cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single-variable anomaloscope matches during recovery from artificial red blindness.

An anomaloscope was designed so that the full amounts of its red and green primaries could be adjusted to match for a protanope. After a protanope had made that adjustment, Rayleigh matches of red–green mixtures to yellow were made by a device in which the same percentage of one primary was subtracted from the mixture as was added of the other. The instrument was used to study the proposition that protanomaly is an intermediate form of protanopia, based upon the presence in the protanomalous trichromat of a diluted form of erythrolabe, which is assumed to be absent altogether in the protanope. The technique was to generate artificial protanopia in normal subjects by adaptation to very strong red light, and then to record their Rayleigh matches during subsequent regeneration. The results indicate that something more than dilution of erythrolabe is involved in protanomaly.
The hazards of eruptions through lakes and seawater

Abstract Eruptions through crater lakes or shallow seawater, referred to here as subaqueous eruptions, present hazards from hydromagmatic explosions, such as base surges, lahars, and tsunamis, which may not exist at volcanoes on dry land. We have systematically compiled information from eruptions through surface water in order to understand the circumstances under which these hazards occur and what disastrous effects they have caused in the past. Subaqueous eruptions represent only 8% of all recorded eruptions but have produced about 20% of all fatalities associated with volcanic activity in historical time. Excluding eruptions that have resulted in about a hundred deaths or less, lahars have killed people in the largest number of historical subaqueous eruptions (8), followed by pyroclastic flows (excluding base surges; 5) tsunamis (4), and base surges (2). Subaqueous eruptions have produced lahars primarily on high (>1000 m), steep-sided volcanoes containing small (
Role of the serotonin uptake carrier in the neurochemical response to methamphetamine: effects of citalopram and chlorimipramine.

The role of the serotonin uptake carrier in the methamphetamine-induced depression of serotonin synthesis was examined. In vivo, coadministration of citalopram or chlorimipramine with methamphetamine blocked the irreversible depression of tryptophan hydroxylase activity observed in the neostriatum and cerebral cortex after repeated administration of high doses of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine-induced reduction of neostriatal serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid was also attenuated by the two uptake inhibitors. In contrast, neither drug antagonized the depression of neostriatal tyrosine hydroxylase activity observed after methamphetamine administration. Citalopram also blocked the reversible inhibition of tryptophan hydroxylase activity observed after the acute administration of methamphetamine. In vitro, citalopram significantly inhibited methamphetamine-induced [3H] serotonin release from neostriatal slices. The results demonstrate that inhibitors of the serotonin uptake carrier can antagonize both the in vivo and in vitro effects of methamphetamine on serotonergic neurons. Furthermore, the methamphetamine-induced depression of serotonin synthesis is dependent upon a functional serotonin uptake system.
Some effects of size, orientation, and fuel molecular weight on the burning of fuel-soaked wicks

Vertical and horizontal fuel-soaked wicks are employed to determine the influence of size ( d ), orientation, and fuel molecular weight ( M ), on the burning rates of the fuel-soaked surfaces. Wick data was found to agree with comparable fuel-surface data in the literature. The burning rate, expressed as a product of mass-transfer coefficient times a driving force, yields a mass transfer coefficient that varies as d n M m . For vertical wicks n =−1/4 when d n =0 when d >10 cm, and m =−2/3 for d =10 cm. For horizontal wicks (flame on top) n =−1/2 for d n ≈0 for d >10 cm; m =−1 for d =10 cm. For horizontal wicks (flame on bottom) n is estimated as −1/4 for the entire size range, and m =−1/3 for d =10 cm. A review of the literature leads to the conclusion that over the range of sizes studied the vertical and horizontal (flame on bottom) fuel-surface burning rates are controlled primarily by convection. The horizontal fuel-surface (flame on top) burning rates are controlled by convection and rim conduction for d d d >20 cm. The influence of radiation appears to behave as though the gas between the radiating flame and the fuel surface is nonabsorbing for 20 d d =200 cm, there is reason to believe that burning rates of fuel surfaces may be predicted by techniques currently being developed for treating optically thick flowing gases.
New experimental methods in terahertz spectroscopy

Spectroscopic studies are useful in a range of areas, from remote sensing and radio astronomy to the medical community. Since spectroscopy can provide information used to identify chemicals, new techniques have been developed for high-resolution measurements of chemical absorption frequencies. These high-resolution measurements not only enhance accuracy of the molecule's energy level transitions, but also allow for environmental information to be gathered through collisional broadening of the spectral lines. High-resolution measurements, made possible by far-infrared lasers coupled with Schottky diodes, were supplemented with data taken by variable pathlength FTIR measurements in the terahertz region. Chemicals investigated include methanol, nitromethane, water and its isotopes.
Conductimetric detection of organic acids in reversed- phase chromatography

Abstract The response of various free acids, including monocarboxylic and dicarboxylic acids, phenol and substituted phenols, diketones, mercaptans, and aromatic acids in organic mobile phases was determined with conductimetric detection. Weak acids, such as phenols and mercaptans, have essentially no response. Substituted phenols with more acid strength respond slightly; carboxylic acids are most responsive, with detection limits in the range 1–10 mg/I. Carboxylic acids vary in response on an equivalent weight basis; response decreases with increasing size of the acid. Detection depends on the exchange of hydrogen for sodium on the silica matrix of the column, and the conjugate base of the acid is detected by conductivity.
A NESTED-GRID PARTICLE-MESH CODE FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION SIMULATIONS OF GRAVITATIONAL INSTABILITY IN COSMOLOGY

I describe a nested-grid particle-mesh (NGPM) code designed to study gravitational instability in three-dimensions. The code is based upon a standard PM code. Within the parent grid I am able to define smaller sub-grids allowing us to substantially extend the dynamical range in mass and length. I treat the fields on the parent grid as background fields and utilize a one-way interactive meshing. Waves on the coarse parent grid are allowed to enter and exit the subgrid, but waves from the subgrid are precluded from effecting the dynamics of the parent grid. On the parent grid the potential is computed using a standard multiple Fourier transform technique. On the subgrid I use a Fourier transform technique to compute the subgrid potential at high resolution. I impose quasi-isolated boundary conditions on the subgrid using the standard method for generating isolated boundary conditions, but rather than using the isolated Green function I use the Ewald method to compute a Green function on the subgrid which possesses the full periodicity of the parent grid. I present a detailed discussion of my methodology and a series of code tests.
Intestinal sterols. III. Effects of age, sex and diet.

Abstract 1. 1. Male rats excreted more sterol than females; castrates excreted less of all sterols except coprostanol. The ratio of Δ7-cholestenol to cholesterol excreted increased markedly with age. 2. 2. Penicillin and sulfasuxidine depressed the excretion of coprostanol with corresponding increases in cholesterol. Aureomycin, streptomycin, and chloromycetin were without effect. 3. 3. Sterol excretion was essentially the same on a fat-free diet as on 20% of lard. It was increased when cellulose was fed. Cholesterol markedly increased the excretion of coprostanol; squalene and Δ7-cholestenol did not. Δ4-Cholestenone increased the excretion of each of the five sterols measured.
Observer accuracy and behavior analysis: Data collection procedures on hand hygiene compliance in a neurovascular unit

Background Although observational studies are popular, little has been done to study the integrity of human observers and the data collection process. Issues of data collection integrity threaten functional findings, leading to problematic interpretation and decreased replication. In our study the response effort associated with hand hygiene data collection in a hospital setting was manipulated using an altered data collection tool. Methods A counterbalanced ABAB design was implemented across 2 semesters of a hand hygiene data collection practicum course. Results When response effort increased, compliant audits decreased and when response effort decreased, compliant audits increased. These results were statistically significant, with an overall level change z that had a P value of .001 (first semester) and .007 (second semester). Conclusion These findings may warrant an increased awareness of data collection procedures where recording options include a less effortful response. The results of our study support basic research on response effort and choice behavior in an applied setting, bringing into question the integrity of data collection procedures and the integrity of the data collected. These results also suggest the need for standardizing reporting systems to ensure hand hygiene collection and reporting procedures are comparable across settings.
The Factor Structure of the CIBS-II-Readiness Assessment

The Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills-II (CIBS-II)-Readiness form is a diagnostic battery intended for children aged 5 and 6 years. The CIBS-II-Readiness is a new version of the CIBS-Revised-Readiness and includes updated normative information on a larger representative sample in comparison to the CIBS-Revised-Readiness. Empirical support for the CIBS-Revised-Readiness was lacking, especially score validity evidence. Adequate score validity information needs to be provided. The purpose of this study was to investigate evidence of construct validity of the composite scores on the CIBS-II-Readiness by examining the internal structure of the instrument and correlations with external measures. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to compare the model implied by the composite score structure of the assessment to other plausible models. A six-factor model was supported. CIBS-II-Readiness scores had significant correlations with the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills scores, an...
MIMO adaptive control of thruster-firing-induced vibration of satellites using multifunctional platforms

This paper presents the concept, control strategy, and simulations of suppressing the thruster-firing-induced vibration of satellites. First, a satellite vibration reduction concept of utilizing the UHM multifunctional platform is discussed, and the structural configurations of the platform as well as the combination of the platform and a satellite are described. A satellite-like frame with the platform is analyzed, and the predominant modes of the frame are determined. A MIMO adaptive control scheme is then developed to suppress the frame vibration, and a convergence factor vector concept is introduced to ease the multi-channel convergence rate control. This controller is adjusted based on the vibration information of the frame and drives the platform to isolate the vibration transmission from the firing thruster to the satellite structure. The entire system has ten actuators: four piezoelectric stack actuators and six piezoelectric patch actuators. Eleven vibration components of the frame and platform are controlled. Nine components are in the frame for the satellite vibration suppression, and two are in the top-device plate of the platform for the thruster vibration suppression. Finally, simulations are performed to suppress the vibration of the frame for three platform positions to simulate the misalignment correction of the satellite thrust vector. The results demonstrate that the entire frame vibration at its dominant frequency decreases to 7-10% of its uncontrolled value in the three platform positions, and the thruster vibration decreases to 7.5% of its uncontrolled value.
Factor VII/VIIa: a new antigen in the anti‐phospholipid antibody syndrome

We investigated antibodies to factor VII/VIIa (FVII/VIIa) and five other common target antigens in 33 patients with a history of anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) and 50 healthy controls using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. We found that antibody to FVII/VIIa, a previously unrecognized and common antigen in APS, was present in 67% of patients. Frequencies of antibodies to other target antigens were: anti-beta-2 glycoprotein 1 (anti-beta 2GP1), 88%; anti-cardiolipin (anti-CL), 76%; anti-phosphatidylethanolamine (anti-PE), 67%; anti-phosphatidylserine (anti-PS), 64%; and anti-phosphatidylcholine (anti-PC), 59%. Most patients had antibodies against multiple antigens, but a few were positive for only anti-beta 2GP1 (12%) or anti-CL (3%). Positivity for anti-FVII/VIIa was significantly associated with positivity for anti-PE, anti-PS and/or anti-PC (P < 0.05) but not anti-beta 2GP1. When frequencies of immunoglobulin G (IgG) versus immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies were compared, anti-beta 2GP1 IgG correlated with the lupus anticoagulant (P < 0.05) and was significantly more prevalent than IgM, but the reverse was seen for all other antigens. In arterial thrombosis, IgM was more prevalent for all antigens, and was significantly associated with FVII/VIIa, PE and PS, whereas in venous thrombosis, IgG was frequently prevalent, especially in association with FVII/VIIa, beta 2GP1 and CL. In summary, FVII/VIIa is a new and common antigen in APS. Anti-FVII/VIIa is often associated with anti-PE, anti-PS and anti-PC. The IgM class is more frequently associated with arterial thrombosis and the IgG class with venous thrombosis.
Magnetism and thermal evolution of the terrestrial planets

Of the terrestrial planets, Earth and probably Mercury possess substantial intrinsic magnetic fields generated by core dynamos, while Venus and Mars apparently lack such fields. Thermal histories are calculated for these planets and are found to admit several possible present states, including those which suggest simple explanations for the observations; while the cores of Earth and Mercury are continuing to freeze, the cores of Venus and Mars may still be completely liquid. The models assume whole mantle convection, which is parameterized by a simple Nusselt-Rayleigh number relation and dictates the rate at which heat escapes from the core. It is found that completely fluid cores, devoid of intrinsic heat sources, are not likely to sustain thermal convection for the age of the solar system but cool to a subadiabatic, conductive state that can not maintain a dynamo. Planets which nucleate an inner core continue to sustain a dynamo because of the gravitational energy release and chemically driven convection that accompany inner core growth. The absence of a significant inner core can arise in Venus because of its slightly higher temperature and lower central pressure relative to Earth, while a Martian core avoids the onset of freezing if the abundance of sulfur in the core is ⪆15% by mass. All of the models presented assume that (I) core dynamos are driven by thermal and/or chemical convection; (ii) radiogenic heat production is confined to the mantle; (iii) mantle and core cool from initially hot states which are at the solidus and superliquidus, respectively; and (iv) any inner core excludes the light alloying material (sulfur or oxygen) which then mixes uniformly upward through the outer core. The models include realistic pressure and composition-dependent freezing curves for the core, and material parameters are chosen so that the correct present-day values of heat outflow, upper mantle temperature and viscosity, and inner core radius are obtained for the earth. It is found that Venus and Mars may have once had dynamos maintained by thermal convection alone. Earth may have had a completely fluid core and a dynamo maintained by thermal convection for the first 2 to 3 by, but an inner core nucleates and the dynamo energetics are subsequently dominated by gravitational energy release. Complete freezing of the Mercurian core is prohibited if it contains even a small amount of sulfur, and a dynamo can be maintained by chemical convection in a thin, fluid shell.
Electrocardiographic findings in Emergency Department patients with pulmonary embolism

To assess the pre-study, null hypothesis that there is no difference in the electrocardiogram (EKG) findings for Emergency Department (ED) patients who rule in vs. rule out for suspected pulmonary embolism, a retrospective review of a cohort of patients with pulmonary embolism and their controls was conducted in an academic, suburban ED. Patients who were evaluated in the ED during a one-year study period for symptoms suggestive of pulmonary embolism were eligible for inclusion. All patients with pulmonary embolism and sex- and age-matched controls comprised the final study groups. Two board-certified cardiologists reviewed each patient's EKG. There were 350 eligible patients identified; 49 patients with pulmonary embolism and 49 controls were entered into the study. The most common rhythm observed in both groups was normal sinus rhythm (67.3% cases vs. 68.6 % controls; p = 1.0). Abnormalities believed to be associated with pulmonary embolism occurred with similar frequency in both case and control groups (sinus tachycardia [18.8 % vs. 11.8%, respectively; p = 0.40]), incomplete right bundle branch block (4.2% vs. 0.0%, respectively; p = 0.24), complete right bundle branch block (4.2% vs. 6.0, respectively; p = 1.0), S1Q3T3 pattern (2.1 vs. 0.0, respectively; p = 0.49), S1Q3 pattern (0.0 vs. 0.0), and extreme right axis (0.0 vs. 0.0). New EKG changes were identified more frequently for patients with pulmonary embolism (33.3% vs. 12.5% controls; p = 0.03), but specific findings were rarely different between cases and controls. In our cohort of ED patients, we did not identify EKG features that are likely to help distinguish patients with pulmonary embolism from those who rule out for the disease.
Collecting and Categorizing Software Error Data in an Industrial Environment

Abstract A study has been made of the software errors committed during development of an interactive special-purpose editor system. This product, developed for commercial production use, has been followed during nine months of coding, unit testing, function testing, and system testing. Detected problems and their fixes have been described by testers and debuggers. A new fault categorization scheme was developed from these descriptions and used to classify the 173 faults that resulted from the project's errors. For each error, we asked the programmers to select its most likely cause, report the stages of the software development cycle in which the error was committed and the problem first noticed, and the circumstances of the problem's detection and isolation, including time required, techniques tried, and successful techniques. The results collected in this study are compared to results from earlier studies, and similarities and differences are noted.
Monoamine oxidase activity in several tissues of the goldfish. Carassius auratus.

Abstract 1. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) was determined fluorometrically in male goldfish tissues, and the effects of specific inhibitors determined. 2. MAO activity in kidney > intestine > pancreas > brain ∼ liver > testis. Apparent Michaelis constant (Km) was higher in the first three and lower in the last three tissues. 3. Specific MAO type A inhibitors (harmaline, clorgyline) were much more effective than a type B inhibitor (deprenyl) in reducing MAO activity. 4. Apparently goldfish tissues contain only a single type A-like MAO.
Pre-electoral coalition formation in parliamentary democracies

Political parties that wish to exercise executive power in parliamentary democracies are typically forced to enter some form of coalition. Parties can either form a pre-electoral coalition prior to election or they can compete independently and form a government coalition afterwards. While there is a vast literature on government coalitions, little is known about pre-electoral coalitions. A systematic analysis of these coalitions using a new dataset constructed by the author and presented here contains information on all potential pre-electoral coalition dyads in twenty industrialized parliamentary democracies from 1946 to 1998. Pre-electoral coalitions are more likely to form between ideologically compatible parties. They are also more likely to form when the expected coalition size is large (but not too large) and the potential coalition partners are similar in size. Finally, they are more likely to form if the party system is ideologically polarized and the electoral rules are disproportional.
Studying Congressional Norms: Concepts and Evidence

Edward Schneier argues that the research of the last fifteen years that has concluded that congressional norms have changed greatly since the 1950s is mistaken, and that congressional norms persist today essentially unchanged. This paper dissents from that view. It contends that Schneier's conclusion is partly based on an unjustified shift in the conception of norms in Congress, and partly on insufficient–and in some degree, misleading–evidence.
SU-GG-I-69: Development of a Handbook of Radiation Doses in Organs of Patients Undergoing X-Ray Computed Tomography (CT)

The CThandbook will be a volume in a series (www.fda.gov/Radiation‐EmittingProducts/RadiationEmittingProductsandProcedures/Medicallmaging/MedicalX‐Rays/ucm 117898.htm) promoting public health and radiation safety through publicly accessible dose information that could be used by medical staff to communicate risk and optimize protocols reducing dose. Major tasks include: 1) identifying and parameterizing the most common CT exams and their associated clinical protocols; 2) calculating organ doses derived from Monte Carlo simulations in computational, anthropomorphic reference phantoms representing pediatric as well as adult patients; and 3) generalizing the scope of applicability via mathematical approaches yielding normalized reference doses that are independent of scanner model.
Nonsense surveillance regulates expression of diverse classes of mammalian transcripts and mutes genomic noise.

Nonsense surveillance regulates expression of diverse classes of mammalian transcripts and mutes genomic noise
Transmembranal Potentials from the Human Heart

Intracellular action potentials from human ventricular muscle have been recorded with the flexibly mounted ultramicroelectrode. The complete record, correlated with the lead I electrocardiogram, is presented. The size, duration and shape of the human potentials closely resemble those previously recorded from lower animals.
A Convenient Device for Removing Dissolved Oxygen from NMR Samples

The presence of paramagnetic impurities, including molecular oxygen, in a sample causes line broadening in the high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum. Some of these paramagnetic impurities can sometimes be eliminated by adapting the conventional methods, such as filtering the sample solutions for insoluble impurities and shaking water-immiscible solutions with dilute hydrochloric acid for soluble impurities.1,2 The recommended procedures for removing dissolved oxygen from NMR samples involve vacuum distillation, out-gassing at the boiling point of the solution, or flushing with oxygen-free nitrogen. Multiple freeze-pump-thaw cycles, which exclude oxygen rigorously, are also in use. Removal of this dissolved impurity is particularly desirable when dealing with compounds such as olefins and aromatic hydrocarbons which tend to form charge-transfer complexes with oxygen. Recently, it was claimed that shaking the sample solution with 10% sodium thionate (Na2S2O4) solution eliminates oxygen, as was evidenced by considerable improvement in the resolution.3
Isolation and some properties of prethrombin and autoprothrombin III

Abstract Purified bovine prothrombin preparations were dissociated by digestion with thrombin. The reaction mixture was separated to obtain an inhibitor, the precursor of autoprothrombin C called autoprothrombin III, and the precursor of thrombin called prethrombin. Prethrombin was purified and found to have an isoelectric point at pH 5.5 and in the ultracentrifuge s020,w = 3.9. It contained 75 more amino acid residues than purified thrombin. Autoprothrombin III was also purified. The observed isoelectric point was pH 4.7, and s020,w = 3.4. After the separation and purification of prethrombin and autoprothrombin III, it was possible to study the activation requirements of each one independently of the other. Autoprothrombin III readily converted to autoprothrombin C in the presence of tissue thromboplastin and calcium ions, but other suitable conditions for activation were also found. The formation of autoprothrombin C was observed to occur slowly in the presence of calcium ions and platelet cofactor I. It is therefore concluded that rapid clotting of blood with tissue extracts as compared with platelets plus plasma is due to the vastly greater quantity of autoprothrombin C produced with tissue extracts than with platelets plus plasma. The conversion of prethrombin to thrombin required only autoprothrombin C; however, the reaction was accelerated by the simultaneous addition of purified Ac-globulin, lipids, and calcium ions. A sequence in blood coagulation occurs in three major steps; namely, (a) the formation of autoprothrombin C, (b) the formation of thrombin, and (c) the formation of fibrin. Purified autoprothrombin III corrected the prolonged one-stage prothrombin time of Stuart plasma and also of “factor VII” deficient plasma.
Left Ventricular Function: Correlation With Deformation of the Myocardium

The amount of local tissue deformation at the equatorial region of the left ventricle is quantitated by the ratio of the instantaneous cross-sectional area of a tissue element to the cross-sectional area at end-diastole. The area ratio, AR, was computed for the circumferential and longitudinal, apex to base, direction throughout the cardiac cycle from catheterization and cineangiographic data on 36 patients. The patients were divided into four groups: normal left ventricualr function—15, compensated volume overload—6, decompensated volume overload—9, and congestive cardiomyopathy—6. The peak longitudinal area ratio was elevated in the compensated group (P <0.001) and not statistically significant from normal in the decompensated group. A larger fraction of the cardiac cycle was required to reach the peak longitudinal (p <0.01) and circumferential (p <0.05) area ratio in the compensated group. The volume overload compensatory process apparently involves a change in the relative magnitude and timing of tissue deformation. The hypo-contractile ventricle was characterized by a reduction in the sum of the logitudinal and circumferential area ratios, which for all six patients in the congestive cardiomyopathy group, had a value less than any of the other thirty patients.
Acquired renal cystic disease and renal neoplasms in hemodialysis patients

Noninvasive imaging studies were performed on 26 patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis. We found cysts in 46% of patients and neoplasms in 7.7%. The cysts were relatively easy to detect. However, the neoplasms were very difficult to detect; this problem has been described before in the literature. The natural history of acquired cystic disease and neoplasms in hemodialysis patients is largely unknown. A review of the problems associated with the imaging and management of these patients is included.
Hindbrain glucoprivic inhibition of the proestrus lutenizing hormone surge in the female rat is attenuated by exogenous lactate administration

Central glucose availability is a critical monitored variable in the regulation of reproductive neuroendocrine function. While current studies implicate the periventricular caudal brainstem as a source of signaling of decreased availability of catabolic intermediates and/or glycolytic end products, the mechanisms by which local metabolic ‘sensors’ signal diminished glucose utilization are not clear. The present experiments investigated whether fourth ventricular infusion of the aerobic catabolic substrate, lactate, attenuates glucoprivic suppression of luteinizing hormone (LH). Cyclic female rats were injected at 13.00h on proestrus with the glucose antimetabolite, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG; 50 vs. 150ug), or vehicle into the rostral fourth ventricle. Additional proestrus animals were treated by continuous fourth ventricular infusion of 10.0 µM lactate/hr or vehicle, initiated prior to ip injection of 400mg 2DG/kg bw or saline. Serial blood samples were obtained hourly during proestrus afternoon for radioimmunoassay of plasma LH. The results demonstrate a reduction in the LH surge following icv 2DG administration, while showing that fourth ventricular infusion of lactate reversed inhibition of hormone release by systemic antimetabolite administration. These findings support the view that hindbrain signaling of glucose metabolic dysfunction initiates neural mechanisms that inhibit the proestrus LH surge, and that lactate utilization may be monitored as an indicator of local cellular energy stasis.
THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF ACCIDENT PREVENTION ON POPULATION LONGEVITY

Accidents are the number one cause of death for Americans under the age of 35. Of the 145,000 deaths in this age group each year in this country, almost 37% are the result of an avoidable accident. The purpose of this inquiry was to analyze population longevity data relative to accident reduction in the light of competing risks. The cause-deleted life tables were developed utilizing the computer facilities at the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas. Calculations based upon public health data and cause deletion indicate increases in population life expectancy due to total reduction of accident deaths for age groups 0-35 of 1.01 years for males and 0.36 years for females.
From Dubious Construction of Objective Functions to the Application of Physical Programming

With the increasing availability of computational power, optimization is becoming a credible and viable option when designing complex multidisciplinary systems. Computational optimization generally involves three distinct phases: 1) model the physical system in terms of design parameters and design metrics, 2 ) form an aggregate objective function in terms of the design metrics, and 3 ) minimize the aggregate objective function using an optimization code. Robust analytical and computational tools are available to perform the e rst and third phases. The analytical tools available for constructing the objective function in phase two are remarkably simplistic and generally involve dife cult-to-obtain weights. Because the optimum solution is only as effective as the aggregate objective function, any dee ciency in the formation of the latter signie cantly impacts the ultimate outcome. The multiobjective design optimization process is examined from the perspective of constructing objective functions. We expose the shortcomings of weight-based methods using analytical and numerical means. Through analytical, graphical, and computational means, we show how the physical programming approach entirely circumvents the reliance on weight, thereby resulting in a new method of practical and general applicability.
Methodology and experimental research in software engineering

There has been a very rapid increase in the use of psychological experimentation as a method for addressing problems in the area of software engineering. However, there is a total lack of understanding on how to use this technique effectively so that the results of the experiment will have both validity and wide applicability. This paper describes what we feel is a major new research area which aims at formalizing the use of controlled group experimentation in programming language design and software engineering. The paper describes the growth of the problem, the critical need for this new research area and finally categorizes the problems that must be addressed as part of the research into these problems. An annotated bibliography contains literature references (through 1978) to the use of controlled group experimentation in software engineering and related areas of Computer Science.
Photoperiodic regulation of gametogenesis in a North Atlantic sea star, Asterias vulgaris

Summary Individuals of the sea star Asterias vulgaris from New Hampshire were maintained under two contrasting regimes of seasonally changing photoperiod. In one regime the lights turned on and off in phase with local sunrise and sunset; in the other, the daily photoperiod was kept 6 months out of phase with ambient photo- period. When dissected after being maintained for 18 months, the gametogenic condition of the out-of-phase animals was found to be 6 months out of phase with that of the in-phase animals. This experiment demonstrates that photoperiodic regulation of reproduction is important even in marine animals that normally experience marked seasonal changes in sea temperature.
Water-demand management: assessing impacts of climate and other changes on water usage in Central Arizona.

Planning for sustainable water management in the arid region of the southwestern USA is challenging mostly due to only partial understanding of factors converging around water supply and demand. Some of the factors that prompt concern about the adequacy of water resources are: (a) a growing urban population seeking a range of services, including the need to preserve and enhance aquatic ecosystems; (b) dwindling water storage due to multi-year drought conditions; and (c) the prospect of human-induced climate changes and its consequences in the hydrologic system of the region. This study analyzes the potential for water saving in the Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA) of Central Arizona, which includes the city of Phoenix, one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country. Based on an extensive literature review and secondary data analysis, this paper investigates multiple factors that place increasing strain on current water resources, and attempts to extend this analysis to 2025. Outdoor water use within the residential landscape is the most important factor that strains water resources in Phoenix AMA. Any gain in efficiency through agricultural water demand management would not only improve the availability of water for other uses in the AMA, but would facilitate adaptation of the agricultural system to climate and other ongoing changes.
Zero-index metamaterial for directive emission

We present an experimental demonstration of an optical metamaterial with a nearly isotropic low-index response, leading to angular selectivity of transmission and enhanced directive emission from quantum dots placed within the metamaterial.
Flow-induced charge accumulation in thin insulating tubes

The flow of semi-insulating liquids through insulating tubes can induce the accumulation of surface charge at the liquid-tube interface and generate electric fields intense enough to jeopardize the insulation. The space-time evolution of charge and fields is studied theoretically and experimentally for conditions typical of liquid-cooled power distribution equipment. With the experiment arranged so that charge generation is dominantly upstream of the insulating section, it is found that the absolute prediction of the space-time evolution of the electric field in the region surrounding the tube (and the field in the wall of the tube where damage is done) correlates with field transients measured at two locations outside the tube. >
The emergence of sustainable industries: building on natural capital

This paper focuses on the emergence and growth of sustainable industries, specifically analyzing the rise of the wind energy industry in California. Based on a favorable institutional environment and the presence of abundant natural capital, the wind energy industry took root and flourished in California during the last two decades. This paper analyzes this phenomenon by exploring the determinants of where and when wind energy projects would be established. Findings suggest that in locations where natural, social, and economic influences converged, greater wind energy activity followed. The paper advances a simple framework that uses natural capital, site specificity, and institutional environments to predict which sustainable industries will enjoy growth in coming decades. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Under Cover Skin Cancer Prevention Project. A community-based program in four Texas cities.

Background. Although behavioral research has contributed much to our understanding of tobacco use and the development and evaluation of theory-based prevention strategies, the increasing incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer continues to receive far less, but deserving, attention. Methods. The Under Cover Skin Cancer Prevention Project represents a unique community awareness and education program that utilizes media partners in four Texas cities to disseminate ultraviolet (UV) radiation readings four times daily, along with education and behavioral change messages. Designed to change knowledge and attitudes about ultraviolet radiation exposure while promoting risk-reduction strategies, the program includes UV solar meters linked via telephone modem to provide continuous monitoring of UV exposure. Results. Telephone survey results conducted during the summers of 1992 and 1993 (n = 1200 and 400, respectively) are part of a trend analysis study designed to access knowledge, attitude, and belief variables. Findings reveal that the general public, while knowledgeable of the sun's dangers, are less likely to practice prevention because of peer pressure and social norms favoring a tanned, «healthy» look. Trend data indicates that the media partner concept is an effective means for creating community awareness. Conclusions. Community-based programs utilizing media partners along with interventions that address issues of social norms and peer pressure appear to be effective strategies for increasing skin cancer prevention strategies among the general population. Long term, theory-based intervention strategies designed to test this media-based approach with a case-control, longitudinal design are needed
America's Youth and Community Engagement How Use of Mass Media Is Related to Civic Activity and Political Awareness in 14- to 22-Year-Olds

This research examines the role of the mass media in young people's disengagement from politics. In a nationally representative telephone survey (N = 1,501), young people (ages 14 to 22) reported their habits for 12 different uses of mass media as well as awareness of current national politics and time spent in civic activities. Following Putnam's hypothesis about the beneficial effects of civic ties on political involvement, the authors predict and find that civic activity is positively associated with political awareness. Contrary to Putnam, they find that media use, whether information or entertainment oriented, facilitates civic engagement, whereas news media are especially effective in promoting political awareness. Although heavy use of media interferes with both political and civic engagement, the overall effect of media use is favorable for each outcome. The results are discussed in regard to the potentially greater use of the media to build community engagement in young people.
A material history of bits

In both the popular press and scholarly research, digital information is persistently discussed in terms that imply its immateriality. In this characterization, the digital derives its power from its nature as a mere collection of 0s and 1s wholly independent from the particular media on which it is stored—hard drive, network wires, optical disk, etc.—and the particular signal carrier which encodes bits—variations of magnetic field, voltages, or pulses of light. This purported immateriality endows bits with considerable advantages: they are immune from the economics and logistics of analog media, and from the corruption, degradation, and decay that necessarily result from the handling of material carriers of information, resulting in a worldwide shift “from atom to bits” as captured by Negroponte. This is problematic: however immaterial it might appear, information cannot exist outside of given instantiations in material forms. But what might it mean to talk of bits as material objects? In this paper I argue that bits cannot escape the material constraints of the physical devices that manipulate, store, and exchange them. Such an analysis reveals a surprising picture of computing as a material process through and through. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Automatic speech recognition based on weighted minimum classification error (W-MCE) training method

The Bayes decision theory is the foundation of the classical statistical pattern recognition approach. For most of pattern recognition problems, the Bayes decision theory is employed assuming that the system performance metric is defined as the simple error counting, which assigns identical cost to each recognition error. However, this prevalent performance metric is not desirable in many practical applications. For example, the cost of "recognition" error is required to be differentiated in keyword spotting systems. In this paper, we propose an extended framework for the speech recognition problem with non-uniform classification/recognition error cost. As the system performance metric, the recognition error is weighted based on the task objective. The Bayes decision theory is employed according to this performance metric and the decision rule with a non-uniform error cost function is derived. We argue that the minimum classification error (MCE) method, after appropriate generalization, is the most suitable training algorithm for the "optimal" classifier design to minimize the weighted error rate. We formulate the weighted MCE (W-MCE) algorithm based on the conventional MCE infrastructure by integrating the error cost and the recognition error count into one objective function. In the context of automatic speech recognition (ASR), we present a variety of training scenarios and weighting strategies under this extended framework. The experimental demonstration for large vocabulary continuous speech recognition is provided to support the effectiveness of our approach.
The ROP2 GTPase Controls the Formation of Cortical Fine F-Actin and the Early Phase of Directional Cell Expansion during Arabidopsis Organogenesis

Polar cell expansion in differentiating tissues is critical for the development and morphogenesis of plant organs and is modulated by hormonal and developmental signals, yet little is known about signaling in this fundamental process in plants. In contrast to tip-growing cells, such as pollen tubes and root hairs, cells in developing tissues are thought to expand by diffuse growth. In this study, we provide evidence that these cells expand in two phases with distinct mechanisms. In the early phase, cell expansion can occur in both longitudinal and radial or lateral directions and is mediated by Rop GTPase signaling, a mechanism known to control tip growth. The expression of a dominant-negative mutant for ROP2 (DN-rop2) inhibited polar cell expansion, whereas the expression of a constitutively active mutant (CA-rop2) caused isotropic expansion in the early phase. In the late phase, expansion occurs only in the longitudinal direction and is not affected by DN-rop2 or CA-rop2 expression. The transition from the early to the late phase coincides with the reorientation of cortical microtubules from random to transverse arrangements. Thus, cell expansion in the late phase is consistent with polar diffuse growth, in which polarity probably is defined by transverse cortical microtubules. We show that the direction of cell expansion in the early phase is associated with the localization of diffuse fine cortical F-actin in leaf epidermal cells. DN-rop2 expression specifically inhibited the formation of this F-actin, but not actin cables, whereas CA-rop2 expression caused delocalized distribution of this fine F-actin throughout the cell cortex. Furthermore, green fluorescent protein–ROP2 was localized preferentially to the cortical region of the cell, where expansion apparently occurs. These observations suggest that ROP2 control of the polar expansion of cells within tissues is analogous to the Rop control of tip growth and of tip-localized F-actin in pollen tubes and root hairs and that the tip growth mechanism also may modulate polar cell expansion in differentiating tissues.
A scalable locality-aware adaptive work-stealing scheduler for multi-core task parallelism

Recent trend has made it clear that the processor makers are committed to the multi-core chip designs. The number of cores per chip is increasing, while there is little or no increase in the clock speed. This parallelism trend poses a significant and urgent challenge on computer software because programs have to be written or transformed into a multi-threaded form to take full advantage of future hardware advances. Task parallelism has been identified as one of the prerequisites for software productivity. In task parallelism, programmers focus on decomposing the problem into sub-computations that can run in parallel and leave the compiler and runtime to handle the scheduling details. This separation of concerns between task decomposition and scheduling provides productivity to the programmer but poses challenges to the runtime scheduler. Our thesis is that work-stealing schedulers with adaptive scheduling policies and locality-awareness can provide a scalable and robust runtime foundation for multi-core task parallelism. We evaluate our thesis using the new Scalable Locality-aware Adaptive Work-stealing (SLAW) runtime scheduler developed for the Habanero-Java programming language, a task-parallel variant of Java. SLAW's adaptive task scheduling is motivated by the study of two common scheduling policies in a work-stealing scheduler, specifically, the work-first and the help-first policy. Both policies exhibit limitations in performance and resource usage in different situations. The variances make it hard to determine the best policy a priori. SLAW addresses these limitations by supporting both policies simultaneously and selecting policies adaptively on a per-task basis at runtime. Our results show that SLAW achieves 0.98× to 9.2× speedup over the help-first scheduler and 0.97× to 4.5× speedup over the work-first scheduler. Further, for large irregular parallel computations, SLAW supports data sizes and achieves performance that cannot be delivered by the use of any single fixed policy. SLAW's locality-aware scheduling framework aims to overcome the cache unfriendliness of work-stealing due to randomized stealing. The SLAW scheduler is designed for programming models where locality hints are provided to the runtime by the programmer or compiler. Our results show that locality-aware scheduling can improve performance by increasing temporal data reuse for iterative data-parallel applications.