cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sca-1+ Cardiac Stem Cells Mediate Acute Cardioprotection via Paracrine Factor SDF-1 following Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion

Background: Cardiac stem cells (CSCs) promote myocardial recovery following ischemia through their regenerative properties. However, little is known regarding the implication of paracrine action by CSCs in the setting of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury although it is well documented that non-cardiac stem cells mediate cardioprotection via the production of paracrine protective factors. Here, we studied whether CSCs could initiate acute protection following global myocardial I/R via paracrine effect and what component from CSCs is critical to this protection. Methodology/Principal Findings: A murine model of global myocardial I/R was utilized to investigate paracrine effect of Sca-1+ CSCs on cardiac function. Intracoronary delivery of CSCs or CSC conditioned medium (CSC CM) prior to ischemia significantly improved myocardial function following I/R. siRNA targeting of VEGF in CSCs did not affect CSC-preserved myocardial function in response to I/R injury. However, differentiation of CSCs to cardiomyocytes (DCSCs) abolished this protection. Through direct comparison of the protein expression profiles of CSCs and DCSCs, SDF-1 was identified as one of the dominant paracrine factors secreted by CSCs. Blockade of the SDF-1 receptor by AMD3100 or downregulated SDF-1 expression in CSCs by specific SDF-1 siRNA dramatically impaired CSC-induced improvement in cardiac function and increased myocardial damage following I/R. Of note, CSC treatment increased myocardial STAT3 activation after I/R, whereas downregulation of SDF-1 action by blockade of the SDF-1 receptor or SDF-1 siRNA transfection abolished CSC-induced STAT3 activation. In addition, inhibition of STAT3 activation attenuated CSC-mediated cardioprotection following I/R. Finally, post-ischemic infusion of CSC CM was shown to significantly protect I/R-caused myocardial dysfunction. Conclusions/Significance: This study suggests that CSCs acutely improve post-ischemic myocardial function through paracrine factor SDF-1 and up-regulated myocardial STAT3 activation.
Developmental Programming: Priming Disease Susceptibility for Subsequent Generations

Racial and/or ethnic minorities carry the highest burden of many adverse health outcomes intergenerationally We propose a paradigm in which developmental programming exacerbates the effects of racial patterning of adverse environmental conditions, thereby contributing to health disparity persistence. Evidence that developmental programming induces a heightened response to adverse exposures ("second hits") encountered later in life is considered. We evaluated the evidence for the second hit phenomenon reported in animal and human studies from three domains (air, stress, nutrition). Original research including a gestational exposure and a childhood or adulthood second hit exposure was reviewed. Evidence from animal studies suggest that prenatal exposure to air pollutants is associated with an exaggerated reaction to postnatal air pollution exposure, which results in worse health outcomes. It also indicates offspring exposed to prenatal maternal stress produce an exaggerated response to subsequent stressors, including anxiety and hyper-responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Similarly, prenatal and postnatal Western-style diets induce synergistic effects on weight gain, metabolic dysfunction, and atherosclerotic risk. Cross-domain second hits (e.g., gestational air pollution followed by childhood stressor) were also considered. Suboptimal gestational environments induce exaggerated offspring responses to subsequent environmental and social exposures. These developmental programming effects may result in enhanced sensitivity of ongoing, racially patterned, adverse exposures in race/ethnic minorities, thereby exacerbating health disparities from one generation to the next. Empirical assessment of the hypothesized role of priming processes in the propagation of health disparities is needed. Future social epidemiology research must explicitly consider synergistic relationships among social environmental conditions to which gestating females are exposed and offspring exposures when assessing causes for persistent health disparities.
Surface and Tangible Computing, and the "Small" Matter of People and Design

The paper points out that the quality of the users' experience with a new high-technology product should be the real object in the development of the product. In particular, the article focused on the importance of considering user interfaces and human-computer interaction in designing electronic products.
Studies on amylose and its derivatives V — The sedimentation of amylose acetate in dilute solution

Abstract Sedimentation and viscosity measurements have been carried out on seven fractions of amylose acetate dissolved in nitromethane at a temperature of 25°C. The effect of pressure on the sedimentation constant has been investigated and the relation between S00 and M W was found to be S 0 0 = 4.14 × 10 −15 bar M 0.38 W . Data obtained previously for the acetate dissolved in nitromethane, and chloroform have been reassessed using a modification of the Flory theory proposed recently by Kurata and Stockmayer, and it has been found that the amylose acetate molecule can be regarded as a flexible coil with negligible draining. The possibility of a helical form in solution is also discussed.
Interstellar abundances and depletions inferred from observations of neutral atoms

Data on neutral atomic species are analyzed for the purpose of inferring relative elemental abundances and depletions in diffuse cloud cores, where it is assumed that densities are enhanced in comparison with mean densities over integrated lines of sight. Column densities of neutral atoms are compared to yield relative column densities of singly ionized species, which are assumed dominant in cloud cores. This paper incorporates a survey of literature data on neutral atomic abundances with the result that no systematic enhancement in the depletions of calcium or iron in cloud cores is found, except for zeta Ophiuchi. This may imply that depletions are not influenced by density, but other data argue against this interpretation. It is concluded either that in general all elements are depleted together in dense regions so that their relative abundances remain constant, or that typical diffuse clouds do not have significant cores, but instead are reasonably homogeneous. The data show a probable correlation between cloud-core depletion and hydrogen-molecular fraction, supporting the assumption that overall depletions are a function of density.
Origin and development of carcinoma in the prostate

Detailed histologic study of 45 cancerous prostate glands in 134 autopsies provided new information on the natural history of prostatic carcinoma. Origin of carcinoma was limited to one of two histologically distinct regions, but with no apparent predilection for the “posterior lobe” or sub capsular area. Carcinoma selectively originated from active gland epithelium rather than a trophic glands, and distinctive premalignant changes accompanied its origin. Evidence from volume distribution data suggests that there are not two types of prostatic carcinoma with different biologic potential, but a single species having slow growth rate with a logarithmic growth curve. The development of carcinoma in the gland follows predictable patterns, including early involvement of the capsule and perineural spaces. The later course of tumor growth is characterized by loss of differentiation and the ability to penetrate the capsule and periurethral stroma. This suggests a gradual increase in biologic malignant potential which is closely linked to tumor size. Probably the capacity for distant metastasis is almost limited to large carcinomas, and penetration of the gland capsule may be the most important predisposing factor.
Endoscopic ultrasonography: changes of chronic pancreatitis in asymptomatic and symptomatic alcoholic patients.

Changes suggestive of chronic pancreatic damage by endoscopic ultrasonography were studied in 31 asymptomatic and symptomatic alcohol abusers. Fifteen additional patients who did not drink alcohol served as controls. Eighty-nine percent (17 of 19) of the alcohol abusers with chronic abdominal pain had chronic pancreatitis by endoscopic ultrasonography. Similarly, 58% (7 of 12) asymptomatic alcoholic patients also had changes of chronic pancreatitis on endosonography. Endoscopic ultrasonography has thus detected changes suggestive of alcohol-induced chronic pancreatic damage in up to 58% of asymptomatic alcoholic persons and in 89% of alcoholic persons with pancreatic type pain. KEY WORDS: Pancreatitis; Endoscopic ultrasonography; Alcoholism.
Extraction, matching and pose recovery based on dominant rectangular structures

Man-made environments possess many regularities which can be efficiently exploited for image based rendering as well as robotic visual navigation and localization tasks. In this paper we present an approach for automatic extraction of dominant rectangular structures from a single view and show how they facilitate the recovery of camera pose, planar structure and matching across widely separated views. Since in the presented approach the rectangular hypothesis formation is based on a higher level information encoded by the presence of orthogonal vanishing directions, the dominant rectangular structures can be detected and matched despite the presence of multiple repetitive structures often encountered in a variety of buildings. The different stages of the approach are demonstrated on various examples of images of indoors and outdoors structured environments.
Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Perceptions of Self-Determination for Their Students.

Seventy-six teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing within a western state of the United States were surveyed to explore their perceptions of the (a) importance of self-determination, (b) skills t...
Chain Migration and Information Networks: Evidence From Nineteenth-Century Hesse-Cassel

Chain migration was an important factor in European migrants decisions in the nineteenth century. This article demonstrates that previous migrations have long-run effects and continue to impact the decisions of future migrants for many years. Chain migration produces not only more migration but different migrants. Migrants from over 1300 different German villages are classified as networked and non-networked. The most definitive results from comparing the two types of migrants are the figures on cash assets because they support the models prediction that socially networked migrants needed less cash than non-networked migrants to accomplish their migration goals. (EXCERPT)
The positive impact of laparoscopic adrenalectomy on complications of adrenal surgery

Background: This study was conducted to determine whether laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) has had a positive impact on the incidence and nature of adrenalectomy-related complications, as compared with the prelaparoscopic era. Methods: All English language reports of patients undergoing either open adrenalectomy (OA) or LA from 1980 to 2000 were identified by Medline search. Reports were analyzed for the frequency and type of complications, with a minimum of 10 cases or studies required for inclusion. Complications were stratified by type and/or organ system involved, and groups were compared statistically using generalized linear model methods. Results: Complications were tabulated from 50 studies of LA involving 1,522 patients and 48 studies of OA comprising 2,273 patients. Among the reports, 22 compared LA and OA within a single institution. The total reported complication rate was 25.2% with LA versus 10.9% with OA (p ? 0.0001). The incidence of bleeding complications was higher with LA (4.7%) than OA (3.7%) (p ? 0.0001). As compared with LA, OA had a significantly higher incidence of associated organ injury (2.4% vs 0.7%), mainly to the spleen, and more wound (6.9% vs 1.4%), pulmonary (5.5% vs 0.9%), cardiac (1.6% vs 0.3%), and infectious (5.8% vs 1.6%) complications (p ? 0.0001). No significant differences in gastrointestinal, thromboembolic, or neurologic complications were seen. The mortality rate was 0.3% after LA and 0.9% after OA. The difference was not significant. Conclusions: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy has resulted in fewer adrenalectomy-related complications than seen historically with OA. Fewer wound and pulmonary complications and a reduced incidence of incidental splenectomy are primarily responsible for this improved outcome.
MAKING AGING "REAL" FOR UNDERGRADUATES

While there is ample evidence that introductory aging courses can enhance students' appreciation of older adults and aging issues, few studies report the impact of such courses on students' view of their own aging. We developed a one-credit, undergraduate course, "Introduction to Aging," to sensitize students to the aging experience, the diversity of the aging population, and the value of intergenerational communication. To achieve these goals, the curriculum was developed and taught using transformational learning methods that emphasize attitude and belief changes through self-reflection. This article shares the responses of students to an experiential, web-based exercise "Calculating Your Life Expectancy" that was assigned to "situate" students in the aging process. Our findings demonstrate that this exercise is an excellent transformational learning tool to stimulate student thinking and discussion of their own aging.
A note on the appearance of wisdom in large bureaucratic organizations

Any organization is happy with—and likely to promote—a man who is wise enough to make correct decisions for its successful operation. But in a large bureaucratic organization, may not statistical probability alone result in there being at least one man who makes all the correct decisions but who is no more truly competent than his less successful peers? How do we distinguish the wise from the pseudowise? These intriguing questions and some of their ramifications for political and organizational behavior are here discussed.
The Nature-Nurture Debates: The New Debate

The classic debate is a debate of opposites; the new debate is one of chickens and eggs. On the one hand, the classic debate simply has no resolution because nativists and empiricists cannot even agree on a dependent variable, much less a common methodology. The new debate, on the other hand, is not a dead end; it might just have a resolution. It won't be either the chicken or the egg, however, but it might just be the chick. This chapter reviews, in turn, the two participants in the new debate, evolutionary psychology and developmental systems theory, and then we see where an integration of the two might just become possible. Evolutionary Psychology Most theories of human development focus on proximal variables, ones concurrent with the developmental events themselves or in the very recent past of the individual. This is certainly true of the nativists and empiricists of the classic debate. Evolutionary psychologists see things differently, very differently. Their focus is on the distal antecedents of our behavior and development, causes that are depicted as taking place a very, very, very long time ago. There is no one theorist who ideas represent evolutionary psychology (EP), as might be the case if we were discussing Piaget or Freud. Rather, there are many people working within this tradition or perspective. Nevertheless, the most consistent and well-developed exposition of EP comes from the series of papers written over a number of years by John Tooby and Leda Cosmides (Cosmides and Tooby n/d; Tooby and Cosmides 1997; Cosmides and Tooby 2001; Tooby et al. 2003; Tooby and Cosmides 2005). I first summarize the model by reviewing their work and then present two variations on the model, one moving EP closer to developmental behavior genetics and the other closer to developmental systems theory (DST).
Communities of Practice with and without Information Technology.

Despite strong interest among practitioners and scholars, the study of communities of practice (CoPs) and Information Technology (IT) is short of empirical research. This paper presents a theoretical framework for communities of practice and provides alternative perspectives on IT supports for communities of practice. The framework was developed based on the literature and ethnographic case studies of communities of practice within two organizations. The study examines how people share and construct their knowledge and how they use collaborative IT to support work practices in two organizations. The surprising finding is that the groups that used IT most intensively had the least well-developed CoPs. The results of the study would inform practice and research in Knowledge Management.
Biostratigraphy and Paleoenvironment of Morrowan (Zone 2) Brachiopoda, Bird Spring Group, Arrow Canyon, Clark County, Nevada: ABSTRACT

Comprehensive study of the Morrowan brachiopod faunas of the Bird Spring Group at Arrow Canyon, Clark County, Nevada, is important because the section has been suggested as a stratotype for the base and top of the Pennsylvanian Subsystem and for the Atoka Series. Twenty-three species of brachiopods belonging to 17 genera occur in zone 20 at Arrow Canyon. Many of these also occur in described Morrowan faunas in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico; but similarities with the Mid-Continent and Appalachian assemblages are less. However, no striking regional differences are evident, and it appears that the North American Morrowan fauna is more or less homogeneous. In contrast to the exotic South American and Arctic elements known from Atokan, Missourian, and Virgilian rocks at Arrow Canyon, no foreign taxa have been noted in zone 20. Microfacies and faunal associations indicate four distinct brachiopod-bearing environments: (1) relatively deep water below turbulence with few brachiopods on a soft substrate; (2) somewhat shallower, more turbulent water with many species, of which only a few are represented by large populations, living on a more firm substrate; (3) environments just below the zone of turbulence in which many species of brachiopods are represented by substantial populations on a calcarenitic substrate; and (4) crinoidal bars in the zone of turbulence with a few species represented by relatively few individuals. End_of_Article - Last_Page 313------------
Collision avoidance in computer optimized treatment planning.

Of major concern in fully automated computerized treatment delivery is the possibility of gantry/couch or gantry/patient collisions. In this work, software has been developed to detect collisions between gantry and couch or patient for both transaxial and noncoplanar treatment fields during the treatment planning process. The code uses the gantry angles, turntable angles, and position of the couch surface relative to the isocenter supplied by the planner for the prescribed radiation fields. In addition, the maximum patient anterior–posterior and lateral separations are entered in order to model the patient outline by a conservative cylindrical ellipse. By accessing a database containing the precise mechanical dimensions of the therapy equipment, 3D analytical geometry is used to test for collisions between gantry/patient and gantry/couch for each treatment field. When collisions are detected, the software inspects the use of an extended distance treatment, by recalculating and testing for collisions, with the couch at a greater distance from the collimator along the direction of the central axis. If a collision is avoided at extended distance, the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical motions of the couch are recorded for entry into the treatment plan, or else a warning message is printed, together with the nearest permissible collision‐free gantry angle. Upon inspection, the planner can either elect to use the calculated closest permissible gantry angle or reject the plan. The software verifies that each proposed treatment field is safe, but also that the transition between fields is collision‐free. This requires that the sequence of the treatment fields be ordered, preferably into a sequence which minimizes the delivery time compatible with patient safety. A separate program, referred to as a segment manager, has been developed to optimize the sequence of the treatment planner’s radiation fields. When collisions are possible on the transition between treatment fields, intermediate couch positions are inserted into the treatment delivery procedure to ensure a continual safe distance between both the couch and patient and the moving gantry. Treatment segments are organized according to gantry angle, beginning at 180°, and sequentially stepping clockwise around the patient. The use of extended distance treatment is proposed as a means of increasing the safety zone between the patient and the gantry. As the gantry rotates, one proposal to maximize patient safety would maintain the couch at extended distance. In this case, the couch prescribes a circle around the isocenter, which is maintained at 180° out of phase with the gantry motion.
Parental Differences and Changes in Marital Quality, Psychological Well-Being, and Sensitivity with Firstborn Children

The purposes of this panel study were to learn the extent to which mothers' and fathers' parental sensitivity, marital quality, and psychological well-being differed and changed from when theirfirstborn children were 3 months old to when they were 212 years old. Mothers and fathers exhibited similar levels of psychological well-being, marital quality, and parental sensitivity at both observations. Significant declines in marital qualityfor both did not lead to reduced psychological well-being or diminished parental sensitivity for either parent. Quality of the marriage relationship and parental age played a significant role in the development of father-child relations but not in mother-child relations. The sex of the infant was not associated with parental sensitivityfor either parent.
Modern Approaches to Combining Sirolimus With Calcineurin Inhibitors

Routine renal transplantation maintenance immunosuppression at the University of Nebraska Medical Center consists of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) induction with early steroid withdrawal followed by maintenance with sirolimus and tacrolimus, a regimen we have used with >900 patients. Induction consists of 6 mg/kg rATG in 4 doses of 1.5 mg/kg each on days 0, 2, 4, and 6. Prednisone is used only in association with rATG administration. Maintenance agents are introduced gradually depending on renal function. Since April 2004, we have been conducting a prospective, randomized trial of this regimen versus 2 modifications: administering the rATG induction dose (6 mg/kg) in a single infusion over 24 hours; and, after 6 months, replacing tacrolimus with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in half of the study subjects. This study has shown several benefits of single-dose rATG induction, including significantly improved early graft function with both living and deceased donor kidneys and improved 2- to 12-month function in deceased donor organs (P = .026). Single-dose lymphocyte counts return to baseline sooner (2.2 vs 15.3 years; P < .05) without increased rejection (1 year; 8.5% single vs 12.5% divided; P = NS), and single-dose induction reduces chronic allograft nephropathy at 1 year (P = .05). Preliminary results of replacing tacrolimus with MMF show immediately improved renal function (months 1 and 2; P = .02 and .05; months 1–6, P = .058) without increased rejection.
Characterization, design, modeling, and model validation of silicon on-wafer M:N balun components under match and un-matched conditions

In this paper, we characterize and model M:N baluns for silicon RFIC design. A modeling methodology is presented based on a geometrically scalable lumped-element approach that incorporates both skin effect and substrate loss. This approach is extended to include the effects of a patterned ground shield under the balun. The modeling approach is validated with measured S-parameters and extracted impedances from various circuit configurations. The impedance transfer characteristics of the model and balun over substrate and over a patterned ground shield are explored. Matching considerations are addressed by evaluating the model accuracy with measured data under matched and unmatched conditions.
Artistic Embodiments of the Self

Allan Hanson and Louise Hanson eds. Art and Identity in Oceania. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1990. viii. 315 pp.
Measures of Aggression

The quick-view table in this chapter provides easy access to basic descriptive information on each measure of aggression that was reviewed. The goal is to provide preliminary information and to assist the practitioner in deciding whether additional information about a particular measure would prove fruitful. Table entries are organized alphabetically and provide the name of the measure, the purpose for which the measures was developed, and the target population. The table also provides information on the method of assessment, the amount of time involved, and the page number where additional information is available. The table is followed by the individual review for each of the 38 measures deemed relevant to the assessment of aggression.
Arraying single microbeads in microchannels using dielectrophoresis-assisted mechanical traps

Manipulating and immobilizing single microbeads in flowing fluids is relevant for biological assays and chemical tests but typically requires expensive laboratory equipment and trapping mechanisms that are not reversible. In this paper, we present a highly efficient and reversible mechanism for trapping microbeads by combining dielectrophoresis (DEP) with mechanical traps. The integration of planar electrodes and mechanical traps in a microchannel enables versatile manipulation of microbeads via DEP for their docking in recessed structures of mechanical traps. By simulating the combined effects of the hydrodynamic drag and DEP forces on microbeads, we explore a configuration of periodic traps where the beads are guided by the electrodes and immobilized in recess areas of the traps. The design of the electrode layout and operating configuration are optimized for the efficient trapping of single microbeads. We demonstrated the predicted guiding and trapping effectiveness of the design as well as the reversi...
A Qualitative Study of Factors That Influence Contraceptive Choice among Adolescent School-Based Health Center Patients.

Abstract Study Objective Long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods can prevent teen pregnancy yet remain underutilized by adolescents in the United States. Pediatric providers are well positioned to discuss LARCs with adolescents, but little is known about how counseling should occur in pediatric primary care settings. We explored adolescent womens' attitudes and experiences with LARCs to inform the development of adolescent-centered LARC counseling strategies. Design Qualitative analysis of one-on-one interviews. Setting Participants were recruited from 2 urban school-based, primary care centers. Participants Thirty adolescent women aged 14-18 years, diverse in race/ethnicity, and sexual experience. Interventions Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using inductive and deductive coding. Main Outcome Measure Major themes were identified to integrate LARC-specific adolescent preferences into existing counseling approaches. Results Participants (mean age, 16.2 years; range, 14-18 years) represented a diverse range of racial and/or ethnic identities. Half (15/30) were sexually active and 17% (5/30) reported current or past LARC use. Five themes emerged regarding key factors that influence LARC choice, including: (1) strong preferences about device-specific characteristics; (2) previous exposure to information about LARCs from peers, family members, or health counseling sessions; (3) knowledge gaps about LARC methods that affect informed decision-making; (4) personal circumstances or experiences that motivate a desire for effective and/or long-acting contraception; and (5) environmental constraints and supports that might influence adolescent access to LARCs. Conclusion We identified 5 factors that influence LARC choice among adolescent women and propose a framework for incorporating these factors into contraceptive counseling services in pediatric primary care settings.
Racial disparities in survival in malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary

Abstract Objective To investigate racial disparities with respect to adjuvant treatment and survival in patients presenting with malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (OGCT). Methods The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was used to identify women diagnosed with OGCT. Demographic data were abstracted, including stratification by race and histology. Standard univariate and multivariate analyses using logistic regression were performed to describe predictors of adjuvant treatment. Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards survival methods were used to evaluate racial differences in survival between African American (AA) and white (W) women. Results The study population included 2196 patients, with 1654 (75.3%) W and 328 (14.9%) AA women. Histologic distribution varied significantly by race (p Conclusions AA with OGCT have significantly worse 5year survival when compared to W patients despite similar rates and modalities of adjuvant treatment.
Examining the Success of Websites beyond E-Commerce: An Extension of the is Success Model

As the use of the Internet continues to grow in all aspects of daily life, there is an increasing need to better understand what makes websites successful. A long standing model of success in the Information Systems literature is the DeLone and McLean IS Success Model. Addressing the call for research of existing theoretical models in different contexts, this research proposes an investigation of an adapted version of the IS Success Model in website contexts beyond e-commerce. The model is tested using Partial Least Squares with data from 2007 actual users of two categories of websites. Consistent with our predictions that website success cannot be measured with a “one size fits all” model, we find that success factors vary across website types. Implications of these results for practice and research are discussed.
Acquired Brain Injury Results in Specific Impairment of Planning Knowledge

Assessment of executive functions, such as planning, often relies on tasks such as the Tower of Hanoi, which assess plan execution but not planning knowledge. Survivors of brain injury may perform within normal ranges on plan execution tasks yet have profound deficits in planning knowledge required for daily life. We examined survivors of brain injury and non-injured participants on an errand-planning task, to assess planning knowledge, and on a reading comprehension task, to distinguish inference-based knowledge of planning versus physical cause and effect. Errand-planning performance discriminated survivors of brain injury from non-injured participants. Additionally, survivors with higher scores performed similarly to non-injured participants on both inference tasks, whereas survivors with lower scores did not discriminate these two types of inferences. Findings suggest that the errand-planning task may be a useful measure of planning comprehension for survivors of brain injury and suggest a cognitive retraining strategy.
Research on resonance damping controllers for dynamic voltage restorers

Dynamic voltage restorers(DVRs) are the devices which can effectively improve voltage sags.The circuit topology of dynamic voltage restorers without series transformer was introduced.Analyses and researches on the transient resonance problem of DVRs in starting up were carried out.The principle of IGBT's over current and distortion on voltage output were described.The suppressing measures based on two resonance damping controllers were studied: the half-cycle Posicast controller and the resonance suppressing filter.Design methods of the two resonance damping controllers were given and the comparison was carried out between them.The proposed methods were confirmed by simulation and experiment.
SABR: sparse, anchor-based representation of the speech signal.

We present SABR (Sparse, Anchor-Based Representation), an analysis technique to decompose the speech signal into speaker-dependent and speaker-independent components. Given a collection of utterances for a particular speaker, SABR uses the centroid for each phoneme as an acoustic “anchor,” then applies Lasso regularization to represent each speech frame as a sparse non-negative combination of the anchors. We illustrate the performance of the method on a speaker-independent phoneme recognition task and a voice conversion task. Using a linear classifier, SABR weights achieve significantly higher phoneme recognition rates than Mel frequency Cepstral coefficients. SABR weights can also be used directly to perform accent conversion without the need to train a speakerto-speaker regression model.
Elevated interleukin-6 levels in peritoneal fluid of patients with pelvic pathology.

Objective To determine if interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a normal constituent of peritoneal fluid (PF), and if various types of pelvic pathology influence its presence within the PF microenvironment. Study Design Peritoneal fluid from 73 women obtained at the time of laparoscopy was examined for the presence of IL-6 using an IL-6 specific sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Thirtynine patients had pelvic endometriosis, 17 had nonendometriotic pelvic adhesive disease, and 17 subjects undergoing tubal sterilization without evidence of pelvic pathology served as controls. Results Immunoreactive IL-6 was observed in the PF of all 73 subjects (range 0.26 to 11.16ng/mL). The mean concentration of IL-6 was higher in women with nonendometriotic pelvic adhesions as compared with control subjects (1.28±0.16 versus 0.80±0.06ng/mL, P P =0.38. Twenty-seven of 73 patients (37%) demonstrated elevated levels (>1.0ng/mL) of IL-6. Patients with pelvic adhesions were significantly more likely to have elevated concentrations of IL-6 than controls (10/17 [59%] versus 3/17 [18%], P P >0.10). Conclusions These findings demonstrate that IL-6 is a normal constituent of PF and that elevated levels are found in many patients with pelvic adhesions.
Long-term survival and vitality outcomes of permanent teeth following deep caries treatment with step-wise and partial-caries-removal: A Systematic Review

Abstract Objectives A systematic review was performed to compare the long-term survival of deep dentine caries-affected permanent teeth treated with partial-caries-removal (PCR) versus similar teeth treated with stepwise-caries-removal techniques (SWT). Data Clinical studies investigating long-term PCR and SWT outcomes in unrestored permanent teeth with deep dentine caries were evaluated. Failures were defined as loss of pulp vitality or restorative failures following treatment. Sources PubMed, Web of Science, Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source, and Central databases were systematically searched. Study selection From 136 potentially relevant articles, 9 publications utilizing data from 5 studies (2 RCTs, and 3 observational case-series) reporting outcomes for 426 permanent teeth over two to ten years were analyzed. Regarding restorative failures, >88% success at two years for both techniques was reported. For loss of pulp vitality, observational studies reported >96% vitality at two years for each technique, while one RCT reported significantly higher vitality (p Conclusion Successful vitality and restorative outcomes for both PCR and SWT have been demonstrated at two years and beyond in permanent teeth with deep dentine caries. Partial-caries-removal may result in fewer pulpal complications over a three year period than SWT, although claims of a therapeutic advantage are based on very few, limited-quality studies. Clinical significance Partial-caries-removal and SWT are deep caries management techniques that reduce pulp exposure risk. Permanent teeth with deep dentine caries treated with either technique have a high likelihood for survival beyond two years.
Institutional Analysis of Drinking Water Supply Failure: Lessons from Flint, Michigan

AbstractIn addition to infrastructure and regulatory controls, safe drinking water systems require effective institutional arrangements and governance to sustain services and guard against failures...
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor-deficient mice are protected from high fat diet-induced changes in metabolic rhythms

High fat diet (HFD) consumption alters the synchronized circadian timing system resulting in harmful loss, gain or shift of transcriptional oscillations. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) shares structural homology to clock genes, containing both PAS domains and basic helix-loop helix structural motifs, allowing for interaction with components of the primary circadian feedback loop. Activation of AhR alters circadian rhythmicity, primarily through inhibition of Clock/Bmal1-mediated regulation of Per1. AhR-deficient mice are protected from diet-induced metabolic dysfunction, exhibiting enhanced insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. This study examined whether AhR haploinsufficiency can also protect against diet-induced alterations in rhythm. After feeding AhR+/+ and AhR+/- mice an HFD (60% fat) for 15 weeks, samples were collected every 4 hours over a 24-hour period. HFD altered the rhythm of serum glucose and the metabolic transcriptome, including hepatic nuclear receptors Rev-erbα and PPARγ in wild-type c57bl6/j mice. AhR reduction provided protection against diet-induced transcriptional oscillation changes; serum glucose and metabolic gene rhythms were protected from the disruption caused by HFD feeding. These data highlight the critical role of AhR signaling in the regulation of metabolism and provide a potential therapeutic target for diseases characterized by rhythmic desynchrony.
An alternate design for the Defrise phantom to quantify resolution in digital breast tomosynthesis

Our previous work analyzed the Defrise phantom as a test object for evaluating image quality in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). The phantom is assembled from multiple plastic plates, which are arranged to form a square wave. In our previous work, there was no explicit analysis of how image quality varies with the thickness of the plates. To investigate this concept, a modified design of the phantom is now considered. For this purpose, each rectangular plate was laser-cut at an angle, creating a slope along which thickness varies continuously. The phantom was imaged using a clinical DBT system, and the relative modulation of the plastic-air separations was calculated in the reconstruction. In addition, a theoretical model was developed to determine whether modulation can be optimized by modifying the x-ray tube trajectory. It is demonstrated that modulation is dependent on the orientation of the frequency. Modulation is within detectable limits over a broad range of phantom thicknesses if frequency is parallel with the tube travel direction. Conversely, there is marked loss of modulation if frequency is oriented along the posteroanterior direction. In particular, as distance from the chest wall increases, there is a smaller range of thicknesses over which modulation is within detectable limits. Theoretical modeling suggests that this anisotropy is minimized by introducing tube motion along the posteroanterior direction. In conclusion, this paper demonstrates that the Defrise phantom is a tool for analyzing the limits of resolution in DBT systems.
Slewing and vibration control of a single-link flexible manipulator using filtered feedback linearization:

This article presents the filtered feedback linearization controller for the simultaneous positioning and vibration suppression of a slewing flexible-link manipulator. Filtered feedback linearizati...
Two-year Test-Retest Reliability in High School Athletes Using the Four- and Two-Factor ImPACT Composite Structures: The Effects of Learning Disorders and Headache/Migraine Treatment History.

Objective This study examined the test-retest reliability of the four- and two-factor structures (i.e., Memory and Speed) of ImPACT over a 2-year interval across multiple groups with premorbid conditions, including those with a history of special education or learning disorders (LD; n = 114), treatment history for headache/migraine (n = 81), and a control group (n = 792). Methods Nine hundred and eighty seven high school athletes completed baseline testing using online ImPACT across a 2-year interval. Paired-samples t-tests documented improvement from initial to follow-up assessments. Test stability was examined using Regression-based measures (RBM) and Reliable change indices (RCI). Reliability was examined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Results Significant improvement on all four composites were observed for the control group over a 2-year interval; whereas significant differences were observed only on Visual Motor Speed for the LD and headache/migraine treatment history groups. ICCs ranges were similar across groups and greater or comparable reliability was observed for the two-factor structure on Memory (0.67-0.73) and Speed (0.76-0.78) composites. RCIs and RBMs demonstrated stability for the four- and two-factor structures, with few cases falling outside the range of expected change within a healthy sample at the 90% and 95% CIs. Conclusion Typical practices of obtaining new baselines every 2 years in the high school population can be applied to athletes with a history of special education or LD and headache/migraine treatment. The two-factor structure has potential to increase test-retest reliability. Further research regarding clinical utility is needed.
Multi-rate time integration on overset meshes

Abstract Overset meshes are an effective tool for the computational fluid dynamic simulation of problems with complex geometries or multiscale spatio-temporal features. When the maximum allowable timestep on one or more meshes is significantly smaller than on the remaining meshes, standard explicit time integrators impose inefficiencies for time-accurate calculations by requiring that all meshes advance with the smallest timestep. With the targeted use of multi-rate time integrators, separate meshes can be time-marched at independent rates to avoid wasteful computation while maintaining accuracy and stability. This work applies time-explicit multi-rate integrators to the simulation of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations discretized on overset meshes using summation-by-parts (SBP) operators and simultaneous approximation term (SAT) boundary conditions. We introduce a class of multi-rate Adams-Bashforth (MRAB) schemes that offer significant stability improvements and computational efficiencies for SBP-SAT methods. We present numerical results that confirm the numerical efficacy of MRAB integrators, outline a number of outstanding implementation challenges, and demonstrate a reduction in computational cost enabled by MRAB. We also investigate the use of our method in the setting of a large-scale distributed-memory parallel implementation where we discuss concerns involving load balancing and communication efficiency.
Novel image analysis methods for quantification of in situ 3-D tendon cell and matrix strain.

Macroscopic tendon loads modulate the cellular microenvironment leading to biological outcomes such as degeneration or repair. Previous studies have shown that damage accumulation and the phases of tendon healing are marked by significant changes in the extracellular matrix, but it remains unknown how mechanical forces of the extracellular matrix are translated to mechanotransduction pathways that ultimately drive the biological response. Our overarching hypothesis is that the unique relationship between extracellular matrix strain and cell deformation will dictate biological outcomes, prompting the need for quantitative methods to characterize the local strain environment. While 2-D methods have successfully calculated matrix strain and cell deformation, 3-D methods are necessary to capture the increased complexity that can arise due to high levels of anisotropy and out-of-plane motion, particularly in the disorganized, highly cellular, injured state. In this study, we validated the use of digital volume correlation methods to quantify 3-D matrix strain using images of naive tendon cells, the collagen fiber matrix, and injured tendon cells. Additionally, naive tendon cell images were used to develop novel methods for 3-D cell deformation and 3-D cell-matrix strain, which is defined as a quantitative measure of the relationship between matrix strain and cell deformation. The results support that these methods can be used to detect strains with high accuracy and can be further extended to an in vivo setting for observing temporal changes in cell and matrix mechanics during degeneration and healing.
Exclusion limits on the WIMP nucleon elastic scattering cross-section from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search

Extensive evidence indicates that a large fraction of the matter in the universe is nonluminous, nonbaryonic, and “cold” — nonrelativistic at the time matter began to dominate the energy density of the universe. Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are an excellent candidate for nonbaryonic, cold dark matter. Minimal supersymmetry provides a natural WIMP candidate in the form of the lightest superpartner, with a typical mass Mδ ∼ 100 GeV c−2 . WIMPs are expected to have collapsed into a roughly isothermal, spherical halo within which the visible portion of our galaxy resides. They would scatter oﬀ nuclei via the weak interaction, potentially allowingtheir direct detection. The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) employs Ge and Si detectors to search for WIMPs via their elastic-scatteringinteractions with nuclei while discriminatingagainst interactions of background particles. The former yield nuclear recoils while the latter produce electron recoils. The ionization yield (the ratio of ionization production to recoil energy in a semiconductor) of a particle interaction diﬀers greatly for nuclear and electron recoils. CDMS detectors measure phonon and electron-hole-pair production to determine recoil energy and ionization yield for each event and thereby discriminate nuclear recoils from electron recoils. This dissertation reports new limits on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon elastic-scattering cross section that exclude unexplored parameter space above 10 GeV c−2 WIMP mass and, at > 75% CL, the entire 3σ allowed region for the WIMP signal reported by the DAMA experiment. The experimental apparatus, detector performance, and data analysis are fully described.