cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
No-needle jet anesthetic technique for no-scalpel vasectomy.

ABSTRACTPurpose:: We describe a new, modified jet injection technique for local anesthesia for no-scalpel vasectomy without the use of a needle, which may minimize the fear of vasectomy in men due to the needle involved in local anesthesia.Materials and Methods:: A MadaJet Medical Injector (MADA Medical Products, Carlstadt. New Jersey) was used in this study to deliver a high pressure spray of 0.1 cc local anesthetic solution directly through the scrotal skin down onto the tissue around the vas. Two or 3 jet injections are delivered to each vas and a total of 4 to 6 suffice for the entire vasectomy.Results:: No-needle jet injection is remarkably effective for local anesthesia for no-scalpel vasectomy. The average volume of anesthetic solution per jet injection is 0.1 cc with 0.2 to 0.3 cc for each vas. Onset is almost immediate, within 10 to 20 seconds after injection. About 465 patients were anesthetized by the jet injection technique with great satisfaction. The average visual analog scale score for the...
Calcium and Oxalic Acid Kinetics Differ in Rats

Small molecular weight calcium salts, if absorbed intact, could provide a nutritional source of calcium in subjects with impaired absorption of calcium by the saturable pathway. An understanding of the mechanism of absorption of calcium oxalate (as a representative salt) may be important nutritionally and therapeutically. The aim of the present study was to develop models to study absorption, distribution and retention of calcium and oxalate in rats as a basis for studying calcium oxalate absorption. Labeled compounds ( 45 Ca and [ 14 C]-oxalic acid) were administered to separate groups of rats orally (n = 8-11) or intravenously (n =3-5) and blood was sampled for up to 240 min. Data were analyzed using SAAM/CONSAM. Calcium kinetics were fitted by a model with three compartments in the body and one absorption pathway from the intestine. By contrast, oxalic acid kinetics were fitted by two pools in the body and two absorption pathways from the intestine. Calcium and oxalic acid, therefore, demonstrate different absorption and distribution kinetics in rats.
Tolerating Mistakes How Do Popular Perceptions of Procedural Fairness Affect Demand for Transitional Justice

How do perceptions of procedural fairness shape the preferences that citizens have for transitional justice (TJ) in postauthoritarian countries? This article uses original opinion poll data collect...
A curved quadrilateral element for static analysis of shells with geometric and material nonlinearities

A 48 degrees-of-freedom quadrilateral element, including the effect of both material and geometric nonlinearities, is formulated and appropriate numerical procedures are adopted for the development of a systematic and efficient approach for the static nonlinear analysis of general shell structures. The element surface is described by a variable-order polynomial in curvilinear co-ordinates. The displacement functions are described by bicubic Hermitian polynomials in curvilinear co-ordinates. Without being confined to the assumption of axisymmetry, this formulation allows for the treatment of shells with a more general shape and with a complex spread of plastic zones. In the formulation for geometric nonlinearity, the total Lagrangian approach is adopted. Only small strains and small rotations are allowed. In the formulation for plastic deformation, the concept of a layered element model is used. In the inelastic range, the material is assumed to obey the Von Mises yield criterion and the Prandtl–Reuss flow rule. A tangential stiffness formulation is combined with the modified Newton–Raphson iteration method for the solution of nonlinear problems. A systematic choice of examples ranging from fiat plates to cylindrical panels and to spherical caps is solved and compared with available solutions to evaluate the recommended formulations and procedures in terms of their accuracy and efficiency.
Molecular conformations from distance matrices

Two algorithms are introduced that show exceptional promise in finding molecular conformations using distance geometry on nuclear magnetic resonance data. The fist algorithm is a gradient version of the majorization algorithm from multidimensional scaling. The main contribution is a large decrease in CPU time. The second algorithm is an iterative algorithm between possible conformations obtained from the fist al- gorithm and permissible data points near the configuration. These ideas are similar to alternating least squares or alternating projections on convex sets. The iterations significantly improve the conformation from the first algorithm when applied to the small peptide
Genetic variation in the sand fly salivary protein, SP-15, a potential vaccine candidate against Leishmania major

SP-15 is a sandfly salivary protein that provides strong protection against cutaneous leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania major, and has been proposed as a potential vaccine against this disease. To investigate possible antigenic variation in this protein, we examined genetic polymorphism of SP-15 in 100 Phlebotomus papatasi sandflies, from a natural population from Sudan and four laboratory colonies from Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Saudi Arabia. We found that although many variants of SP-15 may be found in nature, differences among them are minimal (mean+/-SD pairwise differences=1.69+/-0.83% for forty nucleotide sequences and 3.06+/-1.13% for thirty amino acid sequence variants). Analysis of proportions of synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions indicated that SP-15 is not under diversifying selection. Our results suggest that a vaccine based on SP-15 protein should result in a uniform immune response.
Electrical Stimulation Ih Orthopaedics: Past, Present Amd Future

The observations that stressed bone yielded an electrical signal and that weak electrical currents could induce callus formation gave birth to a sustained and widening interest in the clinical use of electrical currents and magnetic fields. the question of the physiological significance of the stress-generated signals remains unanswered, but it seems likely that the current-caused callus formation la an Irritative response similar to that demonstrated by bone subjected to heat, chemical, or mechanical stimuli. A similar mechanism may underly the magnetic-field effects on bone. the future of electrical stimulation in orthopaedics seems tenuous, and only further progress will insure its role in clinical use.
Learning to efficiently pursue communication goals on the web with the GOSMR architecture

We present GOSMR ("goal oriented scenario modeling robots"), a cognitive architecture designed to show co-ordinated, goal-directed behavior over the Internet, focusing on the web browser as a case study. The architecture combines a variety of artificial intelligence techniques, including planning, temporal difference learning, elementary reasoning over uncertainty, and natural language parsing, but is designed to be computationally lightweight. Its intended use is to be deployed on virtual machines in large-scale network experiments in which simulated users' adaptation in the face of resource denial should be intelligent but varied. The planning system performs temporal difference learning of action times, discounts goals according to hyperbolic discounting of time-to-completion and chance of success, takes into account the assertions of other agents, and separates abstract action from site-specific affordances. Our experiment, in which agents learn to prefer a social networking style site for sending and receiving messages, shows that utility-proportional goal selection is a reasonable alternative to Boltzmann goal selection for producing a rational mix of behavior.
Assessment of state- and territorial-level preparedness capacity for serving deaf and hard-of-hearing populations in disasters

OBJECTIVES: Substantial evidence exists that emergency preparedness and response efforts are not effectively reaching populations with functional and access needs, especially barriers related to literacy, language, culture, or disabilities. More than 36 million Americans are Deaf or hard of hearing (Deaf/HH). These groups experienced higher risks of injury, death, and property loss in recent disasters than the general public. We conducted a participatory research study to examine national recommendations on preparedness communication for the Deaf/HH. METHODS: We assessed whether previous recommendations regarding the Deaf/HH have been incorporated into state- and territorial-level emergency operations plans (EOPs), interviewed state- and territorial-level preparedness directors about capacity to serve the Deaf/HH, and proposed strategies to benefit Deaf/HH populations during emergencies. We analyzed 55 EOPs and 50 key informant (KI) interviews with state directors. RESULTS: Fifty-five percent of EOPs mentioned vulnerable populations; however, only 31% specifically mentioned Deaf/HH populations in their plan. Study findings indicated significant relationships among the following factors: a state-level KI's familiarity with communication issues for the Deaf/HH, making relay calls (i.e., calls to services to relay communication between Deaf and hearing people), and whether the KI's department provides trainings about serving Deaf/HH populations in emergencies. We found significant associations between a state's percentage of Deaf/HH individuals and a KI's familiarity with Deaf/HH communication issues and provision by government of any disability services to Deaf/HH populations in emergencies. Further, we found significant relationships between KIs attending training on serving the Deaf/HH and familiarity with Deaf/HH communication issues, including how to make relay calls. CONCLUSION: This study provides new knowledge that can help emergency agencies improve their preparedness training, planning, and capacity to serve Deaf/HH populations in emergencies. Language: en
Dialectical Foundations of Global Disparities

This article applies a variant of the dialectical concern with the unity of opposites to the problems of continuity and change in global disparities. Based on a “North versus South” axis roughly indicating levels of inanimate energy use or technological development, and the modifying significance of “East versus West” capitalist and socialist modes of production, four contending, interpenetrating systems of global order are proposed as appropriate units for such inquiry: capitalist power-balancing, Soviet socialism, corporatist-authoritarianism, and collective self-reliance. Recent historical conditioning factors affecting more or less egalitarian development choices, in addition to class conflicts, include major world wars, and relatively late national politicoeconomic development. Lenin's 16-point restatement of Hegelian dialectics serves as a summary frame for the major hypotheses of this paper and a methodological critique of much North American research and teaching on world order and global disparities.
Enterococcus Induced Resistance:A Laboratory Study of Antibacterial Agents by Multiple-step Method

OBJECTIVE To study the emergence mechanism of enterococcal resistance to a variety of antibacterial agents, and to guide the selection and use of antimicrobial agents in clinical and prophylactic practice. METHODS The experiments on induced resistance to gentamicin or ampicillin were performed, in nine or seven Enterococcus faecalis strains or two or one E. faecium, respectively, seven strains of E.faecalis and two of E.faecium were selected to by multiple-step method.The susceptibility of the induced strains resistant to ampicillin and gentamicin was measured by determining the MIC using agar dilution method. The gentamicin-resistant genes and pbp_5 gene in the induced strains were detected by PCR, then the nucleotide sequence of pbp_5 gene was analyzed. RESULTS The strains highly resistant to gentamicin were obtained from 3 tested strain of E. faecalis and 1 tested strains of E.faecium,the MICs of these laboratory resistant strains were with 2,4,64 and 64-fold increase,respectively, when compared with parent strains. The strains stably resistant to ampicillin were obtained from 4 tested strains of E.faecalis. The MICs of these laboratory resistant strains were with 16,16,64 and 8-fold increase,respectively, when compared with parent strains. The substitution of some amino acids was found between the positions of 453 and 560 in the PBP5 sequences in 2 of 3 induced strains resistant to ampicillin. CONCLUSIONS The results of in vitro experiments on enterococcal strains for induced resistance to gentamicin and ampicillin,which are performed by multiple-step method,show that acquired resistance could be occurred when exposing them to low level of some antibacterial agents for long term.
Investigation of measurement sensitivities in cross-correlation Doppler global velocimetry

Abstract Cross-correlation Doppler global velocimetry (CC-DGV) is a flow measurement technique based on the estimation of Doppler frequency shift of scattered light by means of cross-correlating two filtered intensity signals. The signal characteristics of CC-DGV result in fundamental limits for estimation variance as well as the possibility for estimator bias. The current study assesses these aspects theoretically and via Monte Carlo signal simulations. A signal model is developed using canonical numerical functions for the iodine absorption cell and incorporating Poisson and Gaussian signal noise models. Along with consideration of the analytical form of the Cramer–Rao lower bound, best practices for system settings are discussed. The CC-DGV signal processing routine is then assessed by a series of Monte Carlo simulations studying the effect of temperature mismatch between flow signal and reference detector cells, velocity magnitude, and discretization error in the frequency modulation. A measurement bias was observed; the magnitude of the bias is a weak function of the cell temperature mismatch, but it is independent of the flow velocity magnitude. The measurement variance was found to approach the Cramer–Rao lower bound for optimized conditions. A cyclical bias error resulting from the discrete nature of the laser frequency sweep is also observed with maximum errors of ± 1.0 % of the laser frequency scan step size, corresponding to peak errors of ± 0.61 m s−1 for typical settings. Overall, the signal estimator is found to perform best for matched cell temperatures, small frequency step size, and high velocity regimes, where the relative bias errors are collectively minimized.
The Influence of Restraint Systems on Panel Behavior

When a panel is tested in uniaxial compression in a test machine, the boundary conditions are not quite the same as they would be if it were part of a complete structure. A restraint system may be used to simulate conditions found in a complete vehicle. Quantifying the quality of the restraint with only point-measurement devices can leave an inadequate characterization of the out-of-plane behavior. However, today’s full-field displacement monitoring techniques allow for much more accurate views of the global panel deformation and strain, and therefore allow for a better understanding of panel behavior. In the current study, the behavior of a hat-stiffened and two rod-stiffened carbon-epoxy panels is considered. Panels were approximately 2 meters tall and 0.76 to 1.06 m wide. Unloaded edges were supported by knife edges and stiffeners were attached to a support structure at selected locations to restrain out-of-plane motion. A comparison is made between test results based on full-field measurements and analyses based on assumptions of boundary conditions of a completely rigid edge restraint and the absence of any edge restraint. Results indicate that motion at the restrained edges must be considered to obtain accurate test-analysis correlation.
The Challenge of Pediatric Medical Illness to Family Theory and Family Therapy

What are the challenges that medical illness brings to the mental health profession? A number will emerge in the chapters that follow. The one I would like to emphasize is: Can we reorient our perspective and deal with those problems in the family with a medically ill child that might require us to alter our basic psychiatric perspectives, theories, and therapies, rather than, as we have in the past, with the applications of our theories and expertise to the physically ill child and his family?
622 Exploring the impact of community-level trauma and implications for injury prevention

Background Communities that experience high rates of violence typically experience high levels of trauma. Trauma not only has a significant impact on development, health, and well-being, but can also be a barrier to the successful implementation of injury prevention strategies. The predominant construct for addressing trauma is currently based in a medical model at the individual level. In high-violence neighbourhoods, however, trauma can manifest at the community-level. To address this scale of trauma means not only insisting on trauma-informed care for individuals, but also exploring how to address trauma at the population level. Objective This session presents an emerging construct for population-level trauma and poses a framework to inform the development and implementation of strategies to prevent injury and trauma and promote community healing. Results With funding from Kaiser Permanente, Prevention Institute and Dr. Howard Pinderhughes conducted a study to explore trauma at the population level, how it impacts other community health improvement efforts, and emerging strategies. The impact of trauma extends beyond the individuals who directly witness or experience violence. Trauma is also produced by structural violence, which prevents people and communities from meeting their basic needs. The result is both high levels of trauma across the population and a breakdown of social networks, social relationships and positive social norms across the community – all of which could otherwise be protective against violence and other health outcomes. The study found that the impact of trauma extends beyond individuals who directly experience violence. This results in both high levels of trauma across the population and a break-down of social networks, social relationships and positive social norms across the community – all of which could otherwise be protective against violence. In order for communities to build resilience, strategies must be implemented that build on indigenous knowledge, expertise, and leadership to yield strategies that are culturally relevant and effective After this session, attendees should be able to discuss various ways community trauma can manifest at the community level. During this session, we will briefly describe the findings of the study and present the emerging framework., along with examples of communities that are developing and implementing community level strategies. Prevention Institute will then facilitate a peer-to-peer discussion exploring how community level trauma shows up in communities, and emerging resilience strategies to prevent and address it. Conclusions The community trauma framework has implications for practitioners, researchers, and advocates developing strategies to improve safety by overcoming community-level trauma as a barrier to successful injury prevention.
Determining the Rise in BCR-ABL RNA That Optimally Predicts a Kinase Domain Mutation in Patients with CML on Imatinib.

Abstract The most common mechanism of imatinib resistance in patients with CML is point mutations in the BCR-ABL kinase domain (KD) that impair imatinib binding to its target. As the second-line BCR-ABL inhibitors nilotinib and dasatinib show activity in most patients with KD mutations, early identification of mutations may prevent relapse. Current consensus recommendations are to perform mutation analysis if patients fail to achieve certain milestones of response, or experience loss of response. Since most patients are routinely monitored by BCR-ABL quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR), it is necessary to determine the optimal increase in BCR-ABL RNA that should trigger mutation testing, while minimizing both false-positive and false-negative test results. Recognizing the lack of a consensus, expert panels and the NCCN guidelines have provisionally recommended mutation screening in cases with a 10-fold or greater increase of BCR-ABL RNA. To address, in an unbiased fashion, the optimal transcript level rise associated with a mutation, and thus advise when mutation screening should be performed, 150 CML patients were serially monitored (median 46 months post-imatinib) by RQ-PCR and KD DNA sequencing. Thirty-five different mutations were identified in 53 patients, at a median of 28 months after imatinib initiation. During 22.5 months of follow-up after mutation screening, relapses occurred in 85% of the patients with a mutation (median 10. 4 months later) versus 46% of those with no mutation (median 32.4 months later) (hazard ratio = 3.2; P 2.6-fold is the optimal cutoff to trigger reflex mutation screening in imatinib-treated CML. Furthermore, the currently recommended 10-fold threshold to trigger mutation screening may be overly stringent and is not universally applicable. RQ-PCR Increase (fold change) Sensitivity (95% CI) (%) Specificity (%) Negative Predictive Value (95% CI) (%) Odds Ratio (95% CI) P 2.0 77 (62–88) 44 88 (80–94) 2.6 (1.2–5.4) 0.01 2.5 77 (62–88) 46 89 (81–94) 2.8 (1.4–5.9) 0.005 2.6 77 (62–88) 47 89 (81–94) 2.9 (1.4–6.0) 0.005 2.6* (include subsequent sample) 94 (82–99) 47 97 (91–99) 13 (3.9–43) 3.0 74 (60–86) 48 88 (80–94) 2.7 (1.3–5.5) 0.008 3.5 64 (49–77) 54 86 (78–91) 2.1 (1.1–4.1) 0.03 4.0 60 (44–74) 60 85 (78–91) 2.2 (1.1–4.2) 0.02 4.5 55 (40–70) 64 85 (78–90) 2.2 (1.2–4.2) 0.02 5.0 47 (32–62) 68 84 (77–89) 1.9 (1.0–3.6) 0.06 10 26 (14–40) 83 82 (75–87) 1.7 (0.8–3.7) 0.2 *Except for the one indicated row, the table includes only those patients with successful RQ-PCR and sequencing performed on the same sample. If samples after the initial genotype determination are included, at the optimal 2.6-fold cutoff, the sensitivity, NPV, and OR each increase.
Molecular mechanisms of pulmonary response progression in crystalline silica exposed rats.

AbstractAn understanding of the mechanisms underlying diseases is critical for their prevention. Excessive exposure to crystalline silica is a risk factor for silicosis, a potentially fatal pulmonary disease. Male Fischer 344 rats were exposed by inhalation to crystalline silica (15 mg/m3, six hours/day, five days) and pulmonary response was determined at 44 weeks following termination of silica exposure. Additionally, global gene expression profiling in lungs and BAL cells and bioinformatic analysis of the gene expression data were done to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression of pulmonary response to silica. A significant increase in lactate dehydrogenase activity and albumin content in BAL fluid (BALF) suggested silica-induced pulmonary toxicity in the rats. A significant increase in the number of alveolar macrophages and infiltrating neutrophils in the lungs and elevation in monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in BALF suggested the induction of pulmonary inflammation in...
A generalized reinforcement learning scheme for random neural networks

We propose a reinforcement learning scheme for random neural networks (RNN) that update network weights based on the relative reward obtained by past actions. This new learning scheme achieves improved performance in random environments under certain conditions, in particular, when the number of actions is small. We also explore hybrid learning structures, where a RNN functions as a meta decision unit that learns how to best delegate the action decision to a second layer of decision units. An extensive simulation study demonstrates the performance of these learning methods applied to minimizing response times in a distributed task assignment scenario. Results are compared to the cognitive packet networks’ reinforcement learning scheme, a reward-only variation, and several non-learning methods. The study reveals that no single method can produce the best performance results in all cases. However, both the generalized reinforcement learning scheme and the application of meta decision units can help to achieve improved performance in specific cases.
Data-Enabled Building Energy Savings (D-E BES)

Building sector energy consumption represents a significant fraction of the overall energy consumption in urban communities. While there has been increasing focus on the development of smart environments to support energy savings in urban commercial buildings, the development of smart environments for the residential sector has been less common. Instead, urban residential energy-saving efforts have focused on improving a building’s physical infrastructure, introducing energy-saving appliances, and motivating residents to adopt energy conservation practices. This paper illustrates that creating an affinity between a building resident’s thermal preferences and a building apartment’s unregulated thermal environment represents an alternative means of generating an energy-efficient environment for multi-family, residential buildings. Two years of 15-min interval summer data, obtained from smart cyber-physical systems installed in 310 apartments across two New York City buildings, is used to develop data-enabled (D-E) models of resident thermal preference and unregulated apartment temperatures. Both of these models use a linear mixed-effects approach. The alignment of optimal resident-apartment pairs is then formulated as an integer-programming problem to explore the building energy saving (BES) potential associated with minimizing the difference between unregulated apartment temperature and the residents’ thermal preference based on summer cooling loads. The work shows that the energy saving potential vary with a building’s physical characteristics as well as the variation in residents’ thermal preferences. The work further demonstrates that both the unregulated temperature and the resident’s preferred temperature in a given apartment are not only affected by outside temperature and external relative humidity, but also strongly affected by the apartment’s geographic orientation. For the specific buildings considered, up to 28% cooling energy saving is possible with full alignment. The paper provides all building monitoring data as an open source data set.
Sexually transmitted infections and immune activation among HIV-infected but virally suppressed youth on antiretroviral therapy.

Abstract Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with chronic immune activation, and concurrent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may increase immune activation. Objectives Because HIV-infected youth are at high risk of STIs and little is known about the impact of STIs on immune activation in HIV-infected youth, we conducted an exploratory study examining the association between STIs and systemic inflammation and immune activation among HIV-infected adolescents. Study design Forty-nine behaviorally infected U.S. youth ages 18–24 years with baseline CD4+ T-cells >350 who maintained viral suppression on therapy by week 48 were included. Evaluation for STIs (herpes simplex virus [HSV], Chlamydia trachomatis, syphilis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae) was conducted as standard of care and reported on case report forms. Measures of T-cell subsets, systemic immune activation, and soluble factors were examined at week 48 for differences between participants with an STI diagnosis during the 48 weeks compared to those without an STI. Results Forty-three participants (88%) were male; 57% had baseline CD4+ T-cell counts >500 cells/mm3. Eighteen youth were reported to have ≥1 STI. At week 48, participants with STIs demonstrated lower CD4+ T-cell counts (any STI vs. no STI, p = 0.024; HSV vs. no STI, p = 0.022) and evidence of increased systemic immune activation, including higher CD57 intensity, higher HLA-DR intensity, and lower CD28 percentage, when compared to those without STIs. There were no differences in soluble factors between STI groups. Conclusions Results indicate novel activation of CD4+ T-cells among HIV-infected youth who have STIs other than HSV, which may contribute to disease progression.
Study of the beta -delayed neutron decay of 18N.

The \ensuremath{\beta}-delayed neutron decay of $^{18}\mathrm{N}$ has been studied using a time-of-flight array with high efficiency. The $^{18}\mathrm{N}$ ions were produced by fragmentation of a E/A=75 MeV $^{22}\mathrm{Ne}$ beam. Transitions to nine neutron unbound states have been observed with a total branching ratio of 2.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.4%. The results are compared with measurements of the decay to \ensuremath{\gamma}- and \ensuremath{\alpha}-emitting states and the differences between the present results and a recent measurement of the ${\mathit{P}}_{\mathit{n}}$ value are discussed.
Variations in Acoustic Velocity in Skeletal Muscle Determined by Acoustic Microscopy

It has been previously reported that the acoustic microscope can be used to measure changes in the elastic properties of muscle.1,2 Such changes could then be used to measure changes in cardiac contractility and other muscle properties in the fetal mouse heart organ culture model.3 The bulk modulus of elasticity of the muscle would be determined from the well-known relation $$ {\rm{K}}\,{\rm{ = }}\,{\rm{\rho }}{{\rm{c}}^{\rm{2}}}\,\,, $$ where ρ is the tissue density and c is the velocity of sound in the muscle. Because the heart has a complex geometry, the frog sartorius muscle was chosen for initial determinations of velocity.
Supporting Video Streaming over WiMAX Networks by Enhanced FMIPv6-Based Handover

IEEE 802.16, also widely known as WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), is an emerging broadband wireless standard. The seamless support over an efficient handover (HO) mechanism is vital to its success. This paper proposes a new cross-layer HO scheme, enhanced from FMIPv6 (Fast Mobile IPv6 Handoff Protocol) by adopting two features: reducing control messages and eliminating duplicated care-of-addresses. The resulting HO delay is significantly decreased, which also improves other QoS parameters. The new scheme is evaluated for its support of video streaming traffic while comparing with three other HO schemes: FMIPv6 and two existing enhancements to FMIPv6. We measure HO delay and loss; and PSNR (Peak Signal to Noise Ratio) and MOS (Mean Opinion Score) for video quality. We found that the proposed enhancement has achieved considerable improvement over the existing schemes, especially under heavy network conditions and fast mobility speed.
Approaches to Catalytic Control of Automotive NOx Emissions

This paper reviews the various concepts that have been suggested for controlling automotive nitrogen oxide emissions. Major emphasis is placed on the dual catalyst and the closed loop approach. The paper will also include a discussion of metallic vs. ceramic catalysts.
A dual Simplex-type algorithm for the smallest enclosing ball of balls and related problems

We define the notion of infimum of a set of points with respect to the second order cone. This problem can be showed to be equivalent to the minimum ball containing a set of balls problem and to the maximum intersecting ball problem, as well as others. We present a dual algorithm which can be viewed as an extension of the simplex method to solve this problem.
Dynamic Awareness of an Industrial Robotic Arm Using Time-of-Flight Laser-Ranging Sensors

In this paper, a range sensing setup for performing detection and monitoring in an industrial robot workspace is presented. The setup uses a ring of Time-of-Flight laser range sensors mounted on a robot. A 3D simulation setup with the properties of the sensor mounted on a UR10 robot and a simple pick and place task with a human avatar is used to analyze its behavior and viability with industrial arm robots. Collision detection strategies based on human-robot separation distance and relative speeds are also implemented. These strategies are evaluated based on the human safety, robot performance and productivity of the task. The parameters and results of the experiments are tabulated. The results show the benefits of achieving dynamic awareness of the robot in comparison with the conventional methods used in industry. The development of the prototype sensor ring is also shown and the future work discussed.
Polymer Nomenclature and Structure: A Comparison of Systems Used by CAS, IUPAC, MDL, and DuPont. 2. Aftertreated (Post-treated), Alternating/Periodic, and Block Polymers

Polymer nomenclature styles and structure representation systems described, recommended, or used by Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), MDL Information Systems, Inc. (MDL), and DuPont are compared and contrasted. Structure-based versus source-based nomenclature and structural representations are discussed. Irregular single-strand organic polymers comprise a very large group that includes aftertreated (post-treated); alternating and other periodic; block; comb and graft; cross-linked; and dendritic, hyperconnected (i.e. hyperbranched, hypercross-linked), and star polymers. The types covered in this paper (part 2 of 4) include aftertreated (post-treated), alternating and other periodic, and block polymers.
Stroke Warning Information and Faster Treatment (SWIFT): Cost-Effectiveness of a Stroke Preparedness Intervention

Abstract Background Less than 25% of stroke patients arrive to an emergency department within the 3-hour treatment window. Objective We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a stroke preparedness behavioral intervention study (Stroke Warning Information and Faster Treatment [SWIFT]), a stroke intervention demonstrating capacity to decrease race-ethnic disparities in ED arrival times. Methods Using the literature and SWIFT outcomes for 2 interventions, enhanced educational (EE) materials, and interactive intervention (II), we assess the cost-effectiveness of SWIFT in 2 ways: (1) Markov model, and (2) cost-to-outcome ratio. The Markov model primary outcome was the cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained using the cost-effectiveness threshold of $100 000/QALY. The primary cost-to-outcome endpoint was cost per additional patient with ED arrival Results The cost-effectiveness of the II and EE programs was, respectively, $227.35 and $74.63 per additional arrival Conclusion II was a cost-effective strategy compared with both EE and SC. Nevertheless, high initial fixed costs associated with II may limit its cost-effectiveness in settings with smaller patient populations.
Effect of the Catalyst Metal Content on PEMFC Durability

Cathode catalysts for PEMFC applications typically consist of platinum supported on carbon, with Pt weight percent usually 5 –50%. While the Pt weight percent is known to affect performance and durability, the mechanisms behind these effects are poorly understood. We systematically investigated the effect of Pt weight percent using commercial Pt loaded on high surface area carbon(HSC) catalysts supplied by Tanaka. At the same Pt loading, the mass ratio between the Pt nanoparticles and carbon support will determine the thickness of the catalyst layer as well as the local Pt content. After durability testing, changes in ECSA, ORR mass activity, and performance in H2/air indicate that degradation increases with increasing local Pt content, while average Pt content appears less important. CO stripping at different relative humidity shows that, despite substantial ECSA loss, there is little change in the distribution of Pt between the interior and exterior of carbon particles.
Insights into CO2/N2 Selectivity in Porous Carbons from Deep Learning

Porous carbons are an important class of porous material for carbon capture. The textural properties of porous carbons greatly influence their CO2 adsorption capacities. But it is still unclear wha...
Diasporic still life: Midnight at the Dragon Café and the cultural politics of stasis:

This article revisits and reevaluates the role that “stasis” can play as a literary technique in diasporic Chinese Canadian writing. To these ends I read Chinese Canadian author Judy Fong Bates’s d...
Carbene‐Stabilized Disilicon as a Silicon‐Transfer Agent: Synthesis of a Dianionic Silicon Tris(dithiolene) Complex

Reaction of carbene-stabilized disilicon (1) with the lithium-based dithiolene radical (2. ) affords the first dianionic silicon tris(dithiolene) complex (3). Notably, the formation of 3 represents the unprecedented utilization of carbene-stabilized disilicon (1) as a silicon-transfer agent. The nature of 3 was probed by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and DFT computations.
Highly-Doped Through-Contact Silicon Epi Design at 3 nm node

Through-contact highly doped Si epi (TS Epi), in which an additional epi with higher doping is grown on top of the S/D epi, has shown promise of lower contact resistivities $(\rho_{\mathrm{c}})$ owing to reduced Schottky barrier heights (SBH) and tunneling barrier thickness [1]–[3]. We show by Non-Equilibrium Green's Function Density Functional Theory (DFT-NEGF) of TiSi/Si interface that sub $1\mathrm{e}-9\Omega-\mathrm{cm}^{2}$ are achieved for $> 2\mathrm{e}20\mathrm{cm}^{-3}$ doping in Si. In this paper, we show that TS Epi improves the $\mathrm{I}_{\mathrm{ON}}$ and ring-oscillator (RO) stage-delay by 9% and 7.4%, respectively. We show that thinner TS Epi leads to higher performance due to lower epi resistance. SD metal fill aspect ratio improvement due to TS Epi is also discussed.
Alt-Virilities: Masculinism, Rhizomatics, and the Contradictions of the American Alt-Right

What is the Alt-Right? As a movement still taking shape ideologically and operationally, the Alt-Right demands a research framework for analyzing both what it believes and how it functions. Adoptin...
Clinical data for intravenous iron – debunking the hype around hypersensitivity

Background Reluctance to use intravenous (IV) iron for the treatment of iron deficiency continues due to a perceived high risk of severe hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs). Additionally, it has been hypothesized that 'dextran-derived' IV iron products (e.g., ferumoxytol [FER] and ferric derisomaltose/iron isomaltoside 1000 [FDI]) have a higher risk of severe HSRs than 'non-dextran-derived' products (e.g., ferric carboxymaltose [FCM] and iron sucrose [IS]). In the present analysis, HSR data from head-to-head randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with IV iron products were evaluated to determine if differences in safety signals are present among these IV iron formulations. Study design and methods Reported serious or moderate-to-severe HSR incidence data from five RCTs (FIRM; FERWON-NEPHRO/-IDA; PHOSPHARE-IDA04/-IDA05) were used to calculate risk differences with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for FER, FCM, FDI, and IS. The rates and risk differences for these HSRs were compared. Results The analysis included data for 5247 patients: FER (n = 997), FCM (n = 1117), FDI (n = 2133) and IS (n = 1000). Overall rates of serious or moderate to severe HSRs were low (0.2%-1.7%). The risk differences (95% CIs) showed small differences between the IV iron formulations: FER versus FCM, -0.1 (-0.8 to 0.6); FDI versus IS, 0.1 (-0.3 to 0.5); FDI versus FCM, -0.9 (-3.7 to 1.9). Conclusion RCT evidence confirms a low risk of serious or moderate to severe HSRs with newer IV iron formulations and no significant differences among existing commercially available products. Thus, RCT data show that the supposed classification of dextran-derived versus non-dextran-derived IV iron products has no clinical relevance.
Identifying Elements of Voice in First-grade Science Writing

Common Core State Standards emphasize the importance of informational writing in primary grades. In such writing, importance is placed on the writing being scholarly and scientific. However, such w...
Disaggregating illegal fishing losses for the 22 countries of the West African Coast

The 22 countries of the Western African coast constitute one of the world’s most vulnerable regions for illegal fishing. Much is known about the region’s losses to illegal fishing, but less about the losses experienced by the region’s individual countries when compared in relation to each other. Guided by environmental criminology, these losses are examined in terms of lost protein and lost revenue. Seven of the countries suffer loss of protein. Chinese vessels are the most prevalent predators, fishing illegally in six of these countries. Only three of the 22 countries suffer loss of revenue, most of which is lost to vessels from other West African countries. Guinea and Guinea Bissau experience both problems. Only a handful of countries suffer disproportionately more than the rest of the countries in the region. Country-specific policy solutions should be devised to address the problems in these vulnerable target countries.
Meta-analysis of peptides to detect protein significance

Shotgun assays are widely used in biotechnologies to characterize large molecules, which are hard to be measured as a whole directly. For instance, in Liquid Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) shotgun experiments, proteins in biological samples are digested into peptides, and then peptides are separated and measured. However, in proteomics study, investigators are usually interested in the performance of the whole proteins instead of those peptide fragments. In light of meta-analysis, we propose an adaptive thresholding method to select informative peptides, and combine peptide-level models to protein-level analysis. The meta-analysis procedure and modeling rationale can be adapted to data analysis of other types of shotgun assays.
Phase I trial of oncolytic adenovirus-mediated cytotoxic and interleukin-12 gene therapy for the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer.

The safety of oncolytic adenovirus-mediated suicide and interleukin-12 (IL12) gene therapy was evaluated in metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. In this phase I study, a replication-competent adenovirus (Ad5-yCD/mutTKSR39rep-hIL-12) expressing yCD/mutTKSR39 (yeast cytidine deaminase/mutant S39R HSV-1 thymidine kinase) and human IL-12 (IL12) was injected into tumors of 12 subjects with metastatic pancreatic cancer (T2N0M1-T4N1M1) at escalating doses (1 × 1011, 3 × 1011, or 1 × 1012 viral particles). Subjects received 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) therapy for 7 days followed by chemotherapy (FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine/albumin-bound paclitaxel) starting 21 days after adenovirus injection. The study endpoint was toxicity through day 21. Experimental endpoints included measurements of serum IL12, interferon gamma (IFNG), and CXCL10 to assess immune system activation. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and proliferation markers were analyzed by flow cytometry. Twelve patients received Ad5-yCD/mutTKSR39rep-hIL-12 and oral 5-FC. Approximately 94% of the 121 adverse events observed were grade 1/2 requiring no medical intervention. Ad5-yCD/mutTKSR39rep-hIL-12 DNA was detected in the blood of two patients. Elevated serum IL12, IFNG, and CXCL10 levels were detected in 42%, 75%, and 92% of subjects, respectively. Analysis of immune cell populations indicated activation after Ad5-yCD/mutTKSR39rep-hIL-12 administration. The median survival of patients in the third cohort is 18.1 (range, 3.5–20.0) months. The study maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was not reached.
Automatic hip abductor muscle fat fraction estimation and association with early OA cartilage degeneration biomarkers.

The aim of this study was to develop an automatic segmentation method for hip abductor muscles and find their fat fraction associations with early stage hip osteoarthritis (OA) cartilage degeneration biomarkers. This Institutional Review Board approved, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliant prospective study recruited 61 patients with evidence of hip OA or Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI). Magnetic Resonance (MR) images were acquired for cartilage segmentation, T1ρ and T2 relaxation times computation and grading of cartilage lesion scores. A 3D V-Net (Dice loss, Adam optimizer, learning rate=1e-4 , batch size=3) was trained to segment the 3 muscles (gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and tensor fascia latae). The V-Net performance was measured using Dice, distance maps between manual and automatic masks, and Bland-Altman plots of the fat fractions and volumes. Associations between muscle fat fraction and T1ρ , T2 relaxation times values were found using voxel based relaxometry (VBR). A p-value<0.05 was considered significant. The V-Net had a Dice of 0.90, 0.88 and 0.91 (GMed, GMin and TFL). The VBR results found associations of fat fraction of all three muscles in early stage OA and FAI patients with T1ρ , T2 relaxation times. Using an automatic, validated segmentation model, the associations derived between OA biomarkers and muscle fat fractions provide insight into early changes that occur in OA, and show that hip abductor muscle fat is associated with markers of cartilage degeneration. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Management of giant omphalocele with intestinal perforation

Abstract Case of a male infant delivered at 36 weeks of gestational age and found to have a giant omphalocele, later complicated by intestinal perforation. A giant omphalocele is an omphalocele with an opening greater than 5 cm in diameter and containing the liver. It represents a therapeutic challenge secondary to viscero-abdominal disproportion, limiting the feasibility of a primary closure. Nowadays, the standard of care for giant omphaloceles is to adopt the “paint and wait” approach with delayed closure. Intestinal perforation is a rare complication of omphaloceles. Prior reports in the literature describe intestinal perforation in the setting of small to medium size omphalocele treated with operative exploratory laparotomy to address the intestinal perforation, followed by either primary or staged closure of the abdominal wall. We report the case of an infant with giant omphalocele who developed intestinal perforation at 4 weeks of life while undergoing “paint and wait”. He was managed non-operatively with peritoneal drains, antibiotics, and supportive care, while continuing with the “paint and wait” approach until he was optimized for operative repair of his giant omphalocele.
What Happens When Wal-Mart Comes to Town: An Empirical Analysis of the Discount Retailing Industry

In the past few decades multistore retailers, especially those with 100 or more stores, have experienced substantial growth. At the same time, there is widely reported public outcry over the impact of these chain stores on other retailers and local communities. This paper develops an empirical model to assess the impact of chain stores on other discount retailers and to quantify the size of the scale economies within a chain. The model has two key features. First, it allows for flexible competition patterns among all players. Second, for chains, it incorporates the scale economies that arise from operating multiple stores in nearby regions. In doing so, the model relaxes the commonly used assumption that entry in different markets is independent. The lattice theory is exploited to solve this complicated entry game among chains and other discount retailers in a large number of markets. It is found that the negative impact of Kmart’s presence on Wal-Mart’s profit was much stronger in 1988 than in 1997, while the opposite is true for the effect of Wal-Mart’s presence on Kmart’s profit. Having a chain store in a market makes roughly 50% of the discount stores unprofitable. Wal-Mart’s expansion from the late 1980s to the late 1990s explains about 40–50% of the net change in the number of small discount stores and 30–40% for all other discount stores. Scale economies were important for Wal-Mart, but less so for Kmart, and the magnitude did not grow proportionately with the chains’ sizes.