cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Practical Temporal Constraint Management System for Real-Time Applications

A temporal constraint management system (TCMS) is a temporal network together with algorithms for managing the constraints in that network over time. This paper presents a practical TCMS, called MYSYSTEM, that efficiently handles the propagation of the kinds of temporal constraints commonly found in real-time applications, while providing constant-time access to “all-pairs, shortest-path” information that is extremely useful in many applications. The temporal network in MYSYSTEM includes special time-points for dealing with the passage of time and eliminating the need for certain common forms of constraint propagation. The constraint propagation algorithm in MYSYSTEM maintains a restricted set of entries in the associated all-pairs, shortest-path matrix by incrementally propagating changes to the network either from adding a new constraint or strengthening, weakening or deleting an existing constraint. The paper presents empirical evidence to support the claim that MYSYSTEM is scalable to real-time planning, scheduling and acting applications.
Sustainable Food Systems for Future Cities: The Potential of Urban Agriculture*

Populations around the world are growing and becoming predominately urban, fueling the need to re-examine how urban spaces are developed and urban inhabitants are fed. One remedy that is increasingly being considered as a solution to inadequate food access in cities, is urban agriculture. As a practice, urban agriculture is beneficial in both post-industrial and developing cities because it touches on the three pillars of sustainability: economics, society, and the environment. Historically, as well as currently, economic and food security are two of the most common reasons for participation in urban agriculture. Urban agriculture not only provides a source of healthful sustenance that might otherwise be lacking, it can also contribute to a household’s income, offset food expenditures, and create jobs. Social facets are another reason for populations to engage in urban agriculture. A garden or rooftop farm is a place where people come together for mutual benefit, often enhancing the common social and cultural identity for city residents. Larger urban farms also participate in community enrichment through job training and other educational programmes, many of which benefit underserved populations. Finally, urban agriculture can play an important role in the environmental sustainability of a city. As a form of green infrastructure, urban farms and community food gardens help reduce urban heat island effects, mitigate urban stormwater impacts and lower the energy embodied in food transportation. This paper will describe a multi-year study undertaken by the Urban Design Laboratory at the Earth Institute to assess the opportunities and challenges associated with the development of urban agriculture in New York City (NYC). The paper will present metrics on potential growing capacity within the City inclusive of both rooftop and land-based options, results from a survey of New York City based urban farmers that gathered information on the challenges and barriers to food production in NYC, with a focus on rooftop farming, and data from an environmental monitoring study on a commercial rooftop farm in Brooklyn. The paper will use the results of the multi-year study to provide insight into the potential role of urban agriculture to creating a more sustainable food system for New York City and cities elsewhere.
Toxic Substances Control Act, US

The US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is aimed at overseeing new chemical development, testing and information gathering for existing chemicals, and risk management efforts. It provides for the development of regulations and collection of data. Keywords: TSCA; regulation; chemicals; US environmental regulations; risk management
Statistical dynamics of the membrane channel gating charge system

The membrane channel's gating charge system is well represented as a set of strongly interacting dipoles. The equilibrium and kinetics of the system are described by the corresponding Boltzmann distribution and time dependent solutions of the Fokker-Planck equation. The theory explains very well various experiments on gating current and allows new insight in channel gating. >
“They can only do so much:” Use of family while coping with rural homelessness

This research explores individual and family reliance on non-homeless family members in coping with homelessness in a rural area. Drawing on 114 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with homeless adults and families in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, we found that all participants relied on non-homeless family members for assistance, but with variation in the amount of help sought and received. Some participants displayed high thresholds for help-seeking, only relying on family under extreme circumstances and generally asking for modest assistance. This was common among childless single homeless adults who often had different support. Other participants displayed low thresholds for help-seeking, frequently asking for and requiring much assistance from non-homeless family members. This was especially common among homeless persons with children. Implications for policy and services are presented.
Inverting interpolated receiver functions with surface wave dispersion and gravity: Application to the western U.S. and adjacent Canada and Mexico

We use P wave receiver functions from the western U.S. and adjacent regions to construct a receiver function wavefield interpolation scheme that helps to equalize the lateral sampling of the receiver functions and the surface wave dispersion and to greatly simplify the receiver functions. Spatial interpolation and smoothing suppress poorly sampled and difficult to interpret back azimuthal variations and allow the extraction of the first-order features in the receiver function wavefield, including observations from several ray parameter ranges. We combine the interpolated receiver functions with Rayleigh wave dispersion estimates and surface gravity observations to estimate the 3-D shear wave speed beneath the region. Speed variations in the 3-D model correlate strongly with expected geologic variations and illuminate broad-scale features of the western U.S. crust and upper mantle. The model is smooth, self-consistent, and demonstrates the compatibility of the interpolated receiver functions and dispersion observations.
Quality of care: Compared perceptions of patient and prosthodontist

The results suggest that, with the exception of retention, differences between patients' and prosthodontists' perceptions of treatment with complete dentures display greater variability with regard to function than to either esthetics or comfort. Although the literature has suggested that satisfying the esthetic concerns of the patient is likely to be a major hurdle in denture treatment success, this study suggests that occlusion, retention, and vertical dimension may be of more importance to effective communication. Misconceptions and unreal expectations should be dealt with early in the treatment program to avoid patient dissatisfaction. During the 1972 International Prosthodontic Workshop held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the statement was made that patients were generally an unreliable guide as to the adequacy of their dentures, especially after wearing them for a period of time, and that further research to document the patient's reliability seemed unnecessary. This study has demonstrated that patients are quite reliable judges of many criteria related to dentures, provided channels for two-way communication are opened. With the ever greater economic stresses that force dentists to consider patients' concerns, perhaps it is increasingly the dentist's responsibility to better educate patients to evaluate all aspects of the quality of care they receive and encourage extensive two-way communication early in the treatment process. The adjusted quality assessment criteria used in the present study may be a useful instrument to use with patients prior to the initial interview in an effort to establish a better dentist-patient relationship.
Sensitivity to Violations of Gender Agreement in Native and Nonnative Spanish: An Eye‐Movement Investigation

This article reports the results of an eye-tracking experiment that investigated the effects of structural distance on readers' sensitivity to violations of Spanish gender agreement during online sentence comprehension. The study tracked the eye movements of native Spanish speakers and English-speaking learners of Spanish as they read sentences that contained nouns modified by postnominal adjectives located in three syntactic domains: (a) in the DP, (b) in the VP, or (c) in a subordinate clause. In half of the sentences in each condition, adjectives agreed with the noun in gender, and in half, they did not. The results indicate that gender agreement is acquirable in adulthood, contra the failed functional features hypothesis, and that the distance that separates nouns and adjectives affects the detection of gender anomalies in the second language. The findings support Clahsen and Felser's (2006a) shallow structure hypothesis, as it pertains to morphological processing.
Placement of a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band after failed sleeve gastrectomy.

Originally introduced in 1988 as part of a duodenal switch operation [1,2], the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has become a popular primary procedure for morbidly obese patients. Although LSG is most often indicated for the super obese patient group, its use has recently been advocated for multiple subsets of the morbidly obese population, including patients with a body mass index 35 kg/m 2 with co-morbidities, patients with contraindications for gastric adjustable banding, morbidly obese adolescents, and those patients for whom malabsorptive procedures would be contraindicated [3,4]. Long-term follow-up after LSG as a primary procedure, however, is not yet available, and concerns regarding its efficacy persist. Because the use of LSG is increasing, we could begin to see an increased number of failures; thus, it will be important to define an approach for failed LSG. To illustrate 1 method of managing this problem, we report the placement of a laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LGB) after failed LSG.
The Economics of Salvation: Toward a Theory of Exchange in Chinese Buddhism

This essay theorizes the material implications of Chinese Buddhist merit as a transaction exchange mechanism. Over the last two and a half millennia, merit has necessitated an institutionalized paradigm: from the position of both the donor and recipient, you must expend that which you have (land, harvest, money, labor, and time) in order to gain that which you feel you need (a more lucrative lifestyle, a more desirable existence, social recognition, and salvation after death). To gain one must give; or more accurately, to receive one must first bestow. Without this exchange process, it is unlikely that Buddhism would have survived. This exchange formed the foundation of the Buddhist monastic economy in China. I further lay out some key terms for studying the history of Buddhist merit as a transaction of religious exchange and offer them as potentially useful categories of exploration in other fields. Although I take Song dynasty (960-1276 CE) Chinese Buddhist monastic culture as my point of departure, the discussion extends its focus toward the broader impact of merit exchange arguing that the exchange of goods for merit was (and is) the defining social mechanism of Chinese Buddhism.
Predictors of early adulthood quality of life in children with obsessive–compulsive disorder

The goal of this study was to determine childhood clinical predictors of quality of life (QoL) in early adulthood in children with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). A longitudinal cohort study was conducted with 36 (out of 62 eligible) children with OCD, interviewed once at childhood baseline (mean age 12.1 ± 2.1, range 8.0–15.8), and again in early adulthood after an average follow-up interval of 9 years. QoL was measured in adulthood with the longitudinal interval follow-up evaluation range of impaired functioning tool (LIFE-RIFT). Forty-two percent of children experienced a remission of OCD symptoms by early adulthood. OCD appeared to most strongly impair the interpersonal relationships and work domains of QoL. QoL and severity of OCD and anxiety symptoms were significantly associated in early adulthood. Primary hoarding symptoms in childhood predicted poor QoL in adulthood. Increased symptoms in the forbidden thoughts dimension in both childhood and adulthood were associated with improved adulthood QoL. Children for whom OCD symptoms remitted by adulthood showed no evidence of residual impairment in QoL, whereas children whose OCD symptoms failed to remit by adulthood showed at most mild impairment in QoL. Hoarding symptoms in childhood appear to portend not only the persistence of OCD symptoms but also poorer QoL in early adulthood.
Treatment of grades I and II brain astrocytomas. The role of radiotherapy.

Abstract This retrospective analysis of 68 patients with Grade I or II brain astrocytomas included the years 1958-74. Two-thirds or 45 of the 68 cases received adjuvant irradiation. Fifty-six of the 68 tumors were histologic Grade II, the remaining twelve were Grade I. Comparison of all prognostically important parameters between the 45 irradiated and 23 non-irradiated patients revealed minimal but statistically insignificant bias in favor of the “grossly” excised, Grade II, and non-irradiated cases. Cumulative life-table survivals revealed excellent 5-year results for the 22 “grossly” excised cases (90%), with progressive decline in survival rates for the 45 irradiated patients (54%), the 23 non-irradiated cases (32%), and for the 45 incompletely excised cases with (41%) or without (13%) adjuvant radiotherapy. Ten-year cumulative survivals declined to 20–30% range regardless of treatment and prognostic parameters. An important exception is the 100% survival of the seven childhood cerebellar astrocytomas. Conclusions, based on analysis of treatment data, are as follows: Incompletely excised Grade I astrocytomas require adjuvant irradiation commensurate to Grade II lesions. Irradiation does not improve upon the 5-year survival rate when tumor resection is grossly complete. Conversely, the improvement in survival of incompletely excised cases by adjuvant radiotherapy is highly significant. Local tumor control rates show progressive improvement with increasing radiation doses in the range of 800–1500 ret, using the Ellis formula.
Curbing the Excesses of Youth: Molecular Insights into Axonal Pruning

The embryonic nervous system is refined over the course of development as a result of the twin processes of naturally occurring cell death and selective axon pruning. Recent studies provide new insights into the molecular events that underlie axon pruning and underscore the diversity of refinement processes employed by the nervous system during development.
P300 as an index of attention to self-relevant stimuli

Abstract Past work suggests that information related to the self receives ‘preferential access’ to the limited pool of attentional resources. However, these studies have been limited by their reliance on response–time measures, which require overt responding and represent the combined effects of multiple stages of information processing. One aim of the present study was to extend past work by obtaining a response-independent index of attention allocation sensitive to changes in discrete stages of information processing. An additional goal was to explore the potential time course of differential sensitivity to self-relevant cues. We assessed the P300, an ERP component that provides an index of attentional resources, evoked by autobiographical self-relevant stimuli (e.g., one’s own name). As expected, P300 was augmented for self-relevant stimuli relative to control stimuli. In addition, analyses of P300 latency indicate that the effects of self-relevance are present during higher-order stages of cognitive processing related to selective attention. These results complement and extend previous work on the role of self-relevance in the selection of material for further processing.
Development Characteristics and Dynamic Structure of Tropical Intraseasonal Convection Anomalies

Abstract The development and dynamical structure of intraseasonal low-frequency convection anomalies in the equatorial region are investigated using 10 years (1975–85) of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and 7 years (1979–85) of 200 and 850 mb wind data. The composite OLR anomalies for 36 cases show a four-stage development process: initiation over equatorial Africa, rapid intensification when passing through the Indian Ocean, mature evolution characterized by a weakening in the maritime continent and redevelopment over the western Pacific, and dissipation near the date line in moderate events or emanation from the equator toward North America and southeastern Pacific in strong events. A noticeable feature in vertical structure is that the 850 mb convergence leads convection and midtropospheric upward motion by about 30 degrees longitude in both developing and mature phases. Equatorial upper- (lower-) level easterly (westerly) anomalies and associated twin anomalous anticyclonic (cyclonic) circulation an...
Consonant/vowel ratio: An improbable cue in speech

The idea of the consonant duration relative to the vowel duration as a cue to voicing of postvocalic consonants is almost three decades old. Port and Dalby (1982) offer what they believeto be convincing support for such a view. We argue that the acceptance of this idea is premature and probably incorrect. In every instance that the concept of consonant! vowel (C/V) ratio is contrasted with an alternative view, the latter provides a significantly better description of the results. This alternative view considers consonant and vowel duration as independent cues to voicing, following the evaluation and integration of cues within the fuzzy-logical model of speech perception (Massaro & Cohen, 1976, 1977;' Massaro & Oden, 1980a, 1980b;Oden & Massaro, 1978). The first relevant study was carried out by Denes (1955), who varied vowel duration and the final consonant duration in the perception of the voicing difference between the pronunciations of the word use. Without any formal analysis, Denes interpreted the results in terms of the ratio of consonant duration to vowel duration, serving as a cue to voicing of the final consonant. The perceived voicing should decrease systematically with increases in the C/V ratio. However, in an earlier paper (Massaro & Cohen, 1977), we provided a quantitative test of the C/V ratio hypothesis against the observed results of Denes (1955). We also tested the idea that vowel duration and consonant duration provide independent cues to voicing of the consonant. The fit of the latter model was twice as good as that of the former, even though the better model required only three-fifths as many free parameters. In the present note, we evaluate the C/V ratio model against the data of Derr and Massaro (1980) and Port and Dalby (1982). The present tests offer as much flexibility as possible for the quantification of the C/V ratio idea. In addition, we contrast the C/V ratio model against the predictions of the fuzzylogical model, assuming independent vowel and consonant duration cues. The fuzzy-logicalmodel does a
On Scyllarid Lobster Larvae of the South China Sea (Decapoda, Scyllaridae)

Drei zusatzliche Arten von phyllosoma Larven der Gattung Scyllarm werden beschrieben. Diese, zusammen mit den funf Scyllarus Arten die in dem Bericht von 1971 beschrieben wurden, machen etwa die Halfte der bekannten Arten von diesem Genus aus, die vermutlich im Sudchinesischen Meer vorkommen.
Fabrication of patterned magnetic microstructures using magnetically assembled nanoparticles

This work describes the modeling and experimental characterization of a fabrication method for forming magnetic microstructures using self-assembled iron oxide (Fe 3 O 4 ) magnetic nanoparticles. This method can potentially be used in roll-to-roll production of magnetic structures patterned onto substrates or optionally lifted off to create free-floating micromagnetic actuators. This article reports: (1) the use of a selective magnetization process to create magnetic microstructures with complex, photolithographically defined shapes, (2) development of multi-physics simulations that model key fabrication steps (selective magnetization and particle assembly), and (3) experimental evaluation of the microstructure features (line width and height) as functions of process variables. The primary accomplishment is obtaining well-defined microstructures with complex shape and demonstrating their magnetic actuation when released as free-floating structures.
Subnuclear partitioning and functional regulation of the Pit‐1 transcription factor

Subnuclear compartmentation is postulated to play an important role in many aspects of nuclear metabolism. To directly test an application of this model to transcription factor function, we examined the subnuclear partitioning behavior of Pit-1, a tissue-specific, POU-class transactivator. Biochemical and in situ assays indicate the nuclear pool of Pit-1 is normally divided between two compartments: the majority being differentially soluble in detergent, and a significant insoluble fraction (∼20%) bound to the nuclear matrix. Examination of Pit-1 deletion mutants and chimeric fusions reveal the highly conserved 66 amino acid POU-specific domain contains a necessary and sufficient nuclear matrix targeting signal. The nuclear partitioning behavior of several natural or engineered point mutations of Pit-1 was also examined. Surprisingly, the inactive point mutants were completely matrix-bound, irrespective of their ability to bind Pit-1 specific DNA. These results suggest that dynamic partitioning of Pit-1 is a component of its normal transactivator function that takes place upon the insoluble nuclear substructure where transcription occurs. J. Cell. Biochem. 72:322–338, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Central glucagon like peptide-1 delays solid gastric emptying via central CRF and peripheral sympathetic pathway in rats

It has been shown that glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) acts on the central nervous system (CNS), in addition to its peripheral actions. Central administration of glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) delays liquid gastric emptying via non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic neurons in rats. However, it remains unclear how central GLP-1 delays solid gastric emptying in rats. GLP-1 receptors at the CNS mediates the endocrine and anxiety responses to psychogenic and interoceptive stress. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is also known as a stress-related peptide, which delays gastric emptying of liquid and solid food via the autonomic nervous system. We have recently showed that central CRF delays solid gastric emptying via sympathetic pathways in rats. However, it remains unknown how central GLP-1 and CRF interact in mediating the inhibitory effect on solid gastric emptying. After a 24 h-fasting, GLP-1 was administered by intracisternal (ic)-injection immediately after the solid meal ingestion. Ninety minutes after the peptide injection, gastric contents were measured. Ic-injection of GLP-1 (30-3000 pmol) dose-dependently inhibited solid gastric emptying. Ic-injection of GLP-1 (3000 pmol)-induced delay of gastric emptying was partially antagonized by celiac ganglionectomy but not by atropine or N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). Ic-injection of a CRF antagonist, astressin (2.8 nmol), partially antagonized GLP-1-induced delay of solid gastric emptying. These results indicate that central CRF and peripheral sympathetic pathway are, at least in part, involved in mediating central GLP-1-induced delay of solid gastric emptying in rats.
Initialization of Fractional Differential Equations: Background and Theory

It has been known that the initialization of fractional operators requires time-varying functions, a complicating factor. This paper simplifies the process of initialization of fractional differential equations by deriving Laplace transforms for the initialized fractional integral and derivative that generalize those for the integer-order operators. This paper provides background on past work in the area and determines the Laplace transforms for initialized fractional integrals of any order and fractional derivatives of order less than one. A companion paper in this conference extends the theory to higher order derivative operators and provides application insight.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Differential effects of extinction on behaviors maintained by concurrent schedules of primary and conditioned reinforcement

Pigeons were intermittently reinforced with grain for pecking at one key. Concurrent pecking at a second key intermittently produced conditioned reinforcement (CR). Under these conditions, responding on the second key (a) was maintained indefinitely with CR, (b) was markedly weakened by removing CR, and (c) was independent of grain responding and relatively insensitive to grain manipulation.
The Ecumenical Outreach Coalition: A Case Study of Converging Interests and Network Formation for Church and Community Cooperation

This study examines the formation of a particular ecumenical coalition of churches that emerged in response to decaying neighborhood conditions. An "Open Systems Role-Set Theory" is applied to a qualitative case study of interchurch cooperation. This model examines the process through which this new organization resulted in changes in leaders' social networks, which led to changes in strategies for community outreach. Although this study focused specifically on an ecumenical alliance of religious congregations, leadership networks and coalitions generate cooperation and/or competition between agencies throughout the independent sector. One basic theme that emerges from this study suggests that the makeup of, and political dynamics within, leaders' role sets drive the process through which organizational decisions are made and resources are allocated.
Determination of Potential Oil Source Rocks: ABSTRACT

The author, temporarily on leave from with the United States Geological Survey, and leader of research in the subject, summarizes what is known about recognition of strata as potential, oil source rocks. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2241------------
Comparison of Four Orthogonal Systems of Vectorcardiography

Four orthogonal systems of vectorcardiography that are considered to be more accurate than the tetrahedron and cube systems were compared. In a large majority of subjects the records made with each of the 4 systems were similar. However, in 5 of 60 subjects in whom the Z lead was studied, dissimilarities were found that were considered to be significant. The possible reasons for these dissimilarities are discussed. Comparative normalization data for the systems were obtained in the living human subject, based upon comparison of wave forms.
Developmentally programmed DNA rearrangement in Tetrahymena thermophila: Isolation and sequence characterization of three new alternative deletion systems

Abstract Extensive developmentally programmed DNA rearrangements, including thousands of internal deletions, occur in the differentiating somatic macronucleus in Tetrahymena thermophila. Some deletion systems involve the use of multiple alternative deletion sites. We report here the cloning and the sequences of three new alternative deletion systems (RR, RP and B) obtained using genomic subtraction. The RP and RR deletion systems are 2 kb apart on chromosome IR, and both involve the removal of 5 kb. All three deleted regions are very AT rich (∼ 80%) and do not appear to encode any protein. Sequences of the regions flanking the deletion junctions of all three systems revealed no sequence similarity among them nor with any previously reported deletion systems, suggesting that different cis-acting elements are involved for rearrangement. Unlike other deletion systems in ciliates, the B deletion system lacks short terminal direct repeats. Our results suggest an average of at least one alternative deletion system per 134 kb of micronuclear DNA and lead to an estimate that at least 25% of all deletion systems in Tetrahymena utilize alternative ends. The genomic subtraction method employed in this study could prove useful for the isolation of alternatively deleted DNA in special-purpose cases in Tetrahymena and other ciliates. The hybridization parameters for genomic subtraction worked out here for highly AT-rich DNA may have wider usefulness.
A Versatile Platform for Inactivation and Destruction

In this issue of Structure , Yokoyama and coworkers report a complex structure that reveals how gankyrin binds to another subunit of the 26S proteasome and that has implications for its interactions with phosphorylation and ubiquitylation targeting factors as well as tumor suppressor substrates (Nakamura et al., 2007).
Radiofrequency ablation for supraventricular and ventricular tachycardia in young patients

Abstract Radiofrequency ablation therapy was conducted in 86 consecutive children and young patients with a mean age of 14 ± 3 years (range = 3–18). Fifty-two patients had Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, one had re-entry tachycardia incorporating a nodoventricular fiber, 22 had atrioventricular node re-entry tachycardia, two had atrial tachycardia and nine had idiopathic ventricular tachycardia. Radiofrequency ablation was successful in 50 of the 52 patients (96%) with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and the one with nodoventricular fiber. Radiofrequency modification of the atrioventricular node using the inferior approach was successful in eliminating atrioventricular node re-entry tachycardia in 20 of the 22 patients (91%). Radiofrequency ablation in the two patients with atrial tachycardia was unsuccessful. Of the nine patients with idiopathic ventricular tachycardia, eight from the left ventricle and one from the right ventricular outflow tract, eight were successfully ablated (88%). Follow-up over a period ranging from 1 to 46 months (21 ± 13) revealed a recurrence of tachycardia in seven patients; a late electrophysiological study in 38 patients revealed the induction of tachycardia in 11 patients (seven with accessory pathway-mediated tachycardia, three with atrioventricular node re-entry tachycardia and one with idiopathic ventricular tachycardia). All 11 patients were successfully ablated by a second trial. In conclusion, radiofrequency ablation therapy is effective and safe in pediatric patients with supraventncular and ventricular tachycardia and should be considered as the therapy of choice in this group of patients.
Undiagnosed individuals with first-degree relatives with restless legs syndrome have increased periodic limb movements.

Abstract Background and purpose To evaluate periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS) in first-degree relatives of both restless legs syndrome (RLS) patients and matched controls without RLS in order to analyze patterns of this motor sign of RLS. Patients and methods First-degree relatives of a consecutive case series of RLS patients and matched community controls without RLS were evaluated for diagnosis of primary RLS and for PLMS as determined by a leg activity meter. The data were analyzed to determine whether or not PLMS rates are higher than expected for RLS subjects in these families, who have mostly milder disease, and family members of early-onset RLS patients not themselves diagnosed with RLS. Results PLMS activity in family members was significantly higher for those diagnosed as RLS compared to those diagnosed as not-RLS. This difference was greater for older than younger subjects. In family members older than the median study age (52 years old) who were diagnosed as not-RLS, PLMS were significantly more frequent in those related to an early-onset RLS proband than in those related to either a control or late-onset RLS proband. Conclusions PLMS are elevated even in those with mild RLS and reveal an age-related worsening of the motor component of RLS. PLMS may represent an incomplete expression of RLS tendencies in families of patients with early-onset RLS, but this needs to be confirmed in future longitudinal studies. The increase in PLMS with age, reported in healthy controls, may in fact occur in part as a partial expression of familial or genetic factors associated with RLS.
Allergic and toxic reactions in soft contact lens wearers

The allergic and toxic effects of preservatives found in soft contact lens solutions are reviewed. Thimerosal, a preservative commonly found in soft contact lens solutions, may cause ocular delayed hypersensitivity. Patients with delayed hypersensitivity to thimerosal may develop conjunctival hyperemia, corneal infiltrates and intolerance to lens wear with the use of soft contact lens solutions containing thimerosal. Delayed hypersensitivity to thimerosal can be demonstrated by an occlusive patch test or intradermal injection. Discontinuation of chemical disinfection with substitution of thermal disinfection using unit-dose, non-preserved saline causes resolution of signs and symptoms. Another cause of lens wear intolerance is contact lens-associated giant papillary conjunctivitis. Protein deposits on the lens may act as antigens and initiate an allergic condition which disappears when the lens is discontinued. Alternatively, the giant papillae may be the result of mechanical irritation induced by the contact lenses. The chemical preservatives that are found in soft contact lens solutions cause epithelial toxicity when applied to isolated rabbit corneas. However, corneal toxicity toxicity in a clinical setting has not been demonstrated.
Analysis of spatial patterns underlying the linkage between solar irradiance and near‐surface air temperatures

[1] Many scientists have noted that global temperature anomalies were highly correlated with solar irradiance values until sometime in the 1970s, but since that time, the pronounced warming in the near-surface temperature record is not explained by variations or trends in solar receipt. In this investigation, spatial dimensions are explored in the relationship between irradiance and near-surface air temperatures. At the scale of individual 5° by 5° grid cells, the solar control on annual temperature variations is not statistically significant. When the temperature data are aggregated by 5° latitudinal bands, the solar – temperature connect is generally significant, and in every band, there is substantial evidence that a non-solar control has become dominant in recent decades. The buildup of greenhouse gases and/or some other global-scale feedback, such as widespread changes in atmospheric water vapor, emerge as potential explanations for the recent residual warming found in all latitudinal bands.
Applying theories and interventions from behavioral medicine to understand and reduce visual field variability in patients with vision loss

Visual field (VF) test results are often unreliable in visually impaired patients, but continue to be a cornerstone of clinical trials and play a vital role in clinical decision making since they are the primary method to determine patients’ functional vision loss or progression. Currently, patients are typically asked to perform VF tasks with minimal instruction or consideration of their psychological experience during the test. The gradual loss of vision due to retinal diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), or glaucoma can contribute to the experience of negative psychosocial states, such as anxiety, stress, and depression, as well as diminished quality of life. We hypothesize that VF testing elicits test performance anxiety and perception of functional losses of vision, which induces distracting negative thoughts that result in increased VF test variability. Resources for processing and responding to vision-related information may be diverted from task-relevant VF stimuli to task-irrelevant ones, such as internal worry and test anxiety, thereby resulting in VF test performance decrements. We present a theoretical model to support the hypothesis that VF variability is linked to patients’ negative thoughts during VF testing. This conceptual framework provides a basis for the development of coping strategies and mindfulness-based interventions to be evaluated in future research aimed at improving psychosocial states and VF reliability in visually-impaired patients. It would be highly significant to intervene by modifying negative thoughts during VF testing to reduce test variability in glaucoma patients who are progressively losing vision to a blinding eye disease, but whose vision loss has not been accurately identified and treated early enough due to variable VF results. In clinical trials of potential interventions for RP and non-neovascular AMD, reducing VF variability would effectively increase the precision for detecting treatment effects and allow a reduction in the number of VF tests needed to estimate the treatment responses, thus reducing burden on investigators and patients, as well as saving time and money.
Characterization of near-millimeter wave materials by means of non-dispersive fourier transform spectroscopy

We have used non-dispersive Fourier-transformspectroscopic techniques to measure the complex indices of refraction of materials between frequencies of 120 and 550 GHz. Results are presented for crystal quartz, crosslinked polystyrene (Rexolite 1422), glass-loaded polytetrafluoroethylene (Duroid 5880) and a nickel ferrite (Trans-Tech 2-111). These results are compared with other data on these materials in this frequency range. The accuracy of these measurements yields a considerable improvement in the near-millimeter-wave characterization of several of these materials. For materials other than crystal quartz, our results are the first measurements of their properties over the entire frequency range studied.
Challenges, approaches and architecture for distributed process integration in heterogeneous environments

Integration and coordination of distributed processes remains a central challenge of construction information technology research. Extant technologies, while capable, are not yet scalable enough to enable rapid customization and instantiation for specific projects. Specifically, the heterogeneity of existing legacy sources together with firms' range of approaches to process management makes deployment of integrated information technologies impractical. This paper reports on an architecture for distributed process integration named process connectors that addresses heterogeneity in a scalable manner. The process connectors architecture incorporates two key approaches that address heterogeneity over varying time scales. The SEEK: Scalable Extraction of Enterprise Knowledge toolkit is reviewed as a mechanism to discover semantically heterogeneous source data. The SEEK approach complements existing data integration methods for persistent sharing of information. To make use of shared data on a per project basis, a schedule mapping approach is presented that integrates firms' diverse individual schedules in a unified representation. The schedule mapping approach allows integration of process views that have different levels of detail, while allowing participants to maintain their own view of the process. Collectively, SEEK and the schedule mapping approach facilitate a broad range of analyses to support coordination of distributed schedules. While this paper focuses primarily on schedule process integration, the process connectors architecture is viewed as providing a broad solution to discovery and integration of firms' process data.
Novel Strategies for Biodetection: Preliminary Application to Traumatic Brain Injury

The sensor team at the Los Alamos National Laboratory is an integrated multidisciplinary group that develops both core technologies as well as accessory tools for efficient biodetection. We have developed a waveguide-based optical biosensor for the efficient and ultra-sensitive, rapid detection of biological agents. We have previously demonstrated the use of this technology for the detection of biomarkers associated with many diseases. Herein, we present the preliminary data demonstrating the extension of this technology to the discovery and detection of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). TBI afflicts a significant percentage of US troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, but is difficult to diagnose efficiently. Currently, only neuropsychological questionnaires are being used for the diagnosis of this condition, which can range from mild concussion to severe brain damage. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a rapid biomarker-based diagnostic for TBI in blood. However, this cannot be accomplished until a comprehensive repertoire of biomarkers secreted during brain injury is established. This requires an integrated biomarker discovery and detection approach that is sampled directly from human serum and cerebrospinal fluid. The results reported here are preliminary steps in that direction wherein we aim to develop two different methods for the discovery of novel biomarkers of TBI in blood and cerebrospinal fluid, as well as develop assays for two biomarkers on an ultra-sensitive waveguide-based platform that was developed at LANL. We were able to evaluate two different methods for biomarker discovery: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) and two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) in serum samples. In addition to development of depletion protocols to remove abundant proteins in serum, we were also able to detect spiked TBI biomarkers using both methods. However, the results clearly show that for protein biomarkers, MALDI MS is much more sensitive than 2-DE. We also developed a sandwich immunoassay on a waveguide-based platform for a TBI biomarker, procalcitonin, using commercially available antibodies. We show with our methods that we were able to directly detect procalcitonin from human serum. While our discovery and detection methods show promising results, these methods need to be further optimized before we can apply it to clinically relevant samples.
Correlations among assays of porcine semen quality following cryopreservation

Correlations between in vitro tests of semen quality, used to predict the in vivo fertilizing potential of sperm, indicate that the tests may substitute for each other in predicting fertilizing potential. Lack of correlation between tests suggest that both tests should be used to estimate the fertilizing potential. The purpose of this study was to establish correlations between several in vitro tests of porcine semen quality following freezing. Tests of motility with and without caffeine, spermatozoa with normal apical ridges, sephadex filtration with and without caffeine and acrosin activity were all correlated with each other. Correlations among these tests ranged from 0.45 to 0.83 (P<0.05). Assays for glutamic oxalacetic transaninase (GOT) were not consistently correlated with other tests. None of these tests of semen quality were correlated with the sperm penetration assay except for the test of motility without caffeine, which was correlated with the number of penetrations per hamster oocyte (r = 0.71, P<0.05).
Trade liberalization and factor prices: An application to the U.S. manufacturing sector

Abstract The effects of a trade policy on the prices of productive factors have important policy implications, particularly with regard to trade liberalization and protection. This paper examines the empirical evidence of the Stolper-Samuelson theorem for 16 major U.S. manufacturing industries. The theorem asserts that international trade reduces the prices of scarce productive factors and hence decreases their shares of income. The elasticities of prices of finished goods with respect to factor prices are estimated and then rearranged in the form of the row stochastic P-matrix in accordance with the proposition of Uekawa. The inverse of this matrix seems to confirm the weak version of the Stolper-Samuelson theorem.
Evidence for Functional Sympathetic Reinnervation of Left Ventricle and Coronary Arteries After Orthotopic Cardiac Transplantation in Humans

Background Structural sympathetic reinnervation of the transplanted human heart is believed to occur >1 year after cardiac transplantation. The functional effects of reinnervating neurons, however,...
On the complexity of optimal K-anonymity

The technique of k-anonymization has been proposed in the literature as an alternative way to release public information, while ensuring both data privacy and data integrity. We prove that two general versions of optimal k-anonymization of relations are NP-hard, including the suppression version which amounts to choosing a minimum number of entries to delete from the relation. We also present a polynomial time algorithm for optimal k-anonymity that achieves an approximation ratio independent of the size of the database, when k is constant. In particular, it is a O(k log k)-approximation where the constant in the big-O is no more than 4, However, the runtime of the algorithm is exponential in k. A slightly more clever algorithm removes this condition, but is a O(k log m)-approximation, where m is the degree of the relation. We believe this algorithm could potentially be quite fast in practice.
Automated detection of pulmonary nodules in helical computed tomography images of the thorax

We are developing a fully automated method for the detection of lung nodules in helical computed tomography (CT) images of the thorax. In our computerized method, gray-level thresholding is used to segment the lungs from the thorax region within each CT section. A rolling ball operation is employed to more accurately delineate the lung boundaries, thereby incorporating peripheral nodules within the segmented lung regions. A multiple gray-level thresholding scheme is then used to capture nodules by creating a series of binary images in which a pixel is turned `on' if the corresponding image pixel has a gray level greater than the selected threshold. Groups of contiguous `on' pixels are identified as individual signals. To distinguish nodules from vessels, geometric descriptors are calculated for each signal detected in the series of binary images. The values of these descriptors are input to an artificial neural network, which allows for the elimination of a high percentage of false-positive signals.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Constructive proofs of theorems relating to:F(x) = y, with applications

Some theorems are given which relate to approximating and establishing the existence of solutions to systemsF(x) = y ofn equations inn unknowns, for variousy, in a region of euclideann-space E n . They generalize known theorems. Viewing complementarity problems and fixed-point problems as examples, known results or generalizations of known results are obtained. A familiar use is made of homotopies H: E n × [0, 1]→E n of the formH(x, t) = (1 −t)F 0 (x) + t[F(x) − y] where theF 0 in this paper is taken to be linear. Simplicial subdivisionsT k of E n × [0, 1] furnish piecewise linear approximatesG k toH. The basic computation is via the generation of piecewise linear curvesP k which satisfyG k (x, t) = 0. Visualizing a sequence {T k } of such subdivisions, with mesh size going to zero, arguments are made on connected, compact limiting curvesP on whichH(x, t) = 0. This paper builds upon and continues recent work of C.B. Garcia.