cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
WE-AB-202-09: Feasibility and Quantitative Analysis of 4DCT-Based High Precision Lung Elastography

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to derive high precision elastography measurements from 4DCT lung scans to facilitate the implementation of elastography in a radiotherapy context. Methods: 4DCT scans of the lungs were acquired, and breathing stages were subsequently registered to each other using an optical flow DIR algorithm. The displacement of each voxel gleaned from the registration was taken to be the ground-truth deformation. These vectors, along with the 4DCT source datasets, were used to generate a GPU-based biomechanical simulation that acted as a forward model to solve the inverse elasticity problem. The lung surface displacements were applied as boundary constraints for the model-guided lung tissue elastography, while the inner voxels were allowed to deform according to the linear elastic forces within the model. A biomechanically-based anisotropic convergence magnification technique was applied to the inner voxels in order to amplify the subtleties of the interior deformation. Solving the inverse elasticity problem was accomplished by modifying the tissue elasticity and iteratively deforming the biomechanical model. Convergence occurred when each voxel was within 0.5 mm of the ground-truth deformation and 1 kPa of the ground-truth elasticity distribution. To analyze the feasibility of the model-guided approach, we present the results for regions of low ventilation, specifically, the apex. Results: The maximum apical boundary expansion was observed to be between 2 and 6 mm. Simulating this expansion within an apical lung model, it was observed that 100% of voxels converged within 0.5 mm of ground-truth deformation, while 91.8% converged within 1 kPa of the ground-truth elasticity distribution. A mean elasticity error of 0.6 kPa illustrates the high precision of our technique. Conclusion: By utilizing 4DCT lung data coupled with a biomechanical model, high precision lung elastography can be accurately performed, even in low ventilation regions of the lungs. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. DGE-1144087.
Recurrent Asystole as an Electrocardiographic Artifact during Microdebrider use in Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

Introduction Electrocardiographic (EKG) artifacts can lead to unnecessary treatment and costly diagnostic workup. Two previous studies reported a ventricular tachycardia artifact as a result of microdebrider malfunction. In this study, we report the first case of EKG artifacts that mimick asystole from microdebrider use during functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). Case A healthy 19-year-old woman presented with chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal polyposis, and a deviated nasal septum. She was scheduled for a bilateral FESS and septoplasty. During surgery, the microdebrider was changed after 1 hour. While using the second microdebrider, the EKG monitor showed three distinct asystolic events, all lasted approximately 3 seconds. The EKG tracing returned to normal sinus rhythm every time the microdebrider was stopped. The patient's oxygen saturation remained at 100%, and blood pressure remained stable during the episodes. The procedure was aborted, and an extensive cardiology workup was performed, which returned negative results. Biomedical engineering investigated the microdebrider and found a far greater than expected chassis leak, which likely caused electrical interference. Six months later, the patient underwent a right-sided FESS and revision left frontal FESS. There were no EKG abnormalities during the second surgery. Discussion Although other EKG artifacts have been reported in the literature, this is the first case report of an artifact that mimicked asystole that stemmed from microdebrider use. Improved awareness of this potential EKG artifact for both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist may prevent an unnecessary costly workup.
A blind linear smoothing method for OFDM systems without cyclic prefix

A linear smoothing based blind channel estimation method for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems over time-dispersive channel is proposed. The proposed method does not require a cyclic prefix and thus leading to higher spectral efficiency. By exploiting the block Toeplitz structure of the channel matrix, the proposed blind estimation method performs satisfactorily with very few received OFDM blocks. Therefore, it is attractive for channel estimation under fast changing channel environment. Computer simulations demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed algorithm over methods reported earlier in the literature.
Case A: Multiple Mapping Techniques to Guide Staged Excision for a Challenging Lentigo Maligna Melanoma

We present a multimodality mapping approach to guide staged excision for challenging lentigo maligna (LM) and lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM) lesions. LM/LMM often present with ill-defined clinical borders and subclinical tumor extension on the head and neck, where preservation of functionality and cosmesis can be critical. In our approach, pre-surgical evaluation of clinical margins is defined with the use of Wood’s Lamp, dermoscopy, confocal microscopy, and scouting punch biopsies. Once pre-operative margin mapping has been completed, a staged excision with complete pathologic assessment prior to final excision and subsequent closure is performed. Our approach ensures complete resection of these difficult-to-manage LM/LMM cases while preserving healthy tissue in order to minimize the impact on cosmesis and functionality.
Complications Assoicated with MIRAgel for Treatment of Retinal Detachment

MIRAgel (MIRA, Waltham, MA) is a hydrogel buckle that was introduced in 1979 as a new scleral implant for the treatment of retinal detachment. Long-term follow-up of more than 10 years revealed that the hydrolysis of the synthetic hydrophilic material leads to marked expansion of the substance, causing complications such as buckle extrusion and intrusion, eye motility disorder, cosmetic deformities, and periocular infections. Removal of the implant is the treatment of choice in cases with complications, but it is technically difficult due to the friability of the implant, severe scleral ectasia, and relatively high rate of redetachment after removal.
Vinel symposium: The Employee, A Political History, by Jean-Christian Vinel

In his thought-provoking and meticulously researched book The Employee: A Political History, Jean-Christian Vinel draws on archival documents from U.S. business leaders, union officials, legislator...
An expanded prevention quality diabetes composite: Quantifying the burden of preventable hospitalizations for older adults with diabetes.

Abstract Aim To expand the existing United States Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ) Diabetes composite (AHRQ-DC) to include additional preventable hospitalizations specific or relevant to diabetes. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of 834,696 veteran patients with diabetes aged ≥65 years in 2012. An Expanded Diabetes Composite (Expanded-DC) was developed utilizing: (1) the diabetes-specific category: the AHRQ-DC (short-term and long-term complications, uncontrolled diabetes, lower extremity amputations) and two proposed conditions: hypoglycemia and lower extremity ulcers/inflammation/infections (LEU) and (2) the diabetes-relevant category: the AHRQ-Acute Composite (dehydration, pneumonia, urinary tract infections) and one proposed condition, acute kidney injury (AKI). Results The study population was 98% male, 80% White, 10% Black, and 5% Hispanic; 71% had complex comorbidities. There were 64,243 (77.0 admissions/1000 patients) hospitalizations in the Expanded-DC, compared to 13,523 (16.2) in the AHRQ-DC, a 4.7 fold increase. Hospitalizations from AHRQ-Acute Composite and the three proposed conditions added 79% to the Expanded-DC. LEU and hypoglycemia added 39% to the diabetes-specific category. AKI added 18% to the diabetes-relevant category. Blacks incurred more preventable hospitalizations (85.9) than Whites (74.7); as did patients with complex comorbidities (93.6) versus those without (34.6). Conclusion The AHRQ-DC substantially underestimates rates of clinically important preventable hospitalizations in older diabetes patients.
Revisiting a Tiling Hierarchy

We revisit Golomb’s tiling hierarchy for finite sets of polyominoes. We consider the case when only translations are allowed for the tiles in a tile set. In this classification, for several levels in Golomb’s hierarchy, more types need to be considered. First, we show that there is no general relationship among the types corresponding to a fixed level for the existence of tilings. Second, we review the relationships among the levels from Golomb’s hierarchy that are still valid in this setup, and third, we give counterexamples for several relationships in Golomb’s hierarchy that fail. As a consequence of the results, we show alternative tiling hierarchies. We also show some unexpected additions to all of the above hierarchies and discuss various implications of tiling capabilities if deficient regions are added to the pool.
Postpartum Hemorrhage, Subinvolution of the Placental Site, and Placenta Accreta

Postpartum hemorrhage, if severe, can be a major obstetrical emergency, which, if not treated promptly, may result in rapid exsanguination and demise of the mother. Specimens submitted to the pathology laboratory depend on the clinical situation and may include the placenta, retroplacental curettings, other sampling from the endometrial cavity, the uterus, or, in some cases, no specimen at all.
Full Characterization of Near-Surface Flaws with Multimode Straight-Beam Transducers

Reliable and accurate characterization as to type (cracks vs. others), location (highly stressed zone or not), and size of potential flaws in cladded pressure vessels by ultrasonic methods ensures the integrity of these structures. Vessel integrity is primarily affected by the presence of fatigue cracks in the highly stressed near- surface regions (Zones 1 and 2). While there have been some new high- and low- beam multimode transducer developments for characterizing Zone 2 (underclad) and Zone 3 (deeply buried) flaws, respectively [1,2], emphasis has recently been placed upon fully characterizing manufacturing flaws in the cladding (Zone 1) because they can initiate fatigue cracks.
Volcaniclastic Sandstones and Associated Rocks

Sandstones, conglomerates, and breccias of volcanic origin provide exciting opportunities for expanded insight into earth history and improved mineral exploration.
Intelligence and uncertainty: Implications of hierarchical predictive processing for the neuroscience of cognitive ability.

Abstract Hierarchical predictive processing (PP) has recently emerged as a candidate theoretical paradigm for neurobehavioral research. To date, PP has found support through its success in offering compelling explanations for a number of perceptual, cognitive, and psychiatric phenomena, as well as from accumulating neurophysiological evidence. However, its implications for understanding intelligence and its neural basis have received relatively little attention. The present review outlines the key tenets and evidence for PP, and assesses its implications for intelligence research. It is argued that PP suggests indeterminacy as a unifying principle from which to investigate the cognitive hierarchy and brain-ability correlations. The resulting framework not only accommodates prominent psychometric models of intelligence, but also incorporates key findings from neuroanatomical and functional activation research, and motivates new predictions via the mechanisms of prediction-error minimization. Because PP also suggests unique neural signatures of experience-dependent activity, it may also help clarify environmental contributions to intellectual development. It is concluded that PP represents a plausible, integrative framework that could enhance progress in the neuroscience of intelligence.
A survey on verification strategies for intelligent transportation systems

As intelligent systems are increasingly entering everyday life, in domains such as transportation, resource distribution, health care, or retail, developing suitable verification mechanisms for such systems becomes vital. From a formal point of view, the employed intelligent sensor actuator systems (ISAS) constituting such intelligent systems combine three different technologies: control systems, distributed systems, and learning and reasoning. While each of the parent domains features tested and proven verification methods, simply combining the tasks unfortunately leads to a combinatorial explosion of complexity. This paper presents an overview and classification of currently employed techniques for handling ISAS in terms of: cyber-physical systems, intelligent autonomous robots, or intelligent agents. The article argues that each of the three classical perspectives misses one important characteristic of ISAS and proposes to combine the three for a full solution. The paper argues that in particular two mechanisms are promising: an intelligent environments perspective that verifies local safety and techniques for context-aware monitoring that allow a mobile system to leverage context-awareness to reduce complexity for self-monitoring tasks.
Response to Mark Kramer

It is a rare and rewarding opportunity for an author to receive a truly careful and thoughtful review written by a highly regarded scholar and, in addition, to be able to respond directly to reviewer’s observations and criticisms. We are fortunate to be in such a situation and we are very grateful to the journal’s editor for his kind offer and an effort to facilitate this exchange. Mark Kramer is very generous in his praise, stern in his criticism. While some of comments are well taken and will allow us to improve our conceptualizations, data collection techniques and analysis in possible further work on the subject of protest politics in postcommunist Eastern Europe, some other criticisms are misdirected or not well founded and call for corrections or rebuttal. Our response will come in two parts. First, we will address the issues that are the result of unfortunate editorial errors or, perhaps, our insufficiently clear presentation. Second, we will debate several specific points; here our disagreements with the review are more substantial. In this section we will also acknowledge Kramer’s critical points that should help us identify those weaknesses of our work that can be remedied in the future.
Recapitulating Hematopoietic Development in a Dish

The ability to generate patient-specific, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) together with the advent of gene-editing technologies has opened up a realm of opportunities for disease modeling, gene correction, and regenerative medicine applications aimed at better understanding and treating hematological disorders. The widespread use of reprogramming and gene-editing techniques has resulted in fine-tuning of these technologies to the point where they are an integral part of molecular biology research toolkits. The challenge remaining at this point is to achieve efficient and robust differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) toward blood cells that resemble their in vivo counterparts. Here we provide an overview of our current understanding of in vivo hematopoietic development and how that has been used as a roadmap to guide in vitro hematopoietic development. We discuss recent advances and limitations encountered when recapitulating hematopoietic development in vitro. Finally, we highlight examples of how patient-specific iPSCs have been successfully used for the modeling of hematological disorders and how they have played a prominent role in uncovering pharmacologically targetable disease mechanisms.
Synchronization of ewes during anestrus: influence of time of year and interval to onset of estrus on conception rate.

The effects of progestogen-gonadotropin treatment on estrous response, ovulation rate and lambing response of crossbred ewes were examined at two times during the anestrous season (May-June and July-August). Each ewe group was treated with progestogen pessaries for 16 days and injected with 750 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) on days 17 and 32 to induce two consecutive estrous periods. Data accumulated from single-sire matings of 500 ewes indicated that estrous, ovulation and lambing responses did not differ (P less than .10) between ewes treated in May-June (92%, 2.5, 66%) and ewes treated in July-August (93%, 2.5, 67%). We concluded that there were no significant differences between reproductive responses of ewes synchronized during mid-anestrus (May-June) and those of ewes treated during late anestrus (July-August). For the May-June and July-August groups combined, estrous, ovulatory and lambing response were higher (P less than .05) during the first induced estrous period (76%, 3.0, 62%) than during the second (33%, 1.9, 43%). In both the first and second induced estrous periods, as interval from PMSG injection to onset of estrus increased, significant declines in ovulation rate, conception rate and ram marking activity were observed, particularly when onset of estrus occurred 72 hr or more after PMSG injection. These results indicate that the reduced lambing responses reported for ewes synchronized during anestrus may be due to increased asynchrony of reproductive events in the ewe, or decreased ram aggressiveness and fertility, or a combination thereof, as the interval from PMSG injection to the onset of estrus increases.
Enlightenment, Genealogy, and Political Discourse Ethics

This chapter deals with Foucault, who is one of the major mentors in shaping postcolonial theory. In difference from postcolonial utilization of his thinking, I bring Foucault into the discussion with his critique of Enlightenment, and his genealogy founded upon the relation between knowledge and power. I analyze Foucault as an ethical thinker for political theology. I then re-examine Foucault’s critique of Kant, while reviewing Kant’s cosmopolitan notion of hospitality in connection to the social contract theory of Rousseau. His ethical contribution will be assessed and reinterpreted for its significance in a postcolonial setting. Given this, I critically examine Hegel’s notion of Sittlichkeit and Habermas’ discourse ethics for political discourse ethics concerned with the rights of the poor and the other.
The Investment State: Charting the Future of Social Policy

Be prepared to become enlightened and come to know what you may have thought that you knew but probably have no clue and know nothing at all. This is a comprehensive book that is packed full of his...
Linear Electric Machine Design for an Off-Highway Vehicle Hydraulic Charge Pump

Significant reductions in US energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions can be obtained through electrifying heavy-duty agriculture, construction, and mining vehicles. The extreme power transients and power density of these vehicles are fundamentally different from passenger vehicles, requiring that new electrification paradigms be developed. This paper proposes the electrification of a hydraulic charge pump by using a linear oscillatory machine integrated with a piston pump. The charge pump application is described, suitable linear machine technology for the application is reviewed, and a multi-objective optimization is performed on two potential machine topologies based around a tubular permanent magnet linear machine. A scaling procedure is investigated to allow the machine's power rating to be scaled while preserving the design performance.
Latinas/os in Hollywood: Contemporary Representations in Black and White

Lugo-Lugo’s chapter focuses on the changing nature of Latina/o racialization in twenty-first-century America as envisioned by US popular media. She focuses on the concept of the Latinidad, which is a social construct brought into existence by the collaboration and collusion of external (i.e., such as popular culture and the census form) and internal forces (i.e., anyone and everyone who identifies as Latina/o). Lugo-Lugo argues that depictions and representations in popular culture reflect ideas held dear by the larger society, and, as such have the tendency to become turned into the realities that Latinas/os have to maneuver around, push through, contextualize, reinvent, and/or adopt—sometimes simultaneously.
Hardware Realization and Performance Measurement of an Anti-Jam GPS Antenna Array

A four-port anti-jam GPS antenna array is used to electronically steer pattern nulls in the direction of incoming RF interference. Null-steering weights are applied using physical hardware and reception pattern measurements are made in an anechoic chamber for multiple jammer angles-of-arrival. Jammer suppression and null misalignment for two null steering reference element cases are compared.
Changes in mental health, pain, and drug misuse since the mid-1990s: Is there a link?

Abstract Drug-related mortality in the US grew dramatically in recent years, while mental health deteriorated among disadvantaged Americans and reported levels of pain increased over the same period. Here we investigate whether increased prevalence of drug misuse between the mid-1990s and early-2010s is associated with higher levels of mental distress and pain. Our results demonstrate higher drug misuse over this period, particularly for older and for socioeconomically disadvantaged Americans. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, we estimate that the prevalence of drug misuse increased by 19 percentage points among those aged 50–76 in the bottom percentile of socioeconomic status (SES). Misuse increased much more at older than at younger ages for all drug types except sedatives, which increased to a similar degree in both age groups. Compared with measures of mental health, pain consistently accounted for a greater share of the period differential in drug misuse among both age groups and across all drug types. Misuse of prescription painkillers exhibited the largest difference in the contributions of pain versus mental health: among older individuals with the lowest SES, pain explained three times as much of the period trend as mental health (60% vs. 19%). Pain was more closely linked with the rise in misuse of prescription painkillers than other drugs. Mental health is a strong correlate of drug misuse (particularly sedative use), but growing drug misuse since the mid-1990s was more strongly linked with rising levels of reported pain than with deterioration in mental health. Pain could be a key factor underlying the association between trends in mental health and drug use: higher levels of pain may contribute to both mental distress and drug misuse. Given that pain, mental distress, and drug misuse are intertwined, successful intervention may require addressing all three factors.
TRUST WITHOUT CONFIDENCE: Moving Medicine with Dirty Hands

As participants in a small trust network smuggle medication across ISIS-controlled northern Iraq to hospitals in the besieged city of Mosul, they theorize their pragmatic entanglements with unknown others. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in 2014 and 2015, as well as the author’s participation in this network, the essay introduces enunciatory trust, or trust without confidence, as an analytical framework for surviving (in)security in Iraq.
Sudden Cardiac Death with Fibrosis of the Conduction System: Should Genetic Testing of the Family Be Performed?

A 24-year-old male passed away suddenly and findings of the case warranted genetic testing of the family members. Results showed presence of an SCN5A variant in the patient’s mother and two brothers. Further diagnostic tests of the family members revealed familial cardiomyopathy and ICDs were placed for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death in both of the patient’s brothers.
Are our phylomorphospace plots so terribly tangled? An investigation of disorder in data simulated under adaptive and nonadaptive models.

Contemporary methods for visualizing phenotypic evolution, such as phylomorphospaces, often reveal patterns which depart strongly from a naive expectation of consistently divergent branching and expansion. Instead, branches regularly crisscross as convergence, reversals, or other forms of homoplasy occur, forming patterns described as "birds' nests", "flies in vials", or less elegantly, "a mess". In other words, the phenotypic tree of life often appears highly tangled. Various explanations are given for this, such as differential degrees of developmental constraint, adaptation, or lack of adaptation. However, null expectations for the magnitude of disorder or "tangling" have never been established, so it is unclear which or even whether various evolutionary factors are required to explain messy patterns of evolution. I simulated evolution along phylogenies under a number of varying parameters (number of taxa and number of traits) and models (Brownian motion, Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU)-based, early burst, and character displacement (CD)] and quantified disorder using 2 measures. All models produce substantial amounts of disorder. Disorder increases with tree size and the number of phenotypic traits. OU models produced the largest amounts of disorder-adaptive peaks influence lineages to evolve within restricted areas, with concomitant increases in crossing of branches and density of evolution. Large early changes in trait values can be important in minimizing disorder. CD consistently produced trees with low (but not absent) disorder. Overall, neither constraints nor a lack of adaptation is required to explain messy phylomorphospaces-both stochastic and deterministic processes can act to produce the tantalizingly tangled phenotypic tree of life.
Post-Election Chaos: A Primer

With respect to the election of the U.S. President, the U.S. Constitution is vague and full of silences and gaps. When the vote is close, and when people disagree about who won, the Constitution does not sort out the respective roles of the states, the Electoral College, Congress, and the Vice President. The Electoral Count Act of 1887 is the closest thing to a roadmap for handling controversies after election day, and on many issues, it offers helpful guidance. At the same time, it is not at all clear that it is constitutional, or that it is binding, and in the face of a claim of serious mistakes and fraud, it contains silence and ambiguity. Taken together, the Constitution and the Electoral Count Act answer numerous questions, but they also leave important ones unanswered, including the role of the House and Senate amidst allegations of fraud and the proper role of the Vice President. This brief primer identifies the main answers and the principal open questions.
Discourses of the Willkommenskultur (Welcoming culture) in Germany

Given the rise of populist parties in Germany and the charge that multiculturalism is dead, the present research examines how everyday Germans formulate an account of cultural diversity and multicu...
Association between Driveway Land Use and Safety Performance on Rural Highways

Rural roads are a critical component of the transportation network in the U.S., including Michigan, where county roads comprise of a majority of the state’s roadway mileage. The rates of fatal cras...
Outdoor Playground Localization System for Tracking Young Children Using Ubisense Sensor Network

Localization systems are wildly used in the applications which need the accurate location of tracking objects. In this paper, we use Ubisense sensors and corresponding proprietary software to create such a system, and adjust it to fit into the outdoor playground environment where the monitored targets are the toddler-age children. After the system is implemented, we collect the raw location data of each tag from Ubisense software and import them into our self-developed program for storage. Practical test and theoretical analysis of tracked location data are conducted after the system is configured. We conclude that our system can better help the educator design the layout of the playground, determine the sub-zone occupied with most children, and investigate the children’s preference activities or toys.
Thwarted belongingness predicts greater neural reactivity to a novel social exclusion image set: Evidence from the late positive potential

Introduction Thwarted belongingness (TB) is among the most well-researched risk factors for suicidal ideation (SI). Yet, there is little research examining neural mechanisms underlying this construct. The present study used a novel social exclusion image set in concert with the late positive potential (LPP) to test the role of neural reactivity social exclusion in TB and SI. Methods Participants (n = 243) were recruited based on elevated suicide risk and completed an emotional picture viewing task. The LPP was used to index neural reactivity to a novel set of social exclusion images and international affective picture system (IAPS) neutral, positive, and negative images. Results Greater TB predicted a larger social exclusion ΔLPP (social exclusion LPP relative to neutral LPP) and social exclusion LPP even when accounting for SI, biological sex, age, negative affect, and perceived burdensomeness. Moreover, the social exclusion LPP was uniquely related to TB beyond the LPP to other images. Last, a larger social exclusion LPP predicted greater SI via elevations in TB. Conclusion Reactivity to social exclusion stimuli may play an important role in SI via elevated TB, but not perceived burdensomeness. Future research should further explore the neural mechanisms underlying other IPT constructs.
Least angle and ℓ1 penalized regression: A review

Least Angle Regression is a promising technique for variable selection applications, offering a nice alternative to stepwise regression. It provides an explanation for the similar behavior of LASSO (l1-penalized regression) and forward stagewise regression, and provides a fast imple- mentation of both. The idea has caught on rapidly, and sparked a great deal of research interest. In this paper, we give an overview of Least Angle Regression and the current state of related research.
STABILITY OF COLUMNS SUBJECT TO IMPULSIVE LOADING

THE STABILITY CRITERION DEVELOPED FOR SIMPLY SUPPORTED COLUMNS DETERMINE A BOUND ON THE TRANSVERSE MOTION OF THE COLUMN RELATIVE TO THE AMPLITUDE AND DURATION OF A PRESCRIBED FORCE PULSE AND A SET OF INITIAL PERTURBATIONS. THE CONDITIONS OF STABILITY ARE DEDUCED FROM THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A CLASS OF LYAPUNOV FUNCTIONS CONSTRUCTED FOR THIS PROBLEM (LYAPUNOV'S DIRECT METHOD). THE STABILITY OF SIMPLY SUPPORTED COLUMNS IS PRESENTED FOR THREE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE LOADINGS: A CONSTANT THRUST OF INFINITE DURATION, A VARIABLE THRUST OF INFINITE DURATION, AND A TRANSIENT THRUST OF PARABOLIC SHAPE. THE QUALITY OF THE BOUNDS IS ASCERTAINED THROUGH COMPARISON WITH THE TRAJECTORY OF THE DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION OF MOTION, OBTAINED BY NUMERICAL INTEGRATION./ASCE/
A Machine Vision Algorithm Combining Adaptive Segmentation and Shape Analysis for Orange Fruit Detection

Over the last several years there has been a renewed interest in the automation of harvesting of fruits and vegetables. The two major challenges in the automation of harvesting are the recognition of the fruit and its detachment from the tree. This paper deals with fruit recognition and it presents the development of a machine vision algorithm for the recognition of orange fruits. The algorithm consists of segmentation, region labeling, size filtering, perimeter extraction and perimeter-based detection. In the segmentation of the fruit, the orange was enhanced by using the red chromaticity coefficient which enabled adaptive segmentation under variable outdoor illumination. The algorithm also included detection of fruits which are in clusters by using shape analysis techniques. Evaluation of the algorithm included images taken inside the canopy (varying lighting condition) and on the canopy surface. Results showed that more than 90% of the fruits visually recognized in the images were detected in the 110 images tested with a false detection rate of 4%. The proposed segmentation was able to deal with varying lighting condition and the perimeter-based detection method proved to be effective in detecting fruits in clusters. The development of this algorithm with its capability of detecting fruits in varying lighting condition and occlusion would enhance the overall performance of robotic fruit harvesting.
Does safety make a difference in selecting the right TNF antagonist

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists are biologic response modifiers that have significantly improved the outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). At this report, safety data were collected on approximately 271,000 patients administered infliximab (as of February 2002), 121,000 patients administered etanercept (as of December 2001), and on 2400 patients who received adalimumab in trials in connection with the regulatory approval process (approval granted December 2002 in the US and September 2003 in European Union). Infliximab and etanercept have predictable and manageable safety profiles, and preliminary data suggest that the profile of adalimumab is comparable. Safety issues involving the anti-TNF agents as a class include the risk of injection-site reactions or infusion-related reactions, infection (for example, serious, opportunistic, or tubercular), malignancy, autoimmunity, and demyelinating and neurologic disorders. Injection-site and infusion-related reactions are most often easily managed and rarely lead to discontinuation of therapy. Infections can be minimized or prevented by screening and careful monitoring and follow-up; most infections respond to appropriate medical treatment. More studies are needed to evaluate the occurrence of malignancies in patients with RA to determine the potential risk posed by therapy. Antibody formation can follow the administration of any biologic agent. Although demyelinating disease has been reported with anti-TNF agents, it is not clear whether a causal relationship exists. Overall, the anti-TNF agents are well tolerated and have demonstrated a favorable benefit-to-risk profile in patients with RA.
Land Survey Implications of Right-of-Way Surveys

The demands of modern highways has not only tremendously increased the land areas required but has also intensified and introduced additional responsibilities for land surveyors in right-of-way surveys. Most of the work must be accomplished within specific time schedules and must be coordinated with others in the highway program. To meet these schedules and to decrease the work load and expense, the survey of entire properties may not be required. Instead, accurate ties to property corners, at least one of which must be outside the taking area, and strict adherence to techniques designed to produce the desired accuracy are used. The surveyor must be conscious of the effect his actions and products have on public relations. His errors, omissions, and lack of consideration to affected property owners reflect on the highway department and may prove to be insurmountable barriers to amicable negotiations for the required right of way.
LIA-PAI for arthroplasty seems better than nothing but is it best?

In this issue of Pain Medicine , Wei Liu and XiaoHua Li studied a solution of ropivacaine, morphine, and epinephrine (adrenaline) injected intra-articularly and infiltrated peri-articularly for analgesia after hip arthroplasty [1]. They called this local and intraarticular infiltration analgesia (LIA). Related techniques are periarticular infiltration (PAI), periarticular injection, and periarticular analgesia [2–4]. The term LIA–PAI will be used here. LIA–PAI infiltration solutions contain long-acting local anesthetics commonly with additives like morphine, epinephrine (adrenaline), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, and antibiotics. Major arthroplasty is painful and causes the patient suffering [5]. Poorly treated pain contributes to impaired physical rehabilitation, immobility-associated complications such as pneumonia and deep venous thrombosis, stress-precipitated cardio- and cerebro-vascular …
A direct approach to the derivation of electric dyadic Green's functions

A straightforward yet rigorous approach that does not require distribution theory is used to derive a generalized electric dyadic Green's function which remains valid within the source region. Although the electric field expressed by the dyadic Green's function proves to be unique, the exact form of the dyadic itself depends upon the shape of its "principle volume." The dependence on principle volume is determined explicitly, and the different Green's dyadics derived by previous authors are shown to emerge merely through the appropriate choice for the principle volumes.
Chirality errors in nucleic acid structures

The prevalence of errors as opposed to true anomalies in protein structures was discussed in Correspondence last year1. We have analysed the nucleic acid structures in the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank using a simple automatic procedure (program available at http://www.mbi.ucla.edu/people/peter/chiral.html ) to determine the configurations at tetrahedral chiral centres. It appears that a number of structures containing significant “chirality errors that no-one would argue with”2 have made their way into the data bank.
Susceptibility of the western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) to the Lyme borreliosis spirochete (Borrelia burgdorferi)

Attempts to infect juvenile and adult western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) with the Lyme borreliosis spirochete (Borrelia burgdorferi) were largely unsuccessful. Spirochetes could not be isolated from the blood and various tissues of 14 lizards 21-32 days after they had been inoculated ip (n = 8) or sc (n = 6) with 10(6) or 10(8) B. burgdorferi representing 3 tick isolates, although 1 lizard apparently developed a transitory spirochetemia lasting 2 days. Similarly, spirochetes could not be detected in the blood or tissues of 5 lizards fed upon by 2- greater than 8 infected larvae or nymphs of the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus). Sixty-five blood samples from 59 lizards in an endemic area and various tissues from 20 of the same lizards were also assayed for B. burgdorferi with negative results. The implications of these findings for the maintenance of this spirochete in natural foci are discussed.
A critical review of reports of endogenous psychedelic N, N-dimethyltryptamines in humans: 1955–2010

Three indole alkaloids that possess differing degrees of psychotropic/psychedelic activity have been reported as endogenous substances in humans; N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), 5-hydroxy-DMT (bufotenine, HDMT), and 5-methoxy-DMT (MDMT). We have undertaken a critical review of 69 published studies reporting the detection or detection and quantitation of these compounds in human body fluids. In reviewing this literature, we address the methods applied and the criteria used in the determination of the presence of DMT, MDMT, and HDMT. The review provides a historical perspective of the research conducted from 1955 to 2010, summarizing the findings for the individual compounds in blood, urine, and/or cerebrospinal fluid. A critique of the data is offered that addresses the strengths and weaknesses of the methods and approaches to date. The review also discusses the shortcomings of the existing data in light of more recent findings and how these may be overcome. Suggestions for the future directions of endogenous psychedelics research are offered. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Quantum Hall Fluid and Non-Commutative Chern Simons Theory

The first part of this paper is a review of the author's work with S. Bahcall which gave an elementary derivation of the Chern Simons description of the Quantum Hall effect for filling fraction $1/n$. The notation has been modernized to conform with standard gauge theory conventions. In the second part arguments are given to support the claim that abelian non-commutative Chern Simons theory at level $n$ is exactly equivalent to the Laughlin theory at filling fraction $1/n$. The theory may also be formulated as a matrix theory similar to that describing D0-branes in string theory. Finally it can also be thought of as the quantum theory of mappings between two non-commutative spaces, the first being the target space and the second being the base space.
An evolutionarily conserved cysteine protease, human bleomycin hydrolase, binds to the human homologue of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 9.

Bleomycin hydrolase (BH) is a highly conserved cysteine proteinase that deamidates and inactivates the anticancer drug bleomycin. Yeast BH self-assembles to form a homohexameric structure, which resembles a 20 S proteasome and may interact with other proteins. Therefore, we searched for potential human BH (hBH) partners using the yeast two-hybrid system with a HeLa cDNA library and identified the full-length human homologue of yeast ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 9 (UBC9). Cotransformation assays using hBH deletion mutants revealed that the carboxyl terminus of hBH (amino acids 356–455), which contains two of the three essential catalytic amino acids, was not critical for protein binding in the yeast two-hybrid environment. In vitro translated human UBC9 was precipitated by glutathione S -transferase-hBH fusion protein but not by glutathione S -transferase. Efficient in vitro binding occurred in the absence of the first 24 amino acids of UBC9 and the catalytic Cys93 of UBC9. We confirmed that hBH and UBC9 interacted in vivo by affinity copurification of proteins overexpressed in mammalian cells. Using immunocytochemical analysis, hBH was colocalized with UBC9. Coexpression of hBH and UBC9 in mammalian cells did not markedly alter the bleomycin-hydrolyzing activity of hBH or apparent small ubiquitin-related modifier 1 addition. This is the first reported heteromeric interaction with hBH, and it suggests a role for hBH in intracellular protein processing and degradation.
Perventricular Melody valve implantation in a 12 kg child.

Transcatheter pulmonic valve implantation has emerged as a safe and effective alternative to valve surgery in patients with surgically corrected congenital heart disease. In cases where the transcatheter approach has failed, or was thought to be technically challenging, a hybrid approach to pulmonic valve implantation has been described. This approach involves a small subxyphoid incision made by the cardiac surgeon and implantation of the pulmonic valve through the appropriate delivery sheath through this incision. Here we describe a case of a successful implantation of a Melody valve in a 12 kg child with tetralogy of Fallot. To our knowledge this is the smallest child to have undergone this procedure reported. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A world without parasites: exploring the hidden ecology of infection

Parasites have historically been considered a scourge, deserving of annihilation. Although parasite eradications rank among humanity's greatest achievements, new research is shedding light on the collateral effects of parasite loss. Here, we explore a "world without parasites": a thought experiment for illuminating the ecological roles that parasites play in ecosystems. While there is robust evidence for the effects of parasites on host individuals (eg affecting host vital rates), this exercise highlights how little we know about the influence of parasites on communities and ecosystems (eg altering energy flow through food webs). We present hypotheses for novel, interesting, and general effects of parasites. These hypotheses are largely untested, and should be considered a springboard for future research. While many uncertainties exist, the available evidence suggests that a world without parasites would be very different from the world we know, with effects extending from host individuals to populations, communities, and even ecosystems.
Asthma, Eosinophilia and Palpable Purpura

A 49-year-old man with a 12-month history of rhinitis and asthma presented with complaints of cough, progressive shortness of breath, and weight loss of one month's duration. Ten days prior to admission he had also developed a purpuric eruption and migratory arthralgias
Activation and Proton Transport Mechanism in Influenza A M2 Channel

Molecular dynamics trajectories 2 μs in length have been generated for the pH-activated, tetrameric M2 proton channel of the influenza A virus in all protonation states of the pH sensor located at the His37 tetrad. All simulated structures are in very good agreement with high-resolution structures. Changes in the channel caused by progressive protonation of His37 provide insight into the mechanism of proton transport. The channel is closed at both His37 and Trp41 sites in the singly and doubly protonated states, but it opens at Trp41 upon further protonation. Anions access the charged His37 and by doing so stabilize the protonated states of the channel. The narrow opening at the His37 site, further blocked by anions, is inconsistent with the water-wire mechanism of proton transport. Instead, conformational interconversions of His37 correlated with hydrogen bonding to water molecules indicate that these residues shuttle protons in high-protonation states. Hydrogen bonds between charged and uncharged histidines are rare. The valve at Val27 remains on average quite narrow in all protonation states but fluctuates sufficiently to support water and proton transport. A proton transport mechanism in which the channel, depending on pH, opens at either the histidine or valine gate is only partially supported by the simulations.
Development of flow-cytometry-based miniature chemical fluid analysis system using fluorescent microbeads

We present a demonstration of an optical microfluidic system for rapid and simultaneous measurement of several fluid analytes in a microscale volume that is based on fluorescent indicators immobilized on polymer microbeads. The fluorescence properties of such 'reporter beads' can be a function of the concentration of an analyte, and can be monitored in a silicon microfabricated flow channel. The sizes of microbeads can be determined by the scattering signal, so this system can be used to analyze several analytes at the same time by using beads of different sizes that are sensitive to different analytes. The fluorescent indicator Carboxy-SNAFL 1 was immobilized on amino-functionalized polystyrene beads of 5 micrometer diameter. The intensities of two fluorescent peaks (at 560 nm and at 620 nm) were measured and their ratio was dependent on the pH value of the analyte. A 488 nm air-cooled argon laser was used to excite the fluorescent beads flowing through a microfabricated V-groove channel. Two miniature photomultiplier modules and interference filters were used to simultaneously measure both fluorescence intensities.
Consciousness, privacy, and information

The challenges for a scientific study of conscious experience are discussed, as well as the importance of such research for the foundations of information science. A three pronged approach to the investigation of consciousness and its functions is suggested.
Regulation of mammalian microRNA processing and function by cellular signaling and subcellular localization

For many microRNAs, in many normal tissues and in cancer cells, the cellular levels of mature microRNAs are not simply determined by transcription of microRNA genes. This mini-review will discuss how microRNA biogenesis and function can be regulated by various nuclear and cytoplasmic processing events, including emerging evidence that microRNA pathway components can be selectively regulated by control of their subcellular localization and by modifications that occur during dynamic cellular signaling. Finally, I will briefly summarize studies of microRNAs in synaptic fractions of adult mouse forebrain, which may serve as a model for other cell types as well.