cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Copy but don't repeat: the conflict of dissimilation and reduplication in the Tawala durative

In this article I provide an account of the durative aspect morpheme in Tawala, an Austronesian language spoken in Papua New Guinea. Within the framework of Optimality Theory (McCarthy & Prince 1993a, Prince & Smolensky 1993), I show that the three different reduplicant shapes, previously accounted for through the use of three separate templates, actually arise from the dynamic between the drive to copy, in terms of reduplication, and the drive to dissimilate at the level of the syllable. Central to my analysis is *REPEAT (Yip 1995, 1998), a constraint prohibiting identical adjacent syllables between the reduplicant and its stem.
Synthesis of Nanostructured Tungsten Oxide Thin Films

A facile and inexpensive method to produce thin films of nanostructured tungsten oxide is described. A nanocrystalline tungstite (WO3·H2O) film is spontaneously formed when a tungsten substrate is immersed in nitric acid at elevated temperatures. The resulting thin film is composed of plate-like tungstite crystals with edges preferentially directed out from the substrate surface. The tungstite can easily be transformed into WO3 by annealing. Patterned WO3·H2O/W structures can be obtained by a combination of lithographic techniques and etching. In this study, the effect of exposure time, acid concentration, and temperature on the microstructure of the films has been investigated. The potential of this inexpensive synthesis method to produce large-area coatings of nanostructured tungsten oxide as well as patterned films makes it interesting for several different applications, such as batteries, gas sensors, and photocatalysts.
Focusing on Midpoint Transitions: An Analysis of Boundary Conditions

Extending understanding of time as a metric and a punctuation device for the work of groups, we conceptualize time pacing as a semistructure, a structure that increases flexibility for addressing ambiguous tasks. Semistructures enable group members to interrupt their work to “stop and think,” evaluate the work, and develop alternative work strategies. Using data from 80 experimental groups, we found that midpoint transitions and time pacing emerged under various, although not all, conditions. Familiarity among group members and formal instructions, both of which provide semistructures, promoted the occurrence of midpoint transitions and temporal pacing.
Centimeter Wave Holography

Although holographic image reconstruction has been applied prin-cipally at optical wavelengths, such reconstruction is also of in-terest in the radar microwave regime, in which recognition of an object from the characteristics of scattered radiation is a classical problem. The application of holography to centimeter wavelength radiation directs attention to certain problem areas that need not be of such importance in the optical case. In particular, the large aperture needed to obtain reasonable resolution at centimeter wave-lengths requires that the hologram function be sampled at discrete points rather than recorded on a continuum. Further, the thermal noise introduced by the microwave receivers used to sample the hologram introduces a noise background in the reconstructed image. The use of sampling requirements determined, and calculations have been made of the effect of receiver noise in producing image background noise.© (1968) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Translating user control availability into perception: the moderating role of prior experience

On a basic level, perception of user control over media content should be partially a function of control option availability. At the same time, prior user experience with control options should interact with control availability to produce joint effects on control perception. To assess these ideas, we present experimental data from 101 University students in the United States. Participants engaged a documentary in one of three ways: by simply watching the documentary, by watching the documentary with the option of using typical VCR-type controls (such as fast-forward or reverse), or by watching and having available both VCR-type controls and scene sequencing control. Data support our hypotheses. While there was a generally positive relationship between exposure to user control options and user control perception across all participants, those participants with relatively less prior experience with Internet-based applications demonstrated a somewhat different relationship between control availability and control perception.
Beacon Splits in Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS)

The ATC radar beacon system is today's primary source of surveillance ance data for air traffic control. For en route traffic control, radar and beacon data are collected at numerous long range radar (LRR) facilities and typically sent by remote control to the air traffic control center (ARTCC) by a radar microwave link (RML). Selfsupporting or guyed RML towers are installed at some LRR sites adjacent to the LRR antenna to establish a line-of-sight microwave path to the first repeater site. For these LRR sites, beacon splits and pulse-stretching effects have been observed particularly in the direction of the RML tower. This paper relates to the determination ion of the magnitude of the beacon split problem for such sites and the extent to which this problem is caused by the RML tower. It has been shown that the RML tower causes distortion in the patterns of both the directional and omnidirectional antenna. The nature and extent of these distortions are such that they tend to nullify the advantages achievable by the SLS and ISLS techniques. Consequently, the beacon split phenomenon may be referred to more specifically by the well-known "ring-around" effect. Finally, the paper makes a few recommendations for eliminating or reducing this problem.
First-principles calculation of the effect of atomic disorder on the electronic structure of the half-metallic ferromagnet NiMnSb

The electronic structure of the half-metallic ferromagnet NiMnSb with three different types of atomic disorder is calculated using the layer Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker method in conjunction with the coherent potential approximation. Results indicate the presence of minority-spin states at the Fermi energy for degrees of disorder as low as a few percent. The resulting spin polarization below 100% is discussed in the light of experimental difficulties confirming the half-metallic property of NiMnSb thin films directly.
Duration of function-word vowels in mothers' speech to young children.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether function words are lengthened in certain phrase positions in mother-to-child speech. Twenty-two mother-child dyads served as subjects. All...
The use of power images to perform quantitative analysis on low SNR MR images

Zero-mean noise introduced into quadrature detected MRI signals is generally rectified by the reconstruction algorithm to give a nonzero background intensity in the displayed image. In low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) images, this background will inflate region of interest (ROI) signal measurements, leading to improper T2 and diffusion fits. A method is described here which separates signal from noise by computing power images from traditional magnitude data. Parameters measured from such power images show closer agreement with true values that do those derived from magnitude images. Because the correction algorithm is the same for all pixel intensities, it can be used with regions of interest with heterogeneous values.
SQER3: An Instructional Framework for Using Scientific Inquiry To Design Classroom Demonstrations

Classroom demonstrations have been widely used to engage students’ interest in chemistry. The challenge, however, is to also involve students in science practices and ensure that the demonstration does not become merely a spectator activity. We have developed a framework for creating pedagogically sound demonstrations that allows for easy implementation and flexibility. SQER3—survey, question, experiment, recite, reflect, and review—is an interactive, question-driven framework that draws clear parallels to science practices. The framework also allows students to extend their investigations through cyclical rounds of additional questions and experiments. Examples of demonstrations formatted in the SQER3 framework are presented, and preliminary data on the effectiveness of utilizing this framework in high school classrooms is discussed.
Postpartum factors and natural fibroid regression.

Objective Many fibroids regress with pregnancy or postpartum involution. We sought to identify factors that might inhibit or enhance this natural regression. Study Design We used a prospective cohort of women with fibroids (n = 494) determined by ultrasound screening during the early first trimester identified from the Right from the Start study. Ultrasounds were repeated 3-6 months postpartum (n = 279). Logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with fibroid regression (>50% reduction in volume). Results Postpartum progestin users had significantly less fibroid regression ( P = .01), whereas there was no association for combined estrogen-progestin use. Cesarean delivery and fever (hypothesized to inhibit regression) and breast feeding (hypothesized to enhance regression) were not associated with fibroid regression. Conclusion Progestin use in the postpartum period may limit regression of fibroids, consistent with prior literature on progesterone's role in fibroid development. Research into progestin-only treatments in critical reproductive periods is needed.
Whole-mount imaging of mouse embryo sensory axon projections.

The visualization of full-length neuronal projections in embryos is essential to gain an understanding of how mammalian neuronal networks develop. Here we describe a method to label in situ a subset of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) axon projections to assess their phenotypic characteristics using several genetically manipulated mouse lines. The TrkA-positive neurons are nociceptor neurons, dedicated to the transmission of pain signals. We utilize a TrkAtaulacZ mouse line to label the trajectories of all TrkA-positive peripheral axons in the intact mouse embryo. We further breed the TrkAtaulacZ line onto a Bax null background, which essentially abolishes neuronal apoptosis, in order to assess growth-related questions independently of possible effects of genetic manipulations on neuronal survival. Subsequently, genetically modified mice of interest are bred with the TrkAtaulacZ/Bax null line and are then ready for study using the techniques described herein. This presentation includes detailed information on mouse breeding plans, genotyping at the time of dissection, tissue preparation, staining and clearing to allow for visualization of full-length axonal trajectories in whole-mount preparation.
Automatic objects segmentation with RGB-D cameras

Automatic object segmentation is a fundamentally difficult problem due to issues such as shadow, lighting, and semantic gaps. Edges play a critical role in object segmentation; however, it is almost impossible for the computer to know which edges correspond to object boundaries and which are caused by internal texture discontinuities. Active 3-D cameras, which provide streams of depth and RGB frames, are poised to become inexpensive and widespread. The depth discontinuities provide useful information for identifying object boundaries, which makes automatic object segmentation possible. However, the depth frames are extremely noisy. Also, the depth and RGB information often lose synchronization when the object is moving fast, due to different response time of the RGB and depth sensors. We show how to use the combined depth and RGB information to mitigate these problems and produce an accurate silhouette of the object. On a large dataset (24 objects with 1500 images), we provide both qualitative and quantitative evidences that our proposed techniques are effective.
Design of Radioactive Material Shipping Packaging for Low-Velocity Puncture Resistance

Both the standards developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and those contained in the U. S. federal regulations [1] stipulate that transport packagings containing large quantities of radioactive material, such as spent fuel from a nuclear power reactor or waste by-products from nuclear weapons programs, should be designed to resist a sequence of impact, puncture, fire, and water immersion conditions without harmful release of contents. A recent paper [2] has offered a perspective on the design of such packagings relative to the impact event - a 30-foot (9 m) drop onto an essentially unyielding target. In that paper, it was shown that modern tools of computational mechanics, incorporating elastic-plastic material response and finite strain kinematic descriptions, could be used efficiently for the iterative design of a monolithic steel containment system, including models for bolted closures, shear keys, and seals.
Random transfer of technology: An unexplored phenomenon

Technology transfer can take place in a wide variety of ways and at many levels. Nonetheless, the topic of technology transfer between countries has hitherto dealt mainly with planned transfers, particularly from developed countries to either developing countries or less-developed countries. This discussion first points out that technology transfer is not confined to the above dyads; it then, more importantly, broadens the horizons of such transfers by touching on and elucidating the phenomenon of random transfer of technology. In the process, it focuses on an important source of random technology transfer; namely, foreign students studying in the U.S.
High Frequency Gyrotrons

The status of gyrotrons operating at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths is reviewed. Results for fundamental and harmonic emission are compared. Prospects for extending gyrotron operation to higher frequency and power are described. High frequency gyrotrons may have applications in plasma heating, plasma diagnostics, radar, spectroscopy and other areas.
Gradient expansion of the exchange-energy density functional: Effect of taking limits in the wrong order.

We show that if one uses a screened Coulomb potential V(K)=4\ensuremath{\pi}/(${K}^{2}$+${K}_{s}^{2}$) to calculate ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{x}$, the exchange-energy density-functional gradient expansion coefficient, one obtains Sham's result if one takes K\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0 before taking ${K}_{s}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0. The exchange energy is by its very definition an unscreened quantity so that the correct order of the limits is ${K}_{s}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0 before K\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0, in which case ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{x}$=1.42${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{x}^{\mathrm{Sham}}$. .AE
Bayes Risk Consistency of Nonparametric Bayes Density Estimates2

Summary Even though the literature on nonparametric density estimation is large, the literature on Bayesian estimation of the density function is relatively small. The reason is the lack of a suitable prior over the space of probability density functions. There have been attempts to define priors over the space of probability measures, but they have not yielded any workable prior for the purpose of density estimation. Dubins & Freedman (1963) have denned random distribution functions which are singular with probability one. Kraft (1964) has denned a class of distribution functions which have derivatives but not continuous derivatives and hence are not suitable for density estimation. The only really convenient prior is the Dirichlet process prior due to Ferguson (1973), but unfortunately this prior concentrates all its mass over the discrete distribution with a dense set of jumps. Recently Lo (1978) has overcome this difficulty by taking convolution of the Dirichlet process with a fixed continuous kernel. In Section 2, the existence of a version of the posterior distribution and the conditional expectation for arbitrary prior over the space of continuous density functions are discussed. The Bayes risk consistency of the Bayes estimator is discussed in Section 3. The Bayes estimator and its properties with respect to two specific prior distributions are discussed in Section 4. In Section 5 some negative results are presented. Finally a numerical example is given in Section 6.
Large babies and unplanned Caesarean delivery.

Abstract Objective: The relationship between birth weight ≥4000 g and unplanned Caesarean delivery was examined. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Setting: A district general hospital. Population: Two thousand three hundred and ninety-three women who delivered babies weighing ≥2500 g. Methods: The mode of delivery of babies who weighed ≥4000 g was compared with those who weighed between 2500 and 4000 g. Comparative analysis of data was followed by regression analysis of explanatory variables. The effect of increasing birth weight on unplanned Caesarean delivery was determined. Results: Women who had an unplanned Caesarean were delivered at an earlier gestation (OR=0.89, 95% CI 0.81–0.97; P=0.007), and were more likely to be primiparous (OR 5.4, 95% CI 4.1–7.1; P=0.0001). Further, women who had an unplanned Caesarean were more likely to have babies weighing ≥4000 g (OR=2.24, 95% CI 1.61–3.12; P=0.003). The odds of having an unplanned Caesarean were increased 16.9-fold with a previous Caesarean (95% CI 9.24–30.8; P=0.001). When a previous Caesarean was combined with a baby weighing ≥4000 g, the odds of having an unplanned Caesarean increased 37.8 times (95% CI 18.8–75.8), compared to a woman who previously had a normal vaginal birth and a baby weighing between 2500 and 4000 g. Conclusion: Birth weight ≥4000 g is associated with more than a two-fold increased risk of an unplanned Caesarean delivery. The risk increased further (37.8×) when a previous Caesarean delivery was combined with a birth weight ≥4000 g.
Small molecule antagonists of cell-surface heparan sulfate and heparin–protein interactions

Surfen, bis-2-methyl-4-amino-quinolyl-6-carbamide, was previously reported as a small molecule antagonist of heparan sulfate (HS), a key cell-surface glycosaminoglycan found on all mammalian cells. To generate structure–activity relationships, a series of rationally designed surfen analogs was synthesized, where its dimeric structure, exocyclic amines, and urea linker region were modified to probe the role of each moiety in recognizing HS. An in vitro assay monitoring inhibition of fibroblast growth factor 2 binding to wild-type CHO cells was utilized to quantify interactions with cell surface HS. The dimeric molecular structure of surfen and its aminoquinoline ring systems was essential for its interaction with HS, and certain dimeric analogs displayed higher inhibitory potency than surfen and were also shown to block downstream FGF signaling in mouse embryonic fibroblast cells. These molecules were also able to antagonize other HS–protein interactions including the binding of soluble RAGE to HS. Importantly, selected molecules were shown to neutralize heparin and other heparinoids, including the synthetic pentasaccharide fondaparinux, in a factor Xa chromogenic assay and in vivo in mice. These results suggest that small molecule antagonists of heparan sulfate and heparin can be of therapeutic potential for the treatment of disorders involving glycosaminoglycan–protein interactions.
Force generation and relaxation at the sarcomere level

Sarcomeres are modeled by parallel and series arrangements of thick (myosin) and thin (actin) filaments whose masses are considered. Contractile force is generated by viscoelastic crossbridge bonds which link the filaments. If bond formation is not perfectly synchronous throughout the sarcomere, small movements of thick with respect to thin filaments result. Such movements lead to bond detachment hence muscle relaxation is proposed to be a mechanism intrinsic to muscle structure and activation mode. >
A high-throughput de novo sequencing approach for shotgun proteomics using high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry

Background High-resolution tandem mass spectra can now be readily acquired with hybrid instruments, such as LTQ-Orbitrap and LTQ-FT, in high-throughput shotgun proteomics workflows. The improved spectral quality enables more accurate de novo sequencing for identification of post-translational modifications and amino acid polymorphisms.
Amorphous silicon superlattice solar cells

Amorphous silicon/alloy superlattices provide advantages in solar cell design, such as (a) effective band-gap widening (b) effective mass separation (c) increased open-circuit voltage. The latter increases via Fermi level control, due to p-doping of potential barriers, pushing EF towards the valence bands, with simultaneous widening of the effective band gap, thus leading to potentially higher collection incident wavelengths. The density of gap states in the heavily doped layer is modeled as an exponential whose parameter kT* can be varied by the doping concentrations, while its activation energy saturates at some value. This communication provides (i) a general formulation of the problem at finite temperatures as well as numerical results for specific realizable contacts (ii) detailed treatment of gap states (iii) the neutrality condition (iv) a relation between Fermi level position and open-circuit voltage in the nitride region (superlattice p-region). For a p-(a-SiN: H/a-Si: H)-i (a-Si: H)-n (a-Si: H) sample, we compute the Fermi level position relative to the a-Si: H valence band edge. For low and wide gap thin layers of the order of 2.5 to 3.5 nm, open circuit voltage values are predicted in excess of 1.05 V, and efficiencies are predicted in excess of 12%.
An understanding and approach to regression in the borderline patient

Abstract This paper will attempt to synthesize clinical observations and the contributions of investigators in psychoanalysis and developmental psychology to work towards a conceptualization of bordeline psychopathology?. This understanding will be used to consider a conceptual approach towards treatment. In contrast to the extensive literature on the outpatient treatment of the borderline patient, there exist only a small handful of articles which address the complex issues of hospital treatment. As a result, specific focus on the implications for brief and intermediate length of stay hospital treatment will be discussed. To begin, it is important to attempt to define the patient group we will call borderline. The work of several investigators notwithstanding, precise definition remains an area of confusion and controversy. Gunderson 1 proposed a set of definitions that are operationally useful to follow. Borderline personality organization is a level of psychic organization and functioning. It represents a stable, albeit volatile and fluctuating, level of psychic organization which is distinguishable from the psychotic and psychoneurotic disorders. Within this level of psychic organization, there are multiple discrete diagnoses of a variety of personality disorders, one of which is the borderline personality disorder as defined in DSM III (1980). 2 Borderline, for this discussion, refers to the more inclusive concept of borderline personality organization. Why choose this broad definition as most useful? It is because this entire patient group, despite differentiating symptom clusters, shares a central aspect of psychopathology that will provide an organizing conceptual framework. Unlike metapsychological psychostructural diagnostic criteria, such as are proposed by Kernberg, 3 this feature is directly clinically observable. All of the patients within this level of psychic organization possess the potential for severe, primitive, precipitious yet reversible regression. More than any other feature, this potential for reversible regression within and outside the therapeutic situation helps define not only who these patients are, but what their problem is. How one might understand this and attempt to treat it are the primary questions being addressed.
High performance computing for disease surveillance

The global health, threatened by emerging infectious diseases, pandemic influenza, and biological warfare, is becoming increasingly dependent on the rapid acquisition, processing, integration and interpretation of massive amounts of data. In response to these pressing needs, new information infrastructures are needed to support active, real time surveillance. Space-time detection techniques may have a high computational cost in both the time and space domains. High performance computing platforms may be the best approach for efficiently computing these techniques. Our work focuses on efficient parallelization of these computations on a Linux Beowolf cluster in order to attempt to meet these real time needs.
Enacting Privacy Rules and Protecting Disclosure Recipients: Parents’ Communication with Children Following the Death of a Family Member

Given the probability that the death of a family member will occur before a child has reached adulthood, the purpose of this project was to understand what motivates parents to either talk or not talk about a loved one's death with their children. Using Communication Privacy Management to inductively analyze interviews, we found parents were motivated to talk to their children about death because they wanted their children to be informed. This is reflected in the first primary theme, Recalibrating Family of Origin Privacy Orientation Rules: Motivations for Revealing. Two secondary themes further explained parents' motivations to reveal: death as a part of life and modeling grief. Even though parents wanted to inform their children, they also wanted to protect their children and this protection is demonstrated in the second primary theme, Protecting Children: Motivations for Balancing Revealing/Concealing as well as the secondary themes of selective honesty as a rule regulator and religion as a reference p...
Self-diagnosability of multiprocessor systems with hybrid faults: diagnosis by comparison approach

Considers the diagnosis of multiprocessor systems where a fault is detected by comparing the responses of two processors for the same tasks. The system-level diagnosability of such systems in the presence of permanent and intermittent faults is analyzed, assuming that the number of fault processors is no more than t and the number of intermittently faulty processors is no more than i. Characterization of a system under this model for i-diagnosability is presented. >
Long-Term Health Effects of Neutering Dogs: Comparison of Labrador Retrievers with Golden Retrievers

Our recent study on the effects of neutering (including spaying) in Golden Retrievers in markedly increasing the incidence of two joint disorders and three cancers prompted this study and a comparison of Golden and Labrador Retrievers. Veterinary hospital records were examined over a 13-year period for the effects of neutering during specified age ranges: before 6 mo., and during 6-11 mo., year 1 or years 2 through 8. The joint disorders examined were hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear and elbow dysplasia. The cancers examined were lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumor, and mammary cancer. The results for the Golden Retriever were similar to the previous study, but there were notable differences between breeds. In Labrador Retrievers, where about 5 percent of gonadally intact males and females had one or more joint disorders, neutering at <6 mo. doubled the incidence of one or more joint disorders in both sexes. In male and female Golden Retrievers, with the same 5 percent rate of joint disorders in intact dogs, neutering at <6 mo. increased the incidence of a joint disorder to 4-5 times that of intact dogs. The incidence of one or more cancers in female Labrador Retrievers increased slightly above the 3 percent level of intact females with neutering. In contrast, in female Golden Retrievers, with the same 3 percent rate of one or more cancers in intact females, neutering at all periods through 8 years of age increased the rate of at least one of the cancers by 3-4 times. In male Golden and Labrador Retrievers neutering had relatively minor effects in increasing the occurrence of cancers. Comparisons of cancers in the two breeds suggest that the occurrence of cancers in female Golden Retrievers is a reflection of particular vulnerability to gonadal hormone removal.
Design of a controller for direct thrust control systems using fuzzy Petri nets

The direct thrust control has been utilized as a general formalism methodology for permanent magnet linear synchronous motors. And also fuzzy Petri nets can support an effective rule to deduce the inexact information. Based on the reasons, this paper focuses on the use of fuzzy Petri nets to model the switching table for obtaining optimal voltage vector patterns. The main idea is proposed a methodology to perform switching-table-based direct thrust control by fuzzy Petri net model. The advantage of the proposed approach is that the optimum voltage vectors can be obtained by the fuzzy Petri net model directly. Finally, the correct flux vector control behaviors and position tracking performances can be performed.
Quadrature subunits in directionally selective simple cells: Spatiotemporal interactions

I explore here whether linear mechanisms can explain directional selectivity (DS) in simple cells of the cat's striate cortex, a question suggested by a recent upswing in popularity of linear DS models. I chose a simple cell with a space-time inseparable receptive field (RF), i.e. one that shows gradually shifting latency across space, as the RF type most likely to depend on linear mechanisms of DS. However, measured responses of the cell to a moving bar were less modulated, and extended over a larger spatial region than predicted by two different popular “linear” models. They also were more DS in exhibiting a higher ratio of total spikes for the preferred direction. Each of the two models used for comparison has a single “branch” with a single spatiotemporally inseparable linear filter followed by a threshold, hence, a “1-branch” model. Nonlinear interactions between pairs of bars in a 2-bar linear superposition test of the cell also disagreed in time-course with those of the 1-branch models. The only model whose 1-bar and 2-bar predictions matched the measured cell (including a complete “4-branch” motion energy model that matches complex cells) has two branches that differ in phase by about 90 deg, i.e. in quadrature. Each branch has its own threshold that helps define the preceding spatiotemporal unit as a subunit even after the outputs of the two branches are summed. As subunit phases differ by only 90 deg, flashing bar responses of the 2-subunit model are similar to those of the 1-subunit model. Therefore, the number of subunits is hidden from view when testing with a conventional stationary bar. In summary, movement responses and nonlinear interactions between pairs of bars in the measured cell matched those of the 2-subunit model, while they disagreed with the popular 1-subunit model. Thus, multiple nonlinear subunits appear to be necessary for DS, even in simple cortical cells.
Addition of a Second Urethral Cuff to Enhance Performance of the Artificial Urinary Sphincter

AbstractPurpose: Stress urinary incontinence may persist in approximately 15 percent of men following implantation of a standard artificial urinary sphincter. The ability of a second urethral cuff to provide satisfactory continence without additional operative complications was investigated.Materials and Methods: A second urethral cuff was placed to enhance performance of the artificial urinary sphincter in 5 men with stress urinary incontinence following radical prostatectomy. A stainless steel 3-way tubing connector allowed for addition of a second cuff to the standard artificial urinary sphincter without the kinking problems previously observed with a flexible 3-way connector. In 4 consecutive men a second cuff was added at operative revision of an existing artificial urinary sphincter that had failed to produce satisfactory continence. A double cuff artificial sphincter was placed initially in 1 man.Results: Of 5 men 4 had satisfactory and 1 had improved continence with the double cuff artificial urin...
Data Analysis of Tracks of Heavy Ion Particles in Timepix Detector

In this paper, we describe some of the computational challenges that need to be addressed when developing active Space Radiation Monitors and Dosimeters using the Timepix detectors developed by the Medipix2 Collaboration at CERN. Measurement of the Linear Energy Transfer (LET), the source and velocity of incident ionizing radiation, are of initial interest when developing such operational devices because they provide the capability to calculate the Dose-equivalent, and to characterize the radiation field for the design of radiation protective devices. In order to facilitate the LET measurement, we first propose a new method for calculating azimuth direction and polar angle of individual tracks of penetrating charged particles based on the pixel clusters they produce. We then describe an energy compensation method for heavy ion tracks suffering from saturation and plasma effects. Finally, we identify interactions within the detector that need to be excluded from the total effective Dose-Equivalent assessment. We make use of data taken at the HIMAC (Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator Center) facility in Chiba, Japan and NSRL (NASA Space Radiation Laboratory) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, USA for evaluation purposes.
Inspiratory resistance delays the reporting of symptoms with central hypovolemia: association with cerebral blood flow

We tested the hypothesis that breathing through an inspiratory threshold device (ITD) during progressive central hypovolemia would protect cerebral perfusion and attenuate the reporting of presynco...
Effects of bis-carbazole based D–π-A sensitizers on solar energy capture in DSSCs

A new series of molecular engineered dyes having a carbazole (CA) based bulky donor was synthesized and compared to a previously studied set of dyes having a diphenyl amine (DP) donor for their use in dye sensitized solar cells. In this work, their photophysical, electrochemical, and kinetic properties were measured and molecular modeling methods were used to predict their electronic and physical properties. Regarding the latter, TDDFT studies adopting different exchange correlation functionals were performed to predict solar capture behavior of these sensitizers. The calculated electronic energies showed that the introduction of the bulky CA donor gave a greater negative shift on EHOMO rather than ELUMO, imparting the CA series of dyes a red shifted absorption. On the other hand, tuning of the spacer unit by using different heterocylic rings was sensitive to the shift of ELUMO shift. Better light absorption and driving force of devices based on the CA series were counteracted with negative effects related to the electron injection yield and electron recombination lifetime. The origin of the lower efficiency of the CA dye based devices was investigated in terms of dye load, charge recombination lifetime, in tandem with modeling studies. Results from assessing the effects of different heterocyclic rings, as a π conjugation unit on photovoltaic performance showed that the thiophene unit gave the highest current. On the other hand, CA- and DP-based dyes having an N-methyl pyrrole unit afforded the highest Voc. The best DSSC performance in the CA series was achieved by the thiophene derivative, where η = 3.05% with Jsc = 6.29 mA cm−2, Voc = 673 mV and FF = 0.72 under 100 mW m−2 irradiation.
Instantons and Solitons in Heterotic String Theory

This is a transcript of lectures given at the Sixth Jorge Andre Swieca Summer School in Theoretical Physics. The subject of these lectures is soliton solutions of string theory. We construct a class of exact conformal field theories possessing a spacetime soliton or instanton interpretation and present a preliminary discussion of their physical properties.
FAIR TRADE INTERNATIONAL SURROGACY

Since the development of assisted reproductive technologies, infertile individuals have crossed borders to obtain treatments unavailable or unaffordable in their own country. Recent media coverage has focused on the outsourcing of surrogacy to developing countries, where the cost for surrogacy is significantly less than the equivalent cost in a more developed country. This paper discusses the ethical arguments against international surrogacy. The major opposition viewpoints can be broadly divided into arguments about welfare, commodification and exploitation. It is argued that the only valid objection to international surrogacy is that surrogate mothers may be exploited by being given too little compensation. However, the possibility of exploitation is a weak argument for prohibition, as employment alternatives for potential surrogate mothers may be more exploitative or more harmful than surrogacy. It is concluded that international surrogacy must be regulated, and the proposed regulatory mechanism is termed Fair Trade Surrogacy. The guidelines of Fair Trade Surrogacy focus on minimizing potential harms to all parties and ensuring fair compensation for surrogate mothers.
Practical nonconvex Compressive Sensing reconstruction of highly-accelerated 3D parallel MR angiograms

In this work, a nonconvex Compressive Sensing model targeted at true 3D reconstructions of highly undersampled MR angiograms acquired with parallel imaging is proposed. When combined with the Max-CAPR acquisition sequence, it is demonstrated that high quality, non-view-shared, 3D images of the contrast-filled neurovasculature can be acquired (at acceleration factors exceeding the number of coils) in just over 2 seconds and reconstructed in as few as 14 minutes on a high-performance workstation.
Calibration of the passive cavity aerosol spectrometer probe for airborne determination of the size distribution

Abstract. This work describes calibration methods for the particle sizing and particle concentration systems of the passive cavity aerosol spectrometer probe (PCASP). Laboratory calibrations conducted over six years, in support of the deployment of a PCASP on a cloud physics research aircraft, are analyzed. Instead of using the many calibration sizes recommended by the PCASP manufacturer, a relationship between particle diameter and scattered light intensity is established using three sizes of mobility-selected polystyrene latex particles, one for each amplifier gain stage. In addition, studies of two factors influencing the PCASP's determination of the particle size distribution – amplifier baseline and particle shape – are conducted. It is shown that the PCASP-derived size distribution is sensitive to adjustments of the sizing system's baseline voltage, and that for aggregates of spheres, a PCASP-derived particle size and a sphere-equivalent particle size agree within uncertainty dictated by the PCASP's sizing resolution. Robust determinations of aerosol concentration, and size distribution, also require calibration of the PCASP's aerosol flowrate sensor. Sensor calibrations, calibration drift, and the sensor's non-linear response are documented.
Integration of audio/visual information for use in human-computer intelligent interaction

Human-computer intelligent interaction (HCII) in virtual environments is a rapidly developing field. Natural human communication is multi-modal, however, most modern computer interfaces rely exclusively on one mode of interaction. We employ a novel approach to integrating multiple modes of human-computer communication. By using auditory and visual features at different levels of integration we explore optimal ways of combining these modalities.
Turbulent natural convection along a vertical plate immersed in a stably stratified fluid

The paper considers the moderately turbulent natural convection flow of a stably stratified fluid along an infinite vertical plate (wall). Attention is restricted to statistically stationary flow driven by constant surface forcing (heating), with Prandtl number of unity. The flow is controlled by the surface energy production rate F s , molecular viscosity/diffusivity v and ambient stratification in terms of the Brunt- Vaisala (buoyancy) frequency N. Following the transition from a laminar to a turbulent regime, the simulated flow enters a quasi-stationary oscillatory phase. In this phase, turbulent fluctuations gradually fade out with distance from the wall, while periodic laminar oscillations persist over much larger distances before they fade out. The scaled mean velocity, scaled mean buoyancy and scaled second-order turbulence statistics display a universal behaviour as functions of distance from the wall for given value of dimensionless combination F S /(vN 2 ) that may be interpreted as an integral Reynolds number. In the conducted numerical experiments, this number varied in the range from 2000 to 5000.
Recent developments in the Orbitron MASER

The Orbitron MASER can be used to produce millimeter and submillimeter radiation. Frequencies up to 1 Thz have been observed. It can be operated in a pulsed mode or in a steady-state mode, using a hot cathode. In recent experiments, the entire outer wall of the device has been used as a hot cathode. The device has also been used as a fast opening switch. >
Combining meteorology, eddy fluxes, isotope measurements, and modeling to understand environmental controls of carbon isotope discrimination at the canopy scale

Estimates of terrestrial carbon isotope discrimination are useful to quantify the terrestrial carbon sink. Carbon isotope discrimination by terrestrial ecosystems may vary on seasonal and interannual time frames, because it is affected by processes (e.g. photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and respiration) that respond to variable environmental conditions (e.g. air humidity, temperature, light). In this study, we report simulations of the temporal variability of canopy-scale C3 photosynthetic carbon isotope discrimination obtained with an ecophysiologically based model (ISOLSM) designed for inclusion in global models. ISOLSM was driven by half-hourly meteorology, and parameterized with eddy covariance measurements of carbon and energy fluxes and foliar carbon isotope ratios from a pine forest in Metolius (OR). Comparing simulated carbon and energy fluxes with observations provided a range of parameter values that optimized the simulated fluxes. We found that the sensitivity of photosynthetic carbon isotope discrimination to the slope of the stomatal conductance equation (m, Ball–Berry constant) provided an additional constraint to the model, reducing the wide parameter space obtained from the fluxes alone. We selected values of m that resulted in similar simulated long-term discrimination as foliar isotope ratios measured at the site. The model was tested with 13C measurements of ecosystem (δR) and foliar (δf) respiration. The daily variability of simulated 13C values of assimilated carbon (δA) was similar to that of observed δf, and higher than that of observed and simulated δR. We also found similar relationships between environmental factors (i.e. vapor pressure deficit) and simulated δR as measured in ecosystem surveys of δR. Therefore, ISOLSM reasonably simulated the short-term variability of δA controlled by atmospheric conditions at the canopy scale, which can be useful to estimate the variability of terrestrial isotope discrimination. Our study also shows that including the capacity to simulate carbon isotope discrimination, together with simple ecosystem isotope measurements, can provide a useful constraint to land surface and carbon balance models.
Immunohistochemical Detection of the β4 Integrin Subunit in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

The expression of the β4 integrin subunit protein in pancreatic cancer was investigated using routine immunohistochemical methods on paraffin-embedded archival material. Forty-eight cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were immunostained with a monoclonal antibody to the β4 integrin subunit, and the extent of staining was compared with that seen in non-cancerous pancreatic tissues, including 15 separate cases of chronic pancreatitis and 6 sections from normal pancreas. We found that the β4 integrin subunit protein was overexpressed in the majority of pancreatic carcinoma cases tested, whereas chronic pancreatitis and normal pancreas did not display substantial levels of expression.
Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence. 74. Photophysical, Electrochemical, and Electrogenerated Chemiluminescent Studies of Selected Nonplanar Pyrenophanes

We report here the photophysical, electrochemical, and electrogenerated chemiluminescent studies of four new pyrenophanes. Comparison with the cyclic voltammogram obtained using the planar parent compound, pyrene, showed these bent-pyrene-containing cyclophanes have a shift in the thermodynamic reduction potentials to more negative values. AM1 semiempirical calculations support such findings in which the LUMO energy increased with the degree of nonplanarity. The HOMO energy, however, remained essentially unchanged for all the compounds in this study. The nonplanarity in these compounds resulted in a substantial decrease in fluorescence quantum yield as well as a slight red shift in both the absorption and emission spectra. In addition, unlike pyrene, no excimer emission was evident in the fluorescence spectra even at concentrations as high as 1 mM. However, the ECL spectra of all four pyrenophanes, produced by generating the anion radical in the presence of benzoyl peroxide as a coreactant, showed broad “...
Polyoxoanion-supported catalysis: evidence for a P2W15Nb3O629−-supported iridium cyclohexene oxidation catalyst starting from [n-Bu4N]5Na3[(1,5-COD)Ir·P2W15Nb3O62]

Abstract The polyoxoanion-supported iridium complex [n-Bu4N]5Na3[(1,5-COD)Ir·P2W15Nb3O62], 1, was previously shown to be an active homogeneous catalyst for cyclohexene oxidation catalysis via a classic, Haber–Weiss ROO (R=2-cyclohexen-1-yl) free-radical-chain autoxidation mechanism. The question posed in the present work is: “Is the true catalyst polyoxoanion-supported?”, an important question given that polyoxoanion-supported catalysts are one of only eight new conceptual subclasses of polyoxoanions in catalysis developed over the last ca. 20 years. The present work probes the above question via a range of methods, specifically: catalytic activity and kinetic studies; isolation of the catalyst following the reaction and characterization of the catalyst by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), elemental analysis, IR, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultracentrifugation and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry molecular weight methods, plus ion-exchange resin tests to provide evidence for inner-sphere attachment of the oxidized Irn+ moiety to the P2W15Nb3O629− polyoxoanion. The results suggest “[(n-Bu4N)6Na3(HO)3Ir3+·P2W15Nb3O62]x (x=1, 2)” as a working model for the average molecular formula of the catalyst. Most importantly, the results are definitive in answering the question posed: the true catalyst is polyxoanion-supported. This finding is of significance since the autoxidation of cyclohexene beginning with [n-Bu4N]5Na3[(1,5-COD)Ir·P2W15Nb3O62], 1, is, historically, the first bona fide example of a polyoxometalate-supported catalyst and, hence, the first demonstration of a new subclass of polyoxoanion-based catalysts. However, a remaining challenge is the development of more important oxidations or other chemistries from polyoxoanion-supported catalysts.