cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The difference a day makes: Breeding remodels hearing, hormones and behavior in female Cope's gray treefrogs (Hyla chrysoscelis).

Abstract In seasonal breeders, there are behavioral, endocrine, and neural adaptations that promote the sexual receptivity of females and tune their sensory systems to detect and discriminate among advertising males and to successfully copulate. What happens immediately after this key life history event is unclear, but this transitional moment offers a window into the mechanisms that remodel sexual phenotypes. In this study of wild female Cope's gray treefrogs (Hyla chrysoscelis), we tested the hypothesis that oviposition results in a suite of coordinated changes in the sexual phenotype. Specifically, we predicted that sexual receptivity and discrimination behaviors would decline along with circulating concentrations of steroid hormones (corticosterone, estradiol, testosterone) and auditory sensitivity to the acoustic frequencies emphasized in male advertisement calls. We conducted these trait measurements before and after oviposition (ca. 24-h period). There was a 100% decrease in behavioral responsiveness after oviposition, and the concentrations of all three steroids plummeted during this brief window of time, especially testosterone. Moreover, higher concentrations of corticosterone—an important component of the endocrine stress response—were associated with longer response latencies, suggesting that adrenal hormones should be considered in future studies on the hormonal basis of mate choice. Counter to our prediction, auditory sensitivity increased following oviposition, and the amplitude of the auditory brainstem response was influenced by concentrations of estradiol. In pre-oviposition females auditory sensitivity diminished with increasing estradiol concentrations, while sensitivity increased with increasing estradiol concentrations in post-oviposition females, suggesting non-linear estrogenic modulation of peripheral auditory neural recruitment. Overall, our results indicate that there is considerable remodeling of behavioral output following oviposition that co-occurs with changes in both endocrine and sensory physiology.
PCO Prevention with IOLs Maintaining an Open or Expanded Capsular Bag

Postoperative capsular opacification is a multifactorial physiological consequence of cataract surgery. Opacification may involve the anterior or posterior capsules and may have a significant impact on visual function. Capsular opacification, composed of cortical/pearl and/or fibrotic components, can disrupt the proper functioning of an intraocular lens, particularly specialized ones such as accommodating lenses. It has been hypothesized that intraocular lens designs that maintain an open or expanded capsular bag are associated with better bag clarity. This may be due to mechanisms that include mechanical compression of residual lens epithelial cells within the capsular bag by a relatively bulky device/intraocular lens with overall inhibition of residual lens epithelial cells metaplasia and migration/proliferation of these cells. Another factor may be the mechanical stretch of the bag at the level of the equatorial region, maintaining the overall bag contour. Lastly, constant irrigation of the inner capsular bag compartment by the aqueous humor may also have an influence on the prevention of proliferation of residual cells. This chapter discusses devices that have been designed to minimize or prevent the development of anterior and/or posterior capsule opacification. Devices described include capsular rings and different designs of intraocular lenses which are intended for implantation within the capsular bag after phacoemulsification. The commonality among these devices is to maintain an open or expanded capsular bag, which effectively prevents capsular opacification. While some of the devices are already in clinical use, others are currently under investigation in animal studies.
Is Empiricism Innate? Preference for Nurture Over Nature in People's Beliefs About the Origins of Human Knowledge.

The origins of human knowledge are an enduring puzzle: what parts of what we know require learning, and what depends on intrinsic structure? Although the nature-nurture debate has been a central qu...
Do Greener Products Earn More Green? Examining Biomimicry along with Incremental and Radical Sustainable Product Innovations for UX Designs

Companies strive on product designs. Household sector innovators modify and innovate consumer products as small projects. Innovators use gestalt theory and look at the idea as a whole rather than in parts. These ideas are developed based on the three-dimensional strategy: aesthetics, functionality and symbolism. These design dimensions together show positive influences on a customer’s willingness to pay and generate a positive effect on purchase intentions. There is a strong predictive link between raw idea and consumers’ purchase intentions. Therefore, experts consider consumer panel evaluations. In recent years, making product design ideas environmentally friendly has become popular. Biomimicry is a new concept which encourages designers and product managers to innovate with product designs through emulation of biological forms, processes, patterns and systems. Biomimicry-driven projects produce double intellectual property with double energy savings for one-sixth the resources. The betterment of a product would be done with the help of user experience and design. These design ideas can include radical or incremental innovations. This chapter addresses the following questions: What role does biomimicry play in incremental and radical innovations? Explain how the new innovative product ideas follow three dimensionality: aesthetics, functionality and symbolism? How important is user experience (UX) design in biomimicry-based product innovations?
The Impact of Patient, Procedural, and Staffing Factors Upon Ureteroscopy Cost.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors during ureteroscopy that can potentially impact procedure cost. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of 129 consecutive elec...
Connected Home Automated Security Monitor (CHASM): Protecting IoT Through Application of Machine Learning

The Internet of Things (IoT) will dramatically transform the home experience, but it presents significant security risks. We propose a system that helps reduce the cognitive load on a user in keeping their smart home network protected. The system helps prevent IoT devices from becoming invisible or forgotten by the user and provides semi-autonomous capability to address key security concerns in the connected home. In this paper, we describe the problem, explain specifications for the system, present our work in IoT discovery and IoT device classification portions of the system, and show initial results related to our efforts exploring novel application of machine learning to build this capability.
Early Affordable Care Act Medicaid: Coverage Effects for Low- and Moderate-Income Young Adults.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of early Medicaid expansions on young adults, who also benefitted from a private dependent coverage expansion. Methods We used the American Community Survey 2008–2013 to study three early expansion states—California, Connecticut, and Minnesota—using difference-in-differences. Control states are weighted combinations of other states and are similar to expansion states in the prepolicy periods. We analyze young adults and subgroups of women and men. Results Early Medicaid reduced uninsurance and improved public coverage among low- and moderate-income young adults beyond the private dependent coverage expansion, but results differed across states. California, which targeted up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), reduced uninsurance 1.3 percentage points (4.2% relative to mean) and increased public insurance by 1.4 percentage points (14.0%). Connecticut, which targeted up to 56 percent of FPL, had no change to uninsurance but a 5.4 percentage point (42.5%) increase in public coverage. Minnesota's programs (up to 75 and 250 percent of FPL) produced a 4.2 percentage point (21.9%) decline in uninsurance for their lowest income group, but no measurable changes for their moderate-income group. Young men benefitted more than women. Their uninsurance declined as much as 6.0 percentage points (25.0%, in Minnesota) and their public coverage increased up to 9.1 percentage points (61.5%, in Connecticut). Conclusions Medicaid expansion benefits young adults, even those with moderate incomes, and even following a private dependent expansion. Results were larger and concentrated among young men, who historically had little engagement with the program.
Effects of Pneumatic Tube Transport on Blood Gas and Supplemental Analytes.

BACKGROUND: Pneumatic tube transport of blood gas samples is a common method of delivery within a facility. The effects of pneumatic tube transport on blood gas analysis has been studied. However, other analytes that are often assessed in blood gas analysis (eg, electrolytes, metabolites, and oximetry) are not typically included in these studies. We sought to investigate the impact of pneumatic tube transport on some of these other analytes. METHODS: The study was conducted at the blood gas laboratory at the University of Utah Hospital. A split sample comparison was performed. Both samples were walked to a pneumatic tube station, where one sample was sent via tube to the blood gas laboratory, while the other sample was walked back to blood gas laboratory. We examined 2 samples from each of the 27 different pneumatic tube stations in this hospital. Results were graphed with upper and lower control limits set to conform to acceptable College of American Pathologists proficiency testing evaluation criteria. Data were compared using the Student t test. RESULTS: Differences between walked and tubed specimens were neither clinically nor statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Pneumatic tube transport of blood gas specimens is acceptable for blood gas and supplementary analytes, as evidenced by multiple points of evaluation, including statistical analysis, clinical judgment, and concordance with regulatory guidelines.
Looks can be Deceiving: A Challenging Case of Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody Associated Vasculitis.

[Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis] (AAV) is an autoimmune disease characterized by systemic vascular inflammation. We present a case of a 76-year-old man who presented with shortness of breath, fatigue, and weakness. He was eventually diagnosed with hydralazine-induced ANCA-associated renal limited glomerulonephritis. The presentation of this case was unique for a few reasons; the patient showed an initial improvement in kidney function, was non-oliguric, and had no systemic signs of vasculitis. This led to the patient being discharged prematurely with the diagnosis of acute tubular necrosis. We discuss educational features of this case and warn future clinicians about the possibility of waxing and waning renal function in these patients, as well as the importance of having a higher index of suspicion for glomerulonephritis in patients who take hydralazine.
Novel use of menstrual blood for monitoring glycaemic control in patients with diabetes: a proof-of-concept study.

Background Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is the diagnostic and prognostic standard for clinical management of diabetes mellitus (DM). Unfortunately, patient adherence to guidelines for routine testing can be poor and there are significant gender-based disparities in DM management and outcomes. Recent evidence suggests that menstrual blood may be comparable to systemic blood for monitoring of common biomarkers. The objective of the present study was to assess the concordance of HbA1c levels between menstrual and systemic blood in healthy women and women with diabetes of reproductive age. Methods In this prospective, observational cohort study, we enrolled healthy and diabetic (type 1 and type 2 DM) reproductive-age women (aged ≥18 and ≤45 years). Menstrual blood and venous systemic blood specimens were simultaneously obtained at time of menstruation, and analysed for HbA1c levels. Participants self-collected menstrual blood using a QPad, a novel, modified menstrual pad with an embedded dried blood spot strip. Results Among 172 participants, 57.6% were healthy and 42.4% had a diagnosis of either type 1 or type 2 DM. There were no significant differences in mean HbA1c values in menstrual and systemic blood across the overall cohort or within the diabetic subgroup. Furthermore, HbA1c levels between blood sources were robustly correlated and demonstrated a significant linear relationship. Conclusions There is a strong concordance in HbA1c levels between menstrual and systemic blood. Empowered by self-collection technologies, these findings suggest that menstrual blood may serve as a reliable, non-invasive and potentially cost-effective alternative to serum for HbA1c monitoring among reproductive-age women with DM.
Mexican-American Families and Dementia: An Exploration of “Work” in Response to Dementia-Related Aggressive Behavior

Managing dementia-related behavioral problems at home is of significance for both care-recipients and caregivers as well as more generally for public health. Examining how Mexican-American families respond in the home when the person with dementia displays aggressive behavior provides a unique opportunity to understand how they accomplish the work involved in managing illness. The aims of this study were (a) to describe the socio-cultural context in which dementia-related aggressive behavior takes places, and (b) to describe the work that Mexican-American families do to manage dementia-related aggressive behavior. This is an ethnographic study involving participant observation of Mexican-American families caring for a person with dementia at home. Findings show that there is variation in how families accomplish illness work when dementia-related aggressive behavior disrupts everyday caregiving. The types of work performed by families under these strenuous and stressful situations likely result from a confluence of gender and generational differences.
Detection of virus-specific RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity in extracts from cells infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus: in vitro synthesis of full-length viral RNA species.

Abstract We have developed an in vitro assay for the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase with ribonucleoprotein complexes extracted from acutely infected tissue culture cells. The RNA products synthesized in vitro corresponded in size to the full-length genomic L and S RNAs and subgenomic NP and GP mRNAs normally produced in vivo during acute LCMV infection. In a temporal analysis spanning the first 72 h of acute infection, the in vitro polymerase activity of ribonucleoprotein complexes was maximal at 16 h and declined significantly at later times. In contrast, the intracellular levels of the viral L protein (the putative polymerase protein) appeared to be maximal at 48 to 72 h postinfection. Our results suggest that the accumulation of L protein correlates with reduced viral replication and transcription at later times in acute infection and may be involved in the transition from acute to persistent LCMV infection.
Compression with side information using turbo codes

We show that turbo codes can come close to the Slepian-Wolf bound in lossless distributed source coding. In the asymmetric scenario considered, X and Y are statistically dependent signals and X is encoded with no knowledge of Y. However, Y is known as side information at the decoder. We use a system based on turbo codes to send X at a rate close to H(X|Y). We apply our system to binary sequences and simulations show performance close to the information-theoretic limit. For distributed source coding of Gaussian sequences, our results show significant improvement over previous work. The scheme also performs well for joint source-channel coding.
A Review of “Planning for Climate Change: Strategies for Mitigation and Adaption for Spatial Planners”

I am sympathetic to the major premise of Planning for Climate Change, that “climate change is changing the context of planning and shaping its priorities” (p. xix), and have argued that not only do...
Cotton Pollen Retention in Boll Weevils: A Laboratory Experiment

Abstract Cotton pollen is thought to exist in the gut of boll weevils for at least 24 hours. Because finding whole or broken cotton pollen grains are valuable clues in determining when boll weevils were living in cotton, the retention of cotton pollen in the gut of the weevil was examined. Boll weevils were fed cotton buds, cotton flowers, and water for five days, then they were placed into cleaned cages without any food. However they were allowed to drink water freely. Weevils were examined at 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours after the buds and flowers were removed. One hundred weevils were dissected at each time interval, and each gut was placed onto a glass slide. Light microscopy was used to determine the presence or absence of cotton pollen. More weevils (63%) at 0 hours contained pollen than weevils at any other interval. Whole pollen grains were not found in weevils after 24 hours. The 120 hour interval contained a single weevil with pollen. In the laboratory test, whole cotton pollen grains indica...
Novel molecular targets of Azadirachta indica associated with inhibition of tumor growth in prostate cancer.

Advanced prostate cancer has significant long-term morbidity, and there is a growing interest in alternative and complimentary forms of therapy that will improve the outcomes of patients. Azadirachta indica (common name: neem) contains multiple active compounds that have potent anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. The present study investigates the novel targets of the anticancer activity of ethanol extract of neem leaves (EENL) in vitro and evaluates the in vivo efficacy in the prostate cancer models. Analysis of the components in the EENL by mass spectrometry suggests the presence of 2′,3′-dehydrosalannol, 6-desacetyl nimbinene, and nimolinone. Treatment of C4-2B and PC-3M-luc2 prostate cancer cells with EENL inhibited the cell proliferation. Genome-wide expression profiling, using oligonucleotide microarrays, revealed genes differentially expressed with EENL treatment in prostate cancer cells. Functional analysis unveiled that most of the up-regulated genes were associated with cell death, and drug metabolism, and the down-regulated genes were associated with cell cycle, DNA replication, recombination, and repair functions. Quantitative PCR confirmed significant up-regulation of 40 genes and immunoblotting revealed increase in the protein expression levels of HMOX1, AKR1C2, AKR1C3, and AKR1B10. EENL treatment inhibited the growth of C4-2B and PC-3M-luc2 prostate cancer xenografts in nude mice. The suppression of tumor growth is associated with the formation of hyalinized fibrous tumor tissue and the induction of cell death by apoptosis. These results suggest that EENL-containing natural bioactive compounds could have potent anticancer property and the regulation of multiple cellular pathways could exert pleiotrophic effects in prevention and treatment of prostate cancer.
Effects of Choice of Instructional Methods on Verbal Learning Tasks

62 children in Grades 2 through 5 were matched on the variables of sex, race, and age. Each member of the matched pairs was randomly assigned to a choice (treatment) or no-choice (control) group. Subjects in the choice group were asked to choose between individualized and group instructional methods; those in the control were assigned the methods by a teacher. Two verbal tasks and measures were administered to all subjects. A 2 (choice) × 4 (age) factorial analysis of variance yielded a significant difference in the predicted direction for choice. The results substantiate current practices.
Moving on from free school meals: national census data can describe the socio-economic background of the intake of each school in England

Background: Data for England from the national census can provide the socio-economic background of individual pupils and therefore the intake of schools. In many respects, this is more useful than the conventional measure of ‘free school meals’, which has historically been used in the UK as a proxy measure for disadvantage. Prior to the advent of the English Pupil-level Annual School Census in 2001, using census data for research concerning schools was problematic as the immediate location of the school is often socio-economically different to areas in which the pupils live. Now and in future, working with the national census is considerably more attractive as data on individual pupils can be matched and information aggregated to school level to provide measures that reflect intake rather than immediate location. Purpose: This paper discusses the details, merits and uses of this approach. It considers whether derived census data for England can replace or augment the traditional proxy measure for disadvan...
A theoretical and computational method for determining optimal treatment schedules in fractionated radiation therapy

Abstract Using a mathematical model based on existing models in the literature, the response of tumor and tumor-bed cell populations to fractionated radiation therapy is investigated. Problems of determining the optimal dose schedule for a given treatment calendar (specified number of doses and time intervals between doses) are formulated. A theoretical and computational method for solving such problems is proposed. Representative results, which support the efficacy of the method, are presented and discussed.
Methods of performing sphincterotomy: Biliary and pancreatic

Endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) has been performed for 30 years and is the therapeutic procedure of choice for management of choledocholithiasis, cholangitis, biliary pancreatitis, and other biliary and pancreatic problems. Sphincterotomy is commonly performed on the biliary and pancreatic sphincters in addition to the minor papilla. A variety of sphincterotomes are manufactured for use in a range of clinical settings. Specialized techniques including precut sphincterotomy and transpancreatic sphincter precut have been developed to perform sphincterotomy in cases where selective cannulation of the bile duct is not possible. Sphincterotomy can also be performed using a stent as a guide. Early and late complications can occur following sphincterotomy. Early complications include pancreatitis, hemorrhage, perforation and cholangitis; the incidence of complications has been shown to be related to endoscopic technique, procedure volume, and indication for the procedure. Late complications include choledocholithiasis, stenosis and cholangitis. These are usually related to patient factors such as bile duct size and the size of the sphincterotomy. As endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is becoming a procedure for therapy rather than diagnosis, all endoscopists performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography should be able to perform sphincterotomy.
Antialiasing weighting function for helical CT

Longitudinal aliasing effects plague most volumes reconstructed from single-slice helical computed tomography data, and its presence can degrade resolution and distort image structures. We have recently developed a Fourier-based approach to longitudinal interpolation in helical CT that can, under certain conditions, essentially eliminate this longitudinal aliasing by exploiting a generalization of the sampling theorem whose conditions are satisfied by the interlaced pairs of direct and complementary longitudinal samples. However, the algorithm is computationally intensive and cannot be pipelined. In the present work, we address this shortcoming by deriving a spatial-domain, projection- data weighting function that approximates the application of the Fourier-based approach, and preserves its aliasing suppression properties to some degree, while allowing for a pipelined implementation. We call the approach 180AA, for anti-aliasing.
Effect of pre-natal protein deprivation on neonatal cerebellar development in vitro.

MOST biochemical and morphological studies of the effects of nutritional deprivation on the mammalian nervous system have dealt with quantitative undernutrition during the first 21 postnatal days. Findings have included a reduction in brain cellularity1–4; a delay in neuronal and glial differentiation3; and a decrease in the lipids3,3–7, lamellae numbers8 and stainability3,5,9 of the myelin sheath. Such studies, even of those regions of the nervous system developing maximally post-natally, may be criticized as enabling the anlage, however undifferentiated, to develop normally until birth. I have, therefore, studied in a tissue culture system the morphogenetic effects of pre-natal maternal protein deprivation on the growth and development of the cerebellum, a region of the brain developing maximally after birth. Cultures of neonatal mouse cerebellum from mothers deprived of protein were analysed in a nutritionally normal environment to determine the effect of pre-natal protein restriction on the post-natal developmental potential of the nervous system.
On Modeling Human Learning in Sequential Games with Delayed Reinforcements

We model human learning in a repeated and sequential game context that provides delayed reinforcements. Our context is signifcantly more complex than previous work in behavioral game theory, which has predominantly focused on repeated single-shot games where the actions of other agent are perfectly observable and provides for an immediate reinforcement. In this complex context, we explore several established reinforcement learning models including temporal difference learning, SARSA and Q-learning. We generalize the default models by introducing behavioral factors that are refective of the cognitive biases observed in human play. We evaluate the model on data gathered from new experiments involving human participants making judgments under uncertainty in a repeated strategic and sequential game. We analyze the descriptive models against their default counterparts and show that modeling human aspects in reinforcement learning signifcantly improves predictive capabilities. This is useful in open and mixed networks of agent and human decision makers.
Computed tomography in traumatic defects of the diaphragm

Two patients with traumatic diaphragmatic defects visible on computed tomography are presented. The diagnosis was delayed for several years in both patients. The diagnosis of these acquired diaphragmatic defects is often difficult. Computed tomography can lead to earlier diagnosis by demonstrating the defect in some patients when radiographic studies are not diagnostic.
Pulse Propagation And Energy Extraction In Short Pulse CO2 Lasers

The emphasis in this minicourse will be on the theory and experimental verification of topics in short-pulse propagation in high-pressure, short-pulse CO2 laser amplifiers. We begin by deriving the basic equations of a two-level laser amplifier followed by examining the conditions under which a coherent electric field or incoherent rate equation description applies. Some exact solutions of the two-level system will be discussed. Finally, we discuss the results of this type of modeling applied to our LASL high power, short-pulse CO2 amplifiers.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
More effective computer packages for applications

This paper describes ways to make applications packages more useful to their intended users. The paper is based on our experience with the new General Electric STATPAC, a general purpose statistical package for analyzing data and for fitting models to data. The discussion is general and will aid those who use and develop applications packages in other areas. This paper is written from the viewpoint of the user and does not get into technical aspects of the statistical methodology and the computer programming. The methods we describe for making such packages more effective for users are not new. The purpose of this paper is to indicate how important and effective they are.
Monolithic, self-frequency doubled, neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium borate green laser with low intensity noise

A monolithic, self-frequency-doubled green laser is fabricated from neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum borate. The threshold pump power for green output is less than 10 mW, and up to 20 mW of green output (λ = 531 nm) in a TEM00 mode is generated when pumped by a 1 W GaAlAs laser diode. The green output is free of large-amplitude fluctuations with a relative intensity noise of –154 dB/Hz.
Using historic data to assess effectiveness of shrub removal in southern New Mexico

In the late 1930s, the presence of a highly organized labor force, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), in the Jornada Basin of southern New Mexico provided the capability for rangeland scientists to conduct experiments to determine the effectiveness of various techniques for remediating or reversing the encroachment of shrubs into grasslands. Unfortunately, soon after the treatments were performed, the CCC disbanded and most records of the treatments were lost. Despite sketchy documentation, some rangeland treatments left legacies on the landscape, and effects on water retention, erosion, and vegetation dynamics remained long after the CCC work ended. The discovery of historical documents from long-closed files and aerial photography in widely scattered archives allowed some of the experiments to be located and reexamined. Two research areas established in the mid-1930s were of particular interest, namely a tarbush (Flourensia cernua DC.) site where shrubs were grubbed and quadrats established and a creosote (Larrea tridentata [Sesse & Moc. ex DC.] Coville) site where the creosote and tarbush shrubs were grubbed. Here we outline how these sites were rediscovered, how historical measurements were repeated for the first time since the late l930s, and conclusions drawn regarding specific rangeland remediation strategies and vegetation dynamics. Our results show that shrub populations recovered from a radical removal treatment in less than 65 years. Remediation of these sites so that grass will recover to pre-shrub-dominated amounts will require measures additional to just removal of shrubs in order to restore hydrologic function. The fact that we were able to relocate, revisit, and resample these treatment areas provided unique opportunities to understand the long-term vegetation dynamics of these arid ecosystems. It is evident that woody plant populations have a high degree of resilience, that density dependence or interference appears to limit plant size in arid shrub communities, and that shrub populations had not reached any stable equilibrium state at the time of treatment in the 1930s. These insights would have been impossible to gain from short-term studies and without long-term studies initiated in the 1930s combined with recent discoveries of original documentation and historical aerial photography.
Nonlinear adaptive observer for managed pressure drilling system

This paper presents a nonlinear adaptive observer to estimate the annular pressure profile throughout the well bore continuously while drilling. A simple mechanistic model is presented that captures the dominant phenomena of the drilling system and forms the basis for model-based observer and control design. A new nonlinear adaptive observer is developed for state estimation and parameter estimation. Simulation results obtained on a high fidelity drilling simulator based on the real data from an off-shore drilling operation of North Sea well are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed estimation schemes.
Measurement of intermodulation distortion in high-linearity photodiodes.

Accurately characterizing third order intermodulation distortion (IMD3) in high-linearity photodiodes is challenging. Two measurement techniques are evaluated–a standard two-tone measurement and a more complicated three-tone measurement technique to measure IMD3. A model of the measurement system is developed and used to analyze the limitations of the two techniques in determining the distortion of highly linear photodiodes. Experimental validation is provided by comparing the simulation trends with IMD3 results measured on two types of waveguide photodiodes: 1) an InP based uni-traveling-carrier (UTC) photodiode and 2) a Ge n-i-p waveguide photodetector on Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) substrate.
Microfurnace pyrolysis injector for capillary gas chromatography

Abstract A microfurnace pyrolyzer that can be used as an injector for capillary gas chromatography is described. The pyrolyzer is assembled from readily available components and requires no machining or welding. Construction and evaluation of the pyrolyzer are described. Pyrolysis at temperatures as high as 870°C and pyrogram reproducibility for thermal degradation of polyvinyl butyrate are demonstrated.
Lattice atom displacements produced near the end of implanted μ+ tracks☆

Abstract Spin rotation experiments with implanted μ + projectiles are a convenient method for extending studies of the isotope effect for hydrogen diffusion in metals to very light mass. In the present letter information is presented which allows a determination of the mean free path for vacancy production by μ + particles slowing down in C (graphite), Al, V, Fe, Ni, Cu, Nd, Pd, and Ta targets. Also given is the excess distance traveled by the μ + after its energy is reduced below the threshold necessary for vacancy production in these materials.
Response to Atrial Extrastimulus During Supraventricular Tachycardia: What Is the Mechanism?

We describe a case illustrating the potential challenges in distinguishing AV nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) from automatic junctional tachycardia (JT). While an early atrial extrastimulus advanced the next His and ventricular depolarization without tachycardia termination, suggesting JT, other features indicated the correct diagnosis of AVNRT. This teaching case demonstrates a novel exception to a recently reported diagnostic pacing maneuver and illustrates the importance of considering response to multiple maneuvers in reaching a diagnosis of SVT mechanism.
Hardness Variations in Multilayered ZrO2-Al2O3 Composites

The hardness of zirconia-alumina laminar composites has been measured over contact size scales ranging from much smaller to much larger than the layer thicknesses. The results correlate with a weighted average of the hardnesses of the two layer constituents based on the volume of the plastic zone; and they deviate significantly from a similar average based on the contact area.
Positions 94−98 of the Lactose Repressor N-Subdomain Monomer−Monomer Interface Are Critical for Allosteric Communication

The central region of the LacI N-subdomain monomer•monomer interface includes residues K84, V94, V95, V96, S97, and M98. The side chains of these residues line the β-strands at this interface and interact to create a network of hydrophobic, charged, and polar interactions that significantly rearranges in different functional states of LacI. Prior work showed that converting K84 to an apolar residue or converting V96 to an acidic residue impedes the allosteric response to inducer. Thus, we postulated that a disproportionate number of substitutions in this region of the monomer•monomer interface would alter the complex features of the LacI allosteric response. To explore this hypothesis, acidic, basic, polar, and apolar mutations were introduced at positions 94–98. Despite their varied locations along the β-strands that flank the interface, ~70% of the mutations impact allosteric behavior, with the most significant effects found for charged substitutions. Of note, many of the LacI variants with minor functional impact exhibited altered stability to urea denaturation. The results confirm the critical role of amino acids 94–98 and indicate that this N-subdomain interface forms a primary pathway in LacI allosteric response.
The Impact of 9/11 on the Geography of Financial Services in New York: A Few Years Later

An economic census and a survey of seventy-nine firms revealed a changing geography of financial services after 11 September 2001. Although the suburbs benefited from the outward relocation of financial services from Manhattan immediately afterward, they lost considerably two years later, demonstrating the interdependence of the central city and its suburbs. Executives of financial services firms ranked highly locational attributes such as prestige, public transportation, and proximity to clients and other financial services before 11 September, but terrorism also emerged as a major locational factor after 11 September. The impact of terrorism and how it interacts with agglomeration economies, technological changes, and globalization to shape the geography of financial services is examined under the framework of quaternary place theory.
Subclavian vein anatomic subtypes defined by digital cinefluoroscopic venography prior to permanent pacemaker lead insertion

Digital cinefluoroscopic venography of the subclavian vein was performed in 26 consecutive patients. The optimal stored image of the anticipated venipuncture site was magnified, road mapped, and used to compare with fluoroscopic-guided venipuncture. Two anatomic subtypes for both subclavian veins were observed. For the left subclavian vein, a gradual curve was seen most often (57%), while the remainder (43%) exhibited an "s"-shaped curve. For the right subclavian, a gradual curve was observed most frequently (60%) while an acute 90 degrees angle was noted in the remainder (40%). The "s"-shaped curve in the left subclavian vein necessitated redirection of the needle site both laterally and cranially. In three or 12% of patients venography showed either subclavian thrombosis or a persistent left superior vena cava and lead insertion was moved to the opposite side. Successful venipuncture and subsequent cannulation of the subclavian vein was achieved with the first or second passage of the needle in 22 or 85% of the 26 patients. Digital cinefluoroscopic venography appears to be both safe and rapid and may facilitate insertion of permanent pacemaker leads into the subclavian vein.
Empirical convection models for northward IMF

Abstract It is clear that polar cap convection during times of northward IMF is more structured and of lower mean speed than at times of southward IMF. This, coupled with the fact that the polar cap is smaller, means that empirical models are more difficult to construct with certainty. It is also clear that sunward flow deep in the polar cap is often observed, but its connection with the rest of the flow pattern is controversial. At present, empirical models are of three types: ‘statistical’ models wherein data from different days but with similar IMF conditions are averaged together; ‘pattern recognition’ models, which are built up by examining individually hundreds of passes to derive a ‘typical’ pattern which embodies features frequently observed; and ‘assimilative’ models, which use data of different types and from as many locations as possible, but all taken at the same time, in order to derive a snapshot (or series of snapshots) of the entire pattern. Each type of model has its own difficulties. Statistical models, by their very nature, smooth out flow features (e.g. the convection reversal, and the locus of sunward flow deep in the polar cap) which are not found at precisely the same invariant latitudes and magnetic local times on different days. Pattern recognition models are better at reproducing small-scale features, but the large-scale pattern can be a matter of interpretation. Assimilative models (such as AMIE) hold out the best hope for creating instantaneous, global convection patterns; however, the analysis technique tends to be most irregular (and least reliable) in the regions which are not well covered by in situ data. It appears that, at least at times, a four cell model with sunward flow at the highest and lowest latitudes, and antisunward flow in between, is consistent with the observations. At other times, the observations may be consistent with a two-cell convection pattern, but which includes significant meanders within the polar cap.
Response to Zanini et al.

To the Editor: We appreciate Dr Zanini et al. for their kind comments on the ACG guideline: the diagnosis and management of focal liver lesions. We agree with their recognition that the crux and challenge of preparing practice guidelines is to provide evidence-based recommendations as clearly and succinctly as possible without being mired in an overwhelmingly detailed, text-book style review. With regard to their comments regarding intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (ICCAs), we agree that it is important to differentiate ICCAs from metastatic lesions and indicated as such in the guideline: “ICCAs may be difficult to differentiate from a metastatic lesion (especially a metastasis from a foregut adenocarcinoma) by imaging and histology” (1). We note that further expounding on the evaluation for metastatic disease and differentiation from ICCAs was not elaborated as the guideline was not focusing on ICCAs or metastatic liver lesions in particular. However, we thank them for their comments and recognize that they provide complementary points to the guideline.
Effect of Tenofovir on Nucleotidases and Cytokines in HIV-1 Target Cells

Tenofovir (TFV) has been widely used for pre-exposure prophylaxis of HIV-1 infection with mixed results. While the use of TFV in uninfected individuals for prevention of HIV-1 acquisition is actively being investigated, the possible consequences of TFV exposure for the HIV-target cells and the mucosal microenvironment are unknown. In the current study, we evaluated the effects of TFV treatment on blood-derived CD4+ T cells, monocyte-derived macrophages and dendritic cells (DC). Purified HIV-target cells were treated with different concentrations of TFV (0.001-1.0 mg/ml) for 2 to 24hr. RNA was isolated and RT-PCR was performed to compare the levels of mRNA expression of nucleotidases and pro-inflammatory cytokine genes (MIP3α, IL-8 and TNFα) in the presence or absence of TFV. We found that TFV increases 5’-ecto-nucleotidase (NT5E) and inhibits mitochondrial nucleotidase (NT5M) gene expression and increases 5’ nucleotidase activity in macrophages. We also observed that TFV stimulates the expression and secretion of IL-8 by macrophages, DC, and activated CD4+ T cells and increases the expression and secretion of MIP3α by macrophages. In contrast, TFV had no effect on TNFα secretion from macrophages, DC and CD4+ T cells. Our results demonstrate that TFV alters innate immune responses in HIV-target cells with potential implications for increased inflammation at mucosal surfaces. As new preventive trials are designed, these findings should provide a foundation for understanding the effects of TFV on HIV-target cells in microbicide trials.
The Future of Genetic Studies of Complex Human Diseases

The identification of the genetic basis of complex human diseases such as schizophrenia and diabetes has proven difficult. In their Perspective, Risch and Merikangas propose that we can best accomplish this goal by combining the power of the human genome project with association studies, a method for determining the basis of a genetic disease.
Systematic convergence of energies with respect to basis set and treatment of electron correlation: focal-point conformational analysis of methanol

A practical means of overcoming the limitation in accuracy of conformational analysis due to incompleteness of basis sets used in ab initio calculations involves calculating the energy with a series of systematically improving basis sets and extrapolating to the basis set limit. We report here a focal-point conformational analysis for methanol. The Hartree–Fock energy converges exponentially to the basis set limit, while the convergence of second-order correlation energy is well described by the formula . This formula also describes well the convergence of fourth-order correlation energy. The height of the rotational barrier at the Hartree–Fock level can be obtained reliably by taking the difference of the extrapolated energies of the two conformations and correcting the difference for correlation effects. Electron correlation has only a small decreasing effect on the height of the rotational barrier in methanol. The focal-point value for the torsional barrier in methanol is 0.999±0.007 kcal/mol.
MRI of the fetal central nervous system and body

MRI is being increasingly used to assess for fetal abnormalities. Although significant progress in the field of fetal MRI has occurred during the past 20 years, continued technical advances will likely contribute to significant growth of the field. Moreover, with continued hardware and software improvements, additional MRI sequences will likely become available. Prenatal MRI complements ultrasound because of larger field-of-view, superior soft tissue contrast, easier and more precise volumetric measurement, and greater accuracy in the demonstration of intracranial and spinal abnormalities. While ultrasound remains the primary modality for fetal imaging, these advantages of MRI make it a valuable adjunct to fetal surgery. Because fetal MRI involves many disciplines, the future of fetal MR will best be achieved through collaborative efforts.
Dopamine transporter: Basic science and human variation of a key molecule for dopaminergic function, locomotion, and parkinsonism

We review the basic science of the dopamine transporter (DAT), a key neurotransmitter for locomotor control and reward systems, including those lost or deranged in Parkinson's disease (PD). Physiology, pharmaceutical features, expression, cDNA, protein structure/function relationships, and phosphorylation and regulation are discussed. The localization of DAT provides the best marker for the integrity of just the pre-synaptic dopaminergic systems that are most affected in PD. Its function is key for the actions of several toxins that provide some of the best current models for idiopathic parkinsonism, and its variation can clearly alter movement. The wealth of information about this interesting molecule that has been developed over the last 12 years has led to increased interest in DAT among workers interested in both normal and abnormal movement. © 2003 Movement Disorder Society
Modeling and analysis of DC-link voltage for three-phase four-wire two-stage micro-inverter

DC-link voltage control plays a key role for two-stage micro-inverter application. Modeling &analysis of dc-link voltage is investigated in this paper. The first-stage circuit employs transient maximum power point tracking method to realize fast MPP tracking without causing output distortion and dc-link variation. In order to keep dc-link voltage constant, injecting current to grid varies with the output of a positive feedback of dc-link voltage regulator at steady situation. Two disturbances to cause dc-link constant are investigated and small signal model of dc-link voltage is also built while considering dynamic response. Followed by the small signal model of dc-link voltage, the dc-link capacitance is also calculated. The performance of dc-link voltage control is verified by experimental results based on a 400 watt two-stage three-phase four-wire prototype with grid-connected, the input voltage from 35V to 60V, dc-link voltage 400Vdc and AC output voltage 110V RMS.
Diazepam blocks fear-enhanced startle elicited electrically from the brainstem

Startle-like responses were elicited electrically from the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) in darkness or in the presence of a light that had previously been paired with shocks. These startle-like responses were potentiated by the light and potentiation was selectively decreased by diazepam in a dose-related fashion (0.625 to 2.5 mg/kg). The benzodiazepine antagonist RO15-1788 attenuated the effect of diazepam. The data indicate that potentiation of electrically elicited startle behaves like acoustically elicited startle, providing further evidence that electrical elicitation of startle is a viable experimental technique.