cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Street View Imagery to Predict Street-Level Particulate Air Pollution.

Land-use regression (LUR) models are frequently applied to estimate spatial patterns of air pollution. Traditional LUR often relies on fixed-site measurements and GIS-derived variables with limited spatial resolution. We present an approach that leverages Google Street View (GSV) imagery to predict street-level particulate air pollution (i.e., black carbon [BC] and particle number [PN] concentrations). We developed empirical models based on mobile monitoring data and features extracted from ∼52 500 GSV images using a deep learning model. We tested theory- and data-driven feature selection methods as well as models using images within varying buffer sizes (50-2000 m). Compared to LUR models with traditional variables, our models achieved similar model performance using the street-level predictors while also identifying additional potential hotspots. Adjusted R2 (10-fold CV R2) with integrated feature selection was 0.57-0.64 (0.50-0.57) and 0.65-0.73 (0.61-0.66) for BC and PN models, respectively. Models using only features near the measurement locations (i.e., GSV images within 250 m) explained ∼50% of air pollution variability, indicating PN and BC are strongly affected by the street-level built environment. Our results suggest that GSV imagery, processed with computer vision techniques, is a promising data source to develop LUR models with high spatial resolution and consistent predictor variables across administrative boundaries.
Mistaken administration of a repeat loading dose of Degarelix leading to acute psychosis

Advanced and metastatic prostate cancer is often managed with hormonal blockage. Luteinising hormone-releasing hormone antagonists achieve rapid testosterone suppression and are used for the treatment of advanced or metastatic prostate cancer. Degarelix is a luteinising hormone-releasing hormone antagonist and is given as a loading dose, followed by a monthly maintenance dose. We report a case where a patient was inadvertently given a second loading dose of Degarelix that resulted in acute psychosis in the form of panic attacks, delusions, suicidal thoughts, insomnia and some visual hallucinations, which are not reported as side-effects of Degarelix.
Aspartame and cancer - new evidence for causation.

Aspartame is one of the world’s most widely used artificial sweeteners and is an ingredient in more than 5000 food products globally. A particularly important use is in low-calorie beverages consumed by children and pregnant women. The Ramazzini Institute (RI) reported in 2006 and 2007 that aspartame causes dose-related increases in malignant tumors in multiple organs in rats and mice. Increased cancer risk was seen even at low exposure levels approaching the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI). Prenatal exposures caused increased malignancies in rodent offspring at lower doses than in adults. These findings generated intense controversy focused on the accuracy of RI’s diagnoses of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissue tumors (HLTs). Critics made the claim that pulmonary lesions observed in aspartame-exposed animals were inflammatory lesions caused by Mycoplasma infection rather than malignant neoplasms. To address this question, RI subjected all HLTs from aspartame-exposed animals to immunohistochemical analysis using a battery of markers and to morphological reassessment using the most recent Internationally Harmonized Nomenclature and Diagnostic (INHAND) criteria. This immunohistochemical and morphological re-evaluation confirmed the original diagnoses of malignancy in 92.3% of cases. Six lesions originally diagnosed as lymphoma (8% of all HLTs) were reclassified: 3 to lymphoid hyperplasia, and 3 to chronic inflammation with fibrosis. There was no evidence of Mycoplasma infection. These new findings confirm that aspartame is a chemical carcinogen in rodents. They confirm the very worrisome finding that prenatal exposure to aspartame increases cancer risk in rodent offspring. They validate the conclusions of the original RI studies. These findings are of great importance for public health. In light of them, we encourage all national and international public health agencies to urgently reexamine their assessments of aspartame’s health risks - especially the risks of prenatal and early postnatal exposures. We call upon food agencies to reassess Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) levels for aspartame. We note that an Advisory Group to the International Agency for Research on Cancer has recommended high-priority reevaluation of aspartame’s carcinogenicity to humans.
Clinical Reasoning: An 81-Year-Old Woman Who Insisted the Hospital Was Her Home

An 81-year-old right-handed White non-Hispanic previously healthy woman with glaucoma presented with acute weakness and slurred speech nearly 10 hours after last seen well. She was found to have new onset atrial fibrillation. Her NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) was 18 with points given for failure to answer questions, left lower facial paralysis, right gaze preference with ability to cross midline, left field cut, left hemiplegia, severe dysarthria, mild aphasia, and severe left sensory neglect.
Formal Manipulations of the Partition Function

This Lecture has two purposes. The first is to demonstrate that one can obtain useful results by making formal manipulations of the partition function and the ensemble average. The results of these manipulations include the First and Second Generalized Equipartition Theorems and the relation between energy fluctuations and the specific heat. The second purpose of the lecture is to illustrate the utility of studying special cases, as a method for checking one’s theoretical understanding. To show why special cases are helpful, we derive a result that is less general than it at first appears. The apparent result will be tested unsuccessfully against a special case; insight gained from failure will be used to derive a fully general result.
The family and medical leave act

Since 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has enabled thousands of American employees to retain their jobs while taking unpaid leaves of absence to attend to important family health concerns. The FMLA requires employers in the public and private sectors to hold workers’ jobs open and continue paying health insurance premiums while employees take time off to treat and/or recover from illnesses or injuries. It also provides leave for employees who must attend to the health care needs of their family members. A covered employer under the FMLA is one who has 50 or more employees residing within a 75-mile radius of the work location. Employees are eligible for protection if they have at least 1 year of seniority on the job (defined as at least 1,250 hours worked within the 12 months preceding the requested leave date) AND have a serious health condition. The FMLA defines a serious health condition as any illness, injury, impairment, or regimen of treatment that renders one unable to perform any essential function of his or her job. The term serious health condition is broader and more inclusive than the Americans with Disabilities Act’s definition of disability. Unlike the term disability, serious health conditions pertain to both temporary and permanent conditions. Examples of commonly invoked serious health conditions under the Family and Medical Leave Act include pregnancy, birth or adoption of a child, surgery, chemotherapy, and chronic illnesses. The FMLA requires employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per calendar year for an eligible employee coping with a serious health condition. The
MO-F-CAMPUS-T-01: Radiosurgery of Multiple Brain Metastases with Single-Isocenter VMAT: Optimizing Treatment Geometry to Reduce Normal Brain Dose

Purpose: To develop an optimization algorithm to reduce normal brain dose by optimizing couch and collimator angles for single isocenter multiple targets treatment of stereotactic radiosurgery. Methods: Three metastatic brain lesions were retrospectively planned using single-isocenter volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Three matrices were developed to calculate the projection of each lesion on Beam’s Eye View (BEV) by the rotating couch, collimator and gantry respectively. The island blocking problem was addressed by computing the total area of open space between any two lesions with shared MLC leaf pairs. The couch and collimator angles resulting in the smallest open areas were the optimized angles for each treatment arc. Two treatment plans with and without couch and collimator angle optimization were developed using the same objective functions and to achieve 99% of each target volume receiving full prescription dose of 18Gy. Plan quality was evaluated by calculating each target’s Conformity Index (CI), Gradient Index (GI), and Homogeneity index (HI), and absolute volume of normal brain V8Gy, V10Gy, V12Gy, and V14Gy. Results: Using the new couch/collimator optimization strategy, dose to normal brain tissue was reduced substantially. V8, V10, V12, and V14 decreased by 2.3%, 3.6%, 3.5%, and 6%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the conformity index, gradient index, and homogeneity index between two treatment plans with and without the new optimization algorithm. Conclusion: We have developed a solution to the island blocking problem in delivering radiation to multiple brain metastases with shared isocenter. Significant reduction in dose to normal brain was achieved by using optimal couch and collimator angles that minimize total area of open space between any of the two lesions with shared MLC leaf pairs. This technique has been integrated into Eclipse treatment system using scripting API.
Active middleware services in a decision support system for managing highly available distributed resources

We describe a decision support system called Mounties that is designed for managing applications and resources using rule-based constraints in scalable mission-critical clustering environments. Mounties consists of four active service components: (1) a repository of resource proxy objects for modeling and manipulating the cluster configuration; (2) an event notification mechanism for monitoring and controlling interdependent and distributed resources; (3) a rule evaluation and decision processing mechanism; and (4) a global optimization service for providing decision making capabilities. The focus of this paper is on the design of the first three services that together connect and coordinate the distributed resources with the decision making component. We discuss the overall architecture and design of these services. We describe in some detail the asynchronous, concurrent, and pipelined nature of their interactions and the fault tolerance designed in the system. We also describe a general programming paradigm that we have followed in designing these services.
A Review of: Susan Clair Imbarrato. Traveling Women: Narrative Visions of Early America : Athens: Ohio UP, 2006

As John D. Cox writes in Traveling South: Travel Narratives and the Construction of American Identity, the “systematic rhetorical analysis of travel literature as genre … is a modern phenomenon” (1...
Comets, Charisma, and Celebrity: Reflections on Their Deep Impact

In celebration of the Deep Impact Mission, this essay explores the influence of comets on the arts and sciences since the beginning of recorded time. Through images, ranging from the sublime to the humorous, it probes the reasons why comets are among the most charismatic visual spectacles in the universe and why, even as scientific missions unmask their mysteries, they remain iconic symbols and harbingers of change.
The use of web-based visualization techniques and its effect on student comprehension

This paper discusses the use of web-based visualization laboratories in an intermediate programming and data structures course that uses Java as the language of instruction. Students were exposed to algorithm visualization exercises to explain basic concepts of the intermediate programming course. Short quizzes were designed to measure students' understanding of the concepts before and after participation in the visualization exercises. An analysis of the results revealed a statistically significant increase in quiz scores for the participating students.
Gauging Hispanic voting strength Paradoxes and pitfalls

How a minority group's demographic presence in a district translates into a presence among the voters in that district is a matter of growing importance to political scientists and courts. This paper examines technical problems in measuring the concentration of Hispanic voting strength among the eligible voters in an election district. We document and analyze several limitations with existing demographic data in localities where a minority has a distinctive citizenship, ethnic, and age makeup. Our findings show how different measurement techniques may distort or clarify one's view of local Hispanic voting strength. County-wide measures of age and citizenship have a generic limitation: using such measures to infer the character of particular county sub-areas may falsely inflate the apparent voting strength of Hispanics. Other specific limitations relate to (1) the use of voting-age population (or self-reported voting-age citizens) in gauging the actual concentration of Hispanic registrants in an area and (2) the definition of ‘Hispanic’ itself.
Chapter 8 Nitrogen metabolism by splanchnic tissues of ruminants

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the metabolism of nitrogen by splanchnic tissues of ruminants. Ruminant amino acid metabolism is differentiated from the nonruminant by the extensive development of the stomach and dietary fermentation. These tissues are extremely metabolically active, and their metabolism reduces the net availability of absorbed amino acids. This metabolism reflects the sequestration of arterial amino acids for essential amino acids. The use of essential amino acids by the portal-drained viscera (PDV) represents synthesis of constitutive and secreted proteins, and endogenous losses to the gut, as well as oxidation of branched-chain amino acids. Fermentation in the rumen results in a substantial recycling of urea to the gut lumen and reabsorption as ammonia, which is converted to urea in the liver. The consumption of excess protein can increase heat production in both the PDV and liver, as a consequence of surplus amino acid oxidation. Liver removal of amino acids reflects liver requirements and supply relative to body requirements, but in ruminants a net release of branched-chain amino acids is often observed, and leucine is oxidized in the PDV and other peripheral tissues.
Clyde K. and Sheila K. v. Puyallup School District: The Courts, Inclusion, and Students with Behavioral Disorders.

Currently, one of the most controversial topics in education is the movement toward full inclusion of students with disabilities. Recent federal circuit courts have issued rulings which seem to favor a full inclusion position. These cases, however, involved the inclusion of students with moderate mental disabilities who did not present significant behavior management problems to their teachers. The relevance for students with emotional and behavior disorders (EBD) has been, therefore, uncertain. In late 1994, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a ruling in Clyde K. and Sheila K. v. Puyallup School District. This decision involved the inclusion of a student with emotional and behavior disorders in the general education classroom. The ruling, in favor of the school district, was a departure from a recent string of decisions for plaintiffs seeking full inclusion and indicated that a significant factor in making placement decisions for students with EBD is the effect of the student's behavi...
Exploring CORSIM runtime characteristics: profiling a traffic simulator

The runtime characteristics of CORSIM, a traffic corridor software simulator are presented. The simulator was profiled under both the NT and Linux operating systems. Profiling identifies bottleneck simulator function categories. Functions devoted to event scheduling and simulation overhead account for 80%-90% of CORSIM runtime.
A simple approach to nonlinear estimation of physical systems

Recursive algorithms for estimating the states of nonlinear physical systems are developed. This requires some key hypotheses regarding the structure of the underlying processes. Members of this class of random processes have several desirable properties for the nonlinear estimation of random signals. An assumption is made about the form of the estimator, which may then take account of a wide range of applications. Under the above assumption, the estimation algorithm is mathematically suboptimal but effective and computationally attractive. It may be compared favorably to Taylor series-type filters, nonlinear filters which approximate the probability density by Edgeworth or Gram-Charlier series, as well as to conventional statistical linearization-type estimators. To link theory with practice, some numerical results for a simulated system are presented, in which the responses from the proposed and the extended Kalman algorithms are compared.
Genetic and dietary effects on dendrites in the rat hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus.

Abstract Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in body weight regulation. The present study examined a possible role for the dendritic arbor of hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMH) neurons in a model of diet-induced obesity (DIO) in male rats. Rats were screened and selectively bred for being either susceptible, i.e., exhibiting DIO, or diet resistant (DR) when exposed to a 31% fat diet. A 2 × 2 experimental design was used, based on these two strains of rats and exposure to rat chow versus the 31% fat diet for seven weeks. Golgi-impregnated neurons were measured for soma size and dendrite parameters, including number, length, and direction. As previously observed, each VMH neuron had a single long primary dendrite. Genetic background and diet did not affect soma size or the number of dendrites of VMH neurons. However, genetic background exerted a main effect on the length of the long primary dendrites. In particular, the long primary dendrites were approximately 12.5% shorter on the VMH neurons in the DIO rats compared with DR rats regardless of diet. This effect was isolated to the long primary dendrites extending in the dorsolateral direction, with these long primary dendrites 19% shorter for the DIO group compared with the DR group. This finding implicates the connectivity of the long primary dendrites on VMH neurons in the control of energy balance. The functional significance of these shortened dendrites and their afferents warrants further study.
Changes in the Cell Volume of Didinium nasutum During Population Increase

SYNOPSIS. In 3 species of carnivorous protozoa, the rate of individual food intake per generation declines with an increase in the density of the population. In all, the rate of division remains constant. Three hypotheses may be proposed to explain these phenomena: the individual size decreases, thus bringing about a decline in food need; the individuals in the earlier stages of population growth consume excess food which is passed on to later generations to supplement their food intake; an increase in density within the carnivore population decreases the activity rate, thus reducing the food requirement. Experiments using Didinium nasutum as the carnivore and Paramecium aurelia, syngen 4, as the food source were conducted to test these 3 hypotheses. The results contradicted the 1st hypothesis and part of the 2nd. A new working hypothesis based on the remaining hypotheses is proposed.
Depletion Interactions: Effects of Added Homopolymer on Ordered Phases Formed by Spherical Block Copolymer Micelles

Three distinct poly(styrene-b-isoprene) (SI) diblock copolymers with molecular weights of 16−16, 38−14, and 50−13 kDa for styrene and isoprene, respectively, formed spherical micelles when dissolved in diethyl phthalate (DEP). Since DEP is a styrene-selective solvent, micelles with polyisoprene in the core and polystyrene in the corona were formed. At block copolymer concentrations of 20%, 16%, and 14% in DEP, the spherical micelles of SI(16−16), SI(38−14), and SI(50−13) pack onto a face-centered cubic (FCC) lattice, a mixture of FCC and body-centered cubic (BCC) lattices, and a BCC lattice, respectively. Polystyrene homopolymers with molecular weights of 4, 48, and 180 kDa were added to these ordered solutions. The following general trends were observed: the FCC phase tended to disorder, and samples that originally behaved like soft solids exhibited liquidlike flow behavior. The effect increased strongly with both the molecular weight and concentration of homopolymer in the solution. Furthermore, the BCC...
Some Characteristic Features of the Jet Stream Complex during Selected Synoptic Conditions

Abstract This article restates some of the important features in an idealized jet stream complex and presents cross sections showing the structure of jet streams during selected synoptic situations. The jet stream complex consists of the Arctic Front jet stream, two mid-latitude jet streams, and the Subtropical jet stream. The two mid-latitude jet streams, when existing individually, may be identified as the Interpolar Front and Polar Front jet streams, respectively, but when combined are simply termed the Polar Front jet stream. In various synoptic situations this complex is expanded to a state in which each jet stream is a completely distinct entity, or it may be telescoped to such a degree that all jet streams are merged in one broad belt of high speed winds. Synoptic examples are given for four well-defined types of jet stream complex: (1) Arctic, Polar and Subtropical jet streams distinctly separated; (2) separate mid-latitude jet streams (Interpolar and Polar jet streams) and the Subtropical jet str...
Similarity analysis of differential equations by Lie group.

Methods for transforming partial differential equations into forms more suitable for analysis and solution are investigated. The idea of Lie's infinitesimal contact transformation group is introduced to develop a systematic method which involves mostly algebraic manipulations. A thorough presentation of the application of this general method to the problem of similarity analysis in a broader sense - namely, the similarity between partial and ordinary differential equations, boundary value and initial value problems, and nonlinear and linear equations - is given with new and very general methods evolved for deriving the possible groups of transformations.
Studies on Cystic Fibrosis Using Isoelectric Focusing. III. Correlation between Cystic Fibrosis Protein and Ciliary Dyskinesia Activity in Serum Shown by a Modified Rabbit Tracheal Bioassay

Summary: We have developed a modified rabbit tracheal bioassay for use in investigating a possible correlation between cystic fibrosis protein (CFP) and ciliary dyskinesia factor (CDF) in human serum. The bioassay requires high standards of tissue selection, and all epithelial tissue must be free of underlying connective tissue. When serum samples were collected and processed carefully and warmed to 37° before assay, CDF could be reliably detected in 31 of 31 sera from cystic fibrosis (CF) homozygotes or obligate heterozygotes in 35 min or less without prior fractionation or concentration of sera, whereas 13 of 14 normal control sera were nonreactive. CDF-positive serum reacts in three consecutive phases: (1) initial increase in ciliary beat frequency, (2) ciliary dyskinesia, and (3) tissue destruction with extrusion of single ciliated cells, mucus, and debris. Our results confirm the association of CDF with cystic fibrosis. The bioassay is not specific for CF, however, when whole sera are bio-assayed, since serum from several patients with bronchial asthma also caused ciliary dyskinesia. However, this finding need not preclude using rabbit tracheal ciliated epithelial tissue as an assay for following the purification of CDF. Isoelectric focusing showed that the presence or absence of CFP corresponded with that of dyskinesia activity in all sera tested except for the active samples from seven asthma patients, which were negative for CFP. The results indicate that CFP and CDF may be identical or closely related markers for the CF gene, and suggest that the activity detected by the rabbit tracheal bioassay in sera from patients with asthma and other diseases probably is caused by a substance different from a CF-specific CDF. Speculation: Several substances in human serum can produce ciliary dyskinesia in rabbit tracheal epithelium, but only one appears to be a specific marker for CF. We speculate that CFP is related structurally or metabolically to a CF-specific CDF and that patients with bronchial asthma and other respiratory and autoimmune disorders harbor a substance that can produce ciliary dyskinesia but that differs from CF-specific CDF.
Transcatheter closure of the patent ductus arteriosus in adults using the gianturco coil

Background and hypothesis: Although results of surgical ligation of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in the pediatric age group are excellent, surgical management of the adult with a PDA may be more problematic. The PDA that presents in adulthood may be calcified and friable, rendering simple ligation via a thoracotomy difficult, inadequate, and hazardous. Patch closure of the ductus arteriosus from either the aortic or pulmonary artery orifice using cardiopulmonary bypass or transient aortic cross-clamping is necessary but increases surgical risks. Furthermore, older patients with diseases unrelated to their PDA and patients with Down's syndrome may have higher risks with intubation, general anesthesia, and surgery. Early results of percutaneous transcatheter occlusion of the PDA with Gianturco coils performed under sedation and local anesthesia are promising. Methods: Six adults with mean age of 39.1 years (range 23.1–62.0 years) were found to have an isolated PDA with mean minimum diameter of 2.7 mm (range 1.0–5.0 mm) at cardiac catheterization. All underwent percutaneous transcatheter occulsion of the PDA using Gianturco coils. Results: Coil implantation was successful in all patients. There were no complications and all were discharged home within 24 hours. Complete ductal occlusion was seen immediately in 4 of 6 patients (67%) while 2 of 6 (33%) had small residual leaks. However, complete occlusion was achieved in all patients by 6 months following the procedure. Conclusion: Transcatheter occlusion of the PDA using coils is safe and efficacious in adults.
I sedimenti del lago di Monterosi

This note is a preliminary report on some research being carried out at present on the sediments of Monterosi, a volcanic lake of Central Italy, under the direction of Prof.G. E. Hutchinson, of Yale University, USA. Herein are given some data taken from the pollen analysis of cores of the lake's sediments. The first results seem promising for the stratigraphy of the recent Quaternary Age in Central Italy, and for other related problems.
Preliminary endurance tests of water vaporizers for resistojet applications

Three water vaporizers designed for resistojet applications were built and tested for periods up to 500 h and 250 thermal cycles. Two of the vaporizers were not sensitive to orientation with respect to gravity, an indication of likely compatibility with low-gravity environments. Some temperatures and pressures in the third were impacted by orientation, although operation was always stable. The pressure drop across the sand-filled version increased by 147 percent in 38 h and 19 thermal cycles. Bonding of the sand granules in the downstream end of the heat exchanger was the suspected cause of failure of this vaporizer. Pressure drops across the two sintered stainless steel-filled versions were more gradual. One, with a pore size of 60 microns, showed an 80 percent increase in 500 h and 250 thermal cycles and another, with a 10 microns poresize, showed a 29 percent increase in 350 h and 175 thermal cycles. Testing of the latter metal-filled vaporizer was ongoing as of this writing. Oxidation of the porous metal packing materials in these vaporizers, with subsequent deposition of oxide particles within the pores, was believed to have caused the observed increases in pressure drops.
Connective tissue. II. Effect of age and sex upon lipid composition of tissues of rat.

Summary1. Changes as a function of age in values for free cholesterol, total cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides in lipid extracts of rat tissues occurred between 4 weeks and 8 months of age, with no further changes, except in skin, at 2 years of age. 2. Sex differences in lipid composition occurred only in skin.
A Cultural Perspective and the Second Wave of Educational Reform

A prerequisite call for understanding the culture of the school as well as the processes of change that are associated with the innovations brought by the new wave of educational reform is presented in this article. The school as a culture, variables of receptivity to change within the school culture, and the change process and its implications are examined.
A computational and statistical framework for multidimensional domain acoustooptic material interrogation

Abstract : We consider an electromagnetic interrogation technique in two and three dimensions for identifying the dielectric parameters (including the permittivity, the conductivity and the relaxation time) of a Debye medium. In this technique a travelling acoustic pressure wave in the Debye medium is used as a virtual reflector for an interrogating microwave electromagnetic pulse that is generated in free space. The reflections of the microwave pulse from the air-Debye interface and from the acoustic pressure wave are recorded at a remote antenna. the data is used in an inverse problem to estimate the locally pressure dependent dielectric parameters of the Debye medium. We present a time domain formulation that is solved using finite differences (FDTD) in time and in space. Perfectly matched layer (PML) absorbing boundary conditions are used to absorb outgoing waves at the finite boundaries of the computational domain, preventing spurious reflections from reentering the domain. Using the method of least squares for the parameter identification problem, we compare two different algorithms (the gradient based Levenberg-Marquardt method, and the gradient free, simplex based Nelder-Mead method) in solving an inverse problem to calculate estimates for two or more dielectric parameters. Finally we use statistical error analysis to construct confidence intervals for all the presented estimates, thereby providing a probabilistic statement about the computational procedure with uncertainty aspects of estimates.
Imaging of Molecular Complexes on the Surfaces of Living Cells by Uniform Total Internal Reflection-Based Fret Microscopy

AbstractFluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) microscopy measures the interaction between donor and acceptor labeled proteins in living cells. Currently, these measurements are limited by out-of-focus contributions, which degrade the image. Total internal reflection (TIR) microscopy can selectively excite molecules within about 150 nanometers of the glass-water interface thereby eliminating out-of-focus fluorescence. However, the interference fringing of the coherent laser illumination used in TIR creates artifacts that prohibit quantitative imaging methods that require multiple laser illuminations such as FRET. Axelrod and collogues demonstrated that for through-the-lens TIR that rapid azimuthal spinning of a collimated beam in the back focal plane eliminates interference fringes. Here we describe multicolor, depth-matched, 360-degree spinning TIR illumination to enable quantitative, high-resolution FRET imaging of molecular complexes near the plasma membranes of living cells. We have devised new methods for normalizing spatial variations in illumination and calibrating this field for quantitative FRET analysis of protein interactions on the plasma membrane. Initial applications to Rac1 activation demonstrate a novel spatial organization of these signaling activities during adhesion of macrophages to the coverglass.
Lobar collapse with respiratory syncytial virus pneumonitis.

In a study of 30 children with uncomplicated respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) pneumonias, a high incidence of lobar collapse (8/30–26%) was noted. This involved the right upper lobe in seven patients and the left upper lobe in one patient. It is probably attributable to anatomical predispositions, sloughing of necrotic epithelium, and stimulation of mucus production. Lobar collapse should be considered part of the spectrum of RSV pneumonitis.
Tissue-engineered stomach: a preliminary report of a versatile in vivo model with therapeutic potential.

Abstract Background/Purpose: Microgastria and postgastrectomy morbidities are substantial. The authors hypothesized a functional living tissue-engineered stomach could function as a replacement alternative. Methods: Stomach organoid units, mesenchymal cores surrounded by epithelia, were isolated from neonatal and adult rats and transplanted paratopically on biodegradable polymer tubes, which were implanted in syngeneic hosts, varying the inclusion of stomach regions. Four weeks later, tissue-engineered stomach (TES) was either harvested or anastomosed. GFP labeling was performed before implantation. Histology and immunohistochemical detection of the antigensgastrin and actin smooth muscle were performed. Results: Ninety-eight percent of all animals generated TES, including TES formation from adult tissue. Immunohistochemistry for α-actin smooth muscle and gastrin confirms the presence of a smooth muscle layer and a well-developed gastric epithelium containing all the elements of the native rat stomach including gastric pits and squamous layers, varying by included regions at harvest. TES architecture was maintained in anastomosis: GFP-labeled TES maintained signal in anastomosis, proving the donor origin of the TES. Conclusions: TES resembles native stomach and maintains robust histology in anastomosis, a new versatile model for the study of gastric physiology and possible therapy.
Clinician Perceptions, Expectations, and Management of Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia

Negative symptoms in schizophrenia negatively affect patients' social and occupational functioning, as well their long-term recovery. Patients may not overtly complain about negative symptoms, which can make them even more challenging to recognize. Clinicians should ask specific questions regarding negative symptoms, determine if the symptoms are primary or secondary, and then address them accordingly. This activity discusses recognizing negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and then addressing those symptoms in spite of a paucity of treatment options.
Applying Tufte's principles of information design to creating effective Web sites

Edward Tufte’s general principles of information design can be applied to effective web design. This paper discusses how to use micro/macro design, layering and separation, small multiples, color and information, integration of words and images to create effective web sites.
Fibrous structures: Their character and the role of interatomic forces in their analysis

An introduction is given to the various types of spatial relationships that occur among molecules in fibrous materials and the concepts associated with their diffraction. Fibrous materials provide limited diffraction patterns that rarely contain enough information to completely determine the atomic arrangement in the fiber repeat unit. This information must be supplemented with chemical and physical information to uniquely characterize the structure. The analysis of the diffraction from the polysaccharide heparin is presented in detail to illustrate how calculations of the nonbonded interatomic potential energy were used as a criterion for developing a model of the structure. The model is sterically reasonable and is consistent with the diffraction pattern.
A fast, high-order method for scattering by inhomogeneous media in three dimensions

We introduce a new fast, high-order method for scattering by inhomogeneous media in three dimensions. The O(N log N) complexity of our integral equation method is obtained through use of the fast Fourier transform in evaluating the required convolution. High-order convergence is obtained by replacing the scatterer with its truncated Fourier series and by decomposing the Green's function into a smooth part with infinite support and a singular part with compact support. Countering conventional wisdom, this Fourier smoothing of the scatterer yields high-order convergence, even in the case of discontinuous scatterers. We illustrate the performance of our parallel implementation of this method through two computational examples.
Robust FPGA resynthesis based on fault-tolerant Boolean matching

We present FPGA logic synthesis algorithms for stochastic fault rate reduction in the presence of both permanent and transient defects. We develop an algorithm for fault tolerant Boolean matching (FTBM), which exploits the flexibility of the LUT configuration to maximize the stochastic yield rate for a logic function. Using FTBM, we propose a robust resynthesis algorithm (ROSE) which maximizes stochastic yield rate for an entire circuit. Finally, we show that existing PLB (programmable logic block) templates for area-aware Boolean matching and logic resynthesis are not effective for fault tolerance, and propose a new robust template with path re-convergence. Compared to the state-of-the-art academic technology mapper Berkeley ABC, ROSE using the proposed robust PLB template reduces the fault rate by 25% with 1% fewer LUTs, and increases MTBF (mean time between failures) by 31%, while preserving the optimal logic depth.
Units of measure as a data attribute

We first consider the general problem of assigning attributes to variables in programming languages and the benefits that accrue from this. Then we propose the addition of the units of measure of the real world quantity being represented as an additional attribute in programming languages (in science and engineering the units of measure of a quantity are called its dimensions; some examples of units of measure are dollars per year, calories, pounds per square foot, person years etc.) the specification of the UNITS attribute by the programmer allows the detection of a class of errors not detected by present day programming language processors. This kind of error detection is of great importance to programmers dealing with complicated expressions and formulae. Better syntactic error correction, better program documentation, automatic conversion of quantities from one unit of measure to another, and some pedagogical help in teaching programming are the additional benefits that we get. We develop a notation that blends in naturally with Pascal, the language used to communicate our ideas. All or most of the additional processing required by the UNITS attribute can be done at compile time depending upon how 'dynamic' the units of a variable are allowed to be. Giving some thought to practical considerations, the concept of the UNITS attribute is being implemented as an extension to Fortran by means of a preprocessor.
Modeling, Fabrication, and Characterization of Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer Arrays Based on Cavity SOI Wafers

This paper presents high fill-factor piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) arrays fabricated via a novel process using cavity SOI wafers. The simple three-mask fabrication process enables smaller diameter PMUTs (25 $\mu $ m) and finer pitch than previous processes requiring through-wafer etching. PMUTs were fabricated with diameters from 25 to 50 $\mu $ m, resulting in center frequencies from 13 to 55 MHz in air. Two types of devices, having different piezoelectric layers, lead zirconium titanate (PZT), and aluminum nitride (AlN), were fabricated and characterized. Comparing 50- $\mu $ m diameter devices, the PZT PMUTs show large dynamic displacement sensitivity of 316 nm/V at 11 MHz in air, which is $\sim 20\times $ higher than that of the AlN PMUTs. Electrical impedance measurements of the PZT PMUTs show high electromechanical coupling ${k} _{t}^{2}=12.5$ % and 50- $\Omega $ electrical impedance that is well-matched to typical interface circuits. Immersion tests were conducted on PZT PMUT arrays. The fluid-immersed acoustic pressure generated by an unfocused $9\times 9$ array of 40- $\mu $ m diameter, 10-MHz PZT PMUTs, measured with a needle hydrophone 1.2 mm away from the array, was 58 kPa with a 25 $V_{\mathrm {pp}}$ input. Beam forming based on electronic phase control produced a narrow, 150- $\mu $ m diameter, focused beam over a depth of focus >0.2 mm and increased the pressure to 450 kPa with 18 $V_{\mathrm {pp}}$ input. [2014-0324]
Large-area high-efficiency flexible PHOLED lighting panels

Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) provide various attractive features for next generation illumination systems, including high efficiency, low power, thin and flexible form factor. In this work, we incorporated phosphorescent emitters and demonstrated highly efficient white phosphorescent OLED (PHOLED) devices on flexible plastic substrates. The 0.94 cm2 small-area device has total thickness of approximately 0.25 mm and achieved 63 lm/W at 1,000 cd/m2 with CRI = 85 and CCT = 2920 K. We further designed and fabricated a 15 cm x 15 cm large-area flexible white OLED lighting panels, finished with a hybrid single-layer ultra-low permeability single layer barrier (SLB) encapsulation film. The flexible panel has an active area of 116.4 cm2, and achieved a power efficacy of 47 lm/W at 1,000 cd/m2 with CRI = 83 and CCT = 3470 K. The efficacy of the panel at 3,000 cd/m2 is 43 lm/W. The large-area flexible PHOLED lighting panel is to bring out enormous possibilities to the future general lighting applications.
Presented at the Fifty-ninth Annual Meeting of the Pacific Coast Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, Ojai, California, October 1118, 1992.

Objective: Our objective was to test the hypothesis that pregnancies beyond 20 weeks in women aged 35 or older are high-risk pregnancies. Study Design: Pregnancies of 857 women aged 35 and older were compared with pregnancies of 1597 women aged 20 to 29 with respect to pregnancy complications and outcome. All women received prenatal care and were delivered at our institution. Data were collected prospectively and stored in a data base. The X 2 test was used to identify trends in individual variables and outcomes. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between maternal age and delivery by cesarean section. Results: Women aged 35 or older had cesarean deliveries twice as often as women 20 to 29 years old. This statistically significant difference was not accounted for by the modestly higher rates of fetal distress, placenta previa, multiple gestation, abnormal labor, or malpresentation found in the older group. Cord blood gas values and 5-minute Apgar scores did not differ between the two groups. There was no difference in neonatal morbidity or mortality. Conclusions: Women of 35 or older are more likely than those in their 20s to have cesarean deliveries. The excess rate of cesarean section is only partially accounted for by gestational complications.
Development and Chimpanzee Testing of a Vaccine against Human Hepatitis B

Highly purified hepatitis B virus surface antigen (Australia antigen) purified by physical and chemical procedures from infected human plasma was used to prepare hepatitis B vaccine. The purified antigen was treated with formalin and the vaccine was tested exhaustively for safety by ordinary procedures and additionally in marmosets (for live hepatitis B virus). The vaccine was highly potent, inducing antibody in guinea pigs, grivet monkeys, and chimpanzees given three doses of vaccine containing up to 20 mug of hepatitis B antigen per dose. A protective efficacy trial was carried out in chimpanzees that were given three doses of vaccine subcutaneously and then challenged intravenously with 1000 chimpanzee infectious doses of human hepatitis B virus. All of five unvaccinated control animals developed hepatitis B virus antigenemia following challenge and all of six vaccinated animals were protected, including one animal that had failed to develop detectable antibody following vaccination.
Acute and long-term effects of 17β-estradiol on Gi/o coupled neurotransmitter receptor function in the female rat brain as assessed by agonist-stimulated [35S]GTPγS binding

Estrogens exert effects on mood, mental state, memory and other central nervous system (CNS) functions by modulating neurotransmitter receptor systems in the brain. Studies were designed to investigate the effect of 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) on agonist-stimulated [35S]GTPgammaS binding in membranes to assess the first step in the intracellular signal transduction cascade in a functional assay following: (1) an acute, one-time bolus subcutaneous injection, or (2) 14-day continuous exposure by a slow-release pellet implanted subcutaneously. In rats treated with E(2) acutely, the maximal response produced by activation of serotonin(1A) (5-HT(1A)) receptors was decreased approximately 25% in the hippocampus, cortex, and amygdala. Similarly, acute E(2) administration desensitized 5-HT(1B) and GABA(B) receptors in hypothalamus and cerebellum, respectively, and cannabinoid receptors in hippocampus and cortex. Although the maximal responses were decreased, acute E(2) treatment did not alter the EC(50) of any of the aforementioned receptors. The incubation of membranes prepared from the cortex of ovariectomized (OVX) rats with E(2) (1 microM) in vitro did not alter 5-HT(1A) or cannabinoid receptor-mediated [35S]GTPgammaS binding. By contrast to acute treatment in vivo, 14-day E(2) administration to OVX rats did not alter the maximal responses produced by activation of 5-HT(1A), 5-HT(1B), GABA(B), or cannabinoid receptors in any of the brain regions examined. Thus, it is concluded that acute E(2) administration in vivo modulates multiple G(i/o) coupled receptors in various regions of the female rat brain. Because these effects are observed only in vivo, it is concluded that cytosolic, nuclear and/or extraneuronal factors are required.
A model of home learning environment and social risk factors in relation to children's emergent literacy and social outcomes.

The quality of the home environment is widely recognized as a strong contributor to young children's emergent literacy and social competence and to their subsequent educational success. The present study examined the relationships between family variables (socioeconomic status (SES), social risk factors, and home learning variables) and children's emergent literacy competence and children's social functioning. The sample for this study was obtained by randomly selecting 48 classrooms within three Head Start programs and, then, randomly selecting five girls and five boys from each class. The final sample consisted of 325 families for which information about both child and primary caregiver was obtained from multiple sources (teacher, outside assessor, and primary caregiver). A mediational model was hypothesized and tested using structural equation modeling. The findings are consistent with the hypotheses that family social risk and home learning experiences mediate the association between SES and Head Start children's school readiness in the areas of emergent literacy competence and social functioning.
Sodium extrusion by giant muscle fibres from the barnacle.

THE neuromuscular physiology of giant muscle fibres from the barnacle has been described in some detail by Hoyle and Smyth1. Single striated muscle fibres up to about 2 mm in diameter have been found. Such fibres have cross-striations similar to those of vertebrate skeletal muscle cells and maintain an internal electrical negativity of from −74 to −80 mV.