cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Damage Assessment in Metal Plates by Using Laser Vibrometer Measurements

Lamb waves, the ultrasonic guided waves in plates, have been increasingly used for long range damage detection in plate-like structures. They have been considered as the new generation ultrasonic structural health monitoring (SHM) and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) approaches that are able to provide efficient and effective sensing for critical structural components. In this paper, the laser Doppler vibrometer measurements are used for the damage detection. The laser Doppler vibrometer provides a non-contact means to acquire the ultrasonic wavefield and visualize the wave propagation. The ultrasonic wavefield as a function of time and space contains a wealth of information regarding the wave propagation in the structure and wave interaction with the damage. The frequency–wavenumber analysis and phased array beamforming are adopted to process the ultrasonic wavefield and visualize the damage. The proposed methodology was verified through an experimental test on an aluminum plate with a bonded quartz rod as a simulated damage.
Effects of Biodiesel Fuels Use on Vehicle Emissions

Many countries are using and considering the increased use of biodiesel blended fuels to slow their growth of fossil fuel use for transportation purposes. Before the use of these fuels increase, it is critical that we understand the effect of using biodiesel blends on vehicle emissions, so that we better understand what air quality impacts to expect. Many previous reviews of biodiesel effects on emissions have combined all of the emissions data available to find a single value for the effects of a biodiesel blend on pollutant emissions. This includes combining emissions data from both light-duty (LD) and heavy-duty (HD) diesel vehicles and engines, combining vehicle data from chassis dynamometer and on-road emissions testing, and combining data using different oil feedstocks for producing biodiesel fuels. In this review, the effects of switching from petroleum diesel fuel to biodiesel blended fuels on relative vehicle emissions for LD and HD vehicles are determined separately. We will not include engine emissions data in this analysis. For HD vehicles, we will also separate results for on-road emissions testing from chassis dynamometer testing. For HD vehicles, hydrocarbon (HC) emissions were significantly lower for B20 and B100 fuels from dynamometer and for B20 fuels from on-road emissions testing. For LD vehicles, there was no significant effect on HC emissions for B5, B10, B20, B30, B50 or B100 fuels. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions for HD dynamometer data was significantly higher for both B20 and B100, but no significant difference was found for the HD on-road emissions data. The NOx emissions for the LD vehicles were significantly higher for B10, B20, B30, B50 and B100 blends. For carbon monoxide (CO) emissions there was no significant effect for B20 and a significant decrease for B100 based on HD dynamometer data, and a significant decrease for B20 based on HD on-road emissions data. LD dynamometer data found a significant decrease in CO emissions only for B20 blends. No significant effect was found for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for HD vehicles using B20 fuels based on dynamometer or on-road emissions data. For LD vehicles a significant decrease in CO2 emissions was found only for the B10 blend. Particulate matter (PM) emissions were significantly lower for B20 fuel in HD vehicles for both types of emissions tests. PM emissions decreased significantly for LD vehicles for B10, B20, B30 and B50 blends only. The HD dynamometer data showed a significant decrease in fuel economy for the B20 blend, but no significant effect was observed for either the HD on-road or LD dynamometer data. When the effects of a biodiesel blend on vehicle emissions in different categories were not significantly different, the results were combined to assess the effect of biodiesel use on the broader class of vehicles.
Creep-Fatigue-Effects in Composites

The fatigue behavior at elevated temperatures, mostly in vacuum, of several cobalt and nickel-base eutectic composites is described. Decreased fatigue life and increased crack propagation rates are noted as test frequency is reduced. A shift from surface to internal crack initiation occurs at low frequencies and high test temperatures. Fatigue life data at various frequencies for two alloys were correlated by an equation of the form \( {\text{N}}{f^{ - {\beta _v}}}_{} = K\left( {\Delta \sigma } \right) \). Creep-fatigue interactions appear to be responsible for the observed behavior, with void growth around cracked fiber ends the mechanism of damage accumulation.
Fresh food, new faces: community gardening as ecological gentrification in St. Louis, Missouri

A largely qualitative body of literature has contributed to understanding the contradictory dimensions of community gardening as a social justice tool. Building on this literature through a city-wide, quantitative intervention, this paper focuses on community gardening as a facilitator of ecological gentrification in St. Louis, Missouri. Combining the analytical lenses of spatial justice, urban political ecology, and the rent gap theory of gentrification, I deploy spatial regression analysis to show that community gardening was positively associated with gentrification in St. Louis between the years 2000 and 2010, as measured by the growth of high socioeconomic status residents in each neighborhood. This result suggests that a sociospatial dialectic exists in which the implementation of a community garden, a change in the use of urban space, leads to unintended social outcomes. Contextualizing this finding within the broader literature, I conclude that the potential of community gardening as an instrument for spatial justice is contingent on institutional support against larger-scale processes, like gentrification, that lead to spatially unjust outcomes.
Fluid Microstructures of Sodium 4-(1’-Heptylnonyl)Benzenesulfonate Mixtures

The phase behavior of sodium 4-(1’-heptylnonyl)-benezenesulfonate, SHBS, in water or brine from 20 to 90°C is dominated by a broad biphasic region consisting of a lamellar liquid crystalline phase in equilibrium with a dilute isotropic SHBS solution. In the isotropic phase the SHBS is not micellar, though conductimetry and nmr spectroscopy indicate weak, concentration dependent aggregation. At 25°C the lamellar phase is approximately 100° above the gel-liquid crystal phase transition temperature and the sulfonate head group undergoes rapid though anisotropic motion. The lamellar phase is very fluid and easily deformable, whether dispersed in the saturated aqueous phase or as the bulk lamellar phase. Mechanical agitation and other sample preparation techniques give closed shell liposome dispersions; the mean size and size distribution depend markedly on the sample history. Sonication of a dilute dispersion leads to long lived, non-equilibrium vesicles. Addition of a suitable cosurfactant, sodium dodecylsulfate, leads to a mixed micellar solution while the addition of a cosolvent, e. g., n-pentanol leads to a non-micellar solution.
Presence of a Palmitoyl-CoA Delta 6-Desaturase in the Preputial Gland of the Mouse

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids. It catalyzes the delta 9-cis desaturation of acyl-CoA substrates, the preferred substrates being palmitoyl (C16:0)-CoA and stearoyl(C18:0)CoA, which are converted to palmitoleoyl (C16:1n-7)-CoA and oleoyl-CoA (C18:1n9), respectively (1). These monounsaturated fatty acids are used as substrates for the synthesis of triglycerides, wax esters, cholesteryl esters and membrane phospholipids. The ratio of stearic acid to oleic acid has been implicated in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation through effects on membrane fluidity and signal transduction (2). Monounsaturated fatty acids also influence apoptosis (3) and may have some role in mutagenesis in some tumors (4, 5). Overall, SCD expression affects the fatty acid composition of membrane phospholipids, triglycerides and cholesterol ester, resulting in changes in membrane fluidity, lipid metabolism and obesity (2). Thus, the regulation of SCD is of considerable physiological importance and high SCD activity is associated with a wide range of diseases including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, neurological disease, skin disease and cancer.
Hyperbolic geometry of the olfactory space

In the natural environment, the sense of smell, or olfaction, serves to detect toxins and judge nutritional content by taking advantage of the associations between compounds as they are created in biochemical reactions. This suggests that the nervous system can classify odors based on statistics of their co-occurrence within natural mixtures rather than from the chemical structures of the ligands themselves. We show that this statistical perspective makes it possible to map odors to points in a hyperbolic space. Hyperbolic coordinates have a long but often underappreciated history of relevance to biology. For example, these coordinates approximate the distance between species computed along dendrograms and, more generally, between points within hierarchical tree–like networks. We find that both natural odors and human perceptual descriptions of smells can be described using a three-dimensional hyperbolic space. This match in geometries can avoid distortions that would otherwise arise when mapping odors to perception.
IRIS: I/O Redirection via Integrated Storage

There is an ocean of available storage solutions in modern high-performance and distributed systems. These solutions consist of Parallel File Systems (PFS) for the more traditional high-performance computing (HPC) systems and of Object Stores for emerging cloud environments. More of ten than not, these storage solutions are tied to specific APIs and data models and thus, bind developers, applications, and entire computing facilities to using certain interfaces. Each storage system is designed and optimized for certain applications but does not perform well for others. Furthermore, modern applications have become more and more complex consisting of a collection of phases with different computation and I/O requirements. In this paper, we propose a unified storage access system, called IRIS (i.e., I/O Redirection via Integrated Storage). IRIS enables unified data access and seamlessly bridges the semantic gap between file systems and object stores. With IRIS, emerging High-Performance Data Analytics software has capable and diverse I/O support. IRIS can bring us closer to the convergence of HPC and Cloud environments by combining the best storage subsystems from both worlds. Experimental results show that IRIS can grant more than 7x improvement in performance than existing solutions.
Abstract WP181: Linking Post-Stroke Injury, Neural Function, and Motor Behavior With EEG

Introduction: Elucidating the relationship between stroke-induced injury and changes in neural function may potentiate rehabilitation and treatment development. This study examined post-stroke asso...
Membraneless organelles: P granules in Caenorhabditis elegans

Membraneless organelles are distinct compartments within a cell that are not enclosed by a traditional lipid membrane and instead form through a process called liquid-liquid phase separation. Examples of these non-membrane-bound organelles include nucleoli, stress granules, P bodies, pericentriolar material and germ granules. Many recent studies have used Caenorhabditis elegans germ granules, known as P granules, to expand our understanding of the formation of these unique cellular compartments. From this work, we know that proteins with intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) play a critical role in the process of phase separation. IDR phase separation is further tuned through their interactions with RNA and through protein modifications such as phosphorylation and methylation. These findings from C elegans, combined with work done in other model organisms, continue to provide insight into the formation of membraneless organelles and the important role they play in compartmentalizing cellular processes.
The Probability of Liner Failure in a Mark-I Containment, Part I: Probabilistic Framework and Results

An integrated analysis of Mark-I liner attack in a postulated core-melt accident is presented. The approach consists of the mechanistic treatment of the sequence of physical phenomena that lead to liner contact by corium debris and their coupling through a probabilistic framework that allows representation of uncertainties. A physically consistent treatment in each sequence is emphasized, but qualitatively different scenarios to represent the range of behavior due to model uncertainties are allowed. The results are presented in a format that allows their direct use in probabilistic risk assessments; in particular, expert opinion is incorporated by a new methodological approach that involves expert review of, and comment on, a fully documented study all under one cover. The study itself is presented in three parts here; the expert inputs can be found in NUREG/CR-5423.
More II It than Meets the Eye: Outcomes After Single-Fraction Stereotactic Radiosurgery in a Case Series of Low-Grade Arteriovenous Malformations.

BACKGROUND Surgical resection is typically cited as the optimal treatment of patients with Spetzler-Martin Grade I-II arteriovenous malformation (AVM). OBJECTIVE To report our experience with single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for Spetzler-Martin Grade I-II AVM. METHODS A prospectively maintained registry was reviewed for patients with nonsyndromic Spetzler-Martin Grade I-II AVM having SRS from 1990 to 2011. Patients with <24 mo of follow-up or prior radiotherapy/SRS were excluded, resulting in a study population of 173 patients. Actuarial analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox proportional hazards modeling was performed with excellent outcomes (obliteration without new deficits) as the dependent variable. RESULTS Median post-SRS follow-up was 68 mo (range, 24-275). AVM obliteration was achieved in 132 (76%) after initial SRS. Eleven additional patients achieved obliteration after repeat SRS for an overall obliteration rate of 83%. The rate of obliteration was 60% at 4 yr and 78% at 8 yr. Post-SRS hemorrhage occurred in 7 patients (4%), resulting in 3 minor deficits (2%) and 1 death (<1%). Radiation-induced complications occurred in 5 patients (3%), resulting in minor deficits only. One hundred and thirty-seven patients (79%) had excellent outcomes at last follow-up. CONCLUSION SRS is a safe and effective treatment for patients with Spetzler-Martin Grade I-II AVM. Selection bias is likely a contributing factor to explain the superior outcomes generally noted in reported series of microsurgery for patients with low grade AVM.
Do Local Tobacco-21 Laws Reduce Smoking Among 18 to 20 Year-Olds?

Introduction States and municipalities are increasingly restricting tobacco sales to those under age 21, in an effort to reduce youth and young adult smoking. However, the effectiveness of such policies remains unclear, particularly when implemented locally. Methods Analyses use 2011-2016 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System's Selected Metropolitan/Micropolitan Area Risk Trends dataset. Difference-in-differences and triple-difference regressions estimate the relationship between local tobacco-21 policies and smoking among 18- to 20-year-olds living in MMSAs (metropolitan/micropolitan statistical areas and metropolitan divisions). Results Current smoking rates fell from 16.5% in 2011 to 8.9% in 2016 among 18- 20-year-olds in these data. Regressions indicate that a tobacco-21 policy covering one's entire MMSA yields an approximately 3.1 percentage point reduction in 18- to 20-year-olds' likelihoods of smoking (confidence interval [CI] = -0.0548 to -0.0063). Accounting for partial policy exposure-tobacco-21 laws implemented in some but not all jurisdictions within an MMSA-this estimate implies that the average exposed 18- to 20-year-old experienced a 1.2 percentage point drop in their likelihood of being a smoker at interview relative to unexposed respondents of the same age, all else equal. Conclusions Local tobacco-21 policies yield a substantive reduction in smoking among 18- to 20-year-olds living in MMSAs. This finding provides empirical support for efforts to raise the tobacco purchasing age to 21 as a means to reduce young adult smoking. Moreover, it suggests that state laws preempting local tobacco-21 policies may impede public health. Implications Although states and municipalities are increasingly restricting tobacco sales to under 21-year-olds, such policies' effectiveness remains unclear, particularly when implemented locally. Using quasi-experimental methods, this article provides what may be the first evidence that sub-state tobacco-21 laws reduce smoking among 18- to 20-year-olds. Specifically, considering metropolitan and micropolitan areas from 2011 to 2016, the average 18- to 20-year-old who was exposed to these policies exhibited a 1.2 percentage point drop in their likelihood of being a current established smoker, relative to those who were unexposed. These findings validate local tobacco-21 laws as a means to reduce young adult smoking.
High-Overtone Bulk Diffraction Wave Gyroscope

A gyroscope mechanism which utilizes Coriolis force on diffracted bulk ultrasonic waves has been realized in lithium niobate piezoelectric substrate. The operation using diffracting bulk waves eliminates the need for released spring and masses enabling operation in extreme shock and vibration. The Bulk Wave Diffraction Gyroscope (BWDG) uses interdigitated electrodes that excite thickness mode resonances in a lithium niobate substrate. The diffraction of pressure and shear waves occurs due to electrode finite aperture. The shear waves undergo Coriolis force modified reflections, with the modified waves transduced at receiver interdigitated transducers. The measured unamplified gyroscope scale is $191\ \mu \mathrm{V}$ /(deg/s), which is one of the largest scale factors reported for an all-solid-state gyroscope. Zero rate angle random walk (ARW) was 0.028 deg/hr1/2, and bias fluctuation was 8 deg/hr at a power consumption of 5.3mW, operating at an overtone resonance frequency of 163 MHz.
Re-evaluating standards of human subjects protection for sensitive health data in social media networks.

Abstract This study addresses ethical questions about conducting health science research using network data from social media platforms. We provide examples of ethically problematic areas related to participant consent, expectation of privacy, and social media networks. Further, to illustrate how researchers can maintain ethical integrity while leveraging social media networks, we describe a study that demonstrates the ability to use social media to identify individuals affected by cancer. We discuss best practices and ethical guidelines for studying social media network data, including data collection, analysis, and reporting.
Implications of Measurement Issues for Advancing the Socialization Framework

This chapter examines issues of measurement in socialization research and their implications for socialization as a theoretical framework. Although the majority of socialization research relies on qualitative methods, quantitative studies to assess the generalizability of core tenets of socialization require psychometrically sound and valid measures. Better understanding ways in which relevant constructs interact within the socialization process, including the possibility that some have greater influence than others in driving outcomes, has the potential to inform interventions and the strategic investment of resources to optimize their effectiveness for enhancing student success. Calling upon relevant data from published studies, the chapter examines potential strengths and weaknesses of existing measures on an empirical basis and discusses the reciprocal implications that measurement and theory development can hold for one another.
Use of a Novel Negative-Pressure Tent During Bedside Tracheostomy in COVID-19 Patients.

Many COVID-19 patients with neurological manifestations and respiratory failure remain dependent on mechanical ventilation and require tracheostomy, which is an aerosol generating procedure (AGP). The risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to healthcare staff during AGPs is well documented, and negative-pressure rooms are often unavailable. Innovative techniques to decrease risk to healthcare providers during AGPs are necessary. Our objective was to demonstrate the feasibility of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) performed using a novel prefabricated low-cost negative-pressure tent (AerosolVE). Retrospective review of consecutive PDT procedures performed by neurointensivists on intubated adult patients with COVID-19 using the AerosolVE tent during the pandemic under an innovative clinical care protocol. The AerosolVE negative-pressure tent consists of a clear plastic canopy with slits for hand access attached to a U-shaped base with air vents. Air within the tent is drawn through a high-efficiency particulate air filter and released outside. Preliminary testing during simulated AGPs demonstrated negligible escape of particulate matter beyond the tent. The main outcome measure was successful completion of PDT and bronchoscopy within the AerosolVE tent, without complications. The patients were a 53-year-old man with multifocal ischemic stroke and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), 53-year-old woman with cerebellar hemorrhage and ARDS, and a 69-year-old man with ARDS. Pre-procedure FiO2 requirement was 40–50% and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) 8–12 cm H2O. The tent was successfully positioned around the patient and PDT completed with real-time ultrasound guidance in all 3 patients. Bronchoscopy was performed to confirm tube position and perform pulmonary toilet. No complications occurred. It is feasible to perform PDT on intubated COVID-19 patients using the AerosolVE negative-pressure tent. This is a promising low-cost device to decrease risk to healthcare providers during AGPs.
Recovery of net CO2 assimilation after heat stress is correlated with recovery of oxygen-evolving-complex proteins in Zea mays L.

Photosystem 2 (PS2) in general, and the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) in particular, is one of the most thermolabile components of photosynthesis. We examined the effects of heat stress on net photosynthetic rate (PN) and content of several stromal and thylakoid-membrane proteins (including OEC proteins) in maize (Zea mays L.) in order to determine if decreases in PN during, and especially after, heat stress were correlated with decreases in the content of OEC proteins. The PN decreased with heat stress in maize, and post-heat stress recovery of PN required 4 d following the second of two heat-shocks. The decrease in PN was not the result of stomatal closure. Cellular levels of the 33, 23, and 16 kDa OEC proteins decreased with heat stress, and the decreases were greatest and most closely correlated with decreases in PN for OEC16. Following the second heat stress, full recovery of OEC levels (especially OEC16 and 33) coincided with full recovery of PN, more so than with other photosynthetic proteins examined. For example, decreases in levels of the 32-kDa QB-binding protein of the PS2 reaction center (D1), ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase were generally smaller than for the OEC proteins and full recovery of these proteins occurred at least 2 d prior to full recovery of photosynthesis. These results are consistent with previous fluorescence and in vitro studies by others in suggesting that heat-relaed effects on PS2 and the OEC are an important limitation to Pn during heat stress. Additionally, these results suggest that heat-related decreases in the content of OEC proteins may limit post-heat stress recovery of carbon fixation.
How to Defend Romania?: Identifying Legacy and Institutional Impediments

Developments in the Black Sea region since 2014 have combined to transform Romania into the Western alliance’s linchpin in southeastern Europe. Regrettably, successive Romanian governments have und...
Hard Problems of Intentionality

This paper argues that Hutto and Satne’s three-pronged attempt to solve the problem of intentionality – or, at least, to provide an outline of how this problem should be approached – suffers from two shortcomings. First, the idea of Ur-intentionality is problematic. Second, Hutto and Satne have not provided us with a way of getting from Ur-intentionality to content intentionality.
Chapter 50 – Codling Moth

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses codling moth, Cydia pomonella, that is a key insect pest of apples, pears, and walnuts nearly worldwide. Codling moth acquired its name because of its attacks on a greenish, elongated English cooking apple referred to as a codling apple. Codling moths spread from its presumed site of origin in Eurasia, along with the cultivation of its hosts, particularly apples; other agricultural hosts include quince, apricot, plum, peach, and nectarine, although codling moth is less of a problem in these crops. Damage results from shallow-feeding wounds that cause scarring of the fruit, from direct feeding damage to the fruit pulp or seeds, or from indirect contamination of the fruit by larval feces. Management of codling moth populations in orchards traditionally has relied on synthetic pesticides. Although newer, more selective pesticides provide effective control of codling moth, older pesticides have been associated with nontarget environmental and human health risks. In addition, the evolution of resistance in codling moth to many different groups of insecticides has made the long-term reliance on these compounds more problematic.
Using Noise to Speed up Markov Chain Monte Carlo Estimation

Abstract Carefully injected noise can speed the average convergence of Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation estimates. This includes the MCMC special cases of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm and Gibbs sampling and simulated annealing. MCMC equates the solution to a computational problem with the equilibrium probability density of a reversible Markov chain. The algorithm must cycle through a long burn-in phase until it reaches equilibrium because the Markov samples are statistically correlated. The injected noise reduces this burn-in period. Simulations showed that optimal noise gave a 42% speed-up in finding the minimum potential energy of diatomic argon using a Lennard-Jones 12-6 potential. We prove that the Noisy MCMC algorithm brings each Markov step closer on average to equilibrium if an inequality holds between two expectations. Gaussian or Cauchy jump probabilities reduce the inequality to a simple quadratic condition.
Reovirus oncolysis-Role of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1

New therapeutic interventions are essential for improved cancer management. Over the past decade, reovirus, a naturally-occurring oncolytic double-stranded RNA virus harboring an intrinsic preference to destroy mutant KRAS driven tumors, has shown novel promissory potential. The fact that more than 30-40% of human tumors harbor KRAS mutations had previously guided us to investigate the efficacy of reovirus in KRAS mutant colon cancer cells (CRC), and also to examine the cellular consequences of this biologic when used in combination with the chemotherapeutic drug, irinotecan, a Topoisomerase I inhibitor. Although much research is being undertaken to improve the drug efficacy by using in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs, the plausible contribution of underlying signaling mechanisms which includes p21, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1, in virus recognition and dissemination remains largely unexplored. This research highlight provides an insight into our current work to elucidate the precise role of p21 in favoring viral propagation in KRAS mutated CRC cells and in the process identify unique molecular players that can be effectively harnessed for improvement of the therapeutic efficacy of reovirus.
Real disturbances, the current account, and the exchange rate: The case of a tariff

Abstract This paper examines the effects of an unanticipated tariff on the current account and the exchange rate. It is demonstrated that if nontraded goods and importables are substitutes (complements) in excess demand, the imposition of a tariff will (may) lead to a current account surplus (deficit) and an appreciation (depreciation) of the domestic currency. The model can be extended to analyze the effects of other real disturbances on the current account and the exchange rate.
Escalation with Overdose Control is More Efficient and Safer than Accelerated Titration for Dose Finding

The standard 3 + 3 or "modified Fibonacci" up-and-down (MF-UD) method of dose escalation is by far the most used design in dose-finding cancer trials. However, MF-UD has always shown inferior performance when compared with its competitors regarding number of patients treated at optimal doses. A consequence of using less effective designs is that more patients are treated with doses outside the therapeutic window. In June 2012, the U S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected the proposal to use Escalation with Overdose Control (EWOC), an established dose-finding method which has been extensively used in FDA-approved first in human trials and imposed a variation of the MF-UD, known as accelerated titration (AT) design. This event motivated us to perform an extensive simulation study comparing the operating characteristics of AT and EWOC. We show that the AT design has poor operating characteristics relative to three versions of EWOC under several practical scenarios. From the clinical investigator's perspective, lower bias and mean square error make EWOC designs preferable than AT designs without compromising safety. From a patient's perspective, uniformly higher proportion of patients receiving doses within an optimal range of the true MTD makes EWOC designs preferable than AT designs.
Multi-frequency shift key and differential phase shift key for acoustic modem

An underwater acoustic modem has been developed for autonomous underwater vehicles that is robust and low cost. It uses a single TI320c31 DSP chip to transmit packets of multi-frequency orthogonal chirp pulses to overcome noise and multi-path interference. It is robust and can be operated in a chirp multi-frequency shift key (CMFSK) or chirp differential phase shift key (CDPSK) mode. The MFSK mode is more robust but lower in baud rate (2000 baud) compared to the DPSK (4000 baud).
Effect of the Structure of Rural Public Expenditures on Agricultural Growth and Rural Poverty in Latin America

This working paper empirically documents the size of (2) in the rural sector and investigates its consequences for rural development (agricultural growth, patterns of growth and rural poverty) for ten Latin American countries over 1985-2000. The paper provides econometric evidence suggesting that the structure of public expenditures is an important factor of economic development. The quantitative importance of this factor appears to be greater than the traditional factors on which the development literature focuses. In particular, expanding total public expenditures in rural areas while maintaining the existing public expenditure composition prevailing in the countries does little to promote agricultural income and reduce rural poverty.
State Definitions for the Gifted and Talented Revisited

Definitions of gifted and talented students have been in a state of evolution for some time. Many states rely on the federal interpretation as a guideline for establishing their definitions relating to gifted education. However, the federal definition has gone through a series of metamorphoses with the addition and deletion of various terms and components. This article presents a brief history of the transition of the federal definition for students who are gifted and talented, as well as a description of other definitions that have impacted state definitions. An overview of state definitions in 1990 and 1998 is also presented and analyzed.
On diperna‐majda concentration sets for two‐dimensional incompressible flow

Abstract : The existence of weak solutions to the incompressible Euler equations for vortex sheet initial data is an open problem. Two approaches to this problem are the smoothing of vortex sheets by approximated identifies (which provides a sequence of smooth initial conditions, converging to vortex sheet initial conditions, for which classical solutions exist) and viscous smoothing of vortex sheets. These ideas are among the principal motivations for the recent series of papers in which the nature of the limiting behavior of sequences of solutions of Euler's equations, are examined. The concept of generalized Young measure-valued solution of the Euler equations is introduced. In two dimensions, approximate solution sequences always have subsequences which converge, in an appropriate sense, to non-oscillatory generalized Young measure-valued solutions of Euler's equations. Infinitesimal vortices of zero circulation were described in and named phantom vortices. The vortices in our example are somewhat different in that they have two length scales. The two length scales are important, for one cannot pack phantom vortices on successively finer lattices, as above, keeping the vorticity absolutely summable, without at the same time obtaining strong convergence in L-sq. Reprints.
Behavior of neonates exposed in utero to methadone as assessed on the Brazelton scale

Abstract Twenty-nine infants exposed in utero to methadone and 37 comparison infants were examined on the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale at early and late neonatal ages. All infants were full-term at birth, over 2500 g, and not yet circumcised at the early assessment. None of the methadone-exposed infants were breast-fed or were being treated pharmacologically for withdrawal. During the first week of life, methadone-exposed neonates differed from comparison ones in motoric behavior. Relative to comparison-group infants, they were jerkier and more tremulous, tense, active, and better able to put hand in mouth. By the end of the first month these differences diminished, although there was still a tendency for the methadone-exposed infants to have elevated body tonus. Neither perinatal complications, birth weight, nor sex of infant could explain the early neonatal differences between the methadone and comparison groups. Past the early stage of acute withdrawal, neonates exposed prenatally to methadone behave not unlike their nonexposed peers.
Doxapram Only Slightly Reduces the Shivering Threshold in Healthy Volunteers

We determined the effects of doxapram on the major autonomic thermoregulatory responses in humans. Nine healthy volunteers were studied on two days: Control and Doxapram (intravenous infusion to a plasma concentration of 2.4 ±0.8 μg/mL, 2.5 ±0.9 μg/mL, and 2.6 ±1.1 μg/mL at the sweating, vasoconstriction, and shivering thresholds, respectively). Each day, skin and core temperatures were increased to provoke sweating, then reduced to elicit peripheral vasoconstriction and shivering. We determined the sweating, vasoconstriction, and shivering thresholds with compensation for changes in skin temperature. Data were analyzed with paired t tests and presented as means ± SDs; P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Doxapram did not change the sweating (Control: 37.5±0.4°C, Doxapram: 37.3±0.4°C, P=0.290) or the vasoconstriction threshold (36.8±0.7 vs. 36.4±0.5°C; P=0.110). However, it significantly reduced the shivering threshold from 36.2±0.5 to 35.7±0.7°C (P=0.012). No sedation or symptoms of panic were observed on either study day. The observed reduction in the shivering threshold explains the drug's efficacy for treatment of postoperative shivering; however, a reduction of only 0.5°C is unlikely to markedly facilitate induction of therapeutic hypothermia as a sole agent.
From seed to seed: the role of photoreceptors in Arabidopsis development

As sessile organisms, plants have evolved a multitude of developmental responses to cope with the ever-changing environmental conditions that challenge the plant throughout its life cycle. Of the many environmental cues that regulate plant development, light is probably the most important. From determining the developmental pattern of the emerging seedling, to influencing the organization of organelles to best maximize energy available for photosynthesis, light has dramatic effects on development during all stages of plant life. In plants, three classes of photoreceptors that mediate light perception have been characterized at the molecular level. The phytochromes recognize light in the red portion of the spectrum, while cryptochromes and phototropins perceive blue and UVA light. In this review, we discuss the different aspects of development that are regulated by these photoreceptors in the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana and how the phytochromes, cryptochromes, and phototropins bring about changes in development seen in the growing plant.
The Induction of Mutations by Antibodies.

In most biological syntheses each step is controlled by a different gene. This conclusion was suggested by such combined genetic and biochemical studies as those on the anthocyanin pigments from which it appeared that a particular gene regulates the oxidation (or methylation, or the nature of the glucosides) at particular carbon atoms of the anthocyanin molecules. Studies of the eye pigments of Drosophila and the hair pigments of guinea pigs each indicate that the different steps in a particular synthesis are controlled by different genes. Almost overwhelming support for the conclusion is coming from studies of "biochemical" mutations in Neurospora.
Controlling extreme events on complex networks

Extreme events, a type of collective behavior in complex networked dynamical systems, often can have catastrophic consequences. To develop effective strategies to control extreme events is of fundamental importance and practical interest. Utilizing transportation dynamics on complex networks as a prototypical setting, we find that making the network “mobile” can effectively suppress extreme events. A striking, resonance-like phenomenon is uncovered, where an optimal degree of mobility exists for which the probability of extreme events is minimized. We derive an analytic theory to understand the mechanism of control at a detailed and quantitative level, and validate the theory numerically. Implications of our finding to current areas such as cybersecurity are discussed.
Central pattern generation and the motor infrastructure for suck, respiration, and speech.

Abstract The objective of the current report is to review experimental findings on centrally patterned movements and sensory and descending modulation of central pattern generators (CPGs) in a variety of animal and human models. Special emphasis is directed toward speech production muscle systems, including the chest wall and orofacial complex during patterned motor output. Experimental results indicate that CPGs subserving orofacial motor behavior can be modulated via descending and sensory inputs. This feature of control may also operate in the control of other centrally patterned motor behaviors including speech breathing, suck, mastication, and the recombination of CPG processes for the development and production of speech. Learning outcomes: Readers will be able to: (1) define the salient characteristics of CPGs, (2) list five factors which influence the development and operation of a CPG over the lifespan, (3) define sensorimotor entrainment of CPGs, and (4) describe one new application for therapeutic training of the non-nutritive suck in premature infants.
Economic burden of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in patients with cystic fibrosis.

AbstractObjective:Chronic infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is the primary cause of pulmonary deterioration in cystic fibrosis (CF). This study describes healthcare costs and resource utilization among CF patients following PA infection in the US.Methods:This retrospective study utilized data from MarketScan claims database. CF patients with an initial PA infection were identified, and their healthcare utilization, medical and pharmacy costs were extracted for 12 months, pre- and post-PA infection. Descriptive and pair-wise non-parametric statistical analyses compared healthcare utilization and costs before and after infection.Results:Three hundred and fifty-eight CF patients met study criteria (mean age 20.1 years; 48% female). Mean annual per-patient costs following initial PA infection increased by an estimated $18,516 (outpatient: $3113; inpatient: $10,123; pharmacy: $4943). Overall healthcare costs were significantly higher (p < 0.0001) following PA infection, as were overall inpatient visit...
Waste capiz (Amusium cristatum) shell as a new heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production

The waste Capiz shell was utilized as raw material for catalyst production for biodiesel preparation. During calcination process, the calcium carbonate content in the waste capiz shell was converted to CaO. This calcium oxide was used as catalyst for transesterification reaction between palm oil and methanol to produce biodiesel. The biodiesel preparation was conducted under the following conditions: the mole ration between methanol and palm oil was 8:1, stirring speed was 700 rpm, and reaction temperature was 60 °C for 4, 5, and 6 h reaction time. The amount of catalyst was varied at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 wt %. The maximum yield of biodiesel was 93 ± 2.2%, obtained at 6 h of reaction time and 3 wt % of amount of catalyst. In order to examine the reusability of catalyst developed from waste of capiz (Amusium cristatum) shell, three transesterification reaction cycles were also performed.
Intraovarian markers of follicular and oocyte maturation

The use of ovulation induction for multiple follicular growth in in vitro fertilization (IVF) has introduced the problem of follicular asynchrony. As a consequence of the asynchrony, the parameters most commonly used by IVF groups to assess follicular and oocyte quality within those follicles are not sufficiently sensitive or specific. Thus, each follicle must be considered separately, and specific markers of follicular and/or oocyte maturation must be sought from within the follicle. In this review we analyze previous reports of potential markers of follicular and oocyte maturation. In regards to the follicular fluid constituents, the level of estradiol in follicular fluid correlates with fertilization and pregnancy in stimulated cycles. Other steroids are only helpful when specific stimulation protocols are used. The level of some follicular proteins such as alpha-1-antitrypsin and fibrinogen also correlates with fertilization and pregnancy outcome. Cyclic AMP levels in follicular fluid are significantly reduced in follicles leading to conception. Regulators of oocyte maturation, such as the Oocyte Maturation Inhibitor (OMI) or the Meiosis Inducing Substance (MIS) have also been correlated with IVF outcome, but their exact structure remains still unknown. In addition, other sophisticated parameters, such as chemotactic activity of human leukocytes, or simple methods, such as the presence of intrafollicular echoes, have also been used as successful markers in predicting IVF outcome.
Functional Family Therapy: An Interview With Dr. James Alexander:

This article presents the functional family therapy of James Alexander, focusing on his work with high risk, youth who are high risk, delinquent, and who abuse substances. The interview addresses evidencebased interventions, individualizing treatment, and prevention of violence. Training efforts and recent developments in functional family therapy are discussed.
A 300-A delta V/sub F/ tester

The design and development of a relatively low-cost, high-current, transient thermal resistance tester are described. The tester, which employs delta techniques, was initially used to measure the die bond integrity of large power handling rectifier assemblies, but because of its versatility it can thermally characterize most semiconductor junctions. Circuit design details and testing of several products are illustrated, including the delta V/sub F/ and V/sub F/ measurements of power rectifiers and smart power ICs. >
Synthesis and Characterization of π-Stacked Phenothiazine-Labeled Oligodeoxynucleotides

A facile procedure for the incorporation of N-methyl phenothiazine as the terminal nucleoside in oligodeoxynucleotides is reported. The phenothiazine nucleoside analogue is synthesized and then incorporated into DNA using an automated DNA solid-phase synthesizer. Phenothiazine-labeled oligodeoxynucleotides form stable B-form duplexes with higher melting temperatures compared to unlabeled DNA duplexes.
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled comparison of the metabolic effects of low-dose hydrochlorothiazide and indapamide.

To compare the metabolic effects of indapamide (I) and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) at equivalent hypotensive doses, 11 hypertensive patients (5 male, 8 black, aged 56 +/- 8 yr--mean +/- SEM) having serum uric acid concentrations greater than 8.0 mg/dL while receiving previous therapy with thiazides, received 28-day courses of placebo, indapamide (2.5 mg/d), and HCTZ (25 mg/d) in randomized, double-blind, double-crossover design. Supine and standing blood pressures, weight, pulse rates and sera were obtained after each 28 day period. Blood pressures and weights were lowered (P less than .001 and 0.01, respectively) equally by the diuretics: supine blood pressures fell from 168 +/- 4/104 +/- 2 (placebo) to 153 +/- 4/93 +/- 2 (HCTZ) and 155 +/- 4/94 +/- 2 mm Hg (I); standing blood pressures (after 2 minutes upright) also decreased: 171 +/- 5/104 +/- 2 (placebo) to 156 +/- 5/93 +/- 2 (HCTZ) and 157 +/- 4/94 +/- 2 mm Hg (I). There was a statistically significant difference (P less than .05) across treatments by analysis of variance in both uric acid and potassium concentrations: serum urate (in mg/dL) was lowest with placebo (7.1 +/- 0.3), and rose to 8.3 +/- 0.2 with HCTZ (P less than .001 compared with placebo by paired t test), and 8.1 +/- 0.2 with I (P less than .005 vs. placebo). The urate concentration with I was significantly lower than that with HCTZ (P less than .02), but the magnitude of the difference was small (0.2 mg/dL).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Retching responses in Caiman sklerops elicited by telencephalic stimulation: efferent connections.

Abstract Lesions were made in the dorsolateral region of the striatum of Caiman. The loci for these lesions had previously evoked a retching response to electrical stimulation. Efferent connections from the telencephalon were determined by the Nauta-Gygax method. Degenerating axons were traced bilaterally to the thalamus, the hypothalamus, the optic tectum, and the periventricular gray of the mesencephalon. More caudally, degeneration was followed discretely into the lateral vesticular nuclei and diffusely into the medulla.
Locus of Control and Marital Satisfaction

Summary This study replicates, to some extent, the only two previous studies that had examined the relationship of locus of control and marital satisfaction (Mlott and Lira, 1977, and Doherty, 1980), whose findings indicated that when the wife was more externally oriented and the husband more internal there were high levels of marital dissatisfaction. Both studies had focused on young, recently married couples. The present study focused on older couples, 83 from rural and 98 from urban communities in southeastern Kansas, who had remained in marriages longer. Findings indicated that locus of control was indeed associated with marital satisfaction—the greater the internal locus of control for the wife, the higher the marital satisfaction—and that such an association is not an artifact of social desirability.