cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using recurrent neural networks for adaptive communication channel equalization

Nonlinear adaptive filters based on a variety of neural network models have been used successfully for system identification and noise-cancellation in a wide class of applications. An important problem in data communications is that of channel equalization, i.e., the removal of interferences introduced by linear or nonlinear message corrupting mechanisms, so that the originally transmitted symbols can be recovered correctly at the receiver. In this paper we introduce an adaptive recurrent neural network (RNN) based equalizer whose small size and high performance makes it suitable for high-speed channel equalization. We propose RNN based structures for both trained adaptation and blind equalization, and we evaluate their performance via extensive simulations for a variety of signal modulations and communication channel models. It is shown that the RNN equalizers have comparable performance with traditional linear filter based equalizers when the channel interferences are relatively mild, and that they outperform them by several orders of magnitude when either the channel's transfer function has spectral nulls or severe nonlinear distortion is present. In addition, the small-size RNN equalizers, being essentially generalized IIR filters, are shown to outperform multilayer perceptron equalizers of larger computational complexity in linear and nonlinear channel equalization cases. >
Cost-effectiveness analysis of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) versus endoscopic therapy for the prevention of recurrent esophageal variceal bleeding.

For the prevention of recurrent esophageal variceal bleeding, studies show that patients treated with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) have lower rebleeding rates compared with endoscopic therapy. However, TIPS is associated with higher rates of portosystemic encephalopathy and possibly higher costs. The aim of this study was to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing TIPS with endoscopic sclerotherapy and endoscopic ligation for the prevention of recurrent esophageal variceal bleeding. Data for rates of rebleeding, death, complications, and crossover from endoscopy to TIPS were obtained from the literature. Costs for procedures and hospitalizations were obtained from two medical centers. Sensitivity analyses were performed varying probabilities of key variables. The patient population consisted of a hypothetical cohort of cirrhotic patients successfully treated for esophageal variceal bleeding with endoscopic sclerotherapy who received prophylactic sclerotherapy, ligation, or TIPS over 1 year. Endoscopic patients would receive propranolol. Mortality was similar for the three groups. The number of bleeds per patient for sclerotherapy, ligation, and TIPS would be 0.39, 0.32, and 0.07, respectively. The total annual costs per patient for sclerotherapy, ligation, and TIPS were $23,459, $23,111, and $26,275, respectively. The incremental cost per bleed prevented for TIPS compared with sclerotherapy and ligation was $8,803 and $12,660, respectively. The incremental cost per bleed prevented for TIPS compared with sclerotherapy or ligation was sensitive to the cost of TIPS and the TIPS stenosis rate. Ligation had lower costs and lower recurrent bleeding rates than sclerotherapy. Compared with endoscopic therapy, TIPS leads to lower recurrent variceal bleeding rates and it is more cost effective in the short term for the prevention of recurrent esophageal variceal bleeding.
A pipelined strength-reduced adaptive filter: finite precision analysis and application to 155.52 Mb/s ATM-LAN

In this paper, we present the finite-precision analysis of the pipelined strength-reduced adaptive filter architecture. This architecture provides the dual advantage of low power dissipation and high speed operation. Precision requirements for the traditional cross-coupled (CC) and the strength-reduced (SR) architectures are compared. In case of the filter block (F-block) coefficient precision, the SR architecture requires 0.3 bits more than the corresponding block in the CC architecture. Similarly, the weight-update (WUD-block) in the SR architecture is shown to require 0.5 bits fewer than the corresponding block in the CC architecture. This finite-precision architecture is then used as a near-end crosstalk (NEXT) canceller for 155.52 Mb/s ATM-LAN over unshielded twisted pair (UTP) category-3 cable. Simulation results are presented in support of the analysis.
Retinol Binding Protein 4 Expression in Humans: Relationship to Insulin Resistance, Inflammation, and Response to Pioglitazone

Context: Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) was recently found to be expressed and secreted by adipose tissue, and was strongly associated with insulin resistance. Objective: The aim was to determine the relationship between RBP4 and obesity, insulin resistance, and other markers of insulin resistance in humans. Design and Patients: RBP4 mRNA levels in adipose tissue and muscle of nondiabetic human subjects with either normal or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) were studied, along with plasma RBP4. RBP4 gene expression was also measured in adipose tissue fractions, and from visceral and sc adipose tissue (SAT) from surgical patients. Setting: The study was conducted at University Hospital and General Clinical Research Center. Intervention: Insulin sensitivity (SI) was measured, and fat and muscle biopsies were performed. In IGT subjects, these procedures were performed before and after treatment with metformin or pioglitazone. Main Outcome Measures: The relationship between RBP4 expression and obesity, SI, ...
Deterministic solution of the spatially homogeneous Boltzmann equation using discontinuous Galerkin discretizations in the velocity space

Abstract We present a new deterministic approach for the solution of the spatially homogeneous Boltzmann kinetic equation based on nodal discontinuous Galerkin (DG) discretizations in the velocity space. In the new approach the collision operator has the form of a bilinear operator with a pre-computed kernel; its evaluation requires O ( n 5 ) operations at every point of the phase space where n is the number of degrees of freedom in one velocity dimension. The method is generalized to any molecular potential. Results of numerical simulations are presented for the problem of spatially homogeneous relaxation for the hard spheres potential. Comparison with the method of Direct Simulation Monte Carlo showed excellent agreement.
Mothers' adaptation to antenatal diagnosis of surgically correctable anomalies

Abstract Objective To assess the applicability of Drotar model when the diagnosis of congenital malformation is made antenatally. Methods In a 3-year period (2000–2003) fifty mothers, counselled for fetal malformations amenable to surgical correction at birth, were interviewed. Statistical associations were sought between each stage of the adaptation process and type of anomaly, gestational age at diagnosis, maternal age, educational background and previous miscarriage. Emotional experience at each stage was studied as dichotomous variables. Results Fetuses were affected by the following anomalies: abdominal wall defects (11), intestinal atresia (14) and diaphragmatic hernia (25). All mothers experienced stage one, two and three. No association was found between anger, type of anomaly, maternal age, educational background, and age at diagnosis. On the contrary, such association was statistically significant for previous miscarriage. Thirty-nine mothers reached the adaptation stage while none of them experienced that of reorganization. Conclusion Despite significant differences, the adaptation process proposed by Drotar to describe parents reactions is applicable in prenatal age.
Are There Differences in the Health– Socio‐economic Status Relationship over the Life Cycle? Evidence from Germany

. Most research on the relationship between health and socio-economic status (SES) controls for age or investigates the relationship for a particular age range. This paper, however, examines the effect of SES on health across different age groups. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel and controlling for health–SES endogeneity, we find that the health–income relationship does vary across the life cycle and between genders and different labor force status, with the impact of income on health relatively more pronounced for younger cohorts. The unemployed also have lower levels of health at all levels of income.
Values and public health: value considerations in setting health policy.

This paper uses six policy problems in public health to illustrate the complexity of value considerations in decision-making, and derives an ethic for health protection policies based on the primacy of non-harming. In the first part, health policy is shown to require value considerations beyond simple utilitarianism. In the second, the author posits that much of health impairment can be traced to erosions of health outside the immediate control and consent of the individual. Accordingly, he argues that health impairing actions on the part of others warrant strict regulations in spite of the paternalistic nature of such interventions. The priority for these interventions should be set along a gradient of vulnerability and autonomy, with the greatest hazards to non-consent giving persons warranting the greatest controls. Special attention to fetuses and developing infants is thereby justified, and actions which prevent harms are shown to have priority over those which mitigate harms, ameliorate their effects or promote good.
Ab Initio and Crystal Structures of (E,E)-1,4-Diphenylbutadiene: A New Type of Arene−Arene Double T-Contact and an Interesting Interlayer Cooperation Involving Diastereoisomeric Contacts†

The title compound 1,4-(E,E)-diphenylbutadiene crystallizes in the space group P21/n, and the structure contains three independent molecules A−C with modest twisting about the C−Ph bonds. Each molecule engages in two double face-to-face contacts and in four double T-contacts of a new type. These arene−arene interactions form two-dimensional layers that are stacked in the third dimension. In the new double T-contact, both arenes of each laterally off-set spacer-connected diarene serve as faces or edges in each contact. The occurrence of either one independent molecule (A) in two orientations (+A and −A) or of two independent molecules (B and C) results in two diastereoisomeric double T-contacts in each layer. Molecule A is asymmetric and forms enantiomeric (−A+A) and (−A‘+A‘) layers. The alternation between layers with different pairs of diastereosiomeric double T-contacts allows for reduced surface-matching and better van der Waals interactions between the surfaces of the −A+A (−A‘+A‘) layers and the BC l...
The T(b) Theorem of Nazarov, Treil, and Volberg

The goal of this long chapter is to prove Theorem 6.14, the first of the two difficult results needed to complete the resolution of Vitushkin’s Conjecture. Our treatment here, and in various parts of the previous chapter, is from [NTV].
Dose homogeneity as a function of source activity in optimized I-125 prostate implant treatment plans.

Abstract Purpose: In conventional treatment planning for permanent I-125 prostate implants, it has been suggested that lower seed activities result in more homogeneous dose distributions and also less overdose of the critical structures. We sought to determine if this hypothesis holds by analyzing treatment plans constructed using an automated optimized approach. Methods and Materials: We studied treatment plans for 10 patients using mixed-integer programming and the branch-and-bound method. Two mixed-integer models (that yielded somewhat different treatment plans) were developed: a "basic" model and a "dose homogeneity" model. For each resulting treatment plan, we examined dose homogeneity (by evaluating the dose non-uniformity ratio [DNR] and the full-width half-maximum [FWHM] of the differential dose-volume histogram [DVH]) as a function of three different source activities (0.35 mCi, 0.44 mCi, and 0.66 mCi). In addition, target coverage and critical structure dose distributions were evaluated. Plans using multiple source activities were also evaluated for resulting dose inhomogeneities. Results: The homogeneity model results in a more homogeneous dose distribution than the basic model. DNR is lowered by an average of 42% (standard deviation [SD] = 19%), 39% (SD = 21%), and 33% (SD = 21%) for the 0.35 mCi, 0.44 mCi, and 0.66 mCi seeds, respectively, when the homogeneity model is employed over the basic model. Corresponding average decreases in the FWHM of the DVH for 0.35 mCi, 0.44 mCi, and 0.66 mCi, respectively, are 29 Gy (SD = 28 Gy), 24 Gy (SD = 22 Gy), and 27 Gy (SD = 13 Gy). Seeds of 0.35 mCi and 0.44 mCi result in the lowest DNR and narrower FWHM of the DVH relative to 0.66 mCi seeds. In general, the 0.44 mCi seeds produce greater target coverage and require fewer seeds and needles than the 0.35 mCi seeds. Although 0.66 mCi seeds result in the greatest target coverage, they yield highest critical structure doses. They also yield solutions requiring the least number of seeds and needles. However, the dose distributions from 0.66 mCi seeds are highly inhomogeneous. Multiple source activities in the same treatment plan produce dose distributions that are comparable in homogeneity to 0.44 mCi seed implants. Conclusions: Even when an optimization model that seeks to minimize dose inhomogeneity is employed, all factors involved in seed implants make 0.44 mCi the best activity choice in comparison with 0.35 mCi and 0.66 mCi.
A digital speech processor with lateral inhibition for artificial hearing

An 8-channel, real-time vibrotactile digital vocoder for artificial hearing is developed. The device is based on a TMS320C25 digital signal processor chip and uses the FFT spectral analysis technique. To improve tactile recognition, a lateral inhibition filter is implemented. Live and taped speech are used to evaluate the performance of the device. Preliminary results indicate that important speech features, such as formants and gaps, are transmitted efficiently by the system. >
Mechanical bowel preps improve surgical outcomes in colorectal surgery

Commentary on : Kiran RP, Murray AC, Chiuzan C, et al. Combined preoperative mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics significantly reduces surgical site infection, anastomotic leak, and ileus after colorectal surgery. Ann Surg 2015;262:416–25.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] The manuscript by Kiran et al 1 investigates a long contentious issue of preoperative bowel preps in colorectal surgery. The authors used the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) 2012 database to compare patients undergoing colon or rectal surgery which received either preoperative mechanical bowel prep alone (MBP+/ABX−), MBP with oral antibiotics (MBP+ABX), or neither MBP or ABX. In total 8442 patients were identified in the cohort. The primary end point of the study was overall surgical site … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DAnn%2BSurg%26rft.volume%253D262%26rft.spage%253D416%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1097%252FSLA.0000000000001416%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F26258310%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1097/SLA.0000000000001416&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=26258310&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F21%2F1%2F27.atom
Examining Remarriage: A Look at Issues Affecting Remarried Couples and the Implications Towards Therapeutic Techniques

Remarriage is quickly becoming a normative event in our society. As such, it is important that mental health practitioners have a firm grasp of the many factors that affect it. This article therefore offers a comprehensive examination of the issues faced by many remarried couples, and provides suggestions and implications for treatment.
Hypoxia and edema of the perfused isolated canine lung.

Discussion and ConclusionsThere is renewed interest in the possible effects of hypoxia upon pulmonary capillary permeability to protein in connection with the pathogenesis of high altitude pulmonary edema (6). This study was initiated partly to test the question of whether hypoxia of degrees compatible with survival of an animal did or did not induce pulmonary edema while pressure conditions were held constant. The results reported indicate that hypoxia at even lower levels of oxygen tension do not promote pulmonary edemogenesis. Haddy et al. (7) found that pulmonary edema occurred in intact dogs breathing low oxygen mixtures only when left atrial pressure was elevated. They ascribed the edemogenic effect of hypoxia in the intact dog to left ventricular failure with its consequent hydrodynamic pressure effects.There is also a possible effect of hypoxia in the intact animal which would involve the liberation of vasoactive substances which might influence pulmonary capillary filtration pressure. Edema might...
Development of Digital-Controlled Instrument for Measure Hearing

A digital-controlled measuring instrument for hearing,which is based on a single-chip microcomputer and highly integrated device,is introduced in this paper.It may output highly accurate and purified sine signal whose frequency and amplitude are controlled by digital.Specially,the displaying number of decibel is equal to actual number of decibel,because frequency response of earphone is corrected by software of microchip.Besides,touching buttons,which is simple and convenience for users,is selected.So this instrument is convenient to measure and teach about hearing,specially,research and study on frequency characteristic of human ear and impedance characteristic of human body in medical science.
Embedding Sensors in FDM Plastic Parts During Additive Manufacturing

In additive manufacturing, there is a necessity to qualify both the geometrical and material characteristics of the fabricated part, because both are being created simultaneously as the part is built up layer by layer. Increased availability of open source fused deposition modeling machines has expanded the parameter space for which the user has control during the build process. This work quantifies the effects of operator choices, such as print speed, printer head and build plate temperatures, layering thickness, or building in a thermally controlled or fully open environment, on the quality and reproducibility of the build. Modal analyses were performed on completed builds using an electrodynamic shaker and integrated circuit piezoelectric accelerometers embedded in the parts during the build process. Experimental measurements of the fused deposition modeled parts were benchmarked against eigenvalue analysis results for an idealized part with homogenous material properties to gauge the suitability of such analysis to fused deposition modeling additive manufacturing. Follow on work will use this embedded technique for state-of-health monitoring in deployed systems and real-time diagnostics and control of the build process.
Strategic Subgoaling: Using Abstraction Systems

We begin by motivating the use of abstraction in interleaving control systems. In Section 7.2, we introduce new definitions, differentiating ground problem spaces from abstract problem spaces as well as moving to a new graph formalism in lieu of state set transition graphs. Section 7.3 defines an abstraction system using the new terminology, as well as specialized definitions of soundness and completeness in the context of a specific abstraction system control algorithm. Section 7.4 provides examples of useful abstractions and analyses of their performance. Finally, Section 7.5, Related Work, concentrates primarily on the relevance of our abstraction system formalism to specific cases of abstraction in motion planning.
The ABCs of Burn Care for School-Age Children

Burn injuries are among the most painful injuries any child can endure. This article explains common sources of burn injuries in student populations, diagnosis and classification of burn injuries, initial burn management, and how to determine when a child needs to be evaluated by a physician.
I Know It When I See It: Uncovering Student and Educator Expectations about Academic Writing in Higher Education

A series of focus groups was conducted to obtain and compare attitudes held by undergraduate university students and educators about the nature of academic writing. Analysis of comments found misalignment of assumptions about the linguistic demands on students. Such misalignments were evident not only between groups but also within each population. A follow-up study involved two students recording impressions in journals about their own awareness of language use and demands, to trace any metalinguistic gains from participating in the focus groups. Data from this qualitative study are discussed in terms of the benefits of metalinguistic awareness and the need to uncover assumptions about what academic writing is in order to yield more informed teaching and deeper learning.
A Population of Suppressive Monocytes Inhibiting T Cell Proliferation and Dendritic Cell Differentiation in Relapsed Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Despite advances in treatments for patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), the relapse rates remain high and 40% of diffuse large B-cell NHL (DLBCL) patients die of disease. New therapies to augment the host anti-tumor immune response are needed. Reports of graft-versus-lymphoma responses in patients who have received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant indicate a role for cellular immunotherapy. However, these patients have variable levels of immunodeficiency which may impact the efficacy of cellular therapy. To study this we first evaluated the cellular immune status of patients with relapsed NHL. Proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 beads was reduced by more than 3.5 folds for patients with DLBCL (n = 3) compared to that of age-matched healthy donors (n = 5; p = 0.02). Removal of monocytes from PBMNC by use of anti-CD14 immunomagnetic beads restored proliferation to that of healthy donors. Further, monocytes from these patients were deficient in stimulating allogeneic T cell proliferation by 3 folds compared to monocytes from healthy donors (n = 3 NHL; n = 8 normal; p
Developing the Construct of General Self-Efficacy1:

The theory of general self-efficacy is still in the early stages of development. There are few scales designed to measure increments of general self-efficacy, and the research on these scales and g...
Psychiatric Genomics Consortium: Past And Present

Abstract The Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (http://pgc.unc.edu), now in its eighth year, is one of the most innovative experiments in the history of psychiatry. We have unified much of the field to enable rapid progress in elucidating the genetic basis of psychiatric disorders. We have 800+ investigators from 36 countries and >400K subjects. The PGC has attracted a cadre of outstanding scientists whose careers center on our work. During the first phase of our efforts, we completed mega-analyses for ADHD, AUT, BD, MDD, and SCZ and preliminary cross-disorder analysis (cases defined as either BIP, MDD or SCZ). In total, the PGC has published 17 main papers plus 31 secondary analysis/methods development papers including a landmark Nature paper identifying 108 loci for schizophrenia (SCZ). Due to our open-source approach, there are 75+ papers that use PGC results, and we know of numerous groups that are using our findings to direct basic and applied research (including therapeutic development). We will describe the results of the two phases of our efforts to date, including recent efforts extending GWAS to >120,000 new individuals across multiple disorders using a custom microarray, PsychCHIP.
The Genus Phalium (Gastropoda: Cassidae) from the Alum Bluff Group of Northwestern Florida

The purpose of this paper is to reexamine the genus Phalium from the Alum Bluff Group of northwestern Florida. Over a century has elapsed since Dall first described a single specimen of this genus from Chipola Formation deposits. His new species was collected from Ten Mile Creek in Calhoun County, Florida, and given the name Phalium aldrichi to honor Mr. T.H. Aldrich, who was instrumental in furthering our knowledge of the Eocene fauna of the southern United States (Gardner, 1947, p. 537).
Variation in chick-a-dee calls of bridled titmice (Baeolophus wollweberi): Frequent use of non-combinatorial calls in a combinatorial calling system

Chick-a-dee calls of Poecile (chickadee) and Baeolophus (titmouse) species are complex in terms of the structural composition of note types and the diversity of messages. Studies so far have mainly focused on the calls of various chickadee and just one titmouse species—the tufted titmouse (B. bicolor). To begin to address this lack of titmouse data, our study investigated variation in note composition of calls of bridled titmice (B. wollweberi). We obtained calls from 26 flocks in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona in the overwintering flocking period. Bridled titmice produce proportionally more non-combinatorial call variants than combinatorial call variants. The number of the single noted calls furthermore exceeded the number of multinote calls. In general, structural variation in the combinatorial calls appears to be comparable to calls of better-studied chickadees and of tufted titmice, although bridled titmice appear to have a unique call length distribution. We also analyzed some behavioral associations with call variation and found that flight behavior and close interactions between individuals were associated with use of specific note types. Finally, we found microgeographic variation in note type use in these calls. We discuss some possible explanations for call complexity in this species.
TENTANG REALITAS DARI SEGALA SESUATU

The focus of the discussion in this article contains an analysis of reality, from the lowest level to the highest, based on physical science, Metamathematics and The Higher Infinite. Incompleteness theorem will play an important role in this discussion. As an application of such analysis, it will be discussed in this article the interpretation of Jalaluddin Rumi’s mystical experience of reality via his poem entitled “A Garden Beyond Paradise”. In this poem, Rumi emphasized that there is a reality that is much higher and greater than paradise, namely the reality of the Godhead. Human should not be satisfied with just paradise, he should continue his spiritual journey to unite with the Godhead.
Rights In The Digital Era, Menzi L. Behrnd-Klodt and Christopher J. Prom (Eds.), with an introduction by Peter B. Hirtle, featuring modules by Heather Briston, Menzi L. Behrnd-Klodt, and Aprille C. McKay

Rights in the Digital Era is the second volume in the Society of American Archivists’ (SAA) Trends in Archives Practices series. The series, a major initiative of SAA's Publication Board, “compleme...
Adopting the Quadruple Aim: The University of Rochester Medical Center Experience: Moving from Physician Burnout to Physician Resilience.

Abstract Background The high rates of burnout among medical professionals in the United States are well documented. The reasons for burnout and the factors that contribute to physician resilience among health care providers in academic centers, however, are less well studied. Methods Health care providers at a large academic center were surveyed to measure their degree of burnout and callousness and identify associated factors. Additional questions evaluated features linked to resilience. The survey assessed demographic variables, work characteristics, qualifications, experience, and citizenship. Results A total of 528 surveys were sent out; 469 providers responded, and 444 (84%) completed the survey. High burnout was reported by 214 providers (45.6%), and callousness was noted among 163 (34.8%). Rates of burnout and callousness were higher among advanced practice providers than physicians. Lack of support, lack of respect, and problems with work-life balance were themes significantly associated with a risk for burnout. Rates of burnout (P Conclusions Academic physicians enjoy patient care and value scholarly activities, but lack of support, lack of respect, workload, and problems with work-life balance prevent them from finding a sense of meaning in their professional work. Changes at the organizational level are needed to overcome these impediments and recreate joy in the practice of medicine.
Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide and Dietary Natural Source Vitamin E Effects on Broiler Chick Immune Response

Effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection and dietary natural source vitamin E (NSVE) levels on RNA expression levels of 14 immune related genes were measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes of broiler. Broilers immunologically responded to injection of LPS (bacterial membrane component) with a pro-inflammatory response of interleukin 6 (IL6) and an innate response of avian beta-defensing 10 (AvBD10) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The genes profiled in this study did not differed only moderately in RNA expression level between the NSVE dietary levels. This study confirmed and expanded our understanding of the network of genes involved in chicken’s immune response to bacterial infection. Newly described AvBD10 RNA expressed in LPS-injected birds emphasizes the importance of innate immunity in defense against bacterial infection.
Noise in Externally Linear Filters

This paper presents a systematic noise analysis method for externally linear filters, suitable for hand calculations. As an illustrative example, a log-domain filter is analyzed. Applying this method to an abstract topology, bounds for signal-to-noise ratio are derived for a class of instantaneous companding filters, when total capacitance or total power are limited.
Limulus α2-macroglobulin. First evidence in an invertebrate for a protein containing an internal thiol ester bond

Intra-chain thiol ester bonds are present in a limited number of proteins. The thiol ester class of proteins includes vertebrate alpha 2-macroglobulin and the complement proteins C3 and C4. We report here the first instance of a thiol ester protein from an invertebrate, the alpha 2-macroglobulin proteinase-inhibitor homologue present in the plasma of the American horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus. Our evidence is of three kinds: (1) the proteinase-binding activity of Limulus alpha 2-macroglobulin is inactivated by the low-molecular-mass primary amine methylamine; (2) the native protein is subject to autolytic fragmentation during mild thermal denaturation, yielding fragments of approx. 125 kDa and 55 kDa, whereas the methylamine-treated protein is stable under these conditions of thermal treatment; (3) new thiol groups are generated rapidly during reaction of the protein with trypsin. The demonstration of the thiol ester bond in a protein from an ancient invertebrate provides evolutionary evidence for the importance of this bond in the function of plasma forms of the alpha 2-macroglobulin-like proteinase inhibitors.
How Higher Client Service Performance Affects Auditors’ Willingness to Challenge Management’s Preferred Accounting

Client service activities, such as providing timely communications, minimizing disruptions, and being accessible, pervade auditors’ daily interactions with client managers. However, the effects of auditors’ client service performance on their judgments are not well understood. Psychology theory suggests that better client service performance could both impair and improve auditors’ judgments, depending upon whether performance is framed as an expression of goal commitment (i.e., the importance of a goal) or an indication of goal progress (i.e., moving forward on a goal). In an experiment, I find theory-consistent evidence that with commitment framing, higher client service performers are less willing to challenge management’s preferred accounting than lower performers. This deleterious effect of client service performance is eliminated with progress framing. However, inconsistent with theory, progress framing does not cause higher client service performers to be more challenging than lower performers. Taken together, this study provides new evidence about the age-old tension between client satisfaction and audit quality. Satisfying clients by providing better service can compromise audit quality, but not necessarily.
A inclusão digital de crianças com múltiplas deficiências na escola

Nos artefatos tecnologicos estao subjacentes visoes de mundo, linguagens, conhecimentos, bem como questoes objetivas em construcao, que surgem como alternativas para aprender a pensar as demandas da comunidade escolar e digital. O presente ensaio busca compreender a cultura da escola, atraves de uma pesquisa etnografica, apresentando as aporias enfrentadas no cotidiano educativo em termos do uso de tecnologias digitais por criancas com multiplas deficiencias. Na atualidade, as tecnologias digitais tem demonstrado a possibilidade de uma nova perspectiva educacional enquanto ferramentas no processo de ensino e de integracao das diferencas na escola regular, visto que no mundo infantil a conexao digital e incorporada como forma de comunicacao e intercâmbio, superando os isolamentos em diferentes contextos. Mas, sera que os recursos tecnologicos podem motivar processos de ensino e de aprendizagem inclusivos, facilitando a transformacao das atividades pedagogicas reprodutivas e de segregacao por novas compreensoes nas diferencas que os enfoques tecnologicos colocam a praxis? Neste sentido, o trabalho gira em torno de problemas de investigacao apontados e identificados na cultura da escola, considerando os artefatos digitais na realidade dos educandos com deficiencias. A partir do contexto apresentado, o trabalho conclui que o acesso as tecnologias digitais de informacao e comunicacao (TDIC) e a tecnologia assistiva (TA) torna-se relevante para viabilizar a inclusao humana, tecnologica, educacional e social de educandos com multiplas deficiencias, tanto para a melhoria das condicoes de relacionamento social com as limitacoes sentidas pelos sujeitos, mas, sobretudo, para o reconhecimento inclusivo nos diferentes espacos e tempos da formacao socializada.Palavras-chave: Inclusao digital. Inclusao Escolar. Multiplas Deficiencias.
Inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase in the CNS prevents and reverses morphine tolerance in male and female mice

Background and purpose Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is an intracellular serine amidase that terminates the signalling of various lipid messengers involved in pain regulation, including anandamide and palmitoylethanolamide. Here, we investigated the effects of pharmacological or genetic FAAH removal on tolerance to the anti-nociceptive effects of morphine. Experimental approach We induced tolerance in male and female mice by administering twice-daily morphine for 7 days while monitoring nociceptive thresholds by the tail immersion test. The globally active FAAH inhibitor URB597 (1 and 3 mg·kg-1 , i.p.) or the peripherally restricted FAAH inhibitor URB937 (3 mg·kg-1 , i.p.) were administered daily 30 min prior to morphine, alone or in combination with the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist AM251 (3 mg·kg-1 , i.p.), the CB2 receptor antagonist AM630 (3 mg·kg-1 , i.p.), or the PPAR-α antagonist GW6471 (4 mg·kg-1 , i.p.). Spinal levels of FAAH-regulated lipids were quantified by LC/MS-MS. Gene transcription was assessed by RT-qPCR. Key results URB597 prevented and reversed morphine tolerance in both male and female mice. This effect was mimicked by genetic FAAH deletion, but not by URB937. Treatment with AM630 suppressed, whereas treatment with AM251 or GW6471, attenuated the effects of URB597. Anandamide mobilization was enhanced in the spinal cord of morphine-tolerant mice. mRNA levels of the anandamide-producing enzyme N-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamine PLD (NAPE-PLD) and the palmitoylethanolamide receptor PPAR-α, but not those for CB2 , CB1 receptors or FAAH, were elevated in spinal cord CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: FAAH-regulated lipid signalling in the CNS modulated opiate tolerance, suggesting FAAH as a potential target for opiate-sparing medications.
Properties of the mean momentum balance in turbulent Taylor–Couette flow

This paper investigates the properties of the mean momentum balance (MMB) equation in the azimuthal direction of a turbulent Taylor–Couette flow (TCF). The MMB- equation is integrated to determine the properties of the Reynolds shear stress. An approximation is developed for the Reynolds shear stress in the core region of a turbulent TCF, and the dependence of the peak Reynolds shear stress location on the Reynolds number and the gap geometry is revealed. The properties of the global integral of the turbulent Coriolis force are also revealed. For a turbulent TCF with a small gap or at high Reynolds numbers, the global integral of the turbulent Coriolis force is found to be only weakly influenced by the rotation ratio of the cylinders. Two controlling non-dimensional numbers are derived directly from the scaling analysis of the MMB- equation. The first is a geometry Atwood number to characterize the gap geometry, where is the gap half-width, and is the mid-gap radial location. The second is the friction Reynolds number defined as , where is the kinematic viscosity and is the friction velocity at the inner cylinder. A new three-layer structure is proposed for the inner half of a turbulent TCF at sufficiently high Reynolds number, based on the force balance in the MMB- equation. Layer I is an inner layer, where the force balance is between the viscous force and the Reynolds shear force: . Layer III occupies the core of the gap, where the force balance is between the turbulent Coriolis force and the Reynolds shear force: . In Layer II, all three forces contribute to the balance. An inner scaling is developed for Layer I, and an outer scaling is developed for Layer III. The inner and outer scalings are verified against direct numerical simulation data. Similarities and differences between the turbulent TCF and a pressure-driven turbulent channel flow are elucidated.
Report on Progress in the Development of Visual Prostheses

□ In summary, we can say that as a result of recent work in implanting visual prostheses in correlated work in visual physiology, data processing, and materials technology and in the development of...
Greater Than Expected Prevalence of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Found in an Urban Gender Program.

The prevalence of type 1 diabetes mellitus among transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth is nearly five times higher than in the general pediatric population (9.9 per 1000 people vs. 1.93 per 10...
EXITitis in Europe? Yugoslavia as the First European Disunion

Yugoslavia (YU), a multinational federation, collapsed into civil war and ultimate dissolution in 1991, exactly when the European Union (EU) was coming into existence as a multinational federation. What failed in YU, and is threatened in EU, is the concept of a federation composed of nation-states in the European sense of that term, in which the nation (as ethno-religious community) is sovereign in its own state (territory plus government). If the EU remains defined as a single polity of nation-states whose sovereignty is subordinated to regulatory processes from Brussels, which nationalists can charge are damaging to the interests of their particular ethno-nation’s control over their own state, its future seems as unpromising as was Yugoslavia under socialism.
Premature Atrial and Ventricular Contraction Detection using Photoplethysmographic Data from a Smartwatch.

We developed an algorithm to detect premature atrial contraction (PAC) and premature ventricular contraction (PVC) using photoplethysmographic (PPG) data acquired from a smartwatch. Our PAC/PVC detection algorithm is composed of a sequence of algorithms that are combined to discriminate various arrhythmias. A novel vector resemblance method is used to enhance the PAC/PVC detection results of the Poincare plot method. The new PAC/PVC detection algorithm with our automated motion and noise artifact detection approach yielded a sensitivity of 86% for atrial fibrillation (AF) subjects while the overall sensitivity was 67% when normal sinus rhythm (NSR) subjects were also included. The specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy values for the combined data consisting of both NSR and AF subjects were 97%, 81%, 94% and 92%, respectively, for PAC/PVC detection combined with our automated motion and noise artifact detection approach. Moreover, when AF detection was compared with and without PAC/PVC, the sensitivity and specificity increased from 94.55% to 98.18% and from 95.75% to 97.90%, respectively. For additional independent testing data, we used two datasets: a smartwatch PPG dataset that was collected in our ongoing clinical study, and a pulse oximetry PPG dataset from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database. The PAC/PVC classification results of the independent testing on these two other datasets are all above 92% for sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy. The proposed combined approach to detect PAC and PVC can ultimately lead to better accuracy in AF detection. This is one of the first studies involving detection of PAC and PVC using PPG recordings from a smartwatch. The proposed method can potentially be of clinical importance as this enhanced capability can lead to fewer false positive detections of AF, especially for those NSR subjects with frequent episodes of PAC/PVC.
What students do early college high schools serve? Unpacking social constructions of the target population

To support the nation’s college completion goals, early college high school (ECHS) reform creates opportunities for interested students to earn up to two years of free college credit during high school. ECHSs also have an equity objective: to target and enroll students who are historically underrepresented and/or might not otherwise go to college. Yet the extent to which ECHSs actually serve their target population in practice is unclear, especially in a marketized school environment. Using qualitative methods and the theory of social construction and policy design (Schneider & Ingram, 1993), this study explores the recruitment and selection practices at five ECHSs in the borderlands of Texas. Findings suggest that ECHS staff invited applications from the broad target groups. However, the admission process, shaped in part by patterns of self-selection, favored students who were academically inclined and relatively privileged compared to their district peers. ECHS staff socially constructed narrower ideals of the target population than those articulated in the policy design based on their assumptions about who was likely to succeed in—and thus deserving of—an early college opportunity. Findings are discussed with particular attention to the equity implications of ECHS reform.
Patient-specific iPSCs carrying an SFTPC mutation reveal the intrinsic alveolar epithelial dysfunction at the inception of interstitial lung disease

The incompletely understood pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and lack of reliable preclinical disease models have limited development of effective therapies. An emerging literature now implicates alveolar epithelial type 2 cell (AEC2) dysfunction as an initiating pathogenic event in the onset of a variety of PF syndromes, including adult idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and childhood interstitial lung disease (chILD). However, inability to access primary AEC2s from patients, particularly at early disease stages, has impeded identification of disease-initiating mechanisms. Here we present an in vitro reductionist model system that permits investigation of epithelial-intrinsic events that lead to AEC2 dysfunction over time using patient-derived cells that carry a disease-associated variant, SFTPCI73T, known to be expressed solely in AEC2s. After generating patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and engineering their gene-edited (corrected) counterparts, we employ directed differentiation to produce pure populations of syngeneic corrected and mutant AEC2s, which we expand >1015 fold in vitro, providing a renewable source of cells for modeling disease onset. We find that mutant iPSC-derived AEC2s (iAEC2s) accumulate large amounts of misprocessed pro-SFTPC protein which mistrafficks to the plasma membrane, similar to changes observed in vivo in the donor patient9s AEC2s. These changes result in marked reduction in AEC2 progenitor capacity and several downstream perturbations in AEC2 proteostatic and bioenergetic programs, including a late block in autophagic flux, accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria with consequent time-dependent metabolic reprograming from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis, and activation of an NF-κB dependent inflammatory response. Treatment of SFTPCI73T expressing iAEC2s with hydroxychloroquine, a medication commonly prescribed to these patients, results in aggravation of autophagy perturbations and metabolic reprogramming. Thus, iAEC2s provide a patient-specific preclinical platform for modeling the intrinsic epithelial dysfunction associated with the inception of interstitial lung disease.
Transcriptomic profile of VEGF-regulated genes in human cervical epithelia

Cervical epithelial cells play a central role in cervical remodeling (CR) during pregnancy and cervical events during menstrual cycle, including mounting physical and immunological barriers, proliferation and differentiation, maintenance of fluid balance, and likely in withstanding the mechanical force exerted by the growing fetus prior to term. In the present study, we attempt to decipher the specific roles of VEGF in fetal human cervical epithelial cells by delineating VEGF signature genes using RNA sequencing in order to characterize the specific biological effects of VEGF in these cells.Out of a total of 25,000 genes screened, 162 genes were found to be differentially expressed in human cervical epithelial cells, of which 12 genes were found to be statistically significantly differentially expressed. The differentially expressed genes (162) were categorized by biological function, which included (1) proliferation, (2) immune response, (3) structure/matrix, (4) mitochondrial function, and (5) cell adhesion/communication and others (pseudogenes, non-coding RNA, miscellaneous genes, and uncharacterized genes). We conclude that VEGF plays a key role in CR by altering the expression of genes that regulate proliferation, immune response, energy metabolism and cell structure, and biological processes that are essential to development and likely CR.
Teaching NeuroImages: Concomitant Brain and Spine Lesions Due to Multiple Nutritional Deficiencies.

A 28-year-old vegetarian woman with pernicious anemia developed progressive leg spasticity and psychosis leading to food paranoia and severe malnutrition. She presented with encephalopathy, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, and severe deficiency of zinc and vitamins B1, B6, and B12. MRI revealed a lesion of the splenium of the corpus callosum (figure 1) and spinal cord changes (figure 2). This case shows a combination of findings associated with vitamin deficiencies: corpus callosum (B complex, Marchiafava-Bignami disease)1 and spinal cord (B12, subacute combined degeneration).2 Primary demyelinating, autoimmune, and metabolic disorders (Cu, vitamin E) were ruled out given the clinical context and workup. After treatment, the psychosis resolved; the spasticity and weakness improved.