cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intracellular recordings from thermosensitive preoptic neurons

Intracellular recordings were made from locally thermosensitive preoptic neurons in the green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus. Stable resting potentials, action potentials, and spontaneous synaptic activity were observed over approximately 4 degrees to 5 degrees C changes in local brain temperature. A small percentage of the warm-sensitive neurons showed exponential firing-rate responses to temperature. These cells discharged rhythmically, lacked visible synaptic input, and showed slowly depolarizing potentials leading to action potentials. Other linear and nonlinear warm-sensitive and cold-sensitive neurons showed spontaneous excitatory and inhibitory synaptic potentials giving rise to action potentials. Cells that appear to be endogenously active may be true thermodetectors, and other thermosensitive neuronal activity may be synaptically mediated.
Planning and Presenting Career Development Seminars

An overview of the seminar planning process that includes needs assessment, program planning, implementation and evaluation has been presented. In addition, necessary platform skills have been identified to help staff members move from the role of planner to that of presentor. With training, either in counselor education programs or as a part of staff development, career counselors can provide a higher quality service to a larger number of students by learning more about the science and art of seminar planning and presentation.
Inhibition of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis with embelin differentially affects male versus female behavioral outcome following neonatal hypoxia-ischemia in rats.

Hypoxia-ischemia (HI; concurrent oxygen/blood deficiency) and associated encephalopathy represent a common cause of neurological injury in premature/low-birth-weight infants and term infants with birt
The hepatocellular thyroid status of uremic rats estimated from the abundances of thyroid hormone-dependent nucleoplasmic proteins.

Although the serum thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations of uremic rats are commensurate with moderate hypothyroidism, their thyroid status at the tissue level remains controversial. To help establish the hepatocellular thyroid status of uremic rats, a novel tissue marker (nuclear protein abundances) was evaluated in uremic rats (U), hypothyroid rats (H), and hypothyroid uremic rats (HU). Uremia was established by five-sixths nephrectomy. Moderate hypothyroidism was established by partial thyroidectomy or by provision of drinking water supplemented with propylthiouracil and T4. Normal rats (N) and pair-fed, sham-operated rats (1 to 3 weeks after surgery) served as controls. Animals were killed 1 to 5 weeks postoperatively. The following values were obtained 5 weeks after surgery, at which time the total and free serum T4 and T3 levels of the hypothyroid rats (H) were equivalent to those of the uremic rats (U). Total T4 (μg/dL ± 1 SD): N, 5.4 ± 1.7; H, 2.2 ± 0.5; U, 1.9 ± 1.5; HU, 0.5 ± 0.0. Free T4 (ng/dL ± 1 SD): N, 535 ± 165; H, 126 ± 37; U, 135 ± 89; HU, 26 ± 1. Total T3 (ng/dL ± 1 SD): N, 63 ± 20; H, 39 ± 14; U, 38 ± 18; HU, 13 ± 4. Free T3 (ng/dL ± 1 SD): N, 7.83 ± 3.00; H, 3.87 ± 1.05; U, 3.47 ± 1.73; HU, 0.94 ± 0.47. Hepatocellular thyroid status was estimated from the relative abundances of two nucleoplasmic proteins on polyacrylamide gel electrophoregrams. As previously reported, an increase in the abundance of one protein (“t”, molecular weight [MW] ∼ 70,000) in conjuction with a reduction of a second protein (“n”, MW ∼ 125,000) is highly specific for hypothyroidism. The tn ratios determined by gel densitometry 5 weeks postoperatively were: N, 0.64 ± 0.12; H, 1.82 ± 0.48; U, 0.81 ± 0.21; HU, 1.91 ± 0.54. The tn ratios of the hypothyroid animals (H and HU) were significantly greater than groups N and U by Scheffe's test (P ≤ .05). The tn ratio of group U was essentially normal. The finding of an elevated tn ratio in the hypothyroid uremic animals (HU) indicates that the uremic state itself would not mask the expression of an elevated tn ratio in the uremic rats (U) were the latter group hypothyroid. On the basis of this tissue marker, hepatocytes in uremia appear to be functionally “euthyroid.” Thus, the depressed serum total and free thyroid hormone concentrations in uremic rats do not uniformly reflect thyroid status at the tissue level.
INTERPRETING THE SOCIOLOGICAL CLASSICS: CAN THERE BE A “TRUE” MEANING OF MEAD?

Many sociologists have tried in vain to find the “true” meaning of the classic works in the discipline. An interactionist perspective suggests that this search is not a valid one for sociologists, especially symbolic interactionists. Although there can be no “true” meaning, some authors use conventions of writing that make their work more or less clear. Using Mead‘s Mind, Se/f and Society as an example, we discuss the dimensions of clarity. We then argue that the sociological classics should be read to (I) simulate new theories and research (pragmatic analysis), (2) determine how sociologists have used that classic to support or refute particular theories or perspectives (rhetorical analysis), and (3) provide information about the sociological concerns of the author and his/ her contemporaries (historical analysis).
Starch gel electrophoresis of wheat gluten proteins with concentrated urea.

Abstract Starch gel electrophoresis using aluminum lactate buffer (pH 3.1) containing 3 M urea demonstrated nine components in wheat gluten; four were not previously detected by the Tiselius method. One of the components appears to be high molecular weight and unable to migrate in starch gels. Gliadin was shown to be composed of eight components, whereas glutenin appeared to be identical with the high molecular weight α1 component of whole gluten. Electrophoresis of wheat gluten in Veronal (pH 7.9) and sodium glycinate (pH 9.7) buffers containing 3 M urea failed to resolve gluten into distinct components. When examined in aluminum lactate buffer containing 3 M urea, the water-soluble protein fraction isolated from a gluten preparation was composed of at least nine electrophoretic components.
Development and evaluation of a core subset of the USDA rice germplasm collection

A valuable core collection that is a subset of a whole germplasm collection should capture most of the variation present in the whole collection, while allowing for more efficient evaluation and management due to smaller size. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) rice (Oryza sativa L.) core subset (RCS), assembled by stratified random sampling, consists of 1790 entries from 114 countries and represents approximately 10% of the 18412 accessions in the rice whole collection (RWC). Data for this study were obtained from the USDA germplasm system at www.ars-grin.gov for the RWC and from an evaluation conducted in 2002 for the RCS. Comparative analysis for frequency distributions of 14 descriptors demonstrated that the RCS was highly correlated with the RWC (r = 0.94, P 0.9, indicating that the RCS was highly representative of the RWC. Correlation coefficients for the other six descriptors were lower (0.65-0.88), but still significant.
Identification of a Retinoid/Chicken Ovalbumin Upstream Promoter Transcription Factor Response Element in the Human Retinoid X Receptor γ2 Gene Promoter *

To investigate the mechanisms involved in the transcriptional control of retinoid X receptor (RXR) gene expression, the 5′-flanking region of the human RXRγ2 isoform was characterized. An imperfect hexamer repeat (γ retinoid X response element; γRXRE) with a single nucleotide spacer (GGTTGAaAGGTCA) was identified immediately upstream of the RXRγ2 gene transcription start site. Cotransfection studies in CV-1 cells with expression vectors for the retinoid receptors RXRα and retinoic acid receptor β (RARβ) demonstrated that the γRXRE confers retinoid-mediated transcriptional activation with preferential activation by RXR in the presence of its cognate ligand, 9-cis-retinoic acid (RA). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that RXR homodimer binding to γRXRE is markedly enhanced by 9-cis-RA, whereas RAR·;RXR heterodimer binding is ligand-independent. DNA binding studies and cell cotransfection experiments also demonstrated that the nuclear receptor, chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor (COUP-TF), repressed transcription via the γRXRE. Cotransfection experiments revealed that COUP-TF and RXRα compete at the γRXRE to modulate transcription bidirectionally over a wide range. These results demonstrate that the human RXRγ2 gene promoter contains a novel imperfect repeat element capable of mediating RXR-dependent transcriptional autoactivation and COUP-TF-dependent repression.
MEDIATOR INSIGHT: DISPUTANTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THIRD PARTIES' KNOWLEDGE AND ITS EFFECT ON MEDIATED NEGOTIATION

This study examined the influence of mediator insight on disputants' perceptions and behaviors in negotiation. Participants played the role of student employee representatives and bargained with student management representatives over a number of issues. During the course of the negotiation, a mediator made recommendations as to how the conflict should be resolved. The experiment varied (1) the amount of information disputants believed mediators possessed about their interests and needs and (2) mediator recommendations (e.g., integrative, compromise, non/ integrative). The results indicated that perceived insight (i.e., the level of information about the conflict) had strong effects on disputants' perceptions of mediator credibility. Perceptions of mediator credibility, in turn, were found to influence disputants' general perceptions of the mediator (e.g., acceptability, confidence, satisfaction) and perceptions of the mediator's recommendations.
Handedness patterns in autism suggest subtypes.

The present study reports preliminary data from two unselected samples of carefully diagnosed autistic subjects (children and adults) and an assessment procedure that includes a large sample of items, appropriate for lower-functioning autistic subjects, with multiple presentations within and between sessions 1 week apart. The study seeks to determine (1) whether a raised incidence of non-right-handedness exists in these samples (2) if so, what constructs best represent this shift in the handedness distribution (i.e., phenotype and CNS substrate) and (3) whether these handedness phenotypes are associated with different levels of cognitive functioning. The results reveal a dramatic shift away from right-handedness in both autistic samples, due to a raised incidence of two phenotypes, manifest left-handedness and ambiguous handedness. The ambiguously handed, who were postulated to represent substantial bilateral CNS pathology due to early brain injury, were found to have much lower intellectual scores in one of the study samples.
ON THE ROBUST GLOBAL STABILIZATION OF nth-ORDER REACTIONS

In this paper, we employ a nonlinear adaptive mechanism to globally stabilize nth-order reactions.
Markovian and non-Markovian effects in heavy-ion reactions at 10 --200 MeV per nucleon

We have derived simplified formulas for the transition probability from an entrance channel vertical-bari> to an exit channel vertical-bar f> that corresponds to a heavy-ion reaction. It is shown that a rearrangement of the perturbation series leads to an expansion of the cross section in terms of the ratio y between the duration of a nucleon-nucleon collision and the elapsed time between two successive interactions. The cross section splits into two contributions, the Markovian part independent of y, and the non-Markovian one containing explicit y dependence. Such a decomposition allows us to demonstrate that a transition from the Markovian to the non-Markovian behavior is to be expected around 20 MeV per particle in the initial channel. This transition manifests itself in a change in the slope of the width of the mass distribution as a function of the incident energy. This fact seems to be in agreement with existing data.
Total shoulder replacement surgery with custom glenoid implants for severe bone deficiency

Background Treatment of patients with shoulder arthritis and severe glenoid bone loss is controversial. Medial and posterior bone loss limits the size of the glenoid vault, which is the structural support of all current glenoid designs. This study presents short-term outcomes of a treatment using inset glenoid implants during shoulder replacement surgery in deficient glenoid bone. Methods This study presents short-term outcomes of total shoulder replacement surgery using custom inset glenoid implants in deficient glenoid bone. Seven consecutive patients (3 men, 4 women; mean age 70 years) treated with inset glenoid implants for severe bone deficiency were retrospectively evaluated at a minimum 3-year follow-up. Severely deficient bone was defined by a neutral glenoid vault depth of less than 15 mm. No bone grafts were used. All patients were evaluated before and after surgery with physical examination, radiographic studies, and outcome measures. All patients had a diagnosis of osteoarthritis. No patients had rotator cuff tears or a history of instability. Results No surgical complications occurred. At an average of 4.3 years, the mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon score improved 68 points. There were statistically significant improvements in range of motion (forward flexion 33°, external rotation 34°, internal rotation 6 spinal levels) and in pain (6.9 to 0.1). Independent radiographic analysis determined all implants were classified as "low risk" for glenoid loosening. Discussion The treatment of shoulder arthritis with severe glenoid bone loss is controversial and the results are mixed. Current treatments consist of hemiarthroplasty with or without glenoid reaming, total shoulder replacement without version correction, and total shoulder replacement with bulk bone grafting and version correction. The surgical technique and clinical results described in this case series demonstrate a novel approach of inset glenoid fixation for severely deficient bone. Conclusions This study documents for the first time the possibility of safely and effectively using inset glenoid implants to reconstruct deficient bone for which standard implants are contraindicated.
Residential Treatment for Women: Behavioral and Psychological Outcomes

SUMMARY. Treatment outcomes are reported for a therapeutic community for women which provided substance abuse treatment. The 83 residents had a mean age of 28.3 years. Overall, the women had long histories of substance abuse and criminal activity, and high levels of psychological disturbance. Their main drug of choice was cocaine and crack. Differences between women with and without children during treatment were examined. Women without their children were older, more often white, had more severe drug and crime histories, showed more signs of psychological disturbance, and were more likely to use sedative type drugs. Major 6 and 12 month post treatment improvements included increases in employment and decreases in criminality, substance abuse, and psychological -disturbance. Women who remained over 3 months in treatment were significantly more likely to be employed and less likely to commit crimes or use drugs at 6 and 12 months post treatment. Remaining in treatment was also related to decreases in psychopathology.
Serotonergic agonists inhibit calcium-activated potassium and voltage-dependent sodium currents in rat taste receptor cells.

Recently we reported that rat taste receptor cells respond to the neurotransmitter serotonin with an inhibition of a calcium-activated potassium current [17]. In the present study, this observation is confirmed and extended by studying the effects of an array of serotonergic agonists on membrane properties, calcium-activated potassium current, and voltage-dependent sodium current in taste receptor cells using the patch-clamp recording technique in the whole-cell configuration. Serotonergic inhibition of calcium-activated potassium current was mimicked by the agonists N-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)piperazine and by (±)-2-dipropylamino-8-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene. Both produced reversible inhibition of K Ca as well as significantly increasing the input resistance of the cell. The agonists 1-(1-naphthyl)piperazine and buspirone (both serotonin receptor 1A agonists) were similarly effective in reducing K Ca . Outward current was unaffected by application of phenylbiguanide, a serotonin receptor 3 agonist, though current was affected by subsequent application of (±)-2-dipropylamino-8-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene. Two agonists—N-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)piperazine and (±)-2-dipropylamino-8-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene—were also tested on voltage-dependent sodium currents; both were effective and reversible in reducing its magnitude at a variety of applied potentials. These data are consistent with the notion that serotonin effects in rat taste receptor cells are mediated by serotonin 1A receptors, though other receptor subtypes may be additionally expressed. Serotonin may affect the taste cell electrical properties during active stimulation in a paracrine fashion.
Radiologic Image Registration

This issue of Academic Radiology contains three articles about different aspects of image registration, ranging from the development of methodology to the assessment of clinical utility. Li et al (1) present a method for establishing a normative atlas of the human lung with computed tomographic (CT) images from multiple subjects. Their research demonstrates that this intersubject registration technique can be used to reduce substantially the average landmark registration error and average relative volume overlap error. Dougherty et al (2) describe another procedure for registering lung volumes from serial CT examinations of a single subject and show that this method can effectively correct for misalignment between scans and thus facilitate clinical interpretation of serial CT scans of the lungs. Schellingerhout et al (3) report the use of a commercial software prototype to register initial and follow-up head CT image sets. They present the results of their quantitative measurement of improvements in clinical practice resulting from this computer-based method of image registration. These three articles provide evidence that research on image registration is no longer limited to the development of methods and techniques and that the use of new tools for digital image registration is becoming routine in radiology clinics and research laboratories. FROM MENTAL REGISTRATION TO ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION
Particle swarm optimization of neural network CAD systems with clinically relevant objectives

Neural networks (NN) are typically developed to minimize the squared difference between the network's output and the target value for a set of training patterns; namely the mean squared error (MSE). However, lower MSE does not necessarily translate into a clinically more useful decision model. The purpose of this study was to investigate the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm as an alternative way of NN optimization with clinically relevant objective functions (e.g., ROC and partial ROC area indices). The PSO algorithm was evaluated with respect to a NN-based CAD system developed to discriminate mammographic regions of interest (ROIs) that contained masses from normal regions based on 8 computer-extracted morphology-oriented features. Neural networks were represented as points (particle locations) in a D-dimensional search/optimization space where each dimension corresponded to one adaptable NN parameter. The study database of 1,337 ROIs (681 with masses, 656 normal) was split into two subsets to implement two-fold cross-validation sampling scheme. Neural networks were optimized with the PSO algorithm and the following objective functions (1) MSE, (2) ROC area index AUC, and (3) partial ROC area indices TPFAUC with TPF=0.90 and TPF=0.98. For comparison, performance of neural networks of the same architecture trained with the traditional backpropagation algorithm was also evaluated. Overall, the study showed that when the PSO algorithm optimized network parameters using a particular training objective, the NN test performance was superior with respect to the corresponding performance index. This was particularly true for the partial ROC area indices where statistically significant improvements were observed.
Multi-agent Based Architecture for Acknowledged System of Systems☆

Abstract Negotiation and collaboration issues in large organizations, with centralized control, across the globe, are becoming more complex with each passing day. The Acknowledged System of Systems (SoS) is a new approach that addresses some of these issues in a systematic, efficient manner. This paper proposes a hierarchical architectural framework to support Acknowledged SoS architecting and analysis for a Department of Defense (DoD) Acquisition process. A major challenge of the successful planning and evolution of an Acknowledged SoS is the lack of understanding of the impact of presence or absence of a system and its interface with another constituent system on the overall architecture. The agent based model (ABM) structure developed here provides Acknowledged SoS manager that has both ability to address the managerial issues as well as a decision making tool for SoS architecting. This paper offers a complete integration of the techniques used to represent SoS architectures. The work illustrates the modeling approach through a domain setting.
A numerical study of the sedimentation of fibre suspensions

The sedimentation of fibre suspensions at low Reynolds number is studied using two different, but complementary, numerical simulation methods: (1) Monte Carlo simulations, which consider interparticle hydrodynamic interactions at all orders within the slender-body theory approximation (Mackaplow & Shaqfeh 1996), and (ii) dynamic simulations, which consider point–particle interactions and are accurate for suspension concentrations of nl3=1, where n and l are the number density and characteristic half-length of the fibres, respectively. For homogeneous, isotropic suspensions, the Monte Carlo simulations show that the hindrance of the mean sedimentation speed is linear in particle concentration up to at least nl3=7. The speed is well predicted by a new dilute theory that includes the effect of two-body interactions. Our dynamic simulations of dilute suspensions, however, show that interfibre hydrodynamic interactions cause the spatial and orientational distributions to become inhomogeneous and anisotropic. Most of the fibres migrate into narrow streamers aligned in the direction of gravity. This drives a downward convective flow within the streamers which serves to increase the mean fibre sedimentation speed. A steady-state orientation distribution develops which strongly favours fibre alignment with gravity. Although the distribution reaches a steady state, individual fibres continue to rotate in a manner that can be qualitatively described as a flipping between the two orientations aligned with gravity. The simulation results are in good agreement with published experimental data.
Sex differences in superego mode as related to sex differences in psychiatric illness

Abstract This paper reviews a network of evidence which suggests that men and women differ in their prevailing mode of superego functions, and that this difference in superego mode may be one determinant of sex differences in “choice” of psychiatric illness. There is evidence for a connection between patients' perceptual style and their proneness to shame or guilt. There is a well-established connection between sex and perceptual style; from adolescence onward, women are more field-dependent than men [l, 2]. There is also a connection between field dependence-independence and “choice” of psychiatric symptoms [3]. Sex differences in proneness to psychiatric illness may be mediated in part by a sex difference in mode of superego functioning.
Burnout and Turnover Intention Among Social Workers: Effects of Role Stress, Job Autonomy and Social Support

ABSTRACT This study examines the main and interactive effects of role stress, job autonomy, and social support in predicting burnout and turnover intention among social workers. This study included a subsample of 346 social workers identified from a cross-sectional random survey of 1,500 California state-registered social workers. Adjusted for age, gender, organizational tenure, and annual salary, structural equation analyses revealed that role stress had a positive direct effect on burnout. The variables of social support and job autonomy had a negative direct effect on turnover intention, but not on burnout. Results showed that job autonomy interacted with role stress in predicting burnout, while social support interacted with role stress in predicting turnover intention. Study results suggest that creating decentralized job conditions is essential for preventing burnout, and that building supportive job conditions is needed to retain social workers who are experiencing high role stress.
Two Models of the Criminal Justice System: An Organizational Perspective

This chapter outlines two models of, or approaches to, organizational analysis and then uses them to characterize and evaluate much of the recent systematic research on the administration of criminal justice. They are the rational-goal model and the functional-systems model. It is assumed a priori that some means have to be devoted to such non-goal functions as service and custodial activities, including means employed for the maintenance of the unit itself. From the viewpoint of the system model, such activities are functional and increase the organizational effectiveness. Finally, some of the concerns raised by the theories of large-scale organizations generally, but which have been over-looked by students of the administration of justice, is examined. Herbert Packer suggests that among academic lawyers, the former tends to be regarded as the "goals" of the system. Likewise John Rawls has made a similar point.
The sensitivity of extended linear expenditure system household scales to income declaration errors

Abstract Extended Linear Expenditure System (ELES) household scales use the income variable of the household in identifying a system of Engel curves. Income data in household surveys may contain declaration errors which result in the errors-in-variables problem. A composite error distribution which incorporates both measurement and declaration errors into the model is proposed and the ELES scales are re-estimated. They are found to be sensitive to income declaration errors and biased measures of household welfare.
Fluctuations in productivity growth rates and input utilization in U.S. manufacturing

Recent work suggests that the utilization rate of inputs (that is, the intensity with which inputs are used) varies over time and partly explains procyclical productivity. To confirm this, the panel data of the “NBER Manufacturing Productivity Database” (450 4-digit industries from 1958 to 1991) [Bartelsman and Gray, 1994] were analyzed to determine the year-by-year fluctuations in total factor productivity growth rates and the utilization rates of nonmaterial inputs. The utilization rate was found to be procyclical. When the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate is 1 percentage point above normal, the utilization rate increases 2.5 percent. After this correction, productivity growth rates are still found to be procyclical, though its correlation with GDP growth is half that of the uncorrected Solow residual. That is, demand shocks can explain half of the procyclicality of productivity growth rates, but real business cycles still cannot be ruled out. Lastly, the results are compared with the Federal Reserve's capacity utilization statistics. It is shown that the latter actually measures a combination of capacity utilization and productivity shifts and, hence, overstates changes in capacity utilization.
The Reliability of Teledermatology to Triage Inpatient Dermatology Consultations

Importance Many hospitals do not have inpatient dermatologic consultative services, and most have reduced availability of services during off-hours. Dermatologists based in outpatient settings can find it challenging to determine the urgency with which they need to evaluate inpatients when consultations are requested. Teledermatology may provide a valuable mechanism for dermatologists to triage inpatient consultations and increase efficiency, thereby expanding access to specialized care for hospitalized patients. Objective To evaluate whether a store-and-forward teledermatology system is reliable for the initial triage of inpatient dermatology consultations. Design, Setting, and Participants Prospective study of 50 consenting adult patients, hospitalized for any indication, for whom an inpatient dermatology consultation was requested between September 1, 2012, and April 31, 2013, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, an academic medical center. The participants were evaluated separately by both an in-person dermatologist and 2 independent teledermatologists. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary study outcomes were the initial triage and decision to biopsy concordance between in-person and teledermatology evaluations. Results Triage decisions were as follows: if the in-person dermatologist recommended the patient be seen the same day, the teledermatologist agreed in 90% of the consultations. If the in-person dermatologist recommended a biopsy, the teledermatologist agreed in 95% of cases on average. When the teledermatologist did not choose the same course of action, there was substantial diagnostic agreement between the teledermatologist and the in-person dermatologist. The Kendall τ rank correlation coefficients for initial triage concordance between the in-person dermatologist and teledermatologists were 0.41 and 0.48. The Cohen κ coefficients for decision to biopsy concordance were 0.35 and 0.61. The teledermatologists were able to triage 60% of consultations to be seen the next day or later. The teledermatologists were able to triage, on average, 10% of patients to be seen as outpatients after discharge. Conclusions and Relevance Teledermatology is reliable for the triage of inpatient dermatology consultations and has the potential to improve efficiency.
On estimation of a density and its derivatives

Letf n (p) be a recursive kernel estimate off (p) thepth order derivative of the probability density functionf, based on a random sample of sizen. In this paper, we provide bounds for the moments of $$\left\| {f_n^{(p)} - f^{(p)} } \right\|_{L_2 } = \left[ {\smallint [f_n^{(p)} (x) - f^{(p)} (x)]^2 dx} \right]^{{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 2}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 2}} $$ and show that the rate of almost sure convergence of $$\left\| {f_n^{(p)} - f^{(p)} } \right\|_{L_2 } $$ to zero isO(n −α), α<(r−p)/(2r+1), iff (r),r>p≧0, is a continuousL 2(−∞, ∞) function. Similar rate-factor is also obtained for the almost sure convergence of $$\left\| {f_n^{(p)} - f^{(p)} } \right\|_\infty = \mathop {\sup }\limits_x \left| {f_n^{(p)} (x) - f^{(p)} (x)} \right|$$ to zero under different conditions onf.
Effects of Oxygen Saturation and Pco2 on Brain Uptake of Glucose Analogues in Rabbits

The effect of oxygen saturation and PCO2 on brain uptake of glucose analogues was studied in rabbits. Using a modified Oldendorf technique, 14C-labeled glucose analogues with a 3H2O reference standard were introduced into the cerebral circulation via the common carotid artery, and the radioactivity of the ipsilateral cerebral cortex was counted and expressed in terms of a brain uptake index (BUI). Severe hypoxia (oxygen saturation less than or equal to 18%) resulted in approximately a 40% decrease in the BUI of 2-deoxy-D-glucose and a 45% decrease in the BUI of 3-0-methyl-D-glucose. Severe hypercapnia (PCO2 = 100 mm Hg) caused a 45% decrease in the BUI of both of these glucose analogues. Hypercapnia superimposed on severe hypoxia had no additional effect. Hypocapnia (PCO2 = 15 mm Hg) increased the BUI of 3-0-methyl-D-glucose by 35% of the control value, and this increase was extremely sensitive to competitive inhibition. When BUI values were plotted against pH rather than PCO2 for the same experiments, there was a good correlation with the calculated linear regression. These results are compared with previous findings on pathologically induced changes in brain uptake of glucose analogues, and the possible role of blood flow is considered in detail.
Mammary Gland Development in Early Pubertal Female Macaques

Ductal morphogenesis of the mammary gland occurs largely in the early pubertal period under the influence of ovarian sex hormones. In this study we characterized developing ductal structures in breast tissue of 14 female prepubertal or early pubertal rhesus monkeys (average age, 2.6 ± 0.1 years). Serum estradiol concentrations ranged from < 5.0 to 61.2 pg/ml, while progesterone concentrations were low in all animals (< 0.6 ng/ml). No corpora lutea were seen on ovarian histology. The most immature mammary glands contained multilayered ducts frequently ending in distinctive terminal end bud structures. Transitional ducts had variably stratified columnar epithelium, often with prominent rounded myoepithelial cells and loose periductal stroma. Mature ducts had simple cuboidal luminal epithelium, flattened myoepithelium, and associated lobular development, typical of the premenopausal breast. Expression of estrogen receptor alpha was significantly higher in immature ducts compared to mature ducts, while proges...
Management of asymptomatic term neonates whose mothers received intrapartum antibiotics--Part 1: Rationale for intrapartum antibiotic therapy.

The evaluation of the potentially septic newborn is often a source of frustration for practitioners. In the past, it has often been standard practice to evaluate and treat empirically all neonates whose mothers received antibiotics during labor, regardless of whether the infant had any signs or symptoms suggestive of infection. With the advent of recommendations for intrapartum antibiotic therapy to prevent early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal infections, this strategy is no longer practicable because too many infants would thus be evaluated and treated needlessly. This two-part review addresses the issues involved in managing asyrnptomatic newborns whose mothers received intrapartum antibiotics. This first part reviews the rationale behind strategies for preventing intrapartum transmission of bacterial infection. The administration of intravenous antibiotics to laboring mothers appears to reduce the incidence of group B streptococcal infections in neonates. Additionally, intrapartum antibiotic ther...
The Medical Home Index: development and validation of a new practice-level measure of implementation of the Medical Home model.

Objective.—The Medical Home is a clinical practice concept that sets new standards for pediatric primary care. This study describes the development and validation of a tool to measure the Medical Home. Methodology.—The Medical Home Index (MHI) consists of 25 themes arranged among 6 domains of primary care office activity. A national panel of experts on the Medical Home reviewed a prototype of the instrument. Pediatric primary care offices completed the MHI and participated in 90-minute on-site interviews with two of the authors (J.W.M., K.S.). The study examined interrater reliability between the 2 project staff and between the practices and project staff and the internal consistency of MHI domains and themes. Results.—On a 100-point scale, 43 practices demonstrated a range of MHI summary scores from 18.9 to 75.4, with a mean of 43.9. Kappa coefficients of interrater reliability between two Center for Medical Home Improvement project staff were above .50 for all 25 themes. Kappa scores comparing each staff member and the practice sites' self-assessment found 80% of the themes at .65 or better for one interviewer (J.W.M.) and 60% of the themes at .65 or better for the second interviewer (K.S.). Intraclass correlation coefficients between the summary scores of the interviewers were .98 and between the scores of the two interviewers and the scores of the practices was .97. The internal consistency reliability standardized alpha coefficients across the 6 domains of the MHI ranged from .81 to .91, and the overall standardized alpha coefficient was .96. Conclusions.—In the sample of practices studied, the MHI was an internally consistent instrument with acceptable reliability and validity for pediatric primary care practices to assess their implementation of the Medical Home concept. Further work is needed to study its correlation with other process and outcome measures and its performance in a wider range of practices.
ZnO and MgZnO nanocrystalline flexible films: optical and material properties

An emerging material for flexible UV applications is MgxZn1-xO which is capable of tunable bandgap and luminescence in the UV range of ∼3.4 eV-7.4 eV depending on the composition x. Studies on the optical and material characteristics of ZnO and Mg0.3Zn0.7O nanocrystalline flexible films are presented. The analysis indicates that the ZnO and Mg0.3Zn0.7O have bandgaps of 3.34 eV and 4.02 eV, respectively. The photoluminescence (PL) of the ZnO film was found to exhibit a structural defect-related emission at ∼3.316 eV inherent to the nanocrystalline morphology. The PL of the Mg0.3Zn0.7O film exhibits two broad peaks at 3.38 eV and at 3.95 eV that are discussed in terms of the solubility limit of the ZnO-MgO alloy system. Additionally, external deformation of the film did not have a significant impact on its properties as indicated by the Raman LO-mode behavior, making these films attractive for UV flexible applications.
Facilitating Family Literacy Activities in Mexico

International collaborations allow for an important exchange and flow of ideas. Over the past two years, our team of researchers, clinicians, and graduate students has collaborated with the Solylun...
An Interactive Semantic Video Mining and Retrieval Platform--Application in Transportation Surveillance Video for Incident Detection

Understanding and retrieving videos based on their semantic contents is an important research topic in multimedia data mining and has found various real- world applications. Most existing video analysis techniques focus on the low level visual features of video data. However, there is a "semantic gap" between the machine-readable features and the high level human concepts i.e. human understanding of the video content. In this paper, an interactive platform for semantic video mining and retrieval is proposed using relevance feedback (RF), a popular technique in the area of content-based image retrieval (CBIR). By tracking semantic objects in a video and then modeling spatio-temporal events based on object trajectories and object interactions, the proposed interactive learning algorithm in the platform is able to mine the spatio-temporal data extracted from the video. An iterative learning process is involved in the proposed platform, which is guided by the user's response to the retrieved results. Although the proposed video retrieval platform is intended for general use and can be tailored to many applications, we focus on its application in traffic surveillance video database retrieval to demonstrate the design details. The effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated by our experiments on real-life traffic surveillance videos.
Salt dissolution in drilling muds — a generalized correlation for mass transfer in non-newtonian fluids

The rate of dissolution of rock salt in drilling mud was measured as a function of flow rate and temperature under conditions simulating those in a well. A water based drilling mud, containing about 10% solids and additives was used, as well as a polymer “mud” composed of a Xanthan gum polymer solution and 5% salt, but no solids. The non-Newtonian muds were pumped through a “slit” flow cell, with a slab of rock salt flush with one side of the cell wall. The data (including water over the same range of conditions) were described by a mass transfer coefficient, and were correlated in dimensionless form based on the theoretical solution of the analogous heat transfer problem, adapted to non-Newtonian fluids. The non-Newtonian properties were described by an effective viscosity, which is consistent with either the power law or Bingham plastic viscosity model. On a mesure la vitesse de dissolution de sel de roche dans des boues de forage en fonction du debit et de la temperature dans des conditions simulant celles d'un puits. Une boue de forage a base d'eau contenant environ 10% de solides et d'additifs a ete utilisee ainsi qu'une «boue» de polymeres composee d'une solution de polymeres de gomme de xanthane et de 5% de sel sans solides. Les boues non newtoniennes ont ete pompees dans une cellule d'eoulement a «fente», avec un panneau de sel de roche tangent a une paroi de la capteur. Les donnees (incluant l'eau dans la meme gamme de conditions) sont decrites par un coefficient de transfert de matiere et correlees sous une forme adimensionnelle basee sur la solution theorique du probleme analogue de transfert de chaleur, adaptee aux fluides non newtoniens. Les proprietes non newtoniennes sont decrites par une viscosite effective, qui concorde avec la loi de puissance ou le modele de viscosite plastique de Bingham.
The Future of Drug Development and Therapy in Myeloma

The treatment options and outcomes for patients with myeloma has dramatically improved over the past decade, due in large part to the availability of improved anti-myeloma treatments including high-dose therapy, thalidomide, bortezomib, and lenalidomide. Many of the currently active agents are effective because of their impact on normal plasma cell biology, suggesting that targeting the plasma cell, rather than malignant cell biology has led to more effective therapy. Additionally, the use of combination therapy, with agents that are synergistic when combined, has led to deeper responses, and these have likely also contributed to improvements not only in progression free but also overall survival. With the wealth of new agents coming into the myeloma space, it is incumbent upon us as investigators to utilize efficient study designs with novel statistical approaches in order to rapidly test and evaluate new drugs. These concepts as well as a few selective promising targets in early development will be reviewed in the current discussion.
Commentary in Response to Paulozzi et al.: Prescription drug abuse and safe pain management

The study by Paulozzi, Budnitz, and Xi highlights the alarming problem of prescription drug abuse in America. These data have profound and disturbing ramifications. But if we are to have responsible and effective responses to prescription drug abuse, the problem must be considered in its full context. Solutions must factor in the full complexity of drug abuse, addiction and all of the related social and medical disorders, to avoid penalizing those with legitimate needs. In particular, we must be careful with implications that these data inadvertently suggest that prescription drug abuse is mostly related to prescribers and their patients, implying that limiting medically appropriate use will have any affect on reversing this disturbing trend. Just as in this report, many government statements and policies have simplistically assumed that the growing prescription drug abuse problem must rest largely with prescribers. As detailed in the accompanying commentary by Joranson and Gilson, this may be faulty logic based on inadequate data. Like prescription drug abuse, under-treated pain is also a public health crisis. A recent ABC News/USA Today/Stanford University poll estimated that approximately one of two Americans suffers from pain at any time and one in four has chronic pain.
Wave haptics: using motor dynamics for stiff coupling to virtual environments

Traditional haptic rendering creates virtual springs using DC motors with current amplifiers and encoder-based position feedback. It is well known that the stiffness of virtual environments is limited by quantization, discretization, and amplifier bandwidth effects. In this paper we propose a novel control architecture that, rather than canceling motor electrical dynamics, uses them to achieve better performances. First we recognize that the inductance L provides a natural sensor-less stiff behavior at high frequencies. Second, electrical resistance R serves as the basis of a wave transform that, performed through an analog circuit, allows to build a more stable interface with virtual environments, achieving robustness to servo delays and discretization. Encoder feedback and digital control loop are required only to provide parametric robustness at low frequencies. A prototype 1-DOF system has been implemented and confirms the promise of this novel paradigm
Enabling Privacy as a Fundamental Construct for Social Networks

The current set of social networking platforms, e.g. Facebook and MySpace, has created a new class of Internet applications called social software. These systems focus on leveraging the real life relationships of people and augment them with the facilities and the richness of the Web. The large number of social applications and the even larger user populations of these social networks are proving that this new class of software is useful and complements modern life. However, social platforms and software are not without drawbacks and significant concerns. One of the most important considerations is the need to allow strong security and privacy protections. In addition, these protections need to be easy to use and apply uniformly across platforms and applications. While most of the leading social platforms have primitives for providing privacy in the platform and the applications, we argue that they are insufficient. In particular, the privacy primitives lack ease of use, are too plentiful, do not fully apply to third party applications, and do not take full advantage of the social graphs that users implicitly build on these platforms. This paper provides a first step in resolving these issues.
Combining card marking with remembered sets: how to save scanning time

We consider the combination of card marking with remembered sets for generational garbage collection as suggested by Hosking and Hudson [3]. When more than two generations are used, a naive implementation may cause excessive and wasteful scanning of the cards and thus increase the collection time. We offer a simple data structure and a corresponding algorithm to keep track of which cards need be scanned for which generation. We then extend these ideas for the Train Algorithm of [4]. Here, the solution is more involved, and allows tracking of which card should be scanned for which car-collection in the train.
Deceleration of a Finite-Width, Stratified Current over a Sloping Bottom: Frictional Spindown or Buoyancy Shutdown?*

Abstract The deceleration of an unforced, two-dimensional, finite-width current over a sloping bottom in a stratified fluid is studied to quantify the relative importance of frictional spindown and buoyancy shutdown when both act simultaneously. Frictional spindown decelerates the current through Ekman suction and pumping at the current edges, which transmit stresses into the interior fluid. Buoyancy shutdown is the process by which lateral advection of density in the bottom boundary layer generates thermal wind shears that reduce the bottom stress, thereby halting deceleration. A theoretical model of a downwelling current suggests that buoyancy shutdown always reduces the deceleration timescale from that for frictional spindown alone and produces a nonzero steady along-isobath current overlying an arrested bottom mixed layer. The model is most sensitive to the Burger number S = Nα/f where N is the buoyancy frequency, α the bottom slope, and f the Coriolis parameter. Larger S produces a stronger steady cu...