cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HEAT - Human Embodied Autonomous Thermostat

Abstract The lack of thermal comfort among occupants is a common problem in built environments. Recent studies have investigated various physiological sensing and modeling approaches and demonstrated more robust thermal comfort prediction than the Predicted Mean Vote and participatory sensing methods. However, such physiological sensing approaches only work with iterative and passive Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) control schemas which can lead to problems including uncertainties in setpoint control outcomes and interruptions to building occupants. To address this critical limitation, this paper proposes a new paradigm named Human Embodied Autonomous Thermostat (HEAT) that considers human occupants as an embodiment of smart and connected thermostats where physiological measurements in form of facial skin temperature can be used to directly communicate with and control HVAC operations for improved thermal satisfaction and reduced energy use while maintaining comfort in multi-occupancy spaces. This paradigm leverages occupants' skin temperature responses under different thermal environments and integrates two types of personal models - thermal comfort model and physiological predictive model to determine occupants’ comfort, which can be represented as the thermal comfort zone and comfort probability. Based on these two metrics, three HVAC strategies are compared to demonstrate thermal comfort optimization for a group of occupants. The result suggests different setpoint options as a trade-off between overall comfort and energy use. The proposed HEAT framework can conceptually make wall-mounted physical thermostats redundant by serving as a basis for automated environment control based directly on human measurements to improve personalized human experience, well-being, and building energy efficiency.
Prenatal Tobacco Exposure and Childhood Neurodevelopment among Infants Born Prematurely.

Objective Nicotine is an established neuroteratogen, and prenatal tobacco exposure alters the structure of the developing nervous system. An association between prenatal tobacco exposure and impaired neurologic function is less well established. We examine the association between prenatal tobacco exposure and childhood neurodevelopment among infants born preterm. Study Design Secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized controlled trial assessing the benefits of magnesium sulfate for the prevention of cerebral palsy in preterm infants. Women were included if they delivered a singleton and nonanomalous infant before 37 weeks. Exposure was any self-reported prenatal tobacco use. Primary outcome was the original trial composite outcome of moderate or severe cerebral palsy at 2 years of age, or stillbirth, or infant death by 1 year of age. Secondary outcomes included components of the composite and mild cerebral palsy at 2 years, Bayley Scales of Infant Development II motor and mental scores, death before two years, and use of auditory aids or corrective lenses. Multivariable logistic regression models were performed to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals. Results Of 1,826 women included, 503 (27.5%) used tobacco. Tobacco users were more likely to be older, unmarried, and white; have a prior preterm birth; have received no prenatal care; and to use illicit drugs or alcohol. Gestational age at delivery, betamethasone exposure, and magnesium exposure were not different between groups. There were no differences in the composite primary outcome or in rates of cerebral palsy by tobacco use. Moderate developmental delay was more common among tobacco exposed in bivariate but not adjusted analysis (20.5 vs. 15.9%, p = 0.035). In adjusted analysis, tobacco exposure was associated with increased use of corrective lenses (5.0 vs. 2.9%, aOR: 2.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.28–4.07). Conclusion Prenatal tobacco exposure is not associated with neurodevelopmental impairment in infants born preterm. However, tobacco exposure may be associated with impaired vision. Key Points
Experimental analysis of fiber optic responses in ionizing radiation environments for distributed sensing applications

Abstract This research explored the use of fiber optics as a distributed sensing dosimeter. It had been demonstrated in previous research that Rayleigh scattering within a fiber increases with radiation dose. Therefore, measuring the increase over a spatial distribution would give a distributed measurement of dose if properly correlated. This is offered by the technology of the Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) and the more advanced Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometer (OFDR). As a scoping experimental study with OFDR, an ionizing radiation source was used at different orders of magnitude to irradiate several different test rigs. It was demonstrated at the 1 MGy dose range, the response was a discernible increase in scattering that was distributed spatially in the same manner as the dose, therefore suggesting such use in sensing applications.
Relationship between Biological Maturation, Physical Fitness, and Kinanthropometric Variables of Young Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

There is a growing interest in knowing the relationship between biological maturation and sport performance-related variables of young athletes. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between biological maturation, physical fitness, and kinanthropometric variables of athletes during their growing period, according to their sex. The systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement and the search protocol was registered in PROSPERO, code: CRD42020208397. A search through the PubMed, Web of Sciences, and EBSCO databases was performed. A total of 423 studies were screened and 13 were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was completed by using the mean and standard deviation of each variable according to each maturation status (early, on time, or late). Differences depending on maturation were found on physical fitness, with better results in the advanced maturational groups in the male population (standard mean difference (SMD) = 0.17–2.31; p < 0.001–0.05). Differences depending on maturation were found for kinanthropometric variables in males (SMD = 0.37–2.31; p < 0.001–0.002) and height and body mass in females (SMD = 0.96–1.19; p < 0.001). In conclusion, the early maturation group showed higher values in kinanthropometric variables and better results in physical fitness, highlighting the importance of the maturational process in the talent selection programs. Despite that, more research is needed to clarify the relationship of maturation with the other variables on female populations and the changes in the muscle and bone variables during the maturation processes of both sexes.
Nucleolar stress in C9orf72 and sporadic ALS spinal motor neurons precedes TDP-43 mislocalization.

Nucleolar stress has been implicated in the pathology and disease pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) from repeat expansions of GGGGCC in C9orf72 (C9-ALS/FTLD) but not in sporadic ALS (SALS). Previously we reported that antisense RNA transcripts are unique in C9-ALS because of their nucleolar localization in spinal motor neurons and correlation with TDP-43 mislocalization, the hallmark proteinopathy of ALS and FTLD. Here we report our further studies of 11 SALS, 11 C9-ALS and 11 control spinal cords. We find that nucleolar stress manifests specifically as shrinkage in nucleoli of C9-ALS spinal motor neurons. Nucleolar size reduction is greatest in similarly sized alpha motor neurons from C9-ALS cases and results are not skewed by the number of surviving neurons from each ALS spinal cord. Surprisingly, nucleolar shrinkage occurs before main pathological hallmarks—TDP-43 mislocalization or antisense RNA foci—appear and this suggest that nucleolar stress can precede pathology in C9-ALS, findings previously identified in C9-FTLD using sense RNA foci and dipeptide repeat proteins as pathological markers. Importantly, these observations are also seen in SALS motor neurons and thus nucleolar stress appears to be a significant and probably upstream problem in sporadic disease.
The Completeness and Accuracy of DataDerm™: The Database of The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)

Abstract The utility of any database or registry depends on the completeness and accuracy of the data it contains. This report documents the validity of data elements within DataDerm, the clinical registry database of The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). An external audit of DataDerm, performed by a third-party vendor, involved the manual review of 1,098 individual patient charts from calendar year 2018 from 8 different dermatology practices that utilized 4 different electronic health records (EHRs). At each site, 142 discrete data fields were assessed, comparing the data within DataDerm to the source data within the EHR. Data that were audited included three domains of data elements (diagnoses, medications, procedures), and a performance measure (i.e., “Biopsy Reporting Time - Clinician to Patient”), which is one of several measures used by DataDerm as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR). Completeness of data was 95.3% overall, with a range among practices of 90.6% to 98.5%. Accuracy of data was 89.8% overall, with a range of accuracy among practices of 81.2% to 94.1%. These levels of completeness and accuracy exceed rates in the literature for EHR-based registries and provide validation regarding the excellent quality of data in DataDerm.
Design of Robust Business-to-Business Electronic Marketplaces with Guaranteed Privacy

Firms that set up electronicmarketplaces to enhance their supply and/or distribution channels face challenges in attracting their competitors to participate. A major obstacle is the perception that the owner can unfairly exploit trading information for competitive advantage. In this paper, we propose a marketplace design that shifts the locus of control over trader privacy from the marketplace operator to each individual trader. We show how online transactions between trading partners can be conducted in total privacy, so that not even the marketplace owner/operator can exploit transaction information for strategic purposes. At the same time, our approach includes robust methods for transaction integrity and non-repudiation, as well as post-transaction dispute resolution.
A Monte Carlo simulation of radiation trapping in electrodeless gas discharges having complex geometries

Summary form only given, as follows. Electrodeless gas discharges are finding increasing use as lighting sources due to their improved lifetimes compared to conventional hot cathode fluorescent lamps. As resonance radiation from the plasma is the source of excitation of the phosphors, radiation trapping is an important consideration in the design of these lamps. Conventional fluorescent lamps typically use simple cylindrical geometries for which analytic expressions for radiation trapping factors can be obtained. In more complex geometries and for conditions where the distribution of photon emitters and absorbers are not uniform, radiation trapping factors may have more complex dependencies. To investigate these processes, a Monte-Carlo radiation transport model has been developed and integrated into a plasma equipment model. The MC model accounts for frequency resolved radiation emission, transport and absorption while employting partial frequency redistribution. The plasma equipment model is a 2-dimensional, self consistent simulation including electromagnetics, electron energy transport, fluid equations for charge densities and solution of Poisson's equation. Results will be discussed for the dependence of radiation trapping factors on pressure, power, geometry and gas mixture (temperature) for Ar/Hg mixtures in the 10s-100s mTorr range.
Dramatic Improvements to Feature Based Stereo

The camera registration extracted from feature based stereo is usually considered sufficient to accurately localize the 3D points. However, for natural scenes the feature localization is not as precise as in man-made environments. This results in small camera registration errors. We show that even very small registration errors result in large errors in dense surface reconstruction.We describe a method for registering entire images to the inaccurate surface model. This gives small, but crucially important improvements to the camera parameters. The new registration gives dramatically better dense surface reconstruction.
East Bengal cyclone of November, 1970. Epidemiological approach to disaster assessment.

Abstract Two medical relief assessments were carried out in the southern coastal region of East Bengal affected by the cyclone and tidal bore of November, 1970. The first, a rapid 18-site survey, documented the adequacy of existing water supplies and absence of significant post-cyclone morbidity or exceptional levels of epidemic diseases. The second, wider in scope, was done 2 months later, between Feb. 10 and March 4, 1971. Seventy-nine unions in the nine most affected thanas were visited, and 2973 families, comprising 1·4% of the area's population, were studied. Age-specific cyclone mortality ranged from highs of 29% and 20% in the 0-4-year and 70+ age-groups, respectively, to a low of 6% in 35-39-year-olds. Females fared worse than males in all but the youngest age-groups. Mean mortality was 16·5%, representing a minimum of 224,000 deaths. More than 180,000 homes were destroyed by the cyclone, and at the time of the survey 600,000 people were still without adequate shelter. Although post-cyclone morbidity, mortality, and nutritional status compared favourably with a control area, 1,000,000 people were still dependent on outside food relief for survival. At least 123,000 draft animals and 127,000 ploughs were needed before the region could begin to regain agricultural self-sufficiency. The surveys prove the value of early on-the-spot assessments in getting an accurate picture of requirements in disaster areas.
The Next Generation of Interactive Theorem Provers

Prior to discussing what I see as desirable and achievable features of the next generation of interactive theorem provers, I want to say something about the history of my own work and that of my colleagues, which forms the basis for the view of the future I sketch in the remainder of this paper. Simple uses of an interactive theorem prover for the teaching of elementary logic began more than twenty years ago. I remember well our first demonstrations with elementary-school children in 1963. For a number of years we concentrated on teaching elementary logic and algebra to bright elementary- and middle-school children. We felt at the time that this was the right level of difficulty to reach for in terms of computer capacity and resources that could be devoted to the endeavor. All of this early work was done on one of the low-serial-number PDP-l’s, which John McCarthy and I jointly purchased from grants at Stanford in 1963. This early work has been described in (1965) and (1972).
Bootstrap estimation of the mass transfer coefficient of a dissolving nonaqueous phase liquid pool in porous media

[1] A new method for confidence interval estimation of mass transfer coefficients suitable for dissolving dense nonaqueous phase liquid pools in homogeneous, water-saturated porous media is developed. The method is based on the bootstrap resampling technique in conjunction with a least squares regression procedure. The method is successfully applied to experimental data collected from bench scale trichloroethylene pool dissolution experiments.
Development and application of a rat PBPK model to elucidate kidney and liver effects induced by ETBE and tert-butanol

Subchronic and chronic studies in rats of the gasoline oxygenates ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) and tert-butanol (TBA) report similar noncancer kidney and liver effects but differing results with respect to kidney and liver tumors. Because TBA is a major metabolite of ETBE, it is possible that TBA is the active toxic moiety in all these studies, with reported differences due simply to differences in the internal dose. To test this hypothesis, a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model was developed for ETBE and TBA to calculate internal dosimetrics of TBA following either TBA or ETBE exposure. This model, based on earlier PBPK models of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), was used to evaluate whether kidney and liver effects are consistent across routes of exposure, as well as between ETBE and TBA studies, on the basis of estimated internal dose. The results demonstrate that noncancer kidney effects, including kidney weight changes, urothelial hyperplasia, and chronic progressive nephropathy (CPN), yielded consistent dose-response relationships across routes of exposure and across ETBE and TBA studies using TBA blood concentration as the dose metric. Relative liver weights were also consistent across studies on the basis of TBA metabolism, which is proportional to TBA liver concentrations. However, kidney and liver tumors were not consistent using any dose metric. These results support the hypothesis that TBA mediates the noncancer kidney and liver effects following ETBE administration; however, additional factors besides internal dose are necessary to explain the induction of liver and kidney tumors.
Search for Supersymmetric Wino and Zino States Using the D0 Detector

The status of a search for the pair production of the lightest chargino and second lightest neutralino states of the minimal supersymmetric model is presented. We have searched for four tri-lepton final states: eee, eemu, emumu, and mumumu, all with missing transverse energy.
An empirical study of the impact of count models predictions on module-order models

Software quality prediction models are used to achieve high software reliability. A module-order model (MOM) uses an underlying quantitative prediction model to predict this rank-order. This paper compares performances of module-order models of two different count models which are used as the underlying prediction models. They are the Poisson regression model and the zero-inflated Poisson regression model. It is demonstrated that improving a count model for prediction does not ensure a better MOM performance. A case study of a full-scale industrial software system is used to compare performances of module-order models of the two count models. It was observed that improving prediction of the Poisson count model by using zero-inflated Poisson regression did not yield module-order models with better performance. Thus, it was concluded that the degree of prediction accuracy of the underlying model did not influence the results of the subsequent module-order model. Module-order modeling is proven to be a robust and effective method even though both underlying prediction may sometimes lack acceptable prediction accuracy.
Butler lies: awareness, deception and design

Instant messaging (IM) is a common and popular way for co-workers, friends, and family to stay in touch, but its"always-on properties can sometimes lead people to feel overexposed or too readily available to others for conversation. This, in turn, may lead people to deceive others about their actual status or availability. In this paper, we introduce the notion of the "butler lie to describe lies that allow for polite initiation and termination of conversations. We present results from a field study of 50 IM users, in which participants rated each of their messages at the time of sending to indicate whether or not it was deceptive. About one tenth of all IM messages were rated as lies and, of these, about one fifth were butler lies. These results suggest that butler lies are an important social practice in IM, and that existing approaches to interpersonal awareness, which focus on accurate assessment of availability, may need to take deception and other social practices into account.
Modified FRAP Methodology with Millisecond Time Resolution for the Investigation of Heterogeneous RNA Polymerase II Diffusion Dynamics

We have developed a laser scanning fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) methodology capable of investigating protein diffusion and binding dynamics over several decades in time, from the millisecond through minute timescale. A several micron diameter bleach spot is established within 800 us, followed by fluorescence monitoring by a line scan through the bleach region. This method of FRAP permits the recovery to be captured with 1.6 ms time resolution, enabling observation of short time diffusion and long time binding kinetics. The rapid time resolution, precisely defined bleach geometry, and well-characterized bleach depth enable this method to be made highly quantitative through the application of a diffusion-anomalous subdiffusion model. This modeling can provide insight into the local environment through which biological molecules move.We have applied this novel implementation to investigate a fluorescently labeled subunit of RNA Polymerase II (Rpb3-GFP) in the polytene nuclei of Drosophila salivary glands. This unique chromosomal architecture creates segregated nucleoplasmic and chromatin regions. This has allowed for discriminating observations of protein dynamics while diffusing in the presence or absence of DNA obstructions and binding sites, permitting observation of three distinct regimes of protein diffusion - nucleoplasmic (absence of binding/obstruction), intrachromatin (binding/obstruction), and active transcription regions. We have observed that Rpb3-GFP diffuses anomalously in the nucleoplasm, in contrast to our studies of GFP expressed in polytene cells, which moves by Brownian diffusion through the nucleoplasm. Given the comparable size between the proteins and absence of possible chromatin binding sites, this indicates that Rpb3-GFP is engaged with other RNAP II subunits, giving rise to a distribution of diffusion coefficients, manifest as anomalous subdiffusion. We also see highly anomalous behavior for Rbp3-GFP moving through chromatin regions coupled with reduced diffusion coefficients.
Molecular basis for the exquisite sensitivity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to isoniazid

The exceptional sensitivity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH) lacks satisfactory definition. M. tuberculosis is a natural mutant in oxyR, a central regulator of peroxide stress response. The ahpC gene, which encodes a critical subunit of alkyl hydroperoxide reductase, is one of the targets usually controlled by oxyR in bacteria. Unlike in mycobacterial species less susceptible to INH, the expression of ahpC was below detection limits at the protein level in INH-sensitive M. tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis strains. In contrast, AhpC was detected in several series of isogenic INH-resistant (INHr) derivatives. In a demonstration of the critical role of ahpC in sensitivity to INH, insertional inactivation of ahpC on the chromosome of Mycobacterium smegmatis, a species naturally insensitive to INH, dramatically increased its susceptibility to this compound. These findings suggest that AhpC counteracts the action of INH and that the levels of its expression may govern the intrinsic susceptibility of mycobacteria to this front-line antituberculosis drug.
SU‐E‐T‐304: On Dose Error Sensitivities for Hypofractionated Helical Tomotherapy Treatments

Purpose: Tour purpose is to explore the efficacy of optimizing and adapting hypofractionated treatments for oxygen dynamics, and with Helical Tomotherapy (HT) in particular. Hypofractionated treatments such as SBRT induce a higher sensitivity to any dose error that would have been averaged away with a typical number of fractions. The greatest uncertainty relates to the effectiveness of the dose and that aspect is dominated by the short term oxygen dynamics induced by the radiation. Methods: This work builds on a suite of HT studies related to 1. the interplay or lack thereof for respiratory motion, 2. Ill‐posed optimizations that can lead to cold spots, 3. Proper choices for pitch, but the largest issue is 4. Reoxygenation dynamics for which we have started to use a new optical device. Results: For each of the first three items mentioned above, simple conditions to enhance robustness can be specified as follows: 1. Control motion on the order of the couch speed relative to the beam width, and use probabilistic optimization, 2. Do not prescribe gradients sharper than the beam profile can accomplish, 3. Use a pitch value of 0.86/integer, and 4. Find a way to robustly track the tumor oxygen dynamics in real‐time per patient and find robust adaptations for these dynamics. Conclusion: For hypofractionated treatments, there will be an increased sensitivity to critical physics based dose error issues. However, the more severe issues are biological, and in particular, reoxygenation which is more complex for fewer fractions because the dynamics prior to cell death make the of the linear‐quadratic equation difficult. Physicists need to extend their work into new directions for these new types of treatments.
Face Recognition System using Discrete Cosine Transform combined with MLP and RBF Neural Networks

Proposed is an efficient face recognition algorithm using the discrete cosine transform DCT Technique for reducing dimensionality and image parameterization. These DCT coefficients are examined by a MLP Multi-Layer Perceptron and radial basis function RBF neural networks. Their purpose is to present a face recognition system that is a combination of discrete cosine transform DCT algorithm with a MLP and RBF neural networks. Neural networks have been widely applied in pattern recognition for the reason that neural-networks-based classifiers can incorporate both statistical and structural information and achieve better performance than the simple minimum distance classifiers. The authors demonstrate experimentally that when DCT coefficients are fed into a back propagation neural network for classification, a high recognition rate can be achieved by using a very small proportion of transform coefficients. Comparison with other statistical methods like Principal component Analysis PCA and Linear Discriminant Analysis LDA is presented. Their face recognition system is tested on the computer vision science research projects and the ORL database.
A Simple Colorimetric Assay for L-Dopa in the Presence of Tyrosine Using the Phosphotungstic Acid Reagent

Abstract L-DOPA (3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine) reduces the phosphotungstic acid reagent whereas tyrosine does not. We have modified the usual assay conditions to give a relatively stable blue color while avoiding the use of cyanide by lowering the pH.
An alternate MINLP model for finding the number of trays required for a specified separation objective

Abstract This is a brief note on an alternate MINLP model for finding the number of trays required for a separation objective described by Viswanathan and Grossmann [ Computers chem. Engng 14 , 769–782 (1990)]. The idea is to fix the location of the feed tray and to model the problem of finding the trays on which the reflux and the boilup enter as optimum location problems for them. The resulting model is not only conceptually simple and elegant, but also results in shorter solution times. Nonideal distillation problems have also been solved by this approach.
CATEGORICAL DATA REGRESSION DIAGNOSTICS FOR REMOTE ACCESS SERVERS

Owing to the growing concerns over data confidentiality, many national statistical agencies are considering remote access servers to disseminate data to the public. With remote servers, users submit requests for output from statistical models fit using the collected data, but they are not allowed access to the data. Remote servers also should enable users to check the fit of their models; however, standard diagnostics like residuals or influence statistics can disclose individual data values. In this article, we present diagnostics for categorical data regressions that can be safely and usefully employed in remote servers. We illustrate the diagnostics with simulation studies.
Mammalian mitochondrial DNA topoisomerase I preferentially relaxes supercoils in plasmids containing specific mitochondrial DNA sequences

Abstract Selected regions of mammalian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were inserted into pGEM plasmid vectors and used as substrates in a kinetic analysis of the highly purified bovine mitochondrial type I topoisomerase. Recombinant plasmids containing the bovine mtDNA heavy and light strand origins of replication (pZT-Hori and pZT-Lori, respectively), a major transcription termination region (pZT-Term) and a portion of cytochrome b gene (pZT-Cytb) were prepared. Southern hybridization using probes specific for either control or mtDNA-containing plasmid indicated a relative preference by the mitochondrial topoisomerase I to relax supercoils in pZT-Hori and pZT-Term. Quantitative determination of kinetic parameters derived from double-reciprocal Lineweaver-Burk plots showed that recombinant plasmids containing the heavy and light strand origins and the transcription termination region were preferentially relaxed by the mitochondrial enzyme with Km values 2.3- to 3.3-fold lower than controls. The Km values for pZT-Hori, pZT-Lori and pZT-Term were 21.0 ± 0.9 μM, 25.2 ± 1.0 μM and 17.0 ± 0.8 μM, respectively, while those for control plasmids were 57.5 ± 2.1 μM and 56.3 ± 2.3 μM. pZT-Cytb was not preferentially relaxed compared to the control plasmid (Km = 53.4 ± 2.0 μM vs. 56.3 ± 2.3 μM, respectively) indicating that mitochondrial topoisomerase I preferentially interacts with certain mtDNA sequences but not others. Identical experiments with the purified nuclear enzyme did not differentiate between control or mtDNA containing plasmids.
Peptide Sequence of an Antibiotic Cecropin from the Vector Mosquito,Aedes albopictus

We have identified a 35-amino acid antibiotic cecropin secreted by an established mosquito cell line. C7-10 cells from the vector mosquito, Aedes albopictus, were incubated with heat-killed Escherichia coli, and materials secreted into the cell culture supernatant were recovered by acid precipitation. Following batch elution from Sep-Pak C18 cartridges and further purification by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) a predominant peak of antibacterial activity was characterized by mass spectrometry, amino acid composition analysis, and Edman degradation, yielding the sequence GGLKKLGKKLEGVGKRVFKASEKALPVAVGIKALG. Unlike other cecropins, the peptide was not amidated at the C-terminus. Aedes albopictus Cecropin A (AalCecA) is the first cecropin to be described from a mosquito vector of human disease. Consistent with the classification of mosquitoes among the Dipteran suborder Nematocera, AalCecA shares only 36% amino acid identity with cecropins from Drosophila melanogaster and other Cyclorrhaphid flies, whose mature cecropins share 80% to 100% amino acid identity.
Interhospital transfer of acutely ill cardiac patients.

Complex issues arise whenever the topic of patient transfer is examined. These include the clinical indications for transfer,1,2whether the transfer produced adverse clinical effects,3and patient stabilization before transfer.4There are also questions about the professional level of the transfer personnel5and, in this era of burgeoning aeromedical services, about the best mode of transport.6In addition, the subject evokes concern over preferential transfer of financially undesirable patients7-10and the regionalization of health care resources.11,12 See also p 1695. In this issue ofTHE JOURNAL, Rubenstein et al13present a descriptive study that is useful, even though it sidesteps some of these issues. The article describes 755 acutely ill cardiac patients who were successfully transferred from any of seven Kaiser Permanente medical facilities to a tertiary medical center in Los Angeles. A large majority (96%) of the patients were accompanied only
Bioelectrocatalysis and diffusion kinetics glucose oxidase: Glucose reaction using a water‐soluble 1,1′‐dimethylferrocene‐2‐hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin complex

The mediation of the glucose oxidase (GOx): glucose reaction by 1,1′-dimethylferrocene (DMF) solubilized in 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (hpβCD) was studied. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to examine the effects of complexation with hpβCD on the oxidation potential of DMF through the analysis of half-wave potentials. This indicated a one-to-one complex between DMF and hpβCD, with a formation constant of (1.2 ± 0.3) × 103 M−1 The working potential for electrodes using the mediator complex could be reduced by minimizing the hpβCD concentration, though a lower limit of 2.5 mM was observed for the 0.5 mM DMF solutions used in this work, below which the DMF became insoluble, and its electrochemistry was not well behaved. Cyclic voltammetry measurements at different scan rates were used to determine kinetic-parameters, resulting in a second-order rate constant for the reaction of oxidized DMF with reduced GOx of 3.4 × 104 M−1 s−1 to 1.9 × 104 M−1 s−1 for solutions containing 4 mM to 10 mM hpβCD. These values are on the order of one-quarter the literature value for free DMF and are in the range reported for ferrocene, indicating that the complexed DMF is able to function as an efficient mediator. The rate constant determined for 2.5 mM hpβCD was anomalously high and probably indicated insolubility of the DMF at this hpβCD concentration. A rate constant versus the hpβCD concentration plot was used as an indication of the lower limit of hpβCD concentration at which reproducible results could be obtained.
An error in solid oxide fuel cell stack modeling

Abstract This paper points out an error in the literature and analyzes its effect on electrochemical models of solid oxide fuel cell stacks. A correction is presented.
Homeostatic regulation of acetazolamide‐sensitive esterase activity in the bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus, following acute cold shock

Acetazolamide-sensitive esterase activity was elevated in branchial homogenates of control juvenile bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus, acclimated at 20° C but decreased rapidly within 9 h following an acute hypothermal shock to 8° C. After 2 weeks at 8° C, shocked-fish enzyme activity was similar to control fish. At 20° C acclimation temperature, specific activity of bluegills was similar in swimbladder, liver, kidney, gill, spleen, and gonad homogenates and was significantly higher (α=0.05 level) in whole blood homogenates. The pH optima for enzymes extracted from fish acclimated at 20° and 8° C were 7.29 and 8.00, respectively. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) demonstrated two distinct forms of acetazolamide-sensitive esterase activity present in both 20° and 8° C acclimated fish. Specific activity for homogenates from both 20° and 8° C acclimated fish differed significantly when assayed at 20° C, suggesting both qualitative and quantitative changes in acetazolamide-sensitive esterase. It is postulated that relatively rapid alterations in esterase activity promote survival in bluegill following acute cold shock through the central role of enzymes in the regulation of plasma ion concentrations and acid/base equilibria.
Changing the game of outsourcing – the Microsoft OneFinance case

This case concerns Microsoft's attempt to completely restructure its major global finance processes and operations through what the authors call a Vested Outsourcing agreement. In February 2007, Microsoft signed an outsourcing agreement with Accenture, with an original contract term of 7 years at a value of US$185 million. This was extended 2 years later, to 2018, with expanded scope, and a total contract value of $330 million. Called the OneFinance initiative, the effort outsourced nearly all back office finance transactions spread across 95 countries to service provider Accenture under a new kind of outsourcing model. Under the agreement the parties operate under incentives to improve performance and deliver increased value year-over-year, while sharing in the risks and rewards of doing so. The case focuses on the rationale for this distinctive approach to outsourcing and transformational change, and provides details of the definitions of work, measurements, pricing models and governance structures adopted. The fine-grained account of the OneFinance outsourcing arrangements provides an opportunity to identify the distinctive principles and practices adopted by the parties. Readers can compare and contrast the case with other outsourcing deals and assess the challenges in choosing the supplier and the approach. The case also invites an assessment of the risks being incurred, the inherent implementation and operational challenges and how they might be met. The case also raises questions about what levels of success might be achieved, and what conditions would need to be present for success. Finally, the case raises the issue of whether, and if so how, this distinctive ‘vested’ approach could be adopted elsewhere.
Recruitment of antigen-nonspecific cells plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of a T cell-mediated organ-specific autoimmune disease, experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis

Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) is a prototypic T cell-mediated autoimmune disease, whose target tissue is the neural retina, that is used as a model for a number of human blinding ocular diseases of a presumed autoimmune nature. EAU in rats can be induced by adoptive transfer of small numbers of retinal antigen-specific CD4+ T cell lines. Although recruitment mechanisms were assumed to play a role in the immunopathogenesis of uveitis, there is no direct evidence that would permit assessment of the importance of recruited non-antigen-specific T cells in retinal autoimmunity. In the present study, we addressed this question by using congenitally athymic Lewis rats (LEW.rnu/rnu), that are deficient in functional endogenous T cells, but are otherwise syngeneic with the euthymic Lewis rats that develop characteristically severe EAU. The uveitogenic stimulus was delivered in the form of phenotypically and functionally homogeneous pathogenic T cell lines, specific to the major pathogenic epitope of either the intracellular photoreceptor protein, S-Ag, or the extracellular photoreceptor matrix protein, IRBP. Depending on the T cell line used, EAU in athymic rats was either drastically reduced in severity (IRBP), or essentially absent (S-Ag). Susceptibility was restored when the athymic animals were reconstituted with immunocompetent T cells from syngeneic euthymic donors. While the intraocular infiltrate in euthymic rats was predominantly lymphocytic, with smaller numbers of monocyte/macrophages and even fewer neutrophils, the sparse infiltrate in athymics was largely monocytic, and with a relatively high proportion of neutrophils and eosinophils. Reconstituted animals had an intermediate histological picture with respect to the infiltrating cell types and disease severity. Our data are consistent with the interpretation that recruitment of naive T cells constitutes an amplification mechanism that is central to the expression and pathogenesis of uveitis. The extent of dependence on this phenomenon appears to be influenced by the antigenic specificity of the T cell line, and could be connected to the 'accessibility' of the target antigen in vivo.
FIR/IIR cascade approximating H.264/AVC interpolation filter

Interpolation implemented as an FIR filter followed by an IIR filter is proposed for video coding. Being good approximation to the interpolation filter of the H.264/AVC video coding standard, it has lower complexity measure. It is shown that the proposed filter cascade has minimal achievable round-off error for fixed-point arithmetic. Specific boundary conditions for IIR part that make this filtering affordable for small prediction blocks are provided. The proposed cascade can be used as an interpolation filter for fast motion estimation in hybrid video codecs. Comparison to known short FIR filter used for motion estimation part for H.264/AVC video encoder is provided. The proposed cascade may be used as a self-consistent interpolation filter.
BUS GARAGE LOCATION PLANNING WITH DYNAMIC VEHICLE ASSIGNMENTS: A METHODOLOGY

Abstract A simultaneous vehicle scheduling and bus garage location and sizing optimization is described. The methodology's importance lies in its treating garage locations and sizes and vehicle schedules as dynamic. In other bus garage planning methodologies, vehicle schedules are assumed fixed.
Neutron scattering from charged spinless paired boson superconductor

Abstract The neutron scattering cross section for a model charged spinless paired boson superconductor is presented. This is contrasted with our previous communications on the same topic for the paired fermion superconductor. It is suggested that a measurement of the current-current correlation function by neutron scattering or any other method may be a diagnostic tool for distinguishing the quasiparticle statistics as well as determining the superconducting parameters of the new high- T c oxide superconductors.
Simulation of impurity freezeout through numerical solution of Poisson's equation with application to MOS device behavior

Incorporation of temperature dependencies in the one-dimensional Poisson's equation for use in numerical simulation of MOSFET threshold behavior from 350 to 50 K is discussed. Careful consideration has been given to accurate modeling of impurity freeze-out and temperature-dependent parameters. Examples of simulation of depletion-mode MOSFET's demonstrate the importance of proper modeling and show that impurity freezeout must be considered even at room temperature.
Rate of sulfonation of bead polymers of styrene crosslinked with 1,2,4- and 1,3,5-trivinylbenzene

Bead copolymers of styrene crosslinked with 1,2,4- and 1,3,5-trivinylbenzene (TVB) are sulfonated at different rates. The copolymer beads with 4% 1,3,5-TVB sulfonate more slowly than do those with 8% 1,2,4-TVB. The 8% 1,2,4-TVB crosslinked polystyrene beads sulfonate at about the same rate as do the beads prepared with 8% p-DVB crosslinkage.
Bonding in eight ordered clinopyroxenes isostructural with diopside

Bond distances and angles in isostructural, ordered clinopyroxenes are compared for eight compositions, based on five new and three published crystal-structure refinements from X-ray diffraction data. Unit-cell parameters and configuration of the silicate chains are directly correlated with cation composition and distribution in the M2 and M1 sites.
The Towed Torpedo Emulator (TOTEM) System

This article describes a new towed underwater acoustic projector system designed to exercise Naval surface ship torpedo detection systems. The TOTEM system is built around a standard 7-m Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB), with capability for towing the acoustic projector towfish at depths up to 40 m and speeds up to 20 knots. The RHIB was modified with a more powerful (260 HP) engine, a twin-counter-rotating propeller drive, a hydraulic winch, and deployment/recovery A- frame. The acoustic projector systems were designed to broadcast torpedo-like signatures, contained in standard WAV files, over the frequency band 100 Hz to 10 kHz, with an additional 20- 32 kHz pinger emulating a torpedo sonar. An overview of the system design and results from recent sea-trials and acoustic calibrations will be given.
Interaction of group-specific component (vitamin D-binding protein) with immobilized Cibacron blue F3-GA.

Group-specific component (vitamin D-binding protein) was purified to homogeneity from human plasma by a three-step procedure involving pseudo-ligand affinity chromatography on immobilized Cibacron blue F3-GA followed by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. Upon pseudo-ligand chromatography, Gc globulin was separated into two peaks. The first, which represented approx. 4% of the total Ge globulin, was eluted together with other α-globulins of similar Mr and/or pI, and the second (96% of Gc globulin) was clearly retarded. Collection of the latter provided a fraction 10-fold enriched in Gc globulin, with yields higher than 90%. Incubation of plasma with trace amounts of radioactively-labeled 25-OH vitamin D3 showed that the radioactivity coeluted with the first peak. In addition, after saturation with 25-OH vitamin D3, all the Gc globulin was eluted in the first peak. This indicates that the two peaks correspond to the holo and the apo forms of the protein, respectively, and suggests that either the interaction of the apo form with the Cibacron blue dye involves the binding site for vitamin D metabolites, or that the holo-protein undergoes a conformational change as a consequence of formation of the complex.
Microgravity, calcium and bone metabolism: a new perspective.

It is now clear after more than two decades of space exploration that one of the major long term effects of microgravity on the human body is the loss of bone. As we enter into a new era of long duration space flight, it is imperative that we be able to maintain a healthy and structurally sound skeleton for the astronauts who will shuttle from earth to the moon, and from the Space Station Freedom to Mars and back. Based on the most available data from bed rest studies and short and long duration microgravity experiences by astronauts and cosmonauts, bone loss is a fact of life in this environment. With the rapid advances in our understanding of bone physiology and techniques to monitor bone density, it is now possible to contemplate measures that can prevent or mitigate microgravity-induced bone loss as well as osteoporosis in the elderly.
SPLIT: A sound editor for a PDP-8 computer

SPLIT is a program that helps prepare sounds for use in psychological experiments. Analog signals are converted to digital form and stored on a disk in real time. Digital sound files can be viewed on an oscilloscope display and played back for on-line auditory inspection. Interactive commands allow the user to segment and combine sounds with precise temporal control.
Child and adolescent mood disorders--experience with serotonin-based therapies.

By most measures, child and adolescent depression is much like and continuous with adult depression. Aggregating all available data, much of which is relatively new, it seems most likely that noradrenergic and mixed serotonergic/noradrenergic tricyclic antidepressants are ineffective in child and adolescent depression, whereas serotonergic antidepressants (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are probably effective.
Peridynamic beams: A non-ordinary, state-based model

Abstract This paper develops a new peridynamic state based model to represent the bending of an Euler–Bernoulli beam. This model is non-ordinary and derived from the concept of a rotational spring between bonds. While multiple peridynamic material models capture the behavior of solid materials, this is the first 1D state based peridynamic model to resist bending. For sufficiently homogeneous and differentiable displacements, the model is shown to be equivalent to Eringen’s nonlocal elasticity. As the peridynamic horizon approaches 0, it reduces to the classical Euler–Bernoulli beam equations. Simple test cases demonstrate the model’s performance.
Development and validation of an instrument to evaluate the content effectiveness of video games: a pilot study

Storytelling is the key design element in game design. Content preparation, which examines ‘what information users want’, yielded valuable data concerning the necessary attributes of storytelling in a web-based interface. After identifying 17 basic components of video games, the authors of this paper were able to categorise the components based on guidelines reported from the literature review into four major factors: game play; game setup; game control; and game help. In order to evaluate these factors, an experiment was conducted that required participants to evaluate three PC games selected for their distinctiveness and popularity: Need for Speed VII: Most Wanted; StarCraft; and Diablo II. Twelve highly skilled video game players were selected as participants. After playing each game, participants were asked to complete a 56-question survey and the results of a multiple regression analysis revealed that all items of development and content preparation are not of equal importance. Fantasy, pressure, rew...