cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health conditions and injury patterns in avid US cyclists : original research article

Background: There is a paucity of data on the health risks and benefits of recreational cycling. Research question: Describes the injury patterns, health risks and benefits of recreational cycling. Type of study: Internet-based retrospective self-reported data. Methods: Web based study of cyclist behaviours, injuries and medical conditions. Subjects: The study was open to subjects over 18 years of age, who cycled at least 2 times a week with internet access. Experimental procedure: Conducted using DatStat® software. Main outcome measurements: Self-reported injuries and health conditions. Results: In this study, 4792 subjects were >18 and met the authors' definition of a cyclist. The majority of injuries were taken care of by the cyclist with no effect on their ability to continue with their job or activities of daily living. At least 7.0% reported the use of performance-enhancing drugs. There were reductions in obesity (76.2%), cholesterol (66.1%), hypertension (50%) and asthma (58.7%) after cycling. There were increases in musculoskeletal complaints. Hand pain and numbness increased by 420%. Urologic complaints increased by 310%. There were decreased reports of all mental health diseases reported. Abrasions were the most common injury (53%). The most injured body parts were the pelvis/hip (15.5%), knee (14.8%), and shoulder (13.6%). The least injured body parts were the abdomen (0.4%), foot (0.5%) and upper arm (0.7%). Conclusions: There is encouraging data that cycling results in reductions in obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, asthma and hypertension. The greater health risks of cycling appear to be related to compressive forces on the perineum and the hand/wrist. Injuries are common to cycling, although the majority of injuries are minor.
Randomized Control Trial of Human Recombinant Lactoferrin: A Substudy Reveals Effects on the Fecal Microbiome of Very Low Birth Weight Infants.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of enteral lactoferrin on the fecal microbiome and contrast those influences with the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) environment. We theorized that lactoferrin and the NICU habitat shape the fecal microbial composition of very preterm infants. Although functions attributed to lactoferrin include intestinal immune system development and emergence of a healthy gut microbiota, evidence is limited. Twenty-one very low birth weight (VLBW P P P P = .06). TLf modified the fecal microbiome in VLBW infants, but care practices in the NICU habitat also contributed. Future research must establish whether elimination vs enrichment of gut-related microbiota reduces clinically significant hospital-acquired infections and promotes a healthy commensal microflora in the intestines of VLBW infants. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00854633.
Experience with the Mentor inflatable penile prosthesis.

AbstractWe present our experience with the new Mentor inflatable penile prosthesis for the treatment of organic impotence. Technical complications requiring frequent revision of the most commonly used inflatable prosthesis have led to the development of a new device, which we have used in 116 patients. This hydraulic device provides excellent functional qualities. No connector separations, aneurysms or ruptures have been encountered. Reoperations became necessary in 10.5 per cent of the patients. Cosmetic and functional results were good, and patient acceptance has been excellent
Nonexcision triple arthrodesis of the foot.

Summary Nonexcision triple arthrodesis is proposed as a simple operation to relieve pain and stabilize the hindfoot. It was successful in seven of nine patients as a salvage procedure. Its further use is recommended.
Evaluating Capacity and Delay for Signalized Arterials with Freight Deliveries

Freight deliveries on signalized urban streets are known to cause lane blockages during delivery. Traffic congestion associated with urban freight deliveries has gained increasing attention recently as traffic engineers and planners are tasked with finding solutions to manage increasing demand more sustainably with limited road capacity. The goal of this research is to evaluate two models for quantifying the capacity and delay effects of a lane blocking freight delivery on a signalized urban street. The two methods are: an all-or-nothing model similar to methodology used in the Highway Capacity Manual 2010 (HCM2010) and a detailed analytical model consistent with kinematic wave theory. The purpose is to provide insight on the use of these tools for analysis of urban freight delivery policy. The results of the two models are compared with each. A simulation of 8th Avenue in New York has been calibrated to observed freight deliveries from a six-hour period, and the simulated results confirm effect of delivery location on capacity and delay. The results show that the methods from the HCM2010 to account for the effects of buses stopping for passengers provide only a coarse representation of the capacity and delay effects of urban freight deliveries. The more detailed approach that accounts for the dynamics of queuing provide closed form analytical formulas for delay and capacity that can account for varying locations of deliveries, long delivery durations, and different impacts on different lane groups.
Transcription factor EB: from master coordinator of lysosomal pathways to candidate therapeutic target in degenerative storage diseases

The lysosome is the main catabolic hub of the cell. Owing to its role in fundamental processes such as autophagy, plasma membrane repair, mTOR signaling, and maintenance of cellular homeostasis, the lysosome has a profound influence on cellular metabolism and human health. Indeed, inefficient or impaired lysosomal function has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of degenerative diseases affecting various organs and tissues, most notably the brain, liver, and muscle. The discovery of the coordinated lysosomal expression and regulation (CLEAR) genetic program and its master controller, transcription factor EB (TFEB), has provided an unprecedented tool to study and manipulate lysosomal function. Most lysosome-based processes—including macromolecule degradation, autophagy, lysosomal exocytosis, and proteostasis—are under the transcriptional control of TFEB. Interestingly, impaired TFEB signaling has been suggested to be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of several degenerative storage diseases. Preclinical studies based on TFEB exogenous expression to reinstate TFEB activity or promote CLEAR network–based lysosomal enhancement have highlighted TFEB as a candidate therapeutic target for the treatment of various degenerative storage diseases.
The impact of weather on summer and winter exercise behaviors

Background Outdoor exercise is an enjoyable way for individuals to improve fitness, but it is dependent on weather conditions. This study examines the association between weather conditions and outdoor exercise after adjustment for age, sex, race, and socioeconomic status. Methods We used data representative of American adults from the University of Michigan/Thomson Reuters June 2013 surveys of consumers (core and supplement) to investigate self-reported exercise behavior in summer and winter. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression models estimated the odds of delayed or indoor exercise compared with outdoor exercise. Results Of the 502 respondents, 16.3% did not regularly exercise outdoors (i.e., at least once a week), and many would delay exercise both in summer (51.8%) and winter (43.9%). Individuals listing rain as the predominant adverse weather condition had 3.29 times higher odds of exercising indoors (95%CI, 1.33-8.17) and 3.49 times higher odds of delaying exercise (95%CI, 1.33-8.17) compared with those mentioning heat as the predominant adverse condition. Individuals for whom ice or snow was an adverse winter weather condition were more likely to delay exercise (OR: 3.22; 95%CI: 1.14-9.08), compared with those concerned with cold. Conclusion This study found that race, age, and education exacerbate the negative effects of adverse weather conditions on the decision to exercise outdoors. Accordingly, any recommendation for an individual to exercise outdoors should be combined with an evaluation of the individual's outdoor environment along with strategies for the individual to continue exercising, indoors or outdoors, when adverse weather is present.
Is Financial Literacy a Determinant of Health

Changes in economic conditions and healthcare delivery models have shifted more healthcare costs to patients, resulting in greater patient financial responsibilities. As a result, it is important to understand the potential impact of financial literacy on patients' healthcare behavior. With the focus on delivering better health outcomes at lower costs, factors that influence patient behavior are important considerations for healthcare providers. Although researchers have proposed a variety of conceptual models that identify influential factors, those models do not fully address financial literacy and its potential impact patients' healthcare decisions. This article examines existing models of patient healthcare decision-making and current research on factors affecting patient decision-making and behavior and then presents recommendations for closing the identified gap in our current knowledge.
A subjective assessment of model initial conditions using satellite imagery

Even though numerical models have made great strides forward in recent years, their accuracy is limited by initialization. The forecaster has available high quality satellite pictures which enable ...
Disability pride protects self-esteem through the rejection-identification model.

Purpose/objective The rejection-identification model (RIM) argues that the negative impacts of stigma, such as decreased self-esteem, may be mitigated when members of the stigmatized group choose to identify with each other rather than with the majority culture. A previously unstudied potential RIM stigma-reduction mechanism is disability pride, which views disability as a source of valuable, enriching, and positive experience. Impairment, personal, and environmental factors based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) predict whether people will categorize themselves as disabled, but predictors of pride have received little examination. The purpose of this study was to (a) explore whether ICF factors predict disability pride, and (b) assess whether disability pride mediates a relationship between stigma and self-esteem, supporting RIM. Research Method/Design: Participants completed an Internet-based survey assessing pride, self-esteem, and ICF factors. Disability was not mentioned in recruitment materials to prevent selection biases. People who reported at least 1 impairment (n = 710) were included in analyses. Results ICF personal and environmental factors (stigma, social support, and being a person of color), but not impairment factors, predicted disability pride. Supporting RIM, disability pride partially mediated the relationship between stigma and self-esteem. Conclusions/implications Disability pride is a promising way to protect self-esteem against stigma. Disability pride is still a rare phenomenon. Given that pride is associated with social support, stigma, and, to a lesser extent, ethnicity, but not impairment characteristics, interventions might focus on personal and environmental factors like these to promote pride. (PsycINFO Database Record
The Nineteenth Century American Promenade. Precedent and Form

The promenade became firmly established in Europe as a public space type in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, appearing on the North American continent in the late eighteenth century. By the mid-nineteenth century a number of American cities offered designated outdoor settings for citizens to engage the social practice of “seeing and being seen”, in locations as diverse as cemeteries, fashionable streets, waterfront embankments, resort beachfronts, and later, in urban parks and along parkways. These public spaces attracted diverse populations, from working and middle classes to social elites, fulfilling a range of social and recreational goals in a variety of contexts. The promenade has endured as a highly popular public space type over many generations and across diverse cultural and geographic contexts, prompting the question whether there are certain formal qualities that have enhanced the success of the promenade as a public space? Are there are particular physical and spatial conditions that have persisted, contributing to its capacity to endure?This paper describes the evolution of urban promenades in Western Europe and in the United States from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries, before applying typological analysis to a set of promenade precedents drawn from several countries and across a span of several hundred years. The analysis reveals that factors such as location, connectivity, adjacency, alignment, dimensions, scale, and amenity features have contributed to the qualities of accessibility, activity, and comfort that have attracted people to promenades and supported their popularity over time. The paper concludes that nineteenth century American promenades were legitimate successors to earlier European precedents, exhibiting similarities in physical and spatial attributes that place them squarely within a typological tradition.
Novel findings from a beta coronavirus outbreak on an American Miniature Horse breeding farm in upstate New York

This case report describes an outbreak and novel findings associated with a beta coronavirus (BCoV) infection that occurred on an American Miniature Horse (AMH) breeding farm in upstate New York, in January and February of 2013 Twenty-nine AMH and one donkey were present on the farm when the outbreak occurred One 10-year-old Quarter Horse mare, stabled at a separate location and owned by an employee of the farm, also tested positive A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection of BCoV was performed at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) at Cornell on all faecal samples The PCR assay used detects multiple beta coronaviruses, including, but not limited to, equine enteric coronavirus (ECoV) Novel findings regarding this BCoV infection in horses were recognised in this outbreak study To the authors' knowledge, this is the largest outbreak of BCoV described thus far in a closed herd on a single premise The case fatality rate was 0% unlike that described in a previous outbreak of ECoV involving miniature horses and a miniature donkey (Fielding et al 2015) The morbidity rate was lower in this outbreak than in previously described studies (Oue et al 2013;Pusterla et al 2013) This outbreak also demonstrated the potential for BCoV transmission via farm personnel The duration of shedding of virus in the faeces among some asymptomatic horses in this outbreak was longer than previously described clinical cases of ECoV (Pusterla et al 2013;Nemoto et al 2014) This study suggests that asymptomatic animals may play a role in the maintenance of BCoV during an outbreak;therefore, the need for diagnostic testing of both clinically affected and apparently clinically normal horses on a premises followed by appropriate biosecurity and control measures Copyright © 2018 EVJ Ltd
A Church-Based Weight Loss Intervention in African American Adults using Text Messages (LEAN Study): Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: African American adults experience a high prevalence of obesity and its associated comorbidities, including diabetes. Church-based interventions have been shown to be effective in decreasing weight in this population. mHealth interventions can address two needs for obesity treatment in this community, including enhancing weight loss and providing wide dissemination. Objective: This study aimed to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a church-based weight loss intervention that incorporates mHealth technology. Methods: In this study, 8 churches (n=97) were randomly assigned to the intervention or delayed intervention condition (control group). We recruited participants through their respective church. Volunteer church members were trained by study staff to deliver the 10-session, 6-month intervention. Participants in the intervention group attended group sessions and received automated short message service (SMS) text messages designed to reinforce behavioral strategies. Conversely, participants in the delayed intervention condition received SMS text messages related to health conditions relevant for African American adults. We obtained measures of body composition, blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol. Results: We successfully recruited 97 African American adults, with a mean age of 56.0 (SE 10.3) years and a mean body mass index of 38.6 (SE 6.4) kg/m2 (89/97, 91.8% females), who attended the churches that were randomized to the intervention (n=68) or control (n=29) condition. Of these, 74.2% (72/97) of the participants (47/68, 69.1% intervention; 25/29, 86.2% delayed intervention) completed the 6-month assessment. The average intervention group attendance was 55%. There was a significant difference in weight loss (P=.04) between participants in the intervention (–1.5 (SE 0.5) kg) and control (0.11 (SE 0.6) kg) groups. Among participants in the intervention group, the correlation between the number of SMS text messages sent and the percent body fat loss was r=.3 with P=.04. The participants reported high satisfaction with the automated SMS text messages. Conclusions: Automated SMS text messages were well-received by participants, suggesting that more enhanced mHealth technologies are a viable option for interventions targeting African American adults. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02863887; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02863887 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/71JiYzizO)
Experimental murine invasive pulmonary aspergillosis

A new model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) was developed in immunosuppressed mice. Intranasal route of inoculation was used to deliver predictable numbers of Aspergillus flavus conidia. The LD50 was determined to be 2.7 X 10(2) viable conidia, and a combination of quantitative culture and determination of chitin content was shown to best measure the progression of pulmonary disease. The evolution of IPA in these mice conformed with what has been reported in human cases of aspergillosis; both histopathology of the pulmonary lesions and dissemination pattern resembled their human counterparts. The authors hope to use this model to study virulence mechanisms of Aspergillus and novel therapeutic methods.
Proliferative history and hematopoietic function of ex vivo expanded human CD34+ cells

We read with interest the paper of Glimm and Eaves,[1][1] in which the effect of in vitro division on the function of primitive human hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) was examined. The interest stemmed from the fact that this paper investigated an issue that we previously examined in a series of
Characterization of Distributions by the Form of Predictors of Order Statistics

We characterize those distributions for which the best linear unbiased predictor of an order statistic of a random sample from a location and scale family is identical with the best linear unbiased estimate of the expected value of that order statistic.
Role of Amputation in Improving Mobility, Pain Outcomes, and Emotional and Psychological Well-Being in Children With Metastatic Osteosarcoma.

Background:Few studies have analyzed the benefit of limb amputations in children with metastatic osteosarcoma and limited life span.Objective:We studied outcomes of limb amputations in children wit...
The $cd$-Index: A Survey

This is a survey of the $cd$-index of Eulerian partially ordered sets. The $cd$-index is an encoding of the numbers of chains, specified by ranks, in the poset. It is the most efficient such encoding, incorporating all the affine relations on the flag numbers of Eulerian posets. Eulerian posets include the face posets of regular CW spheres (in particular, of convex polytopes), intervals in the Bruhat order on Coxeter groups, and the lattices of regions of oriented matroids. The paper discusses inequalities on the $cd$-index, connections with other combinatorial parameters, computation, and algebraic approaches.
Update in environmental and occupational medicine 2010.

Large genome-wide association studies in patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other major lung diseases have provided insight into the genetic determinants of disease (1, 2). However, the relatively small risk attributable to genetic variation observed in those studies has prompted investigators to renew their focus on the role of environmental exposures in the development of lung disease. Indeed, understanding how environmental exposures alter gene expression was identified as a major goal in a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute workshop report focused on understanding the link between genes and their function (3). The purpose of this update is to highlight the advances in environmental and occupational medicine published in the Journal over the past year in the broader context of the exciting ongoing work in this area.
Zur Bedeutung von Wurzelausscheidungen verschiedener Kulturpflanzen für das Auftreten der Tomaten-Umfallkrankheit und der Zwiebelwelke

Die Wurzelexsudate von Weizen, Sorghum und Mais reduzierten das Wachstum der PilzeRhizoctonia solani (Tomaten-Umfallkrankheit) undFusarium oxysporum f. sp.cepae (Zwiebelwelke), forderten dagegen die Vermehrung des auf diese Pilze antagonistisch wirkendenBacillus subtilis. Die chemische Analyse zeigte erhebliche Unterschiede zwischen den Exsudaten der drei Pflanzenarten bezuglich Art und Menge von Zukkern und Aminosauren. Das Wachstum der drei Mikroorganismen wurde in unterschiedlicher Weise durch Glukose sowie die Aminosauren Phenylalanin, Serin und Glutaminsaure beeinflust. Die Rolle der Wurzelexsudate bei der Ausbreitung der Tomaten-Umfallkrankheit und der Zwiebelwelke wird erortert.
A polycationic pillar[5]arene for the binding and removal of organic toxicants from aqueous media

The ability to bind and detect analytes with high levels of selectivity, sensitivity and broad applicability for a variety of analytes is an essential goal, with applications in public health and e...
Installation and commissioning of the ion source systems for the new spallation neutron source 2.5 MeV injector.

The U.S. Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is a state-of-the-art neutron scattering facility delivering the world’s most intense pulsed neutron beams to a wide array of instruments, which are used to conduct investigations in many fields of engineering, physics, chemistry, material science, and biology. Neutrons are produced by spallation of liquid Hg by the bombardment of short (∼1 µs), intense (∼35 A) pulses of protons delivered at 60 Hz by an accumulator ring which is fed by a high-intensity, 1 GeV, H− LINAC (linear accelerator). This facility has operated nearly continuously since 2006 but has recently undergone a 4-month maintenance period, which featured a complete replacement of the 2.5 MeV injector feeding the LINAC. The new injector was developed at ORNL in an off-line beam test facility and consists of an ion source, low energy beam transport, and a Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ). This report first describes the installed configuration of the new injector detailing the ion source system. The first beam current, RFQ transmission, emittance, and energy measurements from the injector installed on the SNS are reported. These data not only show a significant performance improvement for our existing facility but will also make accessible the higher beam current requirements for future SNS upgrade projects: the proton power upgrade and second target station.
David Oliver: Allow nurses to use their professional judgment.

In January the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) suspended a nurse’s registration for 12 months because she’d decided not to commence cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in an elderly, dying care home resident.12 An earlier panel had heard evidence that the resident was “waxy, yellow and almost cold” when the nurse decided not to initiate CPR or call paramedics.3 The NMC concluded that the nursing profession had been brought into disrepute, the nurse’s fitness to practise impaired, and her patient put at risk of harm. The nurse had the option to appeal the decision. The nurse did not attend this January’s hearing and had “disengaged from the proceedings, retired from nursing and moved to the USA.”2 This case sets a worrying precedent by questioning the professional skill and autonomy of registered nurses. They don’t rely on delegated authority from doctors …
A six-amino-acid motif is a major determinant in functional evolution of HOX1 proteins

Gene duplication and divergence is a major driver in the emergence of evolutionary novelties. How variations in amino acid sequences lead to loss of ancestral activity and functional diversification of proteins is poorly understood. We used cross-species functional analysis of Drosophila Labial and its mouse HOX1 orthologs (HOXA1, HOXB1, and HOXD1) as a paradigm to address this issue. Mouse HOX1 proteins display low (30%) sequence similarity with Drosophila Labial. However, substituting endogenous Labial with the mouse proteins revealed that HOXA1 has retained essential ancestral functions of Labial, while HOXB1 and HOXD1 have diverged. Genome-wide analysis demonstrated similar DNA-binding patterns of HOXA1 and Labial in mouse cells, while HOXB1 binds to distinct targets. Compared with HOXB1, HOXA1 shows an enrichment in co-occupancy with PBX proteins on target sites and exists in the same complex with PBX on chromatin. Functional analysis of HOXA1-HOXB1 chimeric proteins uncovered a novel six-amino-acid C-terminal motif (CTM) flanking the homeodomain that serves as a major determinant of ancestral activity. In vitro DNA-binding experiments and structural prediction show that CTM provides an important domain for interaction of HOXA1 proteins with PBX. Our findings show that small changes outside of highly conserved DNA-binding regions can lead to profound changes in protein function.
Chemical Safety in the Laboratory

Nothing is more important to an organization than the health and safety of its workers. The managerial effectiveness of any health and safety program is judged on the basis of how well it prevents injuries and ill health. Chemical Safety in the Laboratory provides a proven approach to implementing and maintaining an effective chemical safety program for laboratories in hospital, industrial, and educational settings. Based on 20 years of experience managing and auditing chemical safety programs, the author discusses the OSHA Laboratory Standard and the Chemical Hygiene Plan, provides guidelines for the effective use of personal protective equipment, and details chemical emergency planning and response procedures. He also outlines a 19-step decontamination procedure for emergency responders. Employee chemical exposure monitoring and victim handling procedures are among the other major topics covered in this essential guide.
Higher comorbidities and early death in hospitalized African-American patients with Covid-19.

African-Americans/Blacks have suffered higher morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 than all other racial groups. This study aims to identify the causes of this health disparity, determine prognostic indicators, and assess efficacy of treatment interventions. We performed a retrospective cohort study of clinical features and laboratory data of COVID-19 patients admitted over a 52-day period at the height of the pandemic in the United States. This study was performed at an urban academic medical center in New York City, declared a COVID-only facility, serving a majority Black population. Of the 1103 consecutive patients who tested positive for COVID-19, 529 required hospitalization and were included in the study. 88% of patients were Black; and a majority (52%) were 61–80 years old with a mean body mass index in the “obese” range. 98% had one or more comorbidities. Hypertension was the most common (79%) pre-existing condition followed by diabetes mellitus (56%) and chronic kidney disease (17%). Patients with chronic kidney disease who received hemodialysis were found to have lower mortality, than those who did not receive it, suggesting benefit from hemodialysis Age > 60 years and coronary artery disease were independent predictors of mortality in multivariate analysis. Cox proportional hazards modeling for time to death demonstrated a significantly high ratio for COPD/Asthma, and favorable effects on outcomes for pre-admission ACE inhibitors and ARBs. CRP (180, 283 mg/L), LDH (551, 638 U/L), glucose (182, 163 mg/dL), procalcitonin (1.03, 1.68 ng/mL), and neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio (8.3:10.0) were predictive of mortality on admission and at 48–96 h. Of the 529 inpatients 48% died, and one third of them died within the first 3 days of admission. 159/529patients received invasive mechanical ventilation, of which 86% died and of the remaining 370 patients, 30% died. COVID-19 patients in our predominantly Black neighborhood had higher in-hospital mortality, likely due to higher prevalence of comorbidities. Early dialysis and pre-admission intake of ACE inhibitors/ARBs improved patient outcomes. Early escalation of care based on comorbidities and key laboratory indicators is critical for improving outcomes in African-American patients.
On Team Decision Problems with Nonclassical Information Structures

In this paper, we consider sequential dynamic team decision problems with nonclassical information structures. First, we address the problem from the point of view of a "manager" who seeks to derive the optimal strategy of the team in a centralized process. We derive structural results that yield an information state for the team which does not depend on the control strategy, and thus it can lead to a dynamic programming decomposition where the optimization problem is over the space of the team's decisions. We, then, derive structural results for each team member that yield an information state which does not depend on their control strategy, and thus it can lead to a dynamic programming decomposition where the optimization problem for each team member is over the space of their decisions. Finally, we show that the control strategy of each team member is the same as the one derived by the manager. We present an illustrative example of a dynamic team with a delayed sharing information structure.
The Design Of Broadband I/O Circuits [The Analog Mind]

The transport of high-speed data to and from chips requires input-output (I/O) interfaces with a commensurately wide bandwidth. In addition to the parasitic capacitances that the output driver in a transmitter (TX) and the input stage in a receiver (RX) present to the signal path, both interfaces must also deal with the capacitances associated with electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection devices. The I/O design thus becomes increasingly more challenging as greater speeds are sought. In this article, we design I/O circuits for a data rate of 40 Gb/s with a singleended voltage swing of 0.5 Vpp while focusing on the use of T-coils. The reader is referred to [1]-[5] for background information.
High Order Control Barrier Functions

We approach the problem of stabilizing a dynamical system while optimizing a cost and satisfying safety and control constraints. For affine control systems and quadratic costs, it has been shown that Control Barrier Functions (CBF) guaranteeing safety and Control Lyapunov Functions (CLF) enforcing convergence can be used to reduce the optimal control problem to a sequence of Quadratic Programs. In this paper, we propose High Order CBFs (HOCBF), which can accommodate systems of arbitrary relative degree. We construct a set of controls that renders the intersection of a set of sets forward invariant for the system, which implies the satisfaction of the original safety constraint. Our notion of HOCBF is more general than the recently proposed exponential CBF. We formulate optimal control problems with constraints given by HOCBF and CLF, and propose two methods - the penalty and the parameterization methods - to address the feasibility problem. Finally, we show how our methodology can be extended for safe navigation in unknown environments with long-term feasibility. We illustrate the proposed framework on a cruise control system and on a robot control problem.
LIGHT AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF MEMBRANOUS CYTOPLASMIC ORGANELLES

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the light and electron microscopic study of membranous cytoplasmic organelles. It briefly discusses the conditions necessary for visualization of such membranous components of cells with the phase contrast microscope. A profile of a cellular membrane may be considered to be of indefinite length and of a depth that may exceed the depth of focus. The width of its image is dependent upon its actual thickness plus any additional apparent width because of the segment of the membrane that is included in the optical section but is not precisely parallel to the optical path. Thus, membranes following an oblique or curving course through the optical section may result in a linear density having a minimum width of 0.2 μ and are readily visible, even though the membranes themselves may be extremely thin. The detection of the endoplasmic reticulum in living cells and the apparent minimal optical requirements that must be satisfied to render these membranes detectable with the light microscope are considered. The desirability is emphasized of making direct observations of living cells to study the pleomorphism of the endoplasmic reticulum and to compare this with fine structural studies.
Mechanical Basics of Laparoscopic Surgery

Flawless and smooth completion of laparoscopic surgical procedures requires complete understanding of equipment, techniques, and regional anatomy. This chapter details some of the basic principles common to all laparoscopic surgical procedures. It should be read and thoroughly understood as a background to the technical chapters that deal with specific surgical procedures.
The Euro's Debut: The Executive's Response

The euro will profoundly affect U.S. corporations with dealings in Europe. Companies that have not tried to assess and prepare for these changes should begin immediately.
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia in pediatric liver or combined liver and small bowel transplant patients: a case series and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) occurring after solid organ transplantation is an infrequently reported entity. We describe in this report six cases of AIHA in pediatric liver or combined liver and small bowel transplant patients. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified and reviewed the records of pediatric liver or combined liver and small bowel transplant patients with both serologic and clinical evidence of AIHA. We also performed an English language literature review for prior publications of AIHA occurring after solid organ transplantation. RESULTS: We identified six patients presenting with severe hemolysis 9 months to 14 years after transplantation. All six developed warm AIHA, and two had concomitant cold agglutinins. All except one patient received various therapeutic combinations including steroids, intravenous immune globulin, rituximab, plasmapheresis, splenectomy, and vincristine. Five patients achieved remission 2 weeks to 3 months after presentation. Although tacrolimus has been speculated to play a causative role in the development of AIHA after organ transplantation, our case series demonstrated slightly better outcomes despite continuing tacrolimus compared to published cases where most patients either received significantly reduced doses of tacrolimus or were switched to a different immunosuppressant (83% vs. 76% cumulative literature remission rate). CONCLUSION: AIHA may occur in solid organ transplant patients at a much higher frequency than previously believed. Hemolysis is often severe and resistant to steroid treatment alone. Thus early diagnosis and institution of aggressive multimodality treatment, including the use of rituximab, may be needed to achieve remission.
The Use of Optically Triggered, High Gain GaAs Switches for UWB Pulse Generation

A high peak power impulse puiser that is controlled with high gain, optically triggered GaAs Photoconductive Semiconductor Switches (PCSS) has been constructed and tested. The system has a short 50 Ω. line that is charged to 100 kV and discharged through the switch when the switch is triggered with as little as 90 nJ of laser energy. The laser that is used is a small laser diode array whose output is delivered through a fiber to the switch. The current in the system has rise times of 430 ps and a pulse width of 1.4 ns when two laser diode arrays are used to trigger the switch. The peak power to the load is, at least, 44 MW. The small trigger energy and switch jitter are due to a high gain switching mechanism in GaAs. This experiment also shows a relationship between the rise time of the voltage across the switch and the required trigger energy and switch jitter.
An environmentally conscious management model for end-of-life electromechanical products

With more and more end-of-life (EOL) electromechanical products being generated in the world, take-back legislation has been or will be enacted in some countries. The original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are faced with more responsibility to managing their EOL products. This paper describes the activities at the EOL stage, and proposes an integrated model for the management of EOL products, in which both environmental and economic factors are considered The purpose of this model is to help OEMs determine appropriate pre-treatment methods, and select appropriate buyers/recyclers to minimize the whole adverse environmental impacts of EOL products, and at the same time maximize the net profit.
The Wayward Curator: Italian Curators, Erotic Art, and Kid‐friendly Labels; Three Trips to the National Archeological Museum of Naples

Stopping in on the National Archeological Museum of Naples, over several visits, an art historian experiences the ups and downs and the incomparable treasure hunt that delighted him in touring Italy for its art.
To Drink of Death: The Narrative of a Shuar Warrior

To Drink of Death: The Narrative of. Shuar Warrior. Janet Wall Hendricks. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1993. 316 pp.
Thermal inactivation of Plasmodiophora brassicae Woron. and its attempted control by solarization in the Salinas Valley of California

Abstract Thermal inactivation of resting spores of P. brassicae Woron. in glasshouse soil depended on temperature, duration of treatment, inoculum concentration, and soil moisture. At 42, 44 and 50°C, the relationship between temperature and the time for thermal inactivation plotted on a semi-log scale was linear. Treatment times up to 45 days at 30°C and 37°C did not reduce infectivity. The detection threshold in the system was 10 0·5 spores/g of soil. At all temperatures tested, inactivation was achieved more rapidly in soil infested with 10 2 spores/g than with 10 6 spores/g. Heat treatment was more effective in saturated soil than in half-saturated soil. Soil temperatures in the field in the northern Salinas Valley were increased 11–14°C by tarping with clear, polyethylene plastic. The average weekly maximum temperature and minimum temperature at a 10 cm depth under tarps were 38°C and 29°C respectively. Solarization reduced disease development after a 10-week treatment but not after a 5-week treatment.
Side chain metabolism of 25-hydroxy-[26,27-14C] vitamin D3 and 1,25-dihydroxy-[26,27-14C] vitamin D3 in vivo

Radioactive CO2 was detected in expired air after the administration of 25-hydroxy-[26,27-14C] vitamin d3 to vitamin D-deficient hypocalcemic rats; 14co2 was also detected after the administration of 1,25-dihydroxy-[26,27-14C] vitamin D3 to rats raised on the same diet. Nephretcomy totally abolished 14CO2 formation after administration of 25-hydroxy-[26,27-14C] vitamin D3 but not after the administration of 1,25-dihydroxy-[26,27-14C] vitamin D3. The production of 14CO2 commenced within 4 hours after injection of 1,25-dihydroxy-[26,27-14C] vitamin D3, suggesting a possible relevance of this reaction to the function of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. These results at least demonstrate a new metabolic pathway of vitamin D3 metabolism involving the oxidation of a portion of the side chain of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 to CO2.
Charmless hadronic B decays at BABAR

We report recent measurements for the branching fractions of charmless hadronic B decays obtained from data collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy collider at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.
Utilization of bioremediation processes for the treatment of PAH-contaminated sediments

The widespread contamination of aquatic sediments by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has created a need for cost-effective remediation processes. Many common PAHs are biodegradable, leading to studies investigating the potential of sediment bioremediation. This article reviews several factors that currently complicate the implementation of sediment bioremediation processes: the effect of complex mixtures of contaminants on the rate and extent of degradation observed, the bioavailability of PAHs in sorbed- and nonaqueous-phase, and methods being evaluated to enhance degradation/availability (surfactant-enhanced solubility, nutrient addition, and bioaugmentation).
Is the brain the essential in hypertension

The brain is typically considered a target for late stage hypertensive disease due to the high prevalence of stroke among hypertensive patients. Research is reviewed, however, that suggests that the brain is implicated in the initiation of high blood pressure and is itself altered by early disease processes. A substantial literature establishes neural control of the vasculature and kidney as candidate etiological factors in essential hypertension. This research, largely done in animals, is now supplemented by behavioral and brain imaging studies in humans. This review suggests that the brain and vasculature may be independently and concurrently targeted by the factors inducing essential hypertension. Early stage hypertension is associated with cognitive deficits, altered cerebral blood flow support for cognitive processing, and decreased grey matter in specific cortical regions. Pharmacological reversal of hypertension is less successful in patients with premature brain aging and fails to reverse either the progression of functional or structural changes within the cerebral cortex. Furthermore, magnetic resonance imaging Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent (BOLD) responses during psychological challenge differ between normotensive individuals at risk and those not at risk for hypertension because of their exaggerated blood pressure responses to psychological challenge. Further examination of mechanisms of action and early influences of the disease on the brain are required to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms having concurrent influences on the brain and the peripheral vasculature.
Speaking of whiteness: compromise as a purposeful pedagogical strategy toward white students' learning about race

This article discusses pedagogical issues that arise in higher education when instructors of color teach classes with predominantly white students. We use student interview data collected during one graduate social foundations of education course to argue that in order to be effective, pedagogical decisions in a foundations course centered on race necessitate certain compromises in terms of power. To open up spaces of dialogic possibility for the discussion and understanding of white privilege, the authors suggest that instructors engage in a pedagogy of purposeful compromise. Such a pedagogy accepts that most white students will not, in the space of one course, recognize their own agency in the perpetuation of privilege and racism, but they might recognize white privilege as a larger structural process that inhibits the opportunities of people of color.
High field transport studies of GaN

We report on experimental and theoretical studies of high field transport in bulk GaN. Theoretically, we have investigated the electron-phonon interaction in this material based on empirical pseudopotential method (EPM) calculations for the bandstructure, together with an empirical valence shell model for the lattice dynamics in cubic GaN. The rigid-ion model is used to calculate the electron-phonon scattering rate for all modes, and to extract a deformation potential for use in high field transport calculations. A full band Monte-Carlo (FBMC) method is used to simulate high field transport in GaN. In the experimental studies, we have fabricated etched constrictions for performing pulse I-V measurements in bulk GaN and GaN/AlGaN heterostructures. The experimentally extracted velocity-field characteristics are in good agreement with transport calculations up to fields as high as 1.5 x 10 5 V/cm, where velocities up to 2.5 x 10 7 cm/s are measured.
Nonlinear analysis of interlaminar stress in graphite/epoxy laminates with and without delamination cracks

Abstract A quasi three-dimensional yield function, which is quadratic in stresses except for σ11, is proposed for graphite/epoxy composites. The elastic-plastic interlaminar stress response near a free edge in the [90/0]s, [0/90]s, and [ 45 −45 ]s laminates with and without delamination cracks was investigated using the pseudo three-dimensional finite element technique. The plasticity model was evaluated by comparison with off-axis experimental data. Since shear response is the key element for nonlinear stress-strain behavior of graphite/epoxy composites, the plasticity theory predicts interlaminar stresses in the [ 45 −45 ]s laminate significantly different from linear elasticity. Moreover, the existence of a delamination crack caused more plasticity effects on interlaminar stresses.
Genetic mapping of mammary tumor traits to rat chromosome 10 using a novel panel of consomic rats.

Abstract Identification of novel breast cancer susceptibility and resistance genes in genetically diverse human populations is challenging, and so inbred rats have been used to identify novel mammary cancer susceptibility quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with conventional mapping approaches. An alternative approach for QTL mapping is to use chromosome substitution (consomic) rat strains, which has the advantage of rapid generation of congenic from consomic animals. Using a novel rat strain pair, SS and BN, we identified rat mammary cancer QTLs in one of two consomic rat strains tested. Female rats of inbred parental (SS and BN) and two consomic (SS-10 BN and SS-12 BN ) strains were treated with 7,12-dimethylbenz[ a ]anthracene orally. The phenotypes of tumor incidence, latency, and multiplicity were evaluated. SS rats were highly susceptible to mammary adenocarcinoma development, whereas BN rats were completely resistant. Statistical comparison of the phenotypes between the susceptible parental and the two consomic strains identified QTLs residing within chromosome 10 controlling mammary tumor latency and multiplicity. The study shows that SS–BN consomic rat strains can be used to map mammary tumor QTLs. This novel approach should accelerate positional cloning of mammary cancer susceptibility and resistant genes in the rat and the identification of homologous genes in humans.