cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Environmental, life-style, and physical precursors of clinical Parkinson's disease: recent findings from the Honolulu-Asia aging study

Increased westernization with Japanese migration to the U. S. in the early 20th century is thought to have altered the risk of cardiovascular disease. Whether similar effects include changes in the risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is not clear. This report describes the relations between environmental, life-style, and physical attributes and the incidence of PD that have been observed in the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study. Beginning in 1965, environmental, life-style, and physical attributes were recorded at selected examinations in a cohort of 8,006 Japanese-American men. Subjects were followed for clinical PD. During 30 years of follow- up, PD was observed in 137 men. Overall incidence (7.1/10,000 person-years) was generally higher than in Asia and similar to rates observed in Europe and the U. S. Precursors of PD included constipation, adiposity, years worked on a sugar or pineapple plantation, years of exposure to pesticides, and exposure to sugar cane processing. Factors showing an inverse association with PD included coffee intake and cigarette smoking. Among dietary factors, carbohydrates increased the risk of PD while the intake of polyunsaturated fats appeared protective. Total caloric intake, saturated and monounsaturated fats, protein, niacin, riboflavin, beta-carotene, vitamins A, B, and C, dietary cholesterol, cobalamin, α-tocopherol, and pantothenic acid showed no clear relation with clinical PD. Findings suggest that several environmental, life-style, and physical attributes appear to be precursors of PD. Whether patterns of precursors can be used to identify individuals at high risk of future PD or can broaden the scope of early interventions or recruitment into neuroprotective trials warrants further study.
Morality and Psychology

This article briefly discusses the connection between moral philosophy and moral psychology, and then explores three intriguing areas of inquiry that fall within the intersection of the two fields. The areas of inquiry considered focus on (1) debates concerning the nature of moral judgments and moral motivation; (2) debates concerning good and bad character traits and character-based explanations of actions; and (3) debates concerning the role of moral rules in guiding the morally wise agent.
Light and chlorophyll gradients within Cucurbita cotyledons

. Measurement of light within 10–14-d-old green and etiolated Cucurbita pepo cotyledons were made with fibre-optic microprobes to assess the influence of chlorophyll distribution and anatomical variations in mesophyll cell type (spongy versus palisade) on internal light pattern. More than 50% of the pigment in green cotyledons occurred in the upper (adaxial) 300 μm and this gradient strongly influenced the internal propagation of 680 nm light. When the upper (adaxial) surface was irradiated with 680 nm light, almost complete absorption occurred within the first 400 μm (palisade) of approximately 1200-μm-thick cotyledons. In contrast, when lower (abaxial) surfaces were irradiated with 680 nm light, penetration extended throughout the spongy mesophyll to about the 700 μm depth. Measurements of collimaled and scattered light gradients at 550, 680 and 750 nm indicated that collimaled light was rapidly scattered by mesophyll cells. In cotyledons irradiated on the upper surface, spongy mesophyll cells received only scattered light. Furthermore, comparisons of scattered light gradients obtained from cotyledons irradiated on upper and lower surfaces suggested that spongy mesophyll cells scatter light more effectively than palisade cells, probably due to the greater proportion of intercellular air spaces in spongy mesophyll tissue. These data also indicate that both the spectral quality and quantity of light incident on palisade versus spongy mesophyll cells differs, perhaps contributing to developmental and physiological differences between these two mesophyll cell types.
A Comparison of Electrically Small Spherical Helix and Spherical Resonator Antennas

Maximizing or increasing the bandwidth of an electrically small antenna is a significant design challenge. The operating bandwidth of a tuned electrically small antenna exhibiting a single impedance resonance within its defined bandwidth can be accurately characterized by the inverse of its quality factor (Q). There is a well known lower bound on achievable Q, implying that there is an upper bound on achievable bandwidth that cannot be overcome with antenna design modifications. Recently, the spherical resonator antenna was introduced and shown to exhibit multiple impedance resonances within its defined bandwidth when tuned or matched. With antenna designs exhibiting this behaviour, the inverse relationship between bandwidth and Q may not hold and the operating bandwidth may be greater than that predicted by the inverse of Q. Designs of this type offer the possibility of achieving wider bandwidths than can be achieved with antenna designs that exhibit single impedance resonances. Here, we compare the radiation properties of antenna designs exhibiting multiple impedance resonances, describe techniques for impedance matching and describe simple techniques for maximizing the operating bandwidth for a specified VSWR. (6 pages)
DNA repair by articular chondrocytes. IV. Measurement of Micrococcus luteus endonuclease-sensitive sites by alkaline elution in rabbit articular chondrocytes.

The ability of resting and dividing rabbit articular chondrocytes to repair low doses of ultraviolet (UV) damage was measured through removal of UV endonuclease-sensitive sites (ESS, pyrimidines dimers) as measured by alkaline elution. The repair of damage was significantly (P < 0.001) greater in dividing than non-dividing cells. An age-related decrease in repair capability was found in resting chondrocytes, but not in their dividing counterpart. These results support earlier findings of unscheduled DNA synthesis by the same cells (Mech. Ageing Dev., 32: 39–55, 1985).
Predation of ducks poisoned by white phosphorus: Exposure and risk to predators

White phosphorus (P4) has been identified as the cause of mortality for dabbling ducks and swans at an estuanne salt marsh in Alaska Predation of ducks poisoned by P4 was monitored to assess the extent and range of predator exposures to P4 Avian tissues were analyzed for P4 by gas chromatography We observed that both sick and dead dabbling ducks were common prey of bald eagles (Hahaeetus leucocephalus), herring gulls (Larus argentatus), and common ravens (Corvus corax) Frank signs of P4 intoxication attracted predators and rendered the ducks easy prey White phosphorus was found in the tis sue remains of ducks that had been preyed upon, thus providing positive evidence that predators were exposed to P4 Although P4 varied widely among individuals, P4 was generally highest in the gizzard contents followed by fatty tissues such as fat depots and the skin White phosphorus was identified in fatty tissues of one eagle and in one herring gull egg, thus providing direct evidence of absorption of P4 by predators
A Master-Slave Channel Selection Scheme to Improve Fairness among Cells in IEEE 802.11 Wireless LANs

This paper proposes a master-slave channel selection scheme to improve fairness among cells in IEEE 802.11 wireless LANs. Each access point (AP) in our proposed scheme selects its operating channel in such a way that interference is minimized and the number of APs on each channel is balanced. Through numerous simulations and testbed experiments with UDP and TCP traffic flows, we show that the proposed scheme improves the minimum cell throughput and fairness among cells.
Confronting death: Group psychotherapy with terminally ill individuals

A model for group psychotherapy with terminally ill patients is proposed, one in which the group is homogeneous and open-ended. Cancer and HIV infection are used as examples of chronic, terminal illnesses, and the relevant literature on group psychotherapy with these conditions is reviewed. Treatment with both sets of patients has been characterized by considerable variation in the structure, composition, and duration of the group.
Cold-acclimatization and intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates.

Abstract The activities of 14 enzymes participating in the intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates have been measured in the livers of rats to study the effects of chronic cold exposure. Based upon significant alterations in the activities of rate-limiting enzymes, it is concluded that an improved capacity for gluconeogenesis is the major change in hepatic carbohydrate metabolism associated with cold-acclimatization. No significant alterations in the activities of enzymes which are rate-limiting for glycolysis, glycogenesis, or glycogenolysis were found in the livers of rats exposed to 4 ° for 28 days.
Inhibition of premixed methane/air flames by water mist

The effect of submicron water drops on the buring velocity of methane/air mixtures was investigated. Results are compared to the suppression effect of water vapor, gaseous thermal agents N2 and CF4, and chemical agent CF3Br to determine if the theoretical thermal suppression effect expected for water mist can be experimentally achieved. These studies lay the groundwork (both experimental and modeling) for the effects of larger drops as well as for drops with solutes. Stoichiometric mixtures were stabilized at atmospheric pressure on one of two nozzle-type burners, producingcone-shaped flames. Burning velocities were determined using the total area method. An atomizer was used to produce water mist with a mean drop diameter of less than 1 μm, which was delivered as part of the reactant stream. Studies were carried out using both dry and humidified air. On a mass basis, the burning velocity of N2- and CF4-inhibited flames exhibited similar characteristics. Water vapor was observed to be more effective than N2 or CF4, but less effective than the same mass of water mist, consistent with thermodynamic analyses. Water mist inhibition results were well predicted by a recently developed multiphase flame model. Under these conditions, the burning velocity reduction effectiveness of water mist is approximately 3.5 times greater on a mass basis than for N2 and CF4 and is comparable to modeled data for CF3Br-inhibited flames.
Developmental trends in rational thinking: Implications for rational‐emotive, school mental health programs

Developmental trends in rational thinking, as defined by rational-emotive theory and measured by the degree of endorsement of Ellis' 11 irrational ideas, were investigated. Part 1 describes the development of the Idea Inventory, a 33-item Likert scale which yields a total irrationality score as well as scores for each of the 11 irrational ideas. High reliability and moderate validity co-efficients were obtained with a college sample. In Part 2 the Idea Inventory was used to assess irrational thinking in 435 students in grades four through twelve. Results indicated that while irrationality decreased with grade, the relation between each individual irrational idea and grade was variable. Across grade, irrational Idea 6 showed the greatest decrement in endorsement while the level of endorsement for Idea 5 was as great for high school seniors as it was for the fourth graders. Implications for the development of future rational-emotive, school mental health programs were discussed.
Structure of the bacteriophage P2 tail

Abstract Analysis of bacteriophage P2 particle proteins by SDS gel electrophoresis indicates that at least six proteins are present in the tail. A tail protein of 71,000 daltons has been identified as the product of the H gene, and a tail protein of 94,000 daltons has been tentatively identified as the T gene product. The T protein appears to be stabilized by the E gene product. The major tail proteins, of 46,000 and 19,600 daltons, are missing from cells infected with an F amber mutant, but not from cells infected with amber mutants in any of the genes downstream from F. These two proteins are designated FI and FII, respectively. We propose that one of these proteins is coded for a gene adjacent to F which has not yet been defined by mutation. On the basis of their relative proportions in the phage and their molecular weights, we propose that FI and FII are the tail sheath and tube proteins, respectively, and that the T protein may be a tail-fiber component. High-resolution (minimal beam exposure) electron microscopy has revealed the structure of the contractile P2 tail in greater detail. At the head-proximal end of free tails are two disclike structures of different thickness and diameter. In preparations of whole phage, only the thinner of these discs is seen to lie outside the phage head (at the head-tail junction). We, therefore, presume that the thicker disc lies inside the head. At the distal end of the tail is a small, slender spike, and six tail fibers which are composed of two subsections. Electron microscopic examination of cells infected with different tail amber mutants indicates that the tail genes R and S are involved in determining tail length, since these mutants produce giant tails and giant tail sheaths, respectively.
A common functional promoter variant links CNR1 gene expression to HDL cholesterol level

Type 1 cannabinoid receptor blockers increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Although genetic variation in the type 1 cannabinoid receptor--encoded by the CNR1 gene--is known to influence high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level as well, human studies conducted to date have been limited to genetic markers such as haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms. Here we identify rs806371 in the CNR1 promoter as the causal variant. We re-sequence the CNR1 gene and genotype all variants in a DNA biobank linked to comprehensive electronic medical records. By testing each variant for association with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in a clinical practice-based setting, we localize a putative functional allele to a 100-bp window in the 5'-flanking region. Assessment of variants in this window for functional impact on electrophoretic mobility shift assay identifies rs806371 as a novel regulatory binding element. Reporter gene assays confirm that rs806371 reduces gene expression, thereby linking CNR1 gene variation to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in humans.
Good Prospects: Ecological and Social Perspectives on Conforming, Creating, and Caring in Conversation.

Abstract Ecological approaches (e.g. [Gibson, J.J., 1979. The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. Houghton-Mifflin, Boston]) to psychology and language are selectively reviewed, focusing on social learning. Is social learning (e.g., acquiring language) a matter of conformity [Tomasello, M., 2006. Acquiring linguistic constructions. In: D. Kuhn, R.S. Siegler, W. Damon, R.M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of Child Psychology, Cognition, Perception, and Language, sixth ed., vol. 2., Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, pp. 255–298], creativity [Chomsky, N. 1965. Aspects of the Theory of Syntax. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA], or something else? Ecological approaches [Reed, E.S., 1996. Encountering the World: Toward an Ecological Psychology. Oxford University Press, Oxford; Hodges, B.H., Baron, R.M. 1992. Values as constraints on affordances: perceiving and acting properly. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour 22, 263–294] put the focus on values. Reed’s account highlights the collective appropriation of affordances, the precocious perception and enactment of “unfilled meanings,” and children’s becoming persons through the active structuring of their environment (e.g., gestural games, story-telling). Hodges and Baron’s account of values as multiple, heterarchical, dynamical, and legitimating constraints on actions is applied to cases of pragmatic rule violations, particularly Hodges and Geyer’s [Hodges, B.H., Geyer, A.L., 2006. A nonconformist account of the Asch experiments: Values, pragmatics, and moral dilemmas. Personality and Social Psychology Review 10, 2–19] reinterpretation of Asch’s [Asch, S.E., 1956. Studies of independence and conformity: I. A minority of one against a unanimous majority. Psychological Monographs 70, (9) (Whole No. 416)] influential experiments on social influence and perception. These ecological, social, and values-realizing accounts suggest that conversations are about seeking good prospects, caring for others and self, and inviting responsible action. The possibility of language as a perceptual system [Gibson, J.J., 1966. The Senses Considered as Perceptual Systems. Houghton-Mifflin, Boston] for exploring dialogical arrays, and an action system [Reed, E.S., 1982. An outline of a theory of action systems. Journal of Motor Behavior 14, 97–134] for coordinating diverse space–time scales is considered.
High stakes testing, educational aims and ideals, and responsible assessment

School and government officials, system administrators and other policymakers offer a variety of reasons for engaging in high stakes testing: to monitor student performance, to measure teacher and/or school effectiveness, to ensure accountability, etc. Some of these reasons are good; others not. But the best reason - one that is never offered, because it is not true - is that such testing furthers our efforts to realize our considered educational aims and ideals. I argue that while some testing is perfectly legitimate, current high stakes testing practice is largely inimical to the achievement of our most defensible educational ends.
Prediction of choice reaction time from information of individual stimuli

A model is developed to predict the reaction time to stimuli using information content of the individual stimuli. Review of previous research in the area showed inconsistencies due possibly to the mode of stimulus presentation or to the number of stimuli. Two experiments designed to cover the range of variables used in previous experiments were conducted. The results indicate that the model makes accurate predictions over the entire range of variables used. A comparison to earlier studies also indicates a close correspondence. nt|mis|Acknowledgment is due the Office of Naval Research which supported this research through a prime contract, NOnr 2512(00), with General Dynamics Electric Boat Division as a part of the SUBIC. (SUBmarine Integrated Control) program.
Comparative Studies of High MrSubunits of Rye and Wheat. II. Partial Amino Acid Sequences

High M. subunit fractions of two rye cultivars (Danko and Halo) and of the wheat cultivar Rektor were isolated from defatted flours by extraction with 50% (v/v) aqucous propan-1-ol under reducing conditions and 60 °C followed by precipitation using a 60% concentration of propan-1-ol, centrifugation, dialysis and lyophilisation. Two single major subunits of rye Danko were isolated by to wheat high M r subunits. Total high M r subunit fractions of Danko, Halo and Rektor were digested with TPCK-treated trypsin at 37°C for 8h. The partial hydrolysates were pre-separated into the fractions I (M. 10 000) by centrifugation on a Centriprep 10-membranc. Both fractions were then separated by reversed-phase HPLC on C 18 , silica gel. Dominating peptides were purified by preparative rechromatography under slightly changed HPLC conditions and characterised by amino acid analysis and determination of amino acid sequences. The resulting sequences of 19 (Danko), 12 (Halo) and 15 peptides (Rektor) were compared with known sequences from x- and y-type high M r subunits of wheat. With the exception of three peptides, the sequences could be assigned to the three different domains of high M r subunits. Even when the sequences of the rye peptides were similar to those of wheat, they were not identical in any case; on average the variations were about 20%. Most of rye peptides corresponded to the x-type subunits of wheat. Within the most characteristic sequence motifs belonging to the repetitive domain B, fundamental differences between wheat and tye were not detected.
Interstellar Abundances in Dense, Moderately Reddened Lines of Sight. I. Observational Evidence for Density-dependent Depletion

The nature of dust-gas interactions, which are capable of modifying the size distribution of interstellar grains and thus causing changes in the selective extinction curve, are investigated through depletion studies. The gaseous abundances of 15 elements have been determined for several lines of sight toward moderately reddened stars, each having an anomalous extinction curve and a large abundance of cyanogen (CN). The basic result of this study is that certain elements appear to deplete preferentially in interstellar clouds having a large abundance of CN. Since CN is a sensitive indicator of the interstellar spatial density, the data might suggest that the unique pattern of enhanced depletion observed here represents the best observational evidence of accretion.
Contribution of the polarizability anisotropy to Rayleigh scattering

[1] A calculation from first principles of the differential cross section for Rayleigh scattering shows that the contribution of polarizability anisotropy found in the literature is valid only in the high rotational quantum number limit of the vector coupling coefficients, that is, in the high-temperature or classical limit. The additional term in the total Rayleigh scattering cross section arising from the polarizability anisotropy is about four times smaller than what is called the King factor in the literature. These errors, resulting from ignoring the constraints imposed by the conservation of angular momentum, can lead to significant corrections in estimating populations from stratospheric and mesospheric measurements.
Active Control of Sound Radiation Pressure

This paper is concerned with the problem of suppressing the acoustic radiation pressure generated by a structure vibrating in air. The approach is to control the vibration of the modes of the structure most responsible for the radiation pressure. This control is carried out by active means, i. e., by feedback control. As a numerical example, the problem of active control of the far-field radiation pressure generated by the vibration of a simply-supported rectangular elastic plate is considered. The influence on the control effectiveness of various design parameters, such as the number of controlled modes, the choice of controlled modes, the number of actuators and the location of the actuators, is investigated. The conclusion is that, depending on the magnitude of the excitation frequency, satisfactory control can be achieved by using a sufficient number of actuators and by controlling a relatively large number of modes.
Gleason score 7 prostate cancer on needle biopsy: is the prognostic difference in Gleason scores 4 + 3 and 3 + 4 independent of the number of involved cores?

Purpose: We addressed whether Gleason score 3 + 4 = 7 and 4 + 3 = 7 cancers on needle biopsy behave differently and whether this behavior is independent of the number of cores involved by cancer. If it is not an independent predictor of prognosis, one may report Gleason score 7 cancer with the number of positive cores without regard to whether the primary pattern was 3 or 4. This practice would remove a source of poor interobserver reproducibility when grading prostate cancer on needle biopsy.Materials and Methods: We identified 537 patients with Gleason score 7 tumors on biopsy. The results of patient preoperative digital rectal examination, serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) measurement and age were used to predict 4 outcomes based on assessment of the corresponding radical prostatectomy specimens, including 1) pathological stage (organ confined, focal extraprostatic extension, nonfocal extraprostatic extension or seminal vesicle-lymph node involvement), 2) organ confinement (yes/no), 3) Gleason scor...
Measuring Presidential Power

Despite an increased need to measure presidential power and the increased use of such measurements in empirical studies, there has been little examination of the relative merits of alternative methods of measuring presidential power. This study reviews the measures currently in use and identifies the measure developed by Shugart and Carey (1992) as the most useful. The study also suggests improvements to the Shugart and Carey method to improve its applicability to semipresidential regimes. Scoring of Austria, Finland, France, and the six Central and East European states with popularly elected presidents demonstrates the usefulness of these revisions for establishing clearer boundaries for this regime type, which is a necessary step toward empirical testing of the relationship between semipresidentialism and democratic consolidation.
Throughput-delay tradeoff in small and sparse mobile ad hoc networks

This paper takes the first step in characterizing the throughput-delay tradeoff for small and sparse MANETs which have many practical applications. We find that as the MANET becomes sparser, throughput decreases and delay increases, as expected. If relaying is disabled then the throughput and delay depend on the size of the area of operation. While relaying does increase throughput, the single packet relaying strategy worsens the delay for small MANETs in the Grossglauser traffic model. Greedy relaying overcomes this worsening without trading throughput, but only for rapidly mixing mobility. Unlike in dense networks, local broadcasting does not provide any significant benefit. Packet repetition does decrease delay, but only at the expense of reduced throughput. Our results are useful in practical underwater MANETs which are typically small and sparse.
Cerebral microvessel 2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake during ischemia-induced seizures

Microvessels were isolated by albumin flotation and glass bead filtration from cerebral cortices of gerbils decapitated during pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures and ischemia-induced seizures. The uptake of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) into these microvessels was studied in vitro. This uptake was increased during PTZ-induced seizures, in keeping with mechanisms whereby glucose transport into brain is increased to keep pace with the augmented tissue glycolysis provoked by enhanced neuronal activity. Uptake of 2-DG was decreased in microvessels isolated from animals that were decapitated while undergoing a seizure during ischemia and 90 to 120 minutes after ischemia. In contrast to results obtained when seizures are due to other causes, these results suggest that brain glucose transport is decreased during a seizure if the microvasculature has been previously subjected to ischemia. The results are discussed in relation to clinical stroke and Todd's postepileptic paralysis.
How do eucaryotic ribosomes select initiation regions in messenger RNA

Department of Cell Biology New York University School of Medicine New York, New York 10016 The purpose of this review is to assess present knowledge about the mechanism by which eucar- yotic ribosomes select the correct site for initiation of protein synthesis. Although the available evi- dence is insufficient to define the mechanism une- quivocally, certain features of translational initia- tion in eucaryotes are sufficiently compelling to warrant discussion. I have attempted to formulate a working model which, although speculative, ac- counts for most of the peculiarities of eucaryotic initiation. It seems particularly worth emphasizing that eucaryotic translational systems have unique characteristics not observed in procaryotes, and therefore eucaryotes might use novel mechanisms for initiation.
Progress in the modeling of migration limited energy transfer in laser materials

Analysis of excitation decay in the holmium 2 μm system has led to the development of a new macroscopic dual population model for the migration limited upconversion process.
Pulsed-laser deposition of textured cerium oxide thin films on glass substrates at room temperature

Abstract Cerium oxide thin films are deposited on glass by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature and characterized by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. The effects of ambient gas, rate of deposition and fluence on growth of films have been studied. The films grown in forming gas and with a high rate of deposition are polycrystalline and show preferential orientation along direction with a roughness of ∼ 2 nm. Films prepared in oxygen have low crystallinity.
Biological activities of chemically modified endotoxins from Vibrio cholerae.

Abstract Lipopolysaccharides from Vibrio cholerae, NIH 41, Ogawa 5321 and Inaba 66 64 were treated with succinic anhydride, phthalic anhydride and dinitrophenyl ethylene diamine, and the resultant derivatives, sodium succinyl lipopolysaccharide, sodium phthalyl lipopolysaccharide, and dinitrophenyl lipopolysaccharide obtained respectively were investigated for various biological activities. The succinylation and phthalylation of lipopolysaccharide decreased the 3-hydroxy lauric acid, a major ester-linked fatty acid of these bacteria, and as a result of which these modified products exhibited lower toxic activities in chick embryos, mouse and in generalized local Shwartzmann reaction in rabbits than their parent lipopolysaccharides. The dinitrophenylation of lipopolysaccharide increased its toxicity in chick embryos and mice, but dinitrophenyl lipopolysaccharide was completely inactive in Shwartzmann reaction in rabbits. However, despite the loss of these biological activities, these modified derivatives of lipopolysaccharide retained and increased the activities in pyrogenecity and in various immunological properties.
Prediction of Thermal Emission and Exchange Among Neighboring Wavelength-Sized Spheres

An analysis of radiative emission and radiative exchange among an ensemble of closely spaced, wavelength-sized spheres, in which each sphere in the ensemble is at a distinct and uniform temperature, is presented. We show that the rate of spectral emission from a specific sphere in the ensemble and the rate at which emission is exchanged between a pair of spheres can be deduced from the application of reciprocity and energy conservation principles to the solution of Maxwell’s time harmonic wave equations for a sphere ensemble that is exposed to a plane wave incident field of wavelength λ. We show that in the limit of d∕λ→0, the emissive exchange between a pair of spheres becomes inversely proportional to the gap thickness d. We also show that when the spheres are in the mutual far-field zones of each other, the emissive exchange between the spheres can be well approximated by geometric configuration factors, with an effective area correction to account for finite wavelength effects.
Adaptive control of nonlinear systems with a triangular structure

In this paper, we introduce two distinct types of nonlinear dynamical systems, /spl Tscr//sub 1/ and /spl Tscr//sub 2/, both of which possess a triangular structure. It is shown that all systems belonging to /spl Tscr//sub 1/ can be made stable and that if they belong to a subclass /spl Tscr//sub 1s/, the stability holds globally. A precise characterization of the general class of nonlinear systems transformable to /spl Tscr//sub 1/ is carried out. The second class, /spl Tscr//sub 2/, corresponds to a set of second-order nonlinear differential equations and is motivated by problems that occur in mechanical systems. It is shown that global tracking can be achieved for all systems in /spl Tscr//sub 2/. A constructive approach is used in all cases to develop the adaptive controller, and both stabilization and tracking are shown to be realizable. Simple examples are given to illustrate the different classes of nonlinear systems as well as the idea behind the approach used to stabilize them. >
Ontology-Based Constraint Recognition for Free-Form Service Requests

Automatic recognition and formalization of constraints from free-form service requests is a challenging problem. Its resolution would go a long way toward allowing users to make requests using free-form, natural-language-like specifications. In this paper, we address this challenge by offering an ontology-based, semantic-data-modeling approach to recognize constraints in free-form service requests. We encode domain information such as possible constraints and instances within a domain ontology in terms of object sets, relationship sets among these object sets, and operations over values in object sets and relationship sets. Our system recognizes the constraints in a service request by finding the domain ontology that best matches the request and then by using relationships and operations relevant to the request in the matched ontology to generate the service-request constraints. In experiments conducted with our prototype implementation, our system achieved an average of 96% recall and 99% precision.
Antenna system for GPS radiation pattern control on portable radios

Location-based applications for handheld wireless communication devices may represent a significant revenue stream for cellular operators and may therefore add value to global positioning system (GPS) enabled handsets. Location-enabled features may also be desirable or even required in professional and public-safety radios. In order for location-based applications to provide the required quality-of-service (QoS) - as it may be defined from case to case depending on the type of application - it is critical to implement GPS systems capable of operating reliably in the envisioned use scenarios.
Multiple Patient Safety Events Within a Single Hospitalization A National Profile in US Hospitals

The objective was to examine co-occurrence of iatrogenic events in US hospitals. Using Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality patient safety indicators (PSIs), the authors defined multiple patient safety events (MPSEs) as the occurrence of multiple PSIs during a single hospitalization. The National Inpatient Sample was analyzed to estimate the national prevalence of MPSEs, risk factors for MPSEs, and the average length of stay and average hospital charges associated with MPSEs. MPSEs occurred in approximately 1 in every 1000 hospitalizations, affecting more than 30 000 patients in 2004. Significant risk factors for MPSEs include age, black race, Medicare coverage, and treatment at urban teaching hospitals. Compared with all admissions, the average length of stay for MPSE admissions was 4 times longer, and the average charge for MPSE admissions was 8 times greater. Despite the low prevalence, MPSEs affect large numbers of hospital patients in America. MPSEs have distinct characteristics and are far mor...
Conjugate gradient learning algorithms for multilayer perceptrons

Learning complex tasks in a multilayer perceptron is a nonlinear optimization problem that is often very difficult and painstakingly slow. The use of conjugate gradient methods to speed up convergence rates is proposed. These methods result in a very moderate increase in storage and computational complexity compared to the commonly used backpropagation algorithm. The algorithm used is a modified conjugate gradient method that uses inexact line searches. This reduces the number of function evaluations necessary in the line search part of the algorithm. Simulation results that show the improved convergence rate compared to the backpropagation algorithm are presented. >
MR observations of long-term musculotendon remodeling following a hamstring strain injury

Objective The objective of this study was to use magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to investigate long-term changes in muscle and tendon morphology following a hamstring strain injury.
A model-independent test for the presence of regulatory equilibrium and non-random structure in island species trajectories

Aims To test a key prevision of the dynamic equilibrium theory of island biogeography, namely that changes in species numbers on islands over time (hereafter, species trajectories) are equilibrial, and to characterize aspects of the dynamical properties of species change over time using a model-independent test. Methods We tested for regulatory equilibrium and non-random structure in species numbers through time by comparing observed correlation coefficients at lag-k for species trajectories from four true islands and two habitat islands. First, we estimated the shape of the autocorrelation function for each observed species trajectory by calculating correlation coefficients of the observed data between pairs of values Nt)k and Nt separated by lag-k (k ¼ 1, 2, …, N ) 1). Second, we tested the observed correlation coefficients at each lag against a distribution of correlation coefficients generated by randomly ordering observed numbers in the species trajectories. Results The patterns of autocorrelation functions for all but one of the observed species trajectories did not exhibit evidence of regulatory equilibrium, and, in fact, closely matched what would be expected from a non-stationary or ‘random walk’ process. The majority of the correlation coefficients generated from the observed species trajectories did not deviate significantly from correlation coefficients produced by the randomized trajectories. However, there was strong evidence of unusual positive autocorrelation at small time lags for birds on islands measured annually (2- to 4-year lags) and for arthropods on islands measured weekly (7- to 8-week lags), suggesting some degree of structure in change in species richness over time. Main conclusions The autocorrelation function patterns for all but one of the observed species trajectories showed various forms of non-stationarity. These types of patterns suggest that the numbers of species through time gradually wandered away from their initial sizes. Our model-independent test of individual correlation coefficients revealed significant structure in the observed species trajectories. These trajectories appear to be non-random at relatively short lag intervals, indicating a process with short memory.
Rosette iron deficiency transcript and microRNA profiling reveals links between copper and iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana

Iron (Fe) is an essential plant micronutrient, and its deficiency limits plant growth and development on alkaline soils. Under Fe deficiency, plant responses include up-regulation of genes involved in Fe uptake from the soil. However, little is known about shoot responses to Fe deficiency. Using microarrays to probe gene expression in Kas-1 and Tsu-1 ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana, and comparison with existing Col-0 data, revealed conserved rosette gene expression responses to Fe deficiency. Fe-regulated genes included known metal homeostasis-related genes, and a number of genes of unknown function. Several genes responded to Fe deficiency in both roots and rosettes. Fe deficiency led to up-regulation of Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) genes CSD1 and CSD2, and down-regulation of FeSOD genes FSD1 and FSD2. Eight microRNAs were found to respond to Fe deficiency. Three of these (miR397a, miR398a, and miR398b/c) are known to regulate transcripts of Cu-containing proteins, and were down-regulated by Fe deficiency, suggesting that they could be involved in plant adaptation to Fe limitation. Indeed, Fe deficiency led to accumulation of Cu in rosettes, prior to any detectable decrease in Fe concentration. ccs1 mutants that lack functional Cu,ZnSOD proteins were prone to greater oxidative stress under Fe deficiency, indicating that increased Cu concentration under Fe limitation has an important role in oxidative stress prevention. The present results show that Cu accumulation, microRNA regulation, and associated differential expression of Fe and CuSOD genes are coordinated responses to Fe limitation.
Quadratic open-loop optimal control of economic systems

This paper exploits the formal analogy between least-squares estimation and quadratic open-loop control to impose a variety, of restrictions, to gain insight into problems of numeric instability, and to propose indexes of policy effectiveness and the importance of instrument costs to the solution. In addition, it provides an open-loop stochastic control solution with computational advantages in certain situations. Although the emphasis is on control problems in economics, the results are believed to be of general interest.
Candidate's Thesis: Direct Evidence of Bacterial Biofilms in Otitis Media

Objectives/Hypothesis Bacteriologic studies of otitis media with effusion (OME) using highly sensitive techniques of molecular biology such as the polymerase chain reaction have demonstrated that traditional culturing methods are inadequate to detect many viable bacteria present in OME. The presence of pathogens attached to the middle-ear mucosa as a bacterial biofilm, rather than as free-floating organisms in a middle-ear effusion, has previously been suggested to explain these observations. The suggestion has been speculative, however, because no visual evidence of such biofilms on middle-ear mucosa has heretofore been collected. The hypotheses motivating the current study were: 1) biofilms of nontypable Hemophilus influenzae will form on the middle-ear mucosa of chinchillas in an experimental model of OME, 2) these biofilms will exhibit changes in density or structure over time, and 3) biofilms are also present on tympanostomy tubes in children with refractory post-tympanostomy otorrhea. The objective of this study was to collect visual evidence of the formation of bacterial biofilms in these situations. Study Design Laboratory study of bacteriology in an animal model and on medical devices removed from pediatric patients. Methods Experimental otitis media was induced in chinchillas by transbullar injection of nontypable H. influenzae. Animals were killed in a time series and the surface of the middle-ear mucosa was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the presence of bacterial biofilms. Adult and fetal chinchilla uninfected controls were similarly examined for comparison. In addition, tympanostomy tubes that had been placed in children's ears to treat OME and removed after onset of refractory otorrhea or other problems were examined by SEM and by confocal scanning laser microscopy for bacterial biofilms, and compared with unused control tubes. Results Bacterial biofilms were visually detected by SEM on the middle-ear mucosa of multiple chinchillas in which H. influenzae otitis media had been induced. Qualitative evaluation indicated that the density and thickness of the biofilm might increase until at least 96 hours after injection. The appearance of the middle-ear mucosa of experimental animals contrasted with that of uninjected control animals. Robust bacterial biofilms were also visually detected on tympanostomy tubes removed from children's ears for clinical reasons, in contrast with unused control tubes. Conclusions Bacterial biofilms form on the middle-ear mucosa of chinchillas in experimentally induced H. influenzae otitis media and can form on tympanostomy tubes placed in children's ears. Such biofilms can be directly observed by microscopy. These results reinforce the hypothesis that the bacterial aggregates called biofilms, resistant to treatment by antibiotics and to detection by standard culture techniques, may play a major etiologic role in OME and in one of its frequent complications, post-tympanostomy otorrhea.
Efficient Interaction Between Arenavirus Nucleoprotein (NP) And RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase (L) Is Mediated By The Virus Nucleocapsid (NP-RNA) Template

ABSTRACT In this study, we document that efficient interaction between arenavirus nucleoprotein (NP) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L protein), the two trans -acting viral factors required for both virus RNA replication and gene transcription, requires the presence of virus-specific RNA sequences located within the untranslated 5′ and 3′ termini of the viral genome.
An electrocardiographic acuteness score for quantifying the timing of a myocardial infarction to guide decisions regarding reperfusion therapy

Abstract The method of determining the acuteness score presented in the present study is suggested for use in automated electrocardiographic analysis systems. A potential use of the acuteness score is in combination with historical timing as a guideline for decisions regarding thrombolytic therapy. Patients with an acuteness score above a certain threshold and a brief time from symptom onset may benefit most from thrombolytic therapy. The relation between the levels of acuteness score and the quantity of myocardium salvaged was not determined in the present study because no measure of salvage was available in this population. A future study is suggested in which this relation is determined. An additional use of the acuteness score may be to assess myocardial reperfusion and salvage by examining the time course of progression in score between the ECGs before and sequentially after administration of thrombolytic therapy.
Hierarchical control for self-assembling mobile trusses with passive and active links

This paper explores the space of active modular trusses, ranging from a passive truss with one independent active climbing module to fully self-reconfiguring dynamically controllable trusses comprised of active modules and passive struts. We describe a hardware design for truss climbing and present hierarchical algorithms for controlling hyper-redundant modular trusses
Robust Servomechanism in Nonlinear Systems

Based on the integral manifold concept, a controller is designed that achieves asymptotic tracking and disturbance rejection in a class of nonlinear systems. If the given nonlinear MIMO plant is exponentially stable and has a nonvanishing I/O gain, we show that the control governed by a low gain nonlinear compensator solves this robust servomechanism problem. We also show how the range of initial conditions determines the servo rate of a successful tracking process.
Detection of Levamisole Exposure in Cocaine Users by Liquid Chromatography―Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Levamisole, a veterinary antihelminthic, was recently recognized as an adulterant in cocaine and is known to cause severe adverse reactions in some cocaine users. Because of the health concerns involving levamisole-adulterated cocaine, we developed a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) method for the detection of levamisole in urine. This method was used to determine the prevalence of levamisole in cocaine-positive patient samples. All cocaine-positive urine samples that were sent to the San Francisco General Hospital Clinical Laboratory were tested for levamisole for one month. For LC, an Agilent 1200 series was used with a C(18) column and a gradient of mobile phase A (0.05% formic acid) and B (acetonitrile/methanol). Detection was carried out with an Applied Biosystems QTRAP(®) LC-MS-MS. The levamisole LC-MS-MS method was linear over the range of 5-2500 ng/mL (r > 0.996). Interassay and intraassay CVs were < 6%. The lower limit of detection for levamisole was 0.5 ng/mL. Out of 949 total urine drug screens, 20% were positive for benzoylecgonine, and of those, 88% were positive for levamisole. The high prevalence of levamisole-adulterated cocaine and potential toxicity in cocaine users is a serious public health concern. These findings validate the utility of an LC-MS-MS method for the detection of levamisole.
Pemberton's sign: explained nearly 70 years later.

Context: Pemberton's sign is used to evaluate venous obstruction in patients with goiters. The sign is positive when bilateral arm elevation causes facial plethora. It has been attributed to a “cork effect” resulting from the thyroid obstructing the thoracic inlet, thereby increasing pressure on the venous system. According to some, the “cork effect” is caused by the thyroid descending into the thoracic inlet during arm elevation. According to others, the obstruction is due to elevation of the thoracic inlet against the thyroid. Objective: We studied a 36-year-old man with a positive Pemberton's sign secondary to a goiter extending to the substernal region. Design and Intervention: Clinical, biochemical, and radiological assessments were done. Magnetic resonance angiography of the neck was performed while the patient's arms were elevated and at his sides. After the imaging studies were completed, the patient underwent thyroidectomy. Results: Magnetic resonance angiography demonstrated that there was no cr...