cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of a double manifold Sliding Mode observer for speed and state estimation of the induction motor

The paper discusses the problem of speed and state estimation for the induction motor (IM) drive and presents a double-manifold Sliding Mode observer. This is obtained by adding extra feedback terms to a single-manifold observer design. Both designs are based on the model of the IM in the stationary reference frame. The observer uses compound manifolds which are constructed as a combination of the estimated states and mismatches. Observers with compound manifolds have not been widely investigated because they cannot be designed using a standard procedure; however, they may have very interesting properties. The paper investigates the behavior of a single-manifold observer first; it is shown that this only converges partially and provides an approximate speed estimate. Based on this, a double-manifold observer is designed. This estimates the fluxes, drives the current mismatches to zero and yields an accurate speed estimate. The method is applicable in a sensorless IM drive control algorithm where the speed, the flux magnitude and the rotor flux angle are needed. The theoretical developments are supported with simulations.
Immunoreactive dynorphin-A in ovine anterior pituitary and effects of estradiol-17β administration

Abstract Anterior lobe (AL) tissue of the ovine pituitary gland contained a form of immunoreactive dynorphin-A (ir-DYN-A) larger than that found in pituitary neurointermediate lobe. Administration of estradiol-17β or estradiol-17β plus progesterone to ovariectomized sheep decreased AL tissue concentrations of ir-DYN-A but did not affect any LH parameter. Enzymatically dispersed AL cells also contained ir-DYN-A, but specific release during in vitro incubation was too low to be detected even when cells were exposed to gonadotropin-releasing hormone.
Water sorption in poly(ethylene furanoate) compared to poly(ethylene terephthalate). Part 1: Equilibrium sorption

Abstract Diffusion coefficients for water in amorphous poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) were studied at 35 °C over the entire water activity range. PEF exhibits a ∼5× reduction in diffusion coefficient averaged over the entire concentration interval compared to PET. Fickian diffusion was observed for water in both polyesters up to ∼0.6 activity, after which the presence of non-Fickian relaxations required treatment using the Berens–Hopfenberg modeling framework. Penetrant plasticization at high activity was found for both PEF and PET, as evidenced by a positive correlation between diffusion coefficient and increasing water concentration. Arrhenius interpretation of diffusion coefficients measured at 15, 25, 35, and 45 °C allowed calculation of the activation energies of diffusion for PEF and PET, which were similar at 47.1 ± 2.8 kJ/mol and 46.4 ± 3.0 kJ/mol, respectively. This study complements prior work pertaining to the equilibrium water sorption properties in both polyesters, and subsequently provides a detailed investigation of the water diffusion process in these materials.
Variation of anatomical structures related to biventricular pacing procedures and cannulation of the coronary sinus

The success of biventricular pacing procedures is at least partially related to the ability to implant leads into the heart. Lead placement into the coronary sinus can be particularly challenging because of variations in the coronary venous anatomy. We examined the anatomy of the coronary sinus and the Thebesian valve. Forty-three (22 male, 21 female) embalmed adult cadavers were used to determine the internal diameter of the coronary sinus ostium, the presence of a membranous or fenestrated Thebesian valve, and the percent occlusion of the coronary sinus ostium by the Thebesian valve, if present. An 8-French (F) guiding catheter was used to simulate coronary sinus cannulation. The average internal diameter of the coronary sinus ostium was 11.44 ± 3.21 mm. A Thebesian valve was present in 74 % of the cadavers, and the majority (84 %) of those valves were membranous. In the presence of a Thebesian valve, the opening at the ostium was reduced to 7.47 ± 2.69 mm. The percent occlusion of the coronary sinus ostium by the Thebesian valve varied from 8.26 to 100 %. The average cannulation distance (length of catheter travel into the coronary sinus from the coronary sinus ostium) was 69 ± 18 mm. Statistical analyses revealed no gender differences in the measurement data for either the coronary sinus or Thebesian valve. The most common presentation is a membranous Thebesian valve. Most frequently, the percent occlusion ranged between 41 and 50 %. The cannulation distance was greater in males than in females.
Role of cellular infiltrates in response to proteinuria.

Abstract Tubulointerstitial injury caused by multiple insults, including significant proteinuria, results in interstitial inflammation. Evidence supports the hypothesis that interstitial inflammatory cells initially recruited in response to injury subsequently contribute to interstitial fibrosis. Experimental manipulations that decrease the number of interstitial macrophages (Mφs) preserve renal function. Mφs have the potential to secrete a large number of products, including some with fibrosis-promoting effects. Their most potent profibrotic effect may be the production of soluble fibrogenic factors, such as transforming growth factor-β, endothelin-1, and tumor necrosis factor-α. These factors stimulate the synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins by neighboring myofibroblasts. Mφs may also release inhibitors of such matrix-degrading proteases as tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Protease inhibitors have a role in renal scarring by impairing the process of matrix remodeling and degradation, which normally functions in parallel with matrix synthesis. It is predicted that therapeutic interventions that dampen the interstitial inflammatory response will attenuate the renal fibrogenic response, preserving normal renal architecture and function.
Oral versus inhaled ribavirin therapy for respiratory syncytial virus infection after lung transplantation

Background Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a significant contributor to morbidity in adult lung transplant recipients. Multiple modes of ribavirin administration have been described in the literature. This study investigated outcomes related to delivery route. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of adult lung transplant patients infected with RSV (2006–2010). RSV severity was graded according to clinical symptoms and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) status on International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) criteria. Relationships between route of ribavirin delivery and RSV severity, BOS progression at 6 months after RSV infection, and overall survival were assessed. Of 30 RSV-positive patients identified, 9 were ultimately excluded. Results The 21 study patients were a mean age of 49 ± 17 years (range, 17–72 years) at transplant. Six received oral and 15 received inhaled ribavirin per clinician preference. No significant differences were observed between the groups by age, sex, or ethnicity. Mean time from transplant to RSV was 26 ± 29 months (range, 1–100 months). Infections were mild in 2 of 6 patients in the oral compared with 11 of 15 in the inhaled group ( p = 0.17). None of the oral group and 3 of the inhaled group exhibited BOS 1 at time of infection ( p = 0.53); 2 (inhaled) had new onset/progression of BOS at 6 months after RSV ( p > 0.99). No difference in overall survival ( p = 0.41) was observed between the 2 groups. Conclusions This retrospective study demonstrates no significant differences in 6-month outcomes between oral and inhaled ribavirin therapy for RSV infection after lung transplantation.
Disgust, fear, and the anxiety disorders: a critical review.

Abstract Anxiety disorders have traditionally been conceptualized as reflecting the emotions of fear and anxiety. A developing program of research demonstrates a relation between disgust and three specific anxiety disorders: blood-injection-injury (BII) phobia, spider phobia, and contamination-related obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). This review serves three purposes. First, the authors review the response patterns predicted to be observed if the emotional response in these disorders involved disgust versus fear. The review suggests specific response patterns that characterize disgust and fear in the domains of heart rate, facial expression, neural activity, and cognitive processes. Second, the authors review extant research employing measures of these domains in spider phobia, BII phobia, and contamination-related OCD. The evidence suggests that both fear and disgust characterize each of these disorders, but the magnitude at which the emotions characterize the disorders may depend on the response domain measured. For example, disgust may be more involved in spider phobia in appraisals and facial expression, but less involved in neural correlates or heart rate domains. Third, the authors suggest guidelines for future research, including concurrent use of specific measures as well as examining whether the different emotions in different response domains respond to similar interventions (e.g., exposure).
Forecasting train travel times at at-grade crossings

The ability to accurately forecast train arrival times is essential for the safe and efficient operation of highway-railroad grade crossings (HRGCs). Trains in the United States are required to give a minimum of 20 s of warning time before arriving at an HRGC. With the recent development of new detection-equipment technology, detectors potentially could be employed further upstream of the HRGC, which would result in earlier detection times. This information would be particularly useful for preemption strategies at signalized intersections located near the HRGC (IHRGCs). For example, earlier warning times could be used to reduce or eliminate the risk of unsafe pedestrian movements at IHRGCs. In this study, a modular artificial neural network (ANN) was used to forecast the train arrival time at an HRGC. An ANN was adopted because there is a nonlinear relationship between the independent variables such as train speed profile and the dependent variable arrival time at an HRGC. A modular approach was used because the trains often have different characteristics depending on their cargo and the operational rules in effect at the time they are detected. Because the train detection is continuous, different models were developed for each separate data input. In this case, the prediction interval update was assumed to be 10 s and 24 models were developed. Approximately 499 trains were used for training the ANN and 183 trains were used for testing. It was found that a modular architecture gave superior results to that of a simple ANN model, standard regression techniques, and current forecasting methods for the entire detection time period. It was found that, with an increase in detection time, the forecast accuracy increases for all methods and the prediction interval tends to decrease.
Moving bank multiple model adaptive estimation applied to flexible spacestructure control

This research investigates the feasibility of moving-bank multiple model adaptive estimation algorithms as applied to flexible spacestructure control. Moving-bank multiple model adaptive estimation/control is an attempt to reduce the computational loading associated with the implementation of a full-scale multiple model adaptive estimator/controller. The research indicates that, for the application in this research, although the use of a moving bank may provide increased state estimation and control performance, similar performance can be obtained from a fixed bank estimator with fewer filters than a full bank, accomplished through a coarse discretization that covers the range of parameter variation.
Mining consumer product data via latent semantic indexing

One important focus of data mining research is in the development of algorithms for extracting valuable information from large databases in order to facilitate business decisions. This study explores a new technique for data mining --latent semantic indexing LSI. LSI is an efficient information retrieval method for textual documents. By determining the singular value decomposition SVD of a large sparse term-by-document matrix, LSI constructs an approximate vector space model which represents important associative relationships between terms and documents that are not evident in individual documents. This paper explores the applicability of the LSI model to numerical databases, namely consumer product data. By properly choosing attributes of data records as terms or documents, a term-by-document frequency matrix is built from which a distribution-based indexing scheme is employed to construct a correlated distribution matrix CDM. An LSI-like vector space model is then used to detect useful or hidden patterns in the numerical data. The extracted information can then be validated using statistical hypotheses testing or resampling. LSI is an automatic yet intelligent indexing method. Its application to numerical data introduces a promising way to discover knowledge in important commercial application areas such as retail and consumer banking.
Nucleolar localization of the Werner syndrome protein in human cells

Werner Syndrome (WS) is a human genetic disorder with many features of premature aging. The gene defective in WS (WRN) has been cloned and encodes a protein homologous to several helicases, including Escherichia coli RecQ, the human Bloom syndrome protein (BLM), and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sgs1p. To better define the function of WRN protein we have determined its subcellular localization. Indirect immunofluorescence using polyclonal anti-human WRN shows a predominant nucleolar localization. Studies of WRN mutant cells lines confirmed the specificity of antibody recognition. No difference was seen in the subcellular localization of the WRN protein in a variety of normal and transformed human cell lines, including both carcinomas and sarcomas. The nucleolar localization of human WRN protein was supported by the finding that upon biochemical subcellular fractionation, WRN protein is present in an increased concentration in a subnuclear fraction enriched for nucleolar proteins. We have also determined the subcellular localization of the mouse WRN homologue (mWRN). In contrast to human WRN protein, mWRN protein is present diffusely throughout the nucleus. Understanding the function of WRN in these organisms of vastly differing lifespan may yield new insights into the mechanisms of lifespan determination.
SU-E-I-102: Independent Implementation of AAPM TG-150 Draft Image Receptor Test Recommendations.

Purpose: To determine whether a proposed suite of generic tests for digital radiography (DR) detectors could be reduced to practice. Methods: MATLAB software was developed to analyzeimages according to descriptions in a document drafted by the TG150 Detector Subgroup. Forprocessing images were acquired directly from the acquisition stations of three DR and one Computed Radiography system. Images included flat‐field exposures at the manufacturer's calibration condition, twice the exposure, ½ the exposure, and a low exposure, plus three images of a lead bar pattern in different orientations, also at the calibration condition. The flat field images were analyzed to determine Detector Response; Gain Correction; Signal, Noise, and Signal‐to‐noise (SNR) Uniformity; SNR Magnitude; and Anomalous Detector Element (del) Identification. The program also allowed visual inspection for evaluation of collimation and non‐uniformity. Bar pattern images were analyzed to evaluate spatial resolution by a variance method. Results: Acquisition revealed a number of pitfalls. Some manufacturers have multiple calibration points. For‐processing images are not directly available from all systems, and PACS may modify them from their original state. The orientation of the flat field with respect to the anodecathode axis may not be defined by the manufacturer. Care must be taken to ensure collimation outside the edges of detectors, or the software must exclude collimator shadows. The matrix size of images differs among manufacturers, so the size of the region of interest (ROI) for analysis varies from the default size of 100×100 dels, as does the number of ROIs. The approach for dealing with edges and ROIs may affect the numerical results. The detector response function may also affect the interpretation of results. Conclusions: The software successfully implements most of the detector tests recommended by TG150. Comparison of these results with those of the parallel effort will validate the draft test definition.
Self-aligned, direct-write graphene channel FETs

A simple yet versatile, lithography-free process has been demonstrated to make direct-write, self-aligned graphene Field Effect Transistors (FETs). The critical step to define the source, drain and the top-gate electrodes is achieved by the near-field electrospinning process and the electrospun polymer fiber is utilized as the gate dielectric material. Fabricated FETs show a carrier mobility at 5056 cm2/Vs which corresponds to a typical graphene carrier density of n =1012 cm-2. Three distinctive advancements have been achieved as compared with the state-of-art technologies: (1) top-gate graphene FETs utilizing a lithography-free process; (2) polymer fiber as the top-gate oxide material; and (3) dual functions/operations as top-gate or back-gate FETs. As such, the proposed self-aligned, direct-write graphene fabrication process could open up a new class of manufacturing path for graphene-based microelectronics.
Time Pressure and Mental Workload Effects on Perceived Workload and Key Strike Force during Typing

Although physical factors are accepted as risks in the development of work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), psychosocial factors may explain some of the remaining differences in susceptibility to WMSDs. The following study examined the effects of two psychosocial factors, mental workload and time pressure, on typing performance, perceived workload, and key strike force while typing. The majority of the key strike force measures increased with increases in time pressure and mental workload. Perceived overall workload (as measured using SWAT) increased with mental workload and time pressure, and typing performance decreased. Additionally, gender, locus of control, and perceived stress level did not influence outcomes. Physical risk factors may be mediated by psychosocial factors to increase risk for WMSD development in the upper extremities. Therefore, both physical and psychosocial aspects of work environments should be considered when designing jobs and work tasks to prevent injuries and improve...
Fiber-optic confocal microscope with an electrothermally-actuated, large-tunable-range microlens scanner for depth scanning

We present a fiber-optic reflectance confocal microscope using a large-tunable-range MEMS microlens scanner for automatic axial scan. The tunable microlens is actuated by an electrothermal actuator that is capable of scanning up to 0.9 mm at less than 6.3 V. The lateral shift and tilt of the microlens are about 10 µm and 0.4°, respectively. 2-D cross-sectional reflectance confocal images of micro-particles in polymer and rat skin have been obtained with the lateral and axial resolutions of about 1.2 µm and 38 µm, respectively.
Mutagenesis of the COOH-terminal region of bacteriophage T4 regA protein.

The bacteriophage T4 regA protein is a translational repressor that regulates the synthesis of >12 T4 proteins. Earlier studies demonstrated that photocross-linking of the 122-residue regA protein to (dT)16 occurs at two sites, with the major site occurring at Phe-106. Amino acid substitutions were introduced at Phe-106 to evaluate its role in nucleic acid binding. Binding affinities of mutants F106C, F106V, and F106Y for nonspecific and specific RNA ligands indicated little difference between the Kapp of the mutants and wild type regA protein, for either poly(U) or for a specific gene 44 oligoribonucleotide. Thus, Phe-106 does not contribute measurably to the overall free energy of binding. Partial proteolysis of regA protein was carried out to further probe its domain structure. Chymotryptic cleavage produced a fragment of 11,095 Da that has reduced affinity for poly(U) and that contains the first 93 residues of regA protein. Interestingly, proteolysis of regA protein is reduced in the presence of the specific target, gene 44 RNA. Two deletion mutants, 1→94 and 1→109, have also been cloned and purified. The binding affinities of these deletion mutants indicated a 100-1000-fold reduction in their affinities for poly(U). These studies indicate the last 13 amino acids in regA protein make a significant contribution to RNA binding.
Imaging Surface Reactions at Atomic Resolution: A Wealth of Behavior on the Nanoscale

In this feature article we review some of the striking results we have obtained with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) on two single-crystal metal surfaces, Cu(110) and Ag(110), related to several general principles of surface reactions. While the “classic” surface science techniques are invaluable in providing supplementary information, STM has opened our eyes to the reality of the way in which surfaces participate in reactions. Simple adsorbates can form several nanometer-sized phases. Mixtures of reactants form cooperative structures that are far from homogeneous. Surface reactivity is site-specific and anisotropic. Step defects can have specific influences on reactivity. Reaction intermediates can inhibit the reactivity of the adsorbed reactants. The surface metal atoms rearrange in a manner far more complex than anticipated by the flexible surface model. We find that the reaction intermediates incorporate a stoichiometric number of metal atoms in the adsorbed layer, which leads to a significant amo...
The effect of incentives on customer evaluations of service bundles

Abstract Effects of service bundle incentives on perceived value, search intentions, and switching intentions are assessed in two independent studies. The first study demonstrates that service bundling influences switching and search intentions through perceived value. Results related to bundle incentives support the salience of the convenience associated with consolidating charges onto one bill. Further analysis reveals that explicit valuation of savings creates higher perceived value than convenience alone; however, search and switching intentions are unaffected by incentives or valuation thereof beyond the convenience effect. A second study replicates key parts of these results. Research and practical implications are discussed.
Ribavirin treatment of murine coxsackievirus B3myocarditis with analyses of lymphocyte subsets

The efficacy of the synthetic nucleoside ribavirin in the therapy of experimental myocarditis caused by coxsackievirus B3 and its effects on peripheral and splenic lymphocyte subsets were investigated. Two week old male C3H/He mice were inoculated with coxsackievirus B3. Ribavirin was administered subcutaneously on days 0 to 15 (experiment I) and on days 4 to 15 (experiment II) in a dose of 200 (experiment I: Group 2, n = 10; experiment II: Group 5, n = 10) or 400 mg/kg per day (experiment I: Group 3, n = 10; experiment II: Group 6, n = 10). Control mice (experiment I: Group 1, n = 15; experiment II: Group 4, n = 14) received an injection of saline solution. In experiment I, mice treated with ribavirin survived significantly longer than did control mice (p = 0.005, Group 1 versus Group 2; p = 0.001, Group 1 versus Group 3). In experiment II, the survival rate on day 15 in ribavirin-treated mice was high compared with that in control mice (Group 4 = 14.3%, Group 5 = 20%, Group 6 = 50%). Myocardial viral titers on days 5 to 8 were significantly lower in ribavirin-treated mice of both experiments than in control mice.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Transformation of recalcitrant barley cultivars through improvement of regenerability and decreased albinism

Abstract During selection for transformed tissue, in vitro-cultured barley material rapidly loses regenerability or gives rise to albino plants, and this has caused difficulty in developing successful transformation technologies for important North American barley cultivars. Callus from three spring cultivars, Golden Promise (GP), Galena (GL), and Harrington (HT), was initiated from immature scutellar tissue and grown on callus-induction medium containing 2.5 mg/l of the auxin, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4- d ), 0.01 or 0.1 mg/l of the cytokinin, 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), and 5.0 μM cupric sulfate. The addition of BAP and copper, compared to auxin alone, resulted in shinier, more compact and slightly brown-colored callus, which was more regenerable. When the highly regenerable structures were exposed to dim light and maintained on 0.1 mg/l BAP, they could be cultured for more than a year without a marked loss in regenerability or evidence of albinism. When GP tissues were initiated on auxin alone (2,4- d or dicamba) and transferred to 2,4- d , BAP and copper, as an intermediate step before regeneration, green shoot production increased 2.4 to 11.4 times for both transgenic and nontransgenic calli. Similar increases were found for nontransgenic GL and HT. This increase in regenerability, likely due to a change in the developmental state of the cultures, along with other changes in the transformation protocol, resulted in successful transformation of the previously recalcitrant GL and HT cultivars.
The interpretation of near edge structure

The near edge structure up to 30 eV above the ionisation threshold of inner shell edges can be interpreted either as the result of interference of waves scattered from neighbouring atoms or in terms of the local projected conduction band density of states. Methods of calculating near edge structure based on both these viewpoints will be discussed and applications to the near edge structures observed in semiconductors and insulators reviewed. Particular emphasis will be given to those cases where the calculations lead to a simple interpretation of near edge structure. The characteristic inner shell edges observed in electron energy loss spectroscopy have traditionally been used for elemental analysis. Now that spectrometers capable of giving about 1 to 1.5 eV resolution on conventional TEMs and 0.3 to 0.5 eV resolution on cold field emission STEMs have become available the observation of fine structure oscillations has become routine. In particular the large modulations within the first 20 to 30 eV above threshold have become easy to observe and can be detected even when the element is present in low concentrations (below about 10% relative to the majority constituent). It would be advantageous if the fine structures could give some new information on the microstructure of the material, especially if that information could not be obtained in other ways. The materials scientist would like to know whether the near edge structure gives information about elemental charge state, local bonding or the local nature of the conduction band. Alternatively the fine structure might be sensitive to environment or coordination number. Another possibility is that it only reflects interatomic bond distances, but in a more convoluted way than the much weaker extended fine structure which starts about 30eV above threshold. One approach to understanding near edge structure is to collect "fingerprints" from elements in similar environments and try to identify common features (see the article by Brydson in this
Associations between the Rho kinase-1 catalytic and PH domain regulatory unit

Rho-associated kinase, or ROCK, is an important mediator of ventricular remodeling in cardiac hypertrophy. It has a kinase catalytic domain, a coiled-coil domain and a Pleckstrin-Homology domain (PH domain) with a C1 domain insert. The C-terminal region including the PH domain and C1 domain insert is involved in an autoregulatory role for ROCK. We sought to evaluate whether a self association complex could form using computational docking approaches. We found that both the PH domain and the C1 domain could dock with the catalytic domain and we further found that they could dock in poses that are complementary to each other forming a three domain complex. We also confirmed a binding response using a surface plasmon resonance experimental approach. Information about the regulation of ROCK might lead to new strategies to develop lead inhibitor compounds to modulate cardiac remodeling.
Distinctive Patterns of Methanogenic Flora Determined with Antibody Probes in Anaerobic Digestors of Different Characteristics Operated Under Controlled Conditions

Summary Methanogenes in digestors are varied and it has been hypothesized that they do not occur at random, but form patterns determined by the selective forces, e. g. substrate and temperature, acting on the microbes. On these grounds a set of comparable samples from thirteen digestors of various types with different feedstocks, eight mesophilic (35°C) and five thermophilic (55°C), all started with the same inoculum and operated in the same laboratory under standardized, controlled conditions, were studied immunologically for the first time, to obtain a cross-section of the methanogenic subpopulations as they occur in situ . Methanogens were identified and quantified by using antibody probes and immunotechnology developed for direct examination of μl-volumes of samples, avoiding culture-isolation procedures. The number, size, and immunologic identity of methanogenic subpopulations formed a pattern characteristic of each digestor, depending upon its type, feedstock and temperature. Digestors identical in these three parameters showed the same pattern, whereas digestors differing in at least one of these parameters, e. g. feedstock, showed different patterns, despite the fact that all had been started with the same inoculum. The potential usefulness of pattern determination and analysis for comparing and monitoring digestors is discussed.
Using multiobjective optimizations to discover dynamic building ventilation strategies that can improve indoor air quality and reduce energy use

Abstract Ventilation plays a crucial role in promoting the comfort and health of building occupants. It is sometimes costly in terms of energy consumption, but can also be beneficial from an energy perspective when free cooling is available. This work is an exploratory analysis of the hypothesis that simultaneously optimizing energy and indoor air quality (IAQ) objectives can yield better results than existing ventilation control methods. A multiobjective optimization framework was set up to determine optimal time-resolved outdoor airflow and zone temperature setpoints. Test cases were implemented in a modeled office building by numerical, simulation-based optimization for a core and perimeter zone and for typical weather days in January, July, and October in Philadelphia. Results showed that conventional approaches were dominated by the optimized strategies in some cases. Most strikingly, in the core zone in January, mechanical system energy use was reduced by 20–30% with nearly unchanged or improved IAQ. The optimized strategies employed a low-temperature morning flush, a time-shift of some ventilation to the mid afternoon when outdoor air did not require as much heating, and a reduction in ventilation in the evening when it was not as effective at reducing exposure. Cases in July and October demonstrated another benefit: significant IAQ improvements at low energy cost. The results show that there is significant room for improvement in reducing the energy use associated with providing good IAQ.
Transabdominal-transperitoneal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval in a patient with müllerian agenesis.

Abstract Objective: To describe the approach of transabdominal-transperitoneal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval undertaken in a patient with mullerian agenesis and ovarian malposition who underwent a successful gestational carrier treatment cycle. Design: Case report. Setting: A tertiary-referral reproductive medicine unit. Patient(s): A 26-year-old patient with mullerian agenesis. Her 44-year-old mother served as the gestational carrier. Intervention(s): Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, transabdominal-transperitoneal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval, embryo transfer. Main Outcome Measure(s): Oocyte recovery rate, fertilization rate, pregnancy test. Result(s): Six oocytes were retrieved using a percutaneous transperitoneal needle puncture under ultrasound guidance. Two cleavage-stage embryos were transferred to the gestational carrier, resulting in a twin pregnancy. Conclusion(s): For various reasons, patients with mullerian agenesis may not be candidates for standard transvaginal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval. Although laparoscopic oocyte retrieval has been frequently used in this setting, the approach of transbdominal-transperitoneal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval may offer further advantages in select cases.
Gene markers of cellular aging in human multipotent stromal cells in culture

Human multipotent stromal cells (MSCs) isolated from bone marrow or other tissue sources have great potential to treat a wide range of injuries and disorders in the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. In particular, MSCs have inherent characteristics to suppress the immune system and are being studied in clinical studies to prevent graft-versus-host disease. MSCs can be expanded in vitro and have potential for differentiation into multiple cell lineages. However, the impact of cell passaging on gene expression and function of the cells has not been determined. Commercially available human MSCs derived from bone marrow from six different donors, grown under identical culture conditions and harvested at cell passages 3, 5, and 7, were analyzed with gene-expression profiling by using microarray technology. The phenotype of these cells did not change as reported previously; however, a statistical analysis revealed a set of 78 significant genes that were distinguishable in expression between passages 3 and 7. None of these significant genes corresponded to the markers established by the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) for MSC identification. When the significant gene lists were analyzed through pathway analysis, these genes were involved in the top-scoring networks of cellular growth and proliferation and cellular development. A meta-analysis of the literature for significant genes revealed that the MSCs seem to be undergoing differentiation into a senescent cell type when cultured extensively. Consistent with the differences in gene expression at passage 3 and 7, MSCs exhibited a significantly greater potential for cell division at passage 3 in comparison to passage 7. Our results identified specific gene markers that distinguish aging MSCs grown in cell culture. Confirmatory studies are needed to correlate these molecular markers with biologic attributes that may facilitate the development of assays to test the quality of MSCs before clinical use.
American Paper Son: A Chinese Immigrant In The Midwest

Thanks to the oral histories gathered by editor Benson Tong and his students, Wayne Hung Wong's fifty-page handwritten autobiography became American Paper Son. Benson Tong is a well-suited editor. ...
Neutrophil Recruitment to the Lung in Both C5a- and CXCL1-Induced Alveolitis Is Impaired in Vitamin D–Binding Protein–Deficient Mice

Knowledge of how neutrophils respond to chemotactic signals in a complex inflammatory environment is not completely understood. Moreover, even less is known about factors in physiological fluids that regulate the activity of chemoattractants. The vitamin D–binding protein (DBP) has been shown to significantly enhance chemotaxis to complement activation peptide C5a using purified proteins in vitro, and by ex vivo depletion of DBP in physiological fluids, but this function has not been determined in vivo. DBP null ( −/− ) mice were used to investigate how a systemic absence of this plasma protein affects leukocyte recruitment in alveolitis models of lung inflammation. DBP −/− mice had significantly reduced (∼50%) neutrophil recruitment to the lungs compared with their wild-type DBP +/+ counterparts in three different alveolitis models, two acute and one chronic. The histology of DBP −/− mouse lungs also showed significantly less injury than wild-type animals. The chemotactic cofactor function of DBP appears to be selective for neutrophil recruitment, but, in contrast to previous in vitro results, in vivo DBP can enhance the activity of other chemoattractants, including CXCL1. The reduced neutrophil response in DBP −/− mice could be rescued to wild-type levels by administering exogenous DBP. Finally, in inflammatory fluids, DBP binds to G-actin released from damaged cells, and this complex may be the active chemotactic cofactor. To our knowledge, results show for the first time that DBP is a significant chemotactic cofactor in vivo and not specific for C5a, suggesting that this ubiquitous plasma protein may have a more significant role in neutrophil recruitment than previously recognized.
Factor Analysis of Five Adult ADHD Self-Report Measures Are They All the Same?

Objective: To test the assumption in the research and assessment of ADHD symptoms that self-report scales measure the same underlying cognitive construct and that there is convergent validity among the scales. The present study specifically tested this assumption by analyzing the scores of 616 individuals on five ADHD self-rating scales using principal components analysis. Method: Participants completed five self-report scales widely used in the clinical and research communities: the CSS, the BADDS, the CAARS, the AADDES, and the WURS. Results: Results show that while all scales were highly correlated and loaded onto a single factor solution, the WURS was differentiated from the other four scales best seen through a two factor solution. Therefore, the WURS may also measure other mental and emotional constructs independent from ADHD. Furthermore, participants that reported a previous diagnosis of ADHD scored significantly higher on all measures than those who did not. Conclusion: Since these scales are in ...
Control of postprandial water loss in Myotis lucifugus lucifugus

Abstract 1. 1. Postprandial water denial does not significantly alter the rate of subsequent water loss in Myotis lucifugus lucifugus in a controlled laboratory environment. 2. 2. Water loss in the postprandial and the fasting bat is primarily pulmocutaneous water loss. with urinary and fecal water loss contributing only 0.5% of the total. 3. 3. Water loss by individual Myotis lucifugus is dependent on ambient temperature and WVP and is independent of body weight.
Exploring comets and asteroids

Two upcoming NASA Discovery missions will have close encounters with comets and asteroids. Scheduled for launch on 1 July 2002, the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) mission will photograph, map, and analyze at least two comets at a distance of about 160 kilometers from their nuclei. Comet Encke, which CONTOUR will encounter in November 2003, circles the Sun in 3.2 years and has the shortest orbital period of any known comet. Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 presents an opportunity for CONTOUR in June 2006 to possibly examine subsurface material that was exposed when a large piece split from the comet in 1996.
Metric learning for semi-supervised clustering of Region Covariance Descriptors

In this paper we extend distance metric learning to a new class of descriptors known as Region Covariance Descriptors. Region covariances are becoming increasingly popular as features for object detection and classification over the past few years. Given a set of pairwise constraints by the user, we want to perform semi-supervised clustering of these descriptors aided by metric learning approaches. The covariance descriptors belong to the special class of symmetric positive definite (SPD) tensors, and current algorithms cannot deal with them directly without violating their positive definiteness. In our framework, the distance metric on the manifold of SPD matrices is represented as an L 2 distance in a vector space, and a Mahalanobis-type distance metric is learnt in the new space, in order to improve the performance of semi-supervised clustering of region covariances. We present results from clustering of covariance descriptors representing different human images, from single and multiple camera views. This transformation from a set of positive definite tensors to a Euclidean space paves the way for the application of many other vector-space methods to this class of descriptors.
Quadrupole and sextupole for dual bore ring

Latest results of testing the compact dual bore quadrupole and sextupole represented. A dual bore quadrupole was tested in a cryostat up to a /spl sim/150 A feeding current generating /spl sim/1 kG/cm in each aperture. The sextupole was tested in a Dewar and able to generate /spl sim/0.7 kG/cm of integrated field. The transverse size of the magnet cold masses is about 180 mm. The dual bore water cooled room temperature apertures are 54 mm in diameter each and the distance between centers of these apertures is 79 mm.
Near infrared transillumination imaging of breast cancer with vasoactive inhalation contrast

Inhalation of vasoactive gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen can provide strong changes in tissue hemodynamics. In this report, we present a preliminary clinical study aimed at assessing the feasibility of inhalation-based contrast with near infrared continuous wave transillumination for breast imaging. We describe a method for fitting the transient absorbance that provides the wavelength dependence of the optical pathlength as parametrized by tissue oxygenation and scatter power as well as the differential changes in oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin. We also present a principal component analysis data reduction technique to assess the dynamic response from the tissue that uses coercion to provide single temporal eigenvalues associated with both oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin changes.
Cardiovascular Health, Part 1: Preparticipation Cardiovascular Screening

When an athlete presents with chest pain, palpitations, or other cardiac symptoms, it is a tremendous source of concern for any health care professional or athletic trainer. This concern stems from the possibility of devastating injury or sudden death, as well as the lack of data or expert consensus regarding not only the appropriate evaluation and care of athletes with cardiac conditions but also the return-to-play criteria. Although these conditions are fortunately very rare, sudden deaths and other potentially life-threatening events in high-profile athletes have resonated in the collective psyche of athletes, their families, and sports medicine providers. Part 1 of this review synthesizes the current recommendations and highlights the controversies regarding the preparticipation screening of all athletes. It also discusses the diagnostic dilemmas and risks associated with sports participation of athletes with inherited cardiomyopathies.
Is a Paradigm Shift in US Healthcare Reimbursement Inevitable

The fundamental goal of health care is to increase longevity and optimize physical, psychological, and social well-being at the individual, community, and society levels. An optimal healthcare system should fulfill these goals in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Although we believe that our healthcare system in the United States is going in the right direction, there is certainly room for improvement.1 In the present article, we review some of the shortcomings of the present system and offer an alternative philosophy that might facilitate a more viable and efficient approach to healthcare expenditure. In the present environment, health care is generally viewed as an expense, and, because “costs” are managed by budgets, this translates into a fiscal mindset in managing health care. Naturally, this attitude generates a pattern of fragmented thinking. That is, the individual components of healthcare cost, such as pharmacy and hospital inpatient admissions, are considered independently, whereas total healthcare value and other important patient outcomes are overlooked. This fiscal mindset also does little to encourage the provision of quality care because reimbursement is based more on quantity. The natural consequence of this is exemplified by the results of a recent study in which patients received only 55% of the recommended care.2 The failure of the current system to promote quality care is also apparent in the infrequent use of incentives for preventive care or proactive disease management. Indeed, such services are often not reimbursed. In short, the focus is on episodic care rather than on encouraging proactive health management. This contributes to the current environment in which 50% of Medicare dollars are being spent on 5% of the Medicare population.3 Finally, a cost-based system fails to consider broader societal benefits of improving health, such as increased productivity and improved quality of life. Our criticism of …
Soft-Tissue and Osseous Techniques to Balance Forefoot and Midfoot Amputations

Soft-tissue and osseous balancing of forefoot and midfoot amputations is imperative to provide the patient with a stable, durable, and functional residual foot. This article discusses reproducible methods for balancing transmetatarsal and Lisfranc amputations in high-risk patients, with detailed explanations of the recommended surgical techniques. In addition to performing the appropriate procedures for the individual patient, careful attention to the perioperative management of this patient population, with a multidisciplinary approach, is mandatory for long-term success.
A fast simplified model for predicting river flood inundation probabilities in poorly gauged areas

The capability of a simple kinematic-storage model (KSM) is analysed to be used as a tool for a Decision Support System for the evaluation of probability inundation maps in near real time in poorly gauged areas. KSM simulates the floodplain as a storage and assumes no exchange of momentum with the channel. For the in-bank flow, the storage is modified through a coefficient for taking the variations of channel cross sections into account. The generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation approach is used for addressing the probability flood maps along with their associated uncertainties. The model is tested on two river reaches along the Tiber River in Central Italy where observed inundation maps are available for two recent flood events. Despite the inherent uncertainties present in the input data and in the model structure, the results show that the model reproduces reasonably well, in terms of both precision and accuracy, the observed inundated areas. Tests were performed at different digital elevation model resolutions, showing a small effect of the geometry on the maximum performance obtained. The very low computational times, the parsimony of the model and its low sensitivity to the quality of the geometry representation of the channel and the floodplain makes KSM very appealing for flood forecasting and early warning system applications in poorly gauged and inaccessible areas. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Method for Staffing Large Call Centers Based on Stochastic Fluid Models

We consider a call center model withm input flows andr pools of agents; them-vector ? of instantaneous arrival rates is allowed to be time dependent and to vary stochastically. Seeking to optimize the trade-off between personnel costs and abandonment penalties, we develop and illustrate a practical method for sizing ther agent pools. Using stochastic fluid models, this method reduces the staffing problem to a multidimensional newsvendor problem, which can be solved numerically by a combination of linear programming and Monte Carlo simulation. Numerical examples are presented, and in all cases the pool sizes derived by means of the proposed method are very close to optimal.