongdoing. The result is ironic: tort law invites, polices and enforces wrongdoing. The article explains how tort law allows parties to enter into agreements to commit or induce a tort, and how they are enforced. In doing so, the article sheds a new light on some of the most divisive controversies that have preoccupied scholars and paved their way into the Restatements of Torts, and it provides guidance to courts and policymakers.
Towards the Molecular Computer Factory

Scientists of diverse background have in recent years joined a new scientific adventure. Molecular computing, molecular and bioelectronics, biocomputing, biomolecular information processing, and biochip are some of the terms that have been used to describe this new direction. Another term is “molecular functional systems”.
Restructuring a Pharmacy Department: Leadership Strategies for Managing Organizational Change.

Background: The Director’s Forum series is designed to guide pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health-systems. This article focuses on leadership strategie...
Central Line Placement

Establishing intravenous access is an essential and early step in most acute care situations. Cannulation of peripheral veins with short- and large-bore catheters is the initial choice as it provides quick access for initial resuscitation allowing rapid infusion of fluids and medications. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit, however, frequently require central venous access. Central venous catheters (CVCs) not only provide a route to administer a wide variety of medications necessary for the critically ill patient but can also be used to obtain hemodynamic and physiologic information at the bedside that aids in treatment decision making. In this chapter, we will discuss appropriate catheter site selection, review the pertinent anatomy and technique for insertion of CVCs, and discuss the potential complications and their management.
Surface Photometry of Bright Ellipticals

Surface brightness profiles of bright ellipticals (M v < −17, H 0 = 100) in rich clusters and the field are reduced to structural parameters. Most fitting functions are found to be inadequate in describing the overall shape of profiles with only the r 1/4 law providing a good match over the range of surface brightness from 19 to 24 mag arcsec−2. The systematic deviations in structure of first-ranked ellipticals from normal ellipticals (i.e. enlarged characteristic radii and shallow profile slopes) are well explained by comparison to the N-body simulations of merging systems from Duncan, Farouki, and Shapiro (1982).
Timelessness and Divine Knowledge

In the last chapter we saw that the objective reality of tense and temporal becoming would present an insuperable obstacle to a timeless deity’s being active in the world. But even if God were not really related to the temporal world, the reality of tense and becoming would still seem to be problematic for the doctrine of divine atemporality. For if a tensed theory of time is correct, there exist tensed facts, of which God, as an omniscient being, cannot be ignorant. But since tensed facts can only be known by a temporal being, God must therefore be temporal. Moreover, since tensed facts are in constant flux, so must be God’s beliefs or cognitive state, which entails that God is temporal.
'There's always a [white] man in the loop': The gendered and racialized politics of civilian drones.

In 2014, the United States Federal Aviation Administration chose six sites at which to conduct research crucial to integrating unmanned aircraft systems into the nation’s airspace. Analyzing data c...