cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Switchable Single/Dual Edge Registers for Pipeline Architecture

The demand for low power processing is increasing due to mobile and portable devices. Pipelining is extensively use to improve the throughput of the processing unit. However, to implement a pipeline requires adding a register at each sub-stage that results in increasing the latency. In a processor, an adder is an important building block since it is used in Floating Point Units (FPU) and Arithmetic Logic Units (ALU). Therefore, for improving the overall performance of a computing processor, designing a low power pipeline adder with low latency is required.
Sapphire fiber Bragg grating coupled with graded-index fiber lens

The graded-index fiber lens was used to couple probe light into the multimode sapphire fiber containing a Bragg grating (SFBG). It improved the spectral resolution of the SFBG and facilitated the packaging of the SFBG as a fiber sensor for applications in high temperature environments.
Presidential action and the Supreme Court: The case of signing statements:

Recent attention to presidential action recognizes the legal and constitutional questions surrounding the controversial use of many of these powers. Yet, scholarly research on executive policymakin...
Chevron and the Attorney General's Certification Power

Congress has delegated power to the Attorney General to execute the nation’s immigration laws, adjudicate individual noncitizens’ cases, and fill interpretive gaps in the statute. The Attorney General has in turn delegated this authority, by regulation, to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). Most BIA decisions are administratively final, and noncitizens appeal unfavorable decisions directly to federal courts of appeals. In a small but growing number of cases, however, the Attorney General will step in to decide a case himself de novo after the BIA has ruled. This power of intervention and decision, sometimes known as the “referral and review” power or “certification” power, has drawn some praise for being an efficient use of the broad power afforded to the executive branch in the immigration context, but more often has sustained criticism for potential abuse. In this Note, I analyze this certification power through the lens of Chevron. In particular, I argue that Chevron deference to the BIA is appropriate because it serves the values of the Chevron doctrine—expertise, procedural regularity, and public accountability—but that Chevron deference to the Attorney General’s certified opinions is inappropriate. Courts have a responsibility under Step Zero not to defer to an interpretation of law unless its issuance adheres sufficiently to fundamental tenets of administrative law. Certified opinions are insufficient on all counts. Deference to the Attorney General’s interpretations of law issued in this manner serves none of the values of the Chevron doctrine.
Local Spectroscopic Characterization of Spin and Layer Polarization in WSe_{2}.

Tunneling spectroscopy exhibits suppression of intervalley electronic scattering in the valence band of a monolayer of the transition metal dichalcogenide WSe${}_{2}$.
Impact of a medical-legal partnership program on readmissions to a family medicine inpatient service.

Background: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) value-based reimbursement prioritizes health outcomes and population health in a way that emphasizes social determinants of health, access disparities, and prevention. Unmet legal assistance needs are an area of considerable interest because it can impact access to healthcare services and can be a social determinant of health. Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLP) are tools to link patients with unmet legal needs with lawyers and other legal services. The goal of these programs is to address legal issues that complicate the life and healthcare of patients. With the hypothesis that unmet legal needs were a risk factor for poor health outcomes, we studied the impact of unmet legal needs on the readmission rate to the SIU Family and Community Medicine inpatient service at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Illinois. Methods: All adult patients discharged between January 2016 and March 2018 were retrospectively studied to determine if the need for legal services was a significant predictor of all-cause hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge. Patients in need of legal services were identified using an interview-based screening tool and were referred to an HRSA-grant funded MLP. The impact of unmet needs for legal services was compared to validated risk factors for hospital readmissions such as the LACE index and HOSPITAL score. Results: Data from 2500 hospital discharges from the SIU FCM service were analyzed. The overall readmission rate was 27%. Univariate analysis showed patients who were readmitted were older (57 vs 53 years, p < 0.001), had longer hospital stays (4.69 vs 4.17 days, p < 0.014), had higher Charlson Comorbidity Index values (2.31 vs 1.57, p < 0.001), HOSPITAL scores (4.79 vs. 3.14, p < 0.001), LACE index values (10.13 vs. 8.33, p < 0.001) and were more likely to need legal services (12% vs. 3%, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed the HOSPITAL score (OR 2.12, p<0.001), LACE index (OR 1.16, p<0.001), Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR 0.70, p<0.001), hospital length of stay (OR 0.85, p<0.001), congestive heart failure (OR 2.10, p<0.001), COPD (OR 1.85, p<0.001), diabetes with complications (OR 1.88, p<0.001), and a need for legal services (OR 2.21, p<0.001) to be independent predictors of an increased risk of hospital readmission. Conclusion: Unmet legal needs identified in this study via an interview-based screening tool appear to be an independent risk factor for hospital readmission. The predicted risk of readmission (OR 2.21) compares favorably with validated HOSPITAL score (OR 2.12) and LACE index (OR 1.16) readmission risk assessment tools. These findings suggest that the presence of unaddressed legal issues may be a modifiable non-medical risk factor for hospital readmission. Further study of the impact of MLP programs on hospital readmission is necessary to clarify the implications of this social determinant of health on a critical value-based care measurement.
The Infinity Mirror Test for Graph Models.

Graph models, like other machine learning models, have implicit and explicit biases built-in, which often impact performance in nontrivial ways. The model's faithfulness is often measured by comparing the newly generated graph against the source graph using any number or combination of graph properties. Differences in the size or topology of the generated graph therefore indicate a loss in the model. Yet, in many systems, errors encoded in loss functions are subtle and not well understood. In the present work, we introduce the Infinity Mirror test for analyzing the robustness of graph models. This straightforward stress test works by repeatedly fitting a model to its own outputs. A hypothetically perfect graph model would have no deviation from the source graph; however, the model's implicit biases and assumptions are exaggerated by the Infinity Mirror test, exposing potential issues that were previously obscured. Through an analysis of thousands of experiments on synthetic and real-world graphs, we show that several conventional graph models degenerate in exciting and informative ways. We believe that the observed degenerative patterns are clues to the future development of better graph models.
Variational Inference approach to Jitter decomposition in High-speed Link

Jitter, a timing deviation from the ideal edge position, is an unwanted phenomenon in high-speed link systems. Decomposing jitter into its components and identifying each type of jitter are beneficial to diagnose the root causes of jitter, thereof improving the system design. In recent years, variational bayes inference (VBI) has made substantial progress towards improving the efficiency of statistical modeling. This paper proposes a jitter approximation method using VBI. Applications approximating different mixtures of well-known components of jitter show good results. The approximated distribution is much closer to the true jitter distributions as compared to traditional methods.
Incidence of Herds Infected with Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus in Four Western Counties Enrolled in the Michigan Upper Peninsula BVDV Eradication Program

In 2007, the Michigan Upper Peninsula BVDV Eradication Program was launched. The purpose of this project is to eradicate BVDV from a geographic area and, in doing so, identify benefits and obstacles of a BVDV eradication program and demonstrate a feasible model that may be adopted by other parts of the US. The purpose of the current report is to present initial findings from the eradication program in the four counties that compose the western one-third of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Perceived Quality for a Symbolic Product: An Empirical Investigation

This study offers insight into consumer perceptions of product quality for a symbolic product - an area which has been neglected in the perceived quality literature. An experiment examines the effects of brand, price, and store on quality perceptions and product preference for womens' jeans. A 2 X 2 X 2 completely between-subjects factorial design was used with two levels of brand, store and price. MANOVA results coincide with a descriptive study and an exploratory focus group, indicating that the female college students in this sample use brand as a dominant information cue when assessing product quality for jeans.
The effects of age, sex, and hormones on emotional conflict-related brain response during adolescence

While cognitive and emotional systems both undergo development during adolescence, few studies have explored top-down inhibitory control brain activity in the context of affective processing, critical to informing adolescent psychopathology. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain response during an Emotional Conflict (EmC) Task across 10-15-year-old youth. During the EmC Task, participants indicated the emotion of facial expressions, while disregarding emotion-congruent and incongruent words printed across the faces. We examined the relationships of age, sex, and gonadal hormones with brain activity on Incongruent vs. Congruent trials. Age was negatively associated with middle frontal gyrus activity, controlling for performance and movement confounds. Sex differences were present in occipital and parietal cortices, and were driven by activation in females, and deactivation in males to Congruent trials. Testosterone was negatively related with frontal and striatal brain response in males, and cerebellar and precuneus response in females. Estradiol was negatively related with fronto-cerebellar, cingulate, and precuneus brain activity in males, and positively related with occipital response in females. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the effects of age, sex, and sex steroids during an emotion-cognition task in adolescents. Further research is needed to examine longitudinal development of emotion-cognition interactions and deviations in psychiatric disorders in adolescence.
Economic Crisis and New Social Realities: Bait and Switch and the American Dream—Presidential Address 20101

The ESS was called to act during the fall of 2009. We faced a critical test: to stand beside the housekeepers at the hotel where we were supposed to hold the 2010 conference or to ignore their plight. I use the case study of breaking a contract with the Hyatt Hotel in order to locate the Hyatt layoffs in a broader context. This case is meant to illuminate two related issues. (1) The Hyatt Hotel used a traditional strategy of labor substitution in the context of a new global economy. During this ongoing economic crisis, housekeepers, who were promised good jobs and benefits, had worked hard on a steep climb toward fulfilling the American Dream. The resourcefulness of the unions, who saw the loss of these jobs as a threat to the entire industry, and articulate laid-off workers, who captured the media’s attention, kept this newsworthy. (2) When faced with choices over “whose side are we on,” our strategies for how to act need to be different than academic posturing. I answer the question of how we should act when we become actors in these situations, which is what the ESS was confronted with over the Hyatt’s housekeeper firing.
Comparison of Photoconductive-Bolometer Detectors on an Airborne System

A Ge:Ga photoconductive detector at l00μm and a GaAs epitaxial photoconductive detector at 285μm has been optimized for sensitivity comparison with a conventional bolometer system of Yerkes Observatory. The response of the photoconductive detectors were studied in the laboratory under two background conditions: baffles and Fabry Optics. A direct comparison of the photoconductive detectors to the bolometer will be made on the 91.5 cm telescope aboard the NASA C-141 Airborne Infrared Observatory.
Current Issues in Social Work Doctoral Education

The purpose of doctoral programs in social work is to prepare research-scientists who contribute to knowledge that guides professional practice and educators competent to teach new cohorts of social work practitioners. In grooming stewards of the profession, doctoral programs also must prepare their graduates to support the larger contemporary needs of the profession, including its long-standing commitment to economic and social justice, particularly during a period of increasing inequality. The newly adopted 2013 GADE Quality Guidelines provide the building blocks for evaluation and renewal for social work doctoral programs. These include knowledge of social work as a discipline, research and scholarship, teaching, and aspirational outcomes for students, each of which is critically examined within the current context of U.S. doctoral programs and the status of the social work profession.
Capacity of flat-fading channels associated with a subspace-invariant detector

Space-time codes for multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) channels have received considerable attention due to the extraordinary spectral efficiencies offered by some space-time channels. In particular, the flat-fading channel, with identical, independently distributed gains between all transmitter and receiver pairs has been one of the space-time channels studied extensively. Most of these studies have focused on the capacity of the additive white Gaussian noise MIMO channel. When the noise-background has an unknown spatial covariance due, for example, interference, receivers that adapt to the noise background can be more robust. One way of achieving robustness involves building invariances into the receiver and channel coding. We consider receivers that are invariant both to the background covariance and to the MIMO channel transfer function. For the particular case of the flat-fading, additive white Gaussian noise channel, the MIMO capacity of the invariant receiver is calculated and compared with the capacity of the MIMO channel with an optimal receiver and known channel. The results indicate the cost of unsupervised (i.e., no training sequences) training for the combination of an unknown channel and unknown background.
Neutronic Design Studies for the Spallation Neutron Source

Neutronics analyses are now in progress to support initial selection of target system design features, materials, geometry, and component sizes for the proposed Spallation Neutron Source. Calculations have been performed to determine the neutron, proton, heavy-ion, and gamma-ray flux spectra as a function of time, energy, and space for the major components of the target station (target, moderators, reflectors, etc.). These analyses have also been performed to establish an initial set of performance characteristics for the neutron source. The methodology, reference performance characteristics, and results of initial optimization studies involving moderator poison plate location, target material performance, reflector performance, moderator position, and premoderator performance for the target system are presented.
Modeling and Maintaining Multi-View Data Warehouses

Data warehouses are designed mostly as centralized systems, andt he majority of update maintenance algorithms are tailored for this specific model. Maintenance methods have been proposed either under the assumption of a single view data warehouse, a multi-view centralized model, or a multi-view distributed system with strict synchronization restrictions. We argue that extending this model to a multi-view distributedon e, is a practical generalization of the data warehouse system, andt he basis for a growing number of applications basedon the idea of cooperative views. In this paper we develop a general framework for modeling the maintenance of multi-views in a distributed, decentralized data warehouse, together with an efficient incremental algorithm for view maintenance. To our knowledge, there is no other proposal for a method that incorporates individually and asynchronously updates to different views that are related to each other through derivation dependencies.
Multi-level sample importance ranking based progressive transmission strategy for time series body sensor data

Body sensors have gained increasing interest during the past several years. With more applications deployed, it is imperative to ensure the success of data analysis, which largely depends on data transmission reliability as well as the importance of samples received. Traditional approaches focus on improving data reliability through various schemes such as prioritization of MAC access. In this paper, we analyzed the characteristics of time series body sensor data and propose to rank sample importance based on a multi-level approach. With this approach, samples are grouped into five levels, indicating their importance with regard to data analysis. Then, a progressive transmission strategy is designed to transmit samples in order of their importance so that the overall received data quality is maximized. Preliminary simulation results indicate that as much as 40–60% bandwidth saving can be achieved while meeting the requirements of data analysis algorithms.
Life-threatening Candida Infections in the Intensive Care Unit

In the past decade there has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of life-threatening Candida infections in patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Once considered a minor pathogen, Candida is now among the most commonly cultured pathogens in the ICU. This phenomenon is in part attributable to greater numbers of immunocompromised patients being hospitalized and the more frequent use of surgery, instrumentation, and broadspectrum antibiotics. Serious Candida infections can present as generalized sepsis, as focal involvement of virtually any organ, or as part of the syndrome of multiple system organ failure. Once established, these infections can be difficult to detect until their late stages and consequently are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in ICU patients. For treatment to be successful it must be instituted promptly and, on occasion, empirically. As a result, new diagnostic techniques, treatments, and prophylactic strategies to minimize the occurrence of Candida infections ar...
The rising cost of falling: Strategies to combat a common post-stroke foe.

Background: As a person ages, falls and strokes each become more likely, and because stroke patients are independently at increased risk for falling, the risk of falls is compounded in this population. Discussion: There are a number of preventive measures that can be easily implemented to decrease the risk of falling. These are well known to physical and occupational therapists, so a consultation is well-advised. Four areas of focus are: (1) Exercise, to increase strength, balance, and coordination. (2) Vision, to assure that the subject sees as well as possible. (3) Medication, to minimize side effects that could influence falling. (4) Environment, to remove obstacles, add assists, and provide optimal lighting. Conclusion: Falls among stroke patients are costly in terms of risk to the individual and treatment demands on the healthcare system. However, simple attention to details can reduce the risk of falling.
N-hydroxybenzenecarboximidic acid derivatives: a new class of nitroxyl-generating prodrugs.

On the basis of the propensity of Piloty's acid to generate nitroxyl (HNO), we previously prepared a number of N,O-bisacylated Piloty's acid derivatives and showed that such prodrugs underwent a disproportionation reaction following ester hydrolysis to give an unstable intermediate that hydrolyzed to nitroxyl. To expand the versatility of this series, we desired some mixed N,O-diacylated Piloty's acid derivatives and devised a synthetic route to them. Such efforts led us, serendipitously, to a new series of heretofore unreported nitroxyl-generating compounds. Thus, benzohydroxamic acid was acylated on the hydroxylamino oxygen and the resulting product converted to its sodium salt. Treatment of this salt with arenesulfonyl chorides would be expected to give the mixed N,O-diacylated derivatives of Piloty's acid. However, the products obtained were the isomeric carboximidic acid derivatives whose structures were deduced from the IR and (13)C NMR spectral frequencies associated with the sp(2) carbons. The structures were verified by analysis of the X-ray crystal structure of a prototype compound of this series. When incubated with porcine liver esterase or mouse plasma, these N-acyloxy-O-arenesulfonylated benzenecarboximidic acid derivatives liberated HNO, measured as N(2)O, as well as the expected arenesulfinic acid and benzoic acid. Alkaline hydrolysis also produced N(2)O, but the major products were the arenesulfonic acid and benzohydroxamic acid. Thus, these N-hydroxybenzenecarboximidic acid derivatives represent a new series of nitroxyl prodrugs that require enzymatic bioactivation before nitroxyl can be liberated.
Genetic diversity in the 3′-terminal region of papaya ringspot virus (PRSV-W) isolates from watermelon in Oklahoma

The 3′-terminal region (1191 nt) containing part of the NIb gene, complete coat protein (CP) and poly-A tail of 64 papaya ringspot virus (PRSV-W) isolates collected during 2008-2009 from watermelon in commercial fields of four different counties of Oklahoma were cloned and sequenced. Nucleotide and amino acid sequence identities ranged from 95.2-100% and 97.1-100%, respectively, among the Oklahoman PRSV-W isolates. Phylogenetic analysis showed that PRSW-W isolates clustered according to the locations where they were collected within Oklahoma, and each cluster contained two subgroups. All subgroups of Oklahoman PRSV-W isolates were on separate branches when compared to 35 known isolates originating from other parts of the world, including the one reported previously from the USA. This study helps in our understanding about the genetic diversity of PRSV-W isolates infecting cucurbits in Oklahoma.
Manufacturing interoperability using a semantic mediation

Globalization has become a major trend in today’s business environment, which has led to the explosion in the amount of information shared amongst business partners. It is critical to share information correctly, inexpensively, and effectively for accomplishing business goals using global information sharing architectures under increasing pressure of competitive markets. One of the major barriers to build such a global information sharing architecture is caused by the absence of universally accepted ontology needed to facilitate business partners to be seamlessly interoperable with one another within a global manufacturing world. In reality, due to heterogeneous enterprise environments in which business partners find themselves, multiple ontologies are defined and used. In this paper, we present a method for semantically mapping different business documents to a conforming document format, given inevitable existence of multiple ontolgoies. Forward reasoning rules are used to express the mapping, and they are applied to exchange messages between heterogeneous business partners. We demonstrate our semantic mapping approach by using a demonstrator that uses Web services for service components and the Jena package for a reasoning engine. A business scenario of the demonstrator consists of a part ordering transaction taking place between an original equipment manufacturer and its supplier. This approach can also be applied to other manufacturing operations such as parts scheduling, order sequencing, and inventory.
Voltage-dependent currents in isolated cells of the turtle retinal pigment epithelium.

The electrophysiological properties of isolated turtle retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE cells) were investigated using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Most RPE cells exhibited a voltage-dependent outward current activated by depolarization beyond about −43 mV that inactivated during a 500-ms voltage step. Tail current measurements indicated that the conductance underlying this current was potassium selective. This current inactivated with prolonged depolarization and was abolished or reduced by extracellular quinidine, barium, tetraethylammonium (TEA) and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP). Steady-state inactivation of the voltage-dependent outward current revealed a time-independent outwardly rectifying current/voltage relationship in many cells. In addition, many cells had an outward current that activated slowly upon depolarization beyond about +40 mV and appeared to reverse near 0 mV in both 3 mM KCl and 30 mM KCl external solutions. This current was often observed in the presence of potassium channel blockers. Hyperpolarizing pulses commonly evoked inward currents that activated slowly and did not inactivate. These currents were commonly observed when fluoride was absent from the pipette, and only occasionally when fluoride was the major pipette anion. Tail current measurements indicated that this current was somewhat anion selective. These currents may play important roles in the homeostatic and phagocytic functions of RPE cells in their interactions with the neural retina.
Respiratory complications during anaesthesia in Apert syndrome

Background: Clinical experience with anaesthesia for a series of patients with Apert syndrome (craniosynostosis, midface hypoplasia and syndactyly) has not been reported previously. Methods: In this review, 10 years of experience was examined at our hospital. There were 145 anaesthetics administered to 18 individuals. Results: There were 16 complications (15 were perioperative wheezing) which occurred in seven patients. In four cases, surgery was cancelled due to intractable wheezing. Conclusions: We could not demonstrate any benefit from preoperative administration of nebulized albuterol. Paediatric anaesthetists should be aware of this high incidence of respiratory complications in Apert syndrome.
Psychological symptoms and psychiatric diagnoses in Operation Desert Storm troops serving Graves registration duty

This clinical report describes symptoms of psychological and physical distress and psychiatric disorders in 24 Army Reservists who served war zone graves registration duty in support of Operation Desert Storm. Troops underwent comprehensive assessment for evidence of psychopathology that might be associated with war zone duty as one component of a debriefing protocol scheduled during regular drill exercises eight months after their return to the United States. Troops endorsed items suggestive of high war zone stress exposure, common symptoms of anxiety, anger, and depression, and multiple health and somatic concerns. Almost half of the sample met criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder, and diagnosis of this disorder was strongly associated with evidence of depressive and substance abuse disorders. The gruesome aspects of body recovery and identification in a war zone setting were cited as stressor elements of significant negative impact.
Characterization of a Trichophyton mentagrophytes and its diffusible pigment

A clinical isolate of Trichophyton mentagrophytes which produces a diffusible red-brown pigment as well as typical microconidia en grappe and abundant spirals on Sabouraud's Dextrose Agar has been studied. It splits urea and perforates hair in vitro but does not produce pigment on cornmeal agar or require vitamins for growth. A low molecular weight, red pigment, partially purified from culture filtrates by gel-filtration, was characterized as 2-carboxy 2,3-dihydroindole-5,6-quinone, an intermediate in melanin biosynthesis. It is water soluble, lacks free amino groups, unstable in alkaline buffers, and has spectral absorption peaks at 320–340 nm and 450–490 nm.
Hippocampal Place Cells: The \Where" of Episodic Memory?

Neuropsychologists have clearly implicated the hippocampus in the consolidation of memory, particularly episodic memory, the mental replay of past experiences. When recorded from behaving animals, by far the most obvious firing pattern of the primary neurons of the hippocampus is the place field: a cell tends to fire only when the animal's head is in a particular part of its environment. It seems reasonable to suspect that the primary firing correlate of the primary neurons of a structure should underlie the primary function of that structure as revealed by behavioral lesion experiments. However, we are currently still at a loss to explain how the firing of hippocampal neurons contributes to hippocampal function. This review seeks to examine the commonalities between place cells and episodic memory, and posits that an analogy can be made between the stabilization of place fields and the consolidation of memory.
Assessment and management of aortic valve disease in patients with left ventricular dysfunction

The onset of symptoms or left ventricular systolic dysfunction heralds a poor prognosis for patients with either aortic stenosis or aortic regurgitation. Echocardiography is the primary imaging modality for assessment of aortic valvular lesions. Cardiac catheterization is indicated to determine the severity of the aortic valve lesion when there is a discrepancy between the clinical findings and the results of echocardiography in patients with either symptoms or left ventricular dysfunction. For patients with low-gradient, low-output aortic stenosis, dobutamine provocation should be used to differentiate truly severe aortic stenosis from patients with a primary cardiomyopathy and low aortic valve area due to low forward flow. Aortic valve surgery improves myocardial performance by relief of ventricular afterload in both patients with severe stenosis and those with severe regurgitation. Surgery should be pursued in both patients with severe aortic stenosis and those with severe regurgitation regardless of the degree of left ventricular dysfunction.
Variations in Serum Cholesterol of Normal Rabbits after Injection of Hypercholesterolemia Rabbit Plasma

SummaryThe intravenous administration of hypercholesterolemic rabbit plasma in normal rabbits resulted in a rapid increase in total serum cholesterol followed by a gradual decrease. The highest value was obtained in 5 minutes and in 6 hours or less the total serum cholesterol had reached the lowest post-injection level. In 24 hours, the total serum cholesterol was significantly increased above the 6 hour level with no significant alteration in the E/F ratio. Rabbits receiving normal rabbit plasma, normal saline or no injection showed little alteration in the total serum cholesterol for 6 hours. In 24 hours, the total serum cholesterol likewise increased significantly compared to the 6 hour level. The rise in total cholesterol at 24 hours is apparently related to the mechanics of performing the experiment rather than to the injection of cholesterol.
How do low-income urban African Americans and Latinos feel about telemedicine? a diffusion of innovation analysis

Introduction. Telemedicine is promoted as a means to increase access to specialty medical care among the urban underserved, yet little is known about its acceptability among these populations. We used components of a diffusion of innovation conceptual framework to analyze preexperience perceptions about telemedicine to assess its appeal among urban underserved African Americans and Latinos. Methods. Ten focus groups were conducted with African American (n = 43) and Latino participants (n = 44) in both English and Spanish and analyzed for key themes. Results. Both groups perceived increased and immediate access to multiple medical opinions and reduced wait time as relative advantages of telemedicine. However, African Americans expressed more concerns than Latinos about confidentiality, privacy, and the physical absence of the specialist. This difference may reflect lower levels of trust in new health care innovations among African Americans resulting from a legacy of past abuses in the US medical system as compared to immigrant Latinos who do not have this particular historical backdrop. Conclusions. These findings have implications for important issues such as adoption of telemedicine, patient satisfaction, doctor-patient interactions, and the development and tailoring of strategies targeted to each of these populations for the introduction, marketing, and implementation of telemedicine.
Thermally-induced air and water circulations in estuarine rivers

A physical theoretical model is proposed to explain and predict thermally-induced air and water circulations introduced by contrasts in surface temperatures over an estuarine water and the adjoining land masses. Depending on the magnitude of the temperature contrast and the friction coefficient, moderate to strong winds should develop across the main estuarine flow. Thermohaline cross-flow circulations in water are expected to accompany the solenoidal winds in air.
Lung Ventilation and Gas Exchange in Theropod Dinosaurs

John A. Ruben and his colleagues suggest (Reports, 14 Nov. 1997, [p. 1267][1]) that the lung of theropod dinosaurs was most likely similar in form to that of several extant reptiles and was therefore incapable of sustaining high oxygen (O2) exchange rates characteristic of endothermy. We disagree
Fluorescence monitoring of flavins during preparation of respiratory membranes.

ABSTRACT Azotobacter vinelandii large and small membrane particles were examined by fluorescence spectroscopy through purification to qualitatively monitor contamination by non-respiratory flavin. Flavin was analyzed by observing the effects of reduction by dithionite or NAD(P)H and subsequent oxidation. Flavin of the large particles did not change significantly with purification on a sucrose gradient. The small particle or R3 fraction contained relatively large amounts of non-respiratory flavin. Small particles eluted from a Sepharose CL-6B column with a fluorescence peak but still contained contaminating flavin. After centrifugation on a sucrose gradient, the flavin of these particles was essentially the same as the large particles. This method is an improvement over just observation of fluorescence intensity for monitoring flavoprotein purity of membrane particle preparations.
Plutonium Speciation in Water from Mono Lake, California

The solubility of plutonium in Mono Lake water is enhanced by the presence of large concentrations of indigenous carbonate ions and moderate concentrations of fluoride ions. In spite of the complex chemical composition of this water, only a few ions govern the behavior of plutonium, as demonstrated by the fact that it was possible to duplicate plutonium speciation in a synthetic water containing only the principal components of Mono Lake water.
On the origin of a wedge crack within the icy crust of Europa

[1] We suggest that a crack that developed into a wedge-shaped band within the icy crust of Europa (at ∼28°S, 170°W [see Schenk and McKinnon, 1989, Figure 4; Prockter et al., 1999, Figure 1]) originated under an applied compressive stress through the operation of a frictional sliding mechanism. We analyze this suggestion using a scale-independent, sliding crack model and obtain an estimate of the maximum compressive stress to initiate the crack that compares reasonably well with earlier estimates [Helfenstein and Parmentier, 1985; McEwen, 1986; Greenberg et al., 1998] of Europan crustal stresses that are based upon elastic deformation of a shell. We then show through an application of both power law dislocation creep and diffusion creep that colder, near-surface Europan ice appears to be capable of supporting the deduced stresses with little relaxation over a period from 104 to 105 years.
Reserve carbohydrates from kernels of sugary and sugary enhancer maize

Abstract Mature seeds of ‘sugary’ (su) and ‘sugary-sugary enhancer’ (su-se) maize inbreds were compared with respect to amount and properties of starch and glycogen. Sugars and sorbitol were also determined. Sucrose and maltose were elevated in the su-se seeds, starch was reduced and phytoglycogen was within the range expected for an su line. The se trait did not result in altered structure of the starch or phytoglycogen. Hence, it is unlikely that the observed increase in maltose resulted from premature action of amylases on starch and phytoglycogen during seed maturation.
StopWatcher: A Stop Sign Awareness Mobile Application for Driving Safety

Stop signs are a part of everyday traffic for drivers around the world. However, due to their smaller size, lack of lighting and the fact that they can become visually obscured from the road, stop signs have a tendency to be much less effective than traffic lights. To solve this problem, we developed an Android application: Stop Watcher, which is designed to alert a driver when they are approaching a stop sign using a Voice Notification System (VNS). We conducted a field test in a snowy environment. The test results demonstrate that the application can correctly detect all stop signs, even when some of them were obstructed by the snow.
Rhythmic abdominal compression CPR ventilates without supplemental breaths and provides effective blood circulation

Summary Objectives Standard chest-compression CPR has an out-of-hospital resuscitation rate of less than 10% and can result in rib fractures or mouth-to-mouth transfer of infection. Recently, we introduced a new CPR method that utilizes only rhythmic abdominal compressions (OAC-CPR). The present study compares ventilation and hemodynamics produced by chest and abdominal compression CPR. Methods Twelve swine (29–34 kg) were anesthetized, intubated and allowed to breathe spontaneously. Physiologic dead space, resting tidal volume, compression-induced lung air flow, and blood pressures were recorded. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was electrically induced and subjects were treated with either standard CPR or OAC-CPR at various force and rate settings. Minute alveolar ventilation (MAV) and mean coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) were compared. Results For OAC-CPR, ventilation per compression tended to increase with increasing force and decreasing rate. Chest only compressions produced no MAV, while OAC-CPR at 80 cycles/min or less, matched the MAV for spontaneous respiration. For all rates, abdominal compressions met, or exceeded, the CPP of chest compressions performed at 100 lbs. Conclusions OAC-CPR generated ventilatory volumes significantly greater than the dead space and produced equivalent, or larger, CPP than with chest compressions. Thus, OAC-CPR ventilates a subject, eliminating the need for mouth-to-mouth breathing, and effectively circulates blood during VF without breaking ribs. Furthermore, this technique is simple to perform, can be administered by a single rescuer, and should reduce bystander reluctance to administer CPR.
Learning Styles are Content Specific and Probably Influenced by Content Areas Studied

To investigate whether use of a learning style depends on content area, 67 seniors in college were given Schmeck's Deep and Elaborative Processing scales, the Repression-Sensitization Scale, and the Flexibility scale of the California Psychological Inventory. Scores on both the Deep and Elaborative Processing scales correlated with those on the Repression-Sensitization Scale and not with those on the Flexibility scale. Learning style depends on content area. Study of foreign languages correlated with Deep Processing, and this suggests that further study of development and change in learning styles might concentrate on this and possibly other content areas.
Crystallization behavior of elastomeric block copolymers: Thermoplastic polyurethane and polyether‐block‐amide

The isothermal crystallization kinetics of melt-blown webs produced from a series of elastomeric block copolymers was studied through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Three hardness grades were selected for a polyester and a polyether Elastollan® thermoplastic polyurethane and Pebax® polyether-block-amide copolymers. The Avrami crystallization kinetics parameters, k and n, were derived from two different methods: (1) traditional Avrami model and (2) derivative of the Avrami model proposed by Kurajica et al. (Croat Chem Acta 2002, 75, 693). The kinetic parameters from both models were consistent and showed good correlation. For all polymer types and hardness grades, crystallization kinetics were interpreted with the derivative model (Kurijica et al.) since it could be directly fitted to untransformed DSC isothermal crystallization data, and thus reduces the errors involved in Avrami analysis. The values of the Avrami exponent, n ranged between 2.59 and 3.41, indicating similar nucleation and growth mechanisms. These n values and morphological observations indicate that crystallization occurs in these copolymers in three dimensions from pre-existing nuclei and the crystals grow under isothermal conditions. This suggests that, in these elastomeric copolymers, crystallization of the hard segments drives microphase separation into crystalline and amorphous regions rather than formation of hard and soft domains. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Reactive balance adjustments to unexpected perturbations during human walking

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect of unexpected forward perturbations (FP) during gait on lower extremity joint mechanics and muscle Electromyographic (EMG) patterns in healthy adults. The muscles surrounding the hip were found to be most important in maintaining control of the trunk and preventing collapse in response to the FP. Distinct lower extremity joint moment and power patterns were observed in response to the FP but an overall positive moment of support (Ms) was maintained. Therefore, reactive balance control was a synchronized effort of the lower extremity joints to prevent collapse during the FP. # 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Knowing efficiency: the enactment of efficiency in efficiency auditing

Abstract This paper reports an ethnographic study of the activities of auditors in the field as they work to fulfil an efficiency auditing mandate; it analyses how auditors report on efficiency in practice. Miller and Rose's work on governmentality ( Miller & Rose (1990) . Governing economic Life. Economy and Society , 1–31; Rose & Miller (1992) . Political power beyond the state: problematics of government. British Journal of Sociology , 173–205) is developed as it applies to the technologies that Miller and Rose identify as providing the means to realise programmes such as efficiency auditing. The study explores the operationalisation of efficiency auditing through analysis of three audits as they were conducted in the field. It is argued that in the absence of detailed rules or standards practitioners themselves developed an agreed upon knowledge and sensibility that allowed them to make efficiency auditing tractable. The paper explicates these normative guides and discusses the consequences of an apparently socially constructed form of efficiency in guiding auditing practice.
A Semi-Implicit Time-Stepping Model For Frictional Compliant Contact Problems

In this paper, we formulate a semi-implicit time-stepping model for multibody mechanical systems with frictional, distributed compliant contacts. Employing a polyhedral pyramid model for the friction law and a distributed, linear, viscoelastic model for the contact, we obtain mixed linear complementarity formulations for the discrete-time, compliant contact problem. We establish the existence and finite multiplicity of solutions, demonstrating that such solutions can be computed by Lemke's algorithm. In addition, we obtain limiting results of the model as the contact stiffness tends to infinity. The limit analysis elucidates the convergence of the dynamic models with compliance to the corresponding dynamic models with rigid contacts within the computational time-stepping framework. Finally, we report numerical simulation results with an example of a planar mechanical system with a frictional contact that is modelled using a distributed, linear viscoelastic model and Coulomb's frictional law, verifying empirically that the solution trajectories converge to those obtained by the more traditional rigid-body dynamic model.
Inactivation of Nonoccluded and Occluded Baculoviruses and Baculovirus-DNA Exposed to Simulated Sunlight

Natural sunlight is the most significant environmental factor affecting the stability of microbial insecticides formulated from occluded entomopathogenic viruses. Theoretically the crystalline protein matrix that occludes and surrounds each virion containing DNA should provide some protection against inactivation by sunlight-UV. No significant differences, however, were obtained in either the extent or rate of inactivation when nonoccluded, polyhedra derived virions (PDV) and tissue culture derived virions (TCNOV), or virions occluded in polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIBOV) of the Singly-enveloped nuclear polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis species (HzSNPV) were exposed to a simulated sunlight-UV source (SUV). The residual half-life of PDV, TCNOV, and PIBOV, as measured by bioassay against susceptible larvae of Heliothis virescens , was 6.3, 6.3, and 5.8 h, respectively. There was smearing of the EcoRI restriction enzyme (REN) patterns and an increase in lower molecular-weight species after exposure to SUV of both naked viral DNA and DNA of virions occluded in polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIB). Production of higher molecular-weight species of DNA, however, only was detected in DNA from PIBOV exposed to SUV. Changes in REN patterns of viral DNA were never detected with shielded-exposed HzSNPV.
The Divergence of Balanced Harmonic-like Series

Carl V. Lutzer (cvlsma@rit.edu) is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at Rochester Institute of Technology. He received his Ph.D. in 2000 under the direction of Peter Hislop at the University of Kentucky. His research interests include PDE (mixtures of eye lens proteins that undergo liquid-liquid phase separation), and applied dynamical systems (micro-electro-mechanical systems). In addition to mathematics and teaching, he enjoys fencing (sabre) and writing fiction.
A second order model for cylindrical data

Modeling cylindrical data, comprised of a linear component and a directional component, can be done using Fourier series expansions if we consider the conditional distribution of the linear component given the angular component. This paper presents the second order model which is a natural extension of the Mardia and Sutton (1978) first order model. This model can be parameterized either in polar or Cartesian coordinates, and allows for parameter estimation using standard multiple linear regression. Characteristic of the new model, how to compare the adequacy of the fit for first and second order models, and an example involving wind direction and temperature are presented.