cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of sol-gel derived lanthanum hexaluminate powders and films

Powders and thin films of high-yield lanthanum hexaluminate (LaAl11O18) were prepared by a sol-gel route and compared with yields obtained by conventional hot-pressing of oxide powders. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize powders and thin films deposited on TEM grids. While the solid-state kinetics of formation of LaA11O18 are known to be extremely sluggish, the yield of LaAl11O18 formed by the sol-gel route was much higher than that obtained by processing under similar conditions by solid-state reaction of elemental oxides. The development of a very fine grained microstructure at 1200 °C and a coarser, much more mature microstructure at 1450 °C, with strong texturing of the magnetoplumbite phase, was observed by TEM. Isolated grains of LaAlO3 were present in all powders and films. Trace impurities, introduced most likely as impurities in the initial alumina sol, appear to have segregated to both the grain boundaries and to the external surfaces of grains in as-prepared films.
Study of package EMI reduction for GHz microprocessors

As the operating frequency of the processor approaches 1 GHz and beyond, the package dimensions are no longer small when compared to the wavelength. In order to reduce the emissions from the package, it is necessary to include certain package design features. Three different package designs are investigated to study their relative efficiency in suppressing the emissions. The first package design uses ground patches to reduce cross talk. This scheme was observed to be increasing emissions beyond 1.5 GHz. The second package design utilized stitching vias to suppress the radiation. This scheme was observed to be ineffective in suppressing emissions due to many existing power and ground vias within the area under the die. The existing vias with checkerboard for low loop inductance design results excellent EMI reduction up to 20 GHz. The third design uses the retreated power plane to reduce the emission, and it shows good performance.
Diffusion of sulfur in nickel oxide single crystals

Abstract The diffusion of sulfur in nickel oxide single crystals has been investigated over the temperature range from 1000 to 1250°C. The measured data were found to deviate markedly from the error function complement dependence for diffusion from a constant source. The deviation is attributed to the migration of sulfur by the “double mode simultaneous diffusion mechanism.” The faster mode diffusion is suggested to be via nickel vacancies, and the slower mode diffusion is suggested to be via oxygen vacancies. The diffusivities for faster mode are given by Df = 2.94 exp[− 86.6 kcal/RT] cm2 sec−1 and, the slower mode, Ds = 1.08 × 10−9 exp [−32.8 kcal/RT]cm2 sec−1.
The consequences of labor market flexibility: Panel evidence based on survey data

Abstract We introduce a new data set on hiring and firing restrictions for 21 OECD countries for the period 1984–1990. The data are based on surveys of business people in the countries covered, so the indices we use are subjective in nature. Controlling for country and time fixed effects, and using dynamic panel data techniques, we find evidence that increasing the flexibility of the labor market increases both the employment rate and the rate of participation in the labor force. A conservative estimate suggests that if France were to make its labor markets as flexible as those in the US, its employment rate would increase 1.6 percentage points, or 14% of the employment gap between the two countries. The estimated effects are larger in the female than in the male labor market, although both groups seem to have similar long-run coefficients. There is also some evidence that more flexibility leads to lower unemployment rates and to lower rates of long-term unemployment. We also find evidence consistent with the hypothesis that inflexible labor markets produce “jobless recoveries” and introduce more unemployment persistence.
Influence of Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) In-hive Pollen Transfer on Cross-pollination and Fruit Set in Apple

The ability of honey bees, Apis mellifera L., to transfer pollen within the hive through contact with nestmates was tested. In almost all cases, bees acquired pollen from nestmate contacts. Pollen viability was tested by pollinating self-incompatible apple blossoms with treated bees. The contribution of in-hive pollen transfer to cross-pollination and fruit set in apple is discussed.
Robust sensor characterization via max-mixture models: GPS sensors

Large position errors plague GNSS-based sensors (e.g., GPS) due to poor satellite configuration and multipath effects, resulting in frequent outliers. Due to quadratic cost functions when optimizing SLAM via nonlinear least square methods, a single such outlier can cause severe map distortions. Following in the footsteps of recent improvements in the robustness of SLAM optimization process, this work presents a framework for improving sensor noise characterizations by combining a machine learning approach with max-mixture error models. By using max-mixtures, the sensor's noise distribution can be modeled to a desired accuracy, with robustness to outliers. We apply the framework to the task of accurately modeling the uncertainties of consumer-grade GPS sensors. Our method estimates the observation covariances using only weighted feature vectors and a single max operator, learning parameters off-line for efficient on-line calculation.
A Sampling-Based Approach to Optimizing Top-k Queries in Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks generate a vast amount of data. This data, however, must be sparingly extracted to conserve energy, usually the most precious resource in battery-powered sensors. When approximation is acceptable, a model-driven approach to query processing is effective in saving energy by avoiding contacting nodes whose values can be predicted or are unlikely to be in the result set. To optimize queries such as top-k, however, reasoning directly with models of joint probability distributions can be prohibitively expensive. Instead of using models explicitly, we propose to use samples of past sensor readings. Not only are such samples simple to maintain, but they are also computationally efficient to use in query optimization. With these samples, we can formulate the problem of optimizing approximate top-k queries under an energy constraint as a linear program. We demonstrate the power and flexibility of our sampling-based approach by developing a series of topk query planning algorithms with linear programming, which are capable of efficiently producing plans with better performance and novel features. We show that our approach is both theoretically sound and practically effective on simulated and real-world datasets.
A new acoustic mismatch theory for Kapitsa resistance

This paper generalizes the well-known acoustic mismatch theory of Kapitsa interface thermal resistance by taking into consideration a broad class of thermal vibrations that were excluded from that theory by the imposition of the Sommerfeld radiation condition, which is required for the theory of sound but is not relevant for the analysis of heat transport. This extension preserves the main ideas of the acoustic mismatch theory but provides much more reasonable estimates for the interface resistance. The predictions of the new theory are compared with various published experimental results for the thermal resistance between liquid helium at low temperatures and several different metals (Ag, Au, Cu, Pb and Pt). The computations are straightforward and require only well-known material parameters. The predictions agree with the experiments to within their stated range of accuracy.
Microfluidic tailoring of the two-dimensional morphology of crimped microfibers

We synthesized uniform crimped microfibers with controlled dimensions using a microfluidic approach, whereby a liquid jet flows from a narrow channel into a wider channel. The liquid jet, sheathed by an immiscible non-reacting liquid, undergoes ultraviolet (UV)-initiated gelation upstream of the channel widening. At the channel widening, the reacting jet may buckle due to an axial compressive stress, and the transient buckled morphology is preserved in the structure of the resulting solid fiber as the gelation reaction rapidly goes to completion. We investigated the effects of different experimental conditions, such as flow rate, UV light position, concentration of photoinitiator and UV light intensity on controlling the morphology of the microfibers, and we observed that the degree of crimp in the microfiber is dependent mainly on the extent of reaction.
Independent component analysis with mixture density model and its application to localize the brain alpha activity in fMRI and EEG

Recently, independent component analysis (ICA) has been introduced to solve the blind source separation problem. In the original and extended versions of ICA, nonlinearity functions are fixed to have specific forms such as supergaussian or subgaussian, limiting their performance. In this paper, we utilized ICA with mixture density model such that any assumption about the source density is not required, thus better separation is possible by matching flexible parametric nonlinearity to any kind of density of sources. Through simulation studies, the algorithm was validated and its better performance was demonstrated in comparison to other versions of ICA. Then mixture density ICA was applied to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG) data to localize the independent sources for alpha activity. We found that there is a strong spatial correlation between the sources in fMRI and EEG, proving the usefulness of our approach in its application to source separation problem in biomedical signal processing.
Single rescuer cardiopulmonary resuscitation : Can anyone perform to the guidelines 2000 recommendations?

Summary Background The Guidelines 2000 for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care recommend that for adult cardiac arrest the single rescuer performs “two quick breaths followed by 15 chest compressions.” This cycle is continued until additional help arrives. Previous studies have shown that lay persons and medical students take 16 ± 1 and 14 ± 1 s, respectively, to perform these “two quick breaths.” The purpose of this study was to determine the time required for trained professional paramedic firefighters to deliver these two breaths and the effects that any increase in the time it takes to perform rescue breathing would have on the number of chest compressions delivered during single rescuer BLS CPR. We hypothesized that trained professional rescuers would also take substantially longer then the Guidelines recommendation for delivering the two rescue breaths before every 15 compressions during simulated single rescuer BLS CPR. Methods Twenty-four paramedic firefighters currently certified to perform BLS CPR were evaluated for their ability to deliver the two recommended breaths within 4 s according to the AHA 2000 CPR Guidelines. Alternatively, a simplified technique of continuous chest compression BLS CPR (CCC) was also taught and compared with standard BLS CPR (STD). Without revealing the purpose of the study the paramedics were asked to perform single rescuer BLS CPR on a recording Resusci Anne® while being videotaped. Results The mean length of time needed to provide the “two quick breaths” during STD-CPR was 10 ± 1 s. The mean number of chest compressions/min delivered with AHA BLS CPR was only 44 ± 2. Continuous chest compression CPR resulted in 88 ± 5 compressions delivered per minute (STD versus CCC; p Conclusions Trained professional emergency rescue workers perform rescue breathing somewhat faster than lay rescuers or medical students, but still require two and one half times longer than recommended. The time required to perform these breaths significantly decreases the number of chest compressions delivered per minute. This may affect outcome as experimental studies have shown that more than 80 compressions delivered per minute are necessary for survival from prolonged cardiac arrest.
A role of her own: female cowbirds, Molothrus ater, influence the development and outcome of song learning.

Previous work has shown that captive female cowbirds, Molothrus ater, can influence the outcome of male song development by affecting retention or deletion of song elements and by stimulating improvization. Here we looked for evidence of female influence during the process of learning, as males progress from subsong to plastic song to stereotyped song. In a longitudinal study, we measured the rate and timing of vocal development in captive, juvenile male brown-headed cowbirds, M. a. artemisiae. Half the young males were housed with female cowbirds from their own population (South Dakota: SD) and half with female cowbirds from a M. a. ater population (Indiana: IN). Both populations of females prefer local songs and differ in the time of breeding, with SD females breeding 2 weeks later than IN females. The results showed significant effects of female presence on the age at which males advanced through stages of vocal development: the SD males with SD females, as opposed to SD males with IN females, developed stereotyped song earlier, reduced motor practise earlier, and produced more effective playback songs. Longitudinal observations of social interactions showed that the two groups of females reliably differed in social responses to males. Degree of social proximity of females to males in the winter predicted song maturity, rate of rehearsal and song potency. Thus, females can stimulate the progression of song learning, as well as prune song content.  2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
Two-Dimensional Magnonic Crystal With Periodic Thickness Variation in YIG Layer for Magnetostatic Volume Wave Propagation

The propagation characteristics of magnetostatic volume waves (MSVWs), namely, magnetostatic forward volume waves (MSFVWs) and magnetostatic backward volume waves (MSBVWs), in two-dimensional (2-D) magnonic crystals (MCs) with periodic thickness variation of square lattice in YIG layer are reported. The theoretical approach based on Walker's equation was employed to determine the bandgaps associated with the MSVWs. Experiments were conducted on a 2-D MC with periodic square lattices in YIG layer thickness to measure both the magnetic field-tuned and propagation direction-dependent bandgaps. A very good agreement between the measured and the calculated results was obtained.
On the Trade-Offs among Performance, Energy, and Endurance in a Versatile Hybrid Drive

There are trade-offs among performance, energy, and device endurance for storage systems. Designs optimized for one dimension or workload often suffer in another. Therefore, it is important to study the trade-offs to enable adaptation to workloads and dimensions. As Flash SSD has emerged, hybrid drives have been studied more closely. However, hybrids are mainly designed for high throughput, efficient energy consumption, or improving endurance—leaving quantitative study on the trade-offs unexplored. Past endurance studies also lack a concrete model to help study the trade-offs. Last, previous designs are often based on inflexible policies that cannot adapt easily to changing conditions.We designed and developed GreenDM, a versatile hybrid drive that combines Flash-based SSDs with traditional HDDs. The SSD can be used as cache or as primary storage for hot data. We present our endurance model together with GreenDM to study these trade-offs. GreenDM presents a block interface and requires no modifications to existing software. GreenDM offers tunable parameters to enable the system to adapt to many workloads. We have designed, developed, and carefully evaluated GreenDM with a variety of workloads using commodity SSD and HDD drives. We demonstrate the importance of versatility to enable adaptation to various workloads and dimensions.
Sandhoff’s Disease: Ultrastructural and Biochemical Studies

Sandhoff’s disease results from the deficient activity of both N-Acetyl-β-hexosaminidase A and B (14,17,19–22) and is characterized by the neural and visceral deposition of Gm2 ganglioside, its asialo derivative (NAcgal-gal-glc-cer) and globoside (NAcgal-gal-gal-glc-cer) in affected individuals (Figure 1) (3,6,9,10,14,19–22,24,25).
Rolling Contracts as an Agency Problem

Rolling contracts involve terms that sellers include with delivery of goods and that purport to affect the rights of the parties to a contract. They have become common in contracts concluded in telephone or on-line transactions, and controversial because buyers often do not explicitly assent to them and are highly unlikely even to read them. In this article, I suggest that it is appropriate to evaluate the effectiveness of rolling terms, and of standard form contracts generally, as a principal-agent problem. When buyers do not represent themselves in the process of drafting a contract, their interests may still be internalized by sellers in competitive markets, by courts that adjudicate the terms that the contract drafter selected, or by government agencies that mandate or prohibit certain contract terms. I suggest that the best agent for nonreading buyers is likely to vary for different clauses. In some, but not all situations, sellers have incentives to include terms that serve buyer interests. In other situations, sellers may insert clauses that appear to serve seller interests, but sellers may invoke their rights under those clauses only when it is likely that buyers are acting exploitatively. Sellers who use clauses to avoid such observable, but nonverifiable acts of buyer misbehavior may actually serve the interests of the majority of buyers. Sellers will not have incentives to consider buyer interests with respect to other clauses, however. In those cases, courts or agencies may be superior surrogates for buyers. Nevertheless, courts and agencies suffer from their own biases, so that the legal rules that they impose will not necessarily reflect the interests of buyers at large. Thus, rather than approve or condemn the practice of rolling contracts generally, the proper analysis requires a nuanced view that identifies when market mechanisms are likely to internalize the interests of nonreading buyers and when legal actors can better fulfill that role.
REPLACEMENT OF ARTHRITIC HIPS BY THE McKEE-FARRAR PROSTHESIS

1. The various surgical procedures in common use for the treatment of the osteoarthritic hip are briefly reviewed and compared with the operation of replacement of both the acetabulum and head of the femur by a metal prosthesis, that is, a complete artificial hip joint. 2. The development, description and technique of insertion of this artificial hip joint are given in detail. 3. The results of the first fifty cases of this operation show a success rate of over 90 per cent. The few failures are analysed in detail. The revision procedure has been the insertion of another artificial hip joint. 4. The essential details necessary for success are stressed and the indications and aims of the operation given.
Report on NATO Advanced Study Institute on Numerical Taxonomy

A NATO Advanced Study Institute on Numerical Taxonomy (NT) was held 4-16 July 1982 in the Bavarian town of Bad Windsheim. The first NT conference was held in 1967, but the field itself has now passed its third decade. The annual conferences generally occupy two days of intense activity. The Institute provided two weeks andin predictably Parkinsonian fashion-the time was occupied fully. Originally intended to comprise morning and evening sessions, the schedule soon expanded to all-day sessions to incorporate additional papers and instructional workshops deemed necessary by new participants. The saturation point was reached on the last day, but all felt that the Institute was a great success. A total of 89 people attended from 19 countries; 86 formal contributions were given, along with workshops on phenetics, cladistics, congruence, and geographic variation. The program was developed by Jim Rohlf and a 12-person steering committee. About 44% of the contributions were oriented toward phenetics, 21% were primarily cladistic, and 24% contained mixtures of both; the remainder dealt with data analysis or computers. Major scheduled sessions and their chairmen included Theories of Biological Classification (Joel Cracraft); Predictivity, Stability and Congruence of Classifications (John Gower and Doug Carroll); Statistical Significance and Robustness of Classifications (Larry Hubert and Bill Day); Methods of Inference for Evolutionary Trees (two sessions chaired by George Estabrook and Walter Fitch); Testing Evolutionary Hypotheses by Numerical Methods (Joe Felsenstein), Methods for Analysis of Geographic Varia-
A Glorious History, A Golden Legacy: The Making of a Filipino American Identity and Community

(1998). A Glorious History, A Golden Legacy: The Making of a Filipino American Identity and Community. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 192-217.
Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in nonliver transplant candidates: is it indicated?

Background : Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is an effective treatment of severe portal hypertension complications. Liver transplantation (LT) candidacy has not been a prerequisite to TIPS placement in some medical centers. Objectives : To investigate the outcome and survival of non-LT candidates after TIPS. Methods : From November 1991 to February 1994, all patients referred for TIPS placement were evaluated for LT candidacy. Exclusions for LT included : age (>70 yr), other significant medical conditions, or noncompliance. Indications for TIPS included refractory variceal bleeding during an acute bleed, recurrent bleeding after more than or equal to four sessions of sclerotherapy, or refractory ascites. Results : Sixty patients received TIPS. Nineteen were considered non-LT candidates. Over a 2-yr follow-up, 14 of these non-LT candidates did not survive. Their median age was 63.5 compared with 56.5 yr for LT candidate nonsurvivors (p < 0.05). Among the 14 non-LT candidate nonsurvivors, 10 were Childs C class, and eight had emergent TIPS placement. The 2-year mortality rate was 84% for non-LT candidates versus 24% for LT candidates. Median survival time for non-LT candidates was 2.6 months compared with 20 months in the LT candidates (p < 0.001). Only one death was due to a TIPS-related complication. Conclusions : TIPS is unquestionably an advancement in the management of patients with portal hypertension complications. Non-LT candidates, compared with LT candidates, tended to be older and of a Child-Pugh C class, and they had survival rates often less than 90 days post-TIPS. Given these high mortality rates, we need to address whether TIPS is indicated in these non-LT candidates.
An Intravaginal Contraceptive Diaphragm Made of Collagen Sponge: New Old Principle *

This study presents a theoretical background for a new intravaginal contraceptive. A highly resilient and liquid-absorbent collagen sponge in the form of a cup is self-administered in the upper vault of the vagina, where it is retained for several days to form a mechanical barrier against sperm. The high fluid-binding capacity contributes to the trapping and immobilization of sperm within the sponge. Other methods enhancing the retention and spermicidal effect of the sponge are discussed. Clinical testing of the sponge is in progress.
Prostatic Adenocarcinoma, Sarcoidosis and Hypercalcemia: An Unusual Association

A case is reported of hypercalcemia, prostatic adenocarcinoma and sarcoidosis. This represents the second reported occurrence of sarcoidosis and prostatic carcinoma, and illustrates the intriguing association between systemic sarcoidosis and malignancy. The reported experience demonstrating the association between sarcoidosis and malignant disease is reviewed.
Benefits Associated With Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Foot and Ankle

Soft tissue sarcomas arising in the foot and ankle are often misdiagnosed, resulting in excision without adequate preoperative staging or surgical margins. The goal of the present study was to review a case series of soft tissue sarcomas of the foot and ankle with attention directed at unplanned excisions of sarcomas. An unplanned excision means that a patient either underwent an inadequate preoperative workup or the preoperative workup indicated a benign entity, resulting in surgical resection. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 10 patients with sarcomas of the foot and ankle treated at our institution. All soft tissue sarcomas were excised with the widest margin possible without any major bone or neurovascular resection to allow for preservation of the foot. All patients were followed up for a minimum of 8 months to assess pain, function, and complications. The patients were followed up for an average of 22.4 (range 8 to 44) months. Of the 10 patients, 6 had undergone preoperative magnetic resonance imaging without contrast and the sarcomas were read as benign or cystic masses. Two patients had undergone preoperative magnetic resonance imaging with contrast, and these scans were also misread. Despite having undergone previous unplanned surgery, none of these sarcomas had recurred after repeat resection with a wider margin at a mean follow-up of 22.4 (range 8 to 44) months. At the last follow-up point, 8 patients were alive without evidence of disease. Minor complications included lymph edema in 1, stress fracture in 1, and wound infection in 1 that resolved. Preoperative MRI with contrast is recommended before resecting any soft tissue masses of the foot and ankle. In the event of an unplanned excision of a soft tissue sarcoma, the patient should be referred to an orthopedic oncologist for definitive surgery to optimize the oncologic and functional results. In the present retrospective analysis, previous intervention did not seem to affect the prognosis, including local recurrence, distant metastasis, disease-free interval, and functional outcomes.
High energy photon production in low energy 12 C + 112 , 124 Sn collisions

Photons with energies of 5--40 MeV have been measured in the $^{12}$C${+}^{112}$,124Sn reactions at incident energies of 7.5 and 10.5 MeV/nucleon and at laboratory angles of 60\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, and 120\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. Statistical model calculations which describe the photon yields in the 5--20 MeV photon energy range cannot account for the relatively large yields measured at ${E}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$g20 MeV. For these energies, the angular distribution suggests photon emission from a source moving at the nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass velocity. The magnitude of the nonstatistical photon yields is roughly consistent with a scaling relationship based on nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung. However, this does not account for the observation that the $^{124}\mathrm{Sn}$ yield is considerably larger than the $^{112}\mathrm{Sn}$ yield and suggests differences in the neutron-proton dynamics play a role in these low energy collisions.
Kaposi’s Sarcoma of the Penis and Scrotum

Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is a mesenchymal tumor of blood and lymph vessels associated with infection of human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8). Four distinct clinical variants are found including (1) classic, (2) African or endemic, (3) AIDS related or epidemic, and (4) iatrogenic. Commonly affected sites include mucocutaneous surfaces, the oropharynx, genitals, lower extremities, and, in advanced stages, viscera.
Hospital-level variation and predictors of admission after ED visits for atrial fibrillation: 2006 to 2011.

Abstract Background Outpatient management of atrial fibrillation can be a safe alternative to inpatient admission after emergency department (ED) visits. We aim to describe trends and predictors of hospital admission for atrial fibrillation and determine the variation in admission among US hospitals. Methods We analyzed ED visits and hospital admissions for adult patients with a principal diagnosis of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter in the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample 2006 to 2011. We identified patient and hospital characteristics associated with admission using hierarchical multivariate logistic regression. We analyzed admission rates overall and for patients at low risk of thromboembolic complications (CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score 0). We compared hospital-level variance with residual variance to estimate the intraclass correlation in models with and without hospital characteristics. Results From 2006 to 2011, annual ED visits for atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter increased by 30.9% and admission rates decreased from 69.7% to 67.4% ( P = .02). Admission was associated with setting (metropolitan teaching vs nonmetropolitan, odds ratio=1.93 [1.62-2.29]) and region (Northeast vs West, odds ratio=2.09 [1.67-2.60]). Among patients with 0 CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score, the national average admission rate was 46.4%. The intraclass correlation was 20.7% adjusting for patient characteristics and hospital clustering, and 19.2% after additionally adjusting for hospital variables. Conclusions From 2006 to 2011, ED visits for atrial fibrillation in the United States increased by almost a third, with a minimal change in ED admission rates. One-fifth of variation in admission rates is due to hospital site and not explained by hospital characteristics. Hospital-specific practice patterns may identify opportunities to increase outpatient management.
Introduction: Understanding Mexican Migration

This chapter describes when, where, why, and how Mexicans came to be living in the United States and how the pattern of Mexican migration has changed, especially since the 1980s. It then discusses various broad theories of migration and return migration and how globalization, the increased flow of capital, commodities, ideas, and images within and between nations have contributed to an increased flow of people. It also emphasizes the importance of supplementing a broad theoretical view with an “emic” or inside view. A major strength of an anthropological approach is the deep immersion of the anthropologist in the communities he or she studies. This allows us to listen to what people say and view their lives and communities in terms of their categories and understandings.
Phytochemical and biological evaluation of Salvia apiana

Salvia apiana (white sage, Lamiaceae family) plant is native to southern California and parts of Mexico. Some Native American tribes local to this region consider S. apiana to be sacred and burn the leaves as incense for purification ceremonies. The plant has been used to treat sore throats, coughs, chest colds, upper respiratory infections and poison oak rashes. The aqueous ethanolic extract of S. apiana showed moderate CB1 activity (58.3% displacement). Chromatographic purification of the ethanolic extract on silica gel column led to isolation of nine compounds: rosmadial (I), carnosol (II), 16-hydroxycarnosol (III), sageone (IV), cirsimaritin (V), salvigenin (VI), oleanolic acid (VII), 3β,28-dihydroxy-urs-12-ene (VIII), and ursolic acid (IX). The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by their 1D, 2D NMR and MS spectral data. All the fractions and isolated compounds were tested for cannabinoid and opioid receptor binding.
Selection of Optimal Bridging Stents for Fenestrations and Branches

Fenestrated and branched endografts require placement of alignment stents to optimize branch vessel perfusion and aneurysm seal. Covered stents are preferred because of its resistance to intimal hyperplasia, superior patency rates, and need to seal the fenestration or branch in order to avoid endoleak. Because technology is evolving, it is likely that more stents will become available in the near future. The ideal stent should be low profile and should have high radial force at the attachment and flexibility at the distal end. Often, more than one stent is combined to achieve all these characteristics. This chapter summarizes the available bridging stents and its characteristics and clinical application.
The phosphorylation status of T522 modulates tissue-specific functions of SIRT1 in energy metabolism in mice.

Abstract SIRT1, the most conserved mammalian NAD + ‐dependent protein deacetylase, is an important metabolic regulator. However, the mechanisms by which SIRT1 is regulated in vivo remain unclear. Here, we report that phosphorylation modification of T522 on SIRT1 is crucial for tissue‐specific regulation of SIRT1 activity in mice. Dephosphorylation of T522 is critical for repression of its activity during adipogenesis. The phospho‐T522 level is reduced during adipogenesis. Knocking‐in a constitutive T522 phosphorylation mimic activates the β‐catenin/GATA3 pathway, repressing PPARγ signaling, impairing differentiation of white adipocytes, and ameliorating high‐fat diet‐induced dyslipidemia in mice. In contrast, phosphorylation of T522 is crucial for activation of hepatic SIRT1 in response to over‐nutrition. Hepatic SIRT1 is hyperphosphorylated at T522 upon high‐fat diet feeding. Knocking‐in a SIRT1 mutant defective in T522 phosphorylation disrupts hepatic fatty acid oxidation, resulting in hepatic steatosis after high‐fat diet feeding. In addition, the T522 dephosphorylation mimic impairs systemic energy metabolism. Our findings unveil an important link between environmental cues, SIRT1 phosphorylation, and energy homeostasis and demonstrate that the phosphorylation of T522 is a critical element in tissue‐specific regulation of SIRT1 activity in vivo .
The effect of acute maximal exercise on postexercise hemodynamics and central arterial stiffness in obese and normal-weight individuals.

Central arterial stiffness is associated with incident hypertension and negative cardiovascular outcomes. Obese individuals have higher central blood pressure (BP) and central arterial stiffness than their normal‐weight counterparts, but it is unclear whether obesity also affects hemodynamics and central arterial stiffness after maximal exercise. We evaluated central hemodynamics and arterial stiffness during recovery from acute maximal aerobic exercise in obese and normal‐weight individuals. Forty‐six normal‐weight and twenty‐one obese individuals underwent measurements of central BP and central arterial stiffness at rest and 15 and 30 min following acute maximal exercise. Central BP and normalized augmentation index (AIx@75) were derived from radial artery applanation tonometry, and central arterial stiffness was obtained via carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (cPWV) and corrected for central mean arterial pressure (cPWV/cMAP). Central arterial stiffness increased in obese individuals but decreased in normal‐weight individuals following acute maximal exercise, after adjusting for fitness. Obese individuals also exhibited an overall higher central BP ( P < 0.05), with no exercise effect. The increase in heart rate was greater in obese versus normal‐weight individuals following exercise ( P < 0.05), but there was no group differences or exercise effect for AIx{at}75. In conclusion, obese (but not normal‐weight) individuals increased central arterial stiffness following acute maximal exercise. An assessment of arterial stiffness response to acute exercise may serve a useful detection tool for subclinical vascular dysfunction.
Eccentric versus traditional resistance exercise for older adult fallers in the community: a randomized trial within a multi-component fall reduction program.

Addressing muscle deficits within a multi-component exercise fall reduction program is a priority, especially for the highest risk older adults, i.e., those who have fallen previously. Eccentric resistance exercise with its high-force producing potential, at a low energetic cost, may be ideally-suited to address muscle impairments in this population. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of resistance exercise via negative, eccentrically-induced, work (RENEW) versus traditional (TRAD) resistance exercise on mobility, balance confidence, muscle power and cross sectional area, as well as the number of days high fall risk older adults survived without a fall event over a 1 year period. Randomized, two group, four time point (over 1 year) clinical trial testing RENEW versus TRAD as part of a 3 month multi-component exercise fall reduction program (MCEFRP). Primary outcomes of mobility, balance confidence, muscle power output and cross sectional area were analyzed using mixed effects modeling. The secondary outcomes of days to fall and days to near-fall were analyzed using survival analysis. The MCEFRP did have an effect on fall risk factors considered reversible with exercise interventions though there was no differential effect of RENEW versus TRAD (p = 0.896) on mobility, balance confidence, muscle power and cross sectional area. There were also no group differences in the number of days survived without a fall (p = 0.565) or near-fall (p = 0.678). Despite 100% of participants having at least one fall in the year prior to the MCEFRP, however, after 3 months of exercise and 9 months of follow-up <50% had experienced a fall or near fall. There were no differential effects of RENEW or TRAD as components of a MCEFRP on the primary or secondary outcomes. The two modes of resistance exercise had identical effects on fall risk and fall-free survival. NCT01080196 ; March 2, 2010 (retrospectively registered).
The Deacetylase HDAC6 Mediates Endogenous Neuritic Tau Pathology

Summary The initiating events that promote tau mislocalization and pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are not well defined, partly because of the lack of endogenous models that recapitulate tau dysfunction. We exposed wild-type neurons to a neuroinflammatory trigger and examined the effect on endogenous tau. We found that tau re-localized and accumulated within pathological neuritic foci, or beads, comprised of mostly hypo-phosphorylated, acetylated, and oligomeric tau. These structures were detected in aged wild-type mice and were enhanced in response to neuroinflammation in vivo, highlighting a previously undescribed endogenous age-related tau pathology. Strikingly, deletion or inhibition of the cytoplasmic shuttling factor HDAC6 suppressed neuritic tau bead formation in neurons and mice. Using mass spectrometry-based profiling, we identified a single neuroinflammatory factor, the metalloproteinase MMP-9, as a mediator of neuritic tau beading. Thus, our study uncovers a link between neuroinflammation and neuritic tau beading as a potential early-stage pathogenic mechanism in AD.
Weather Radar Algorithm Development using Google Blockly: (Abstract Only)

NADER (NEXRAD Algorithm Development Environment) is a desktop-based programming environment that allows users to build algorithms for the analysis of NEXRAD level-II Doppler weather radar data. NEXRAD level-II data provides a high-resolution 3D mapping of precipitation intensity and wind speeds around a radar site. These datasets are available from NCEI (National Centers for Environmental Information, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) both from archives and in real-time, providing nearly endless opportunities for automated algorithmic analysis of weather features. The language provided by NADER is block-based and is built on the powerful Google Blockly platform. In addition to blocks for logic, math, and control flow functions, NADER also presents the user with a succinct set of blocks providing abstractions for common radar data structures. NADER also includes a visualization tool for level-II data, allowing users to clearly see exactly what data is passed into their algorithms and exactly what data is output. With NADER, users can develop a huge variety of algorithms' for example, an algorithm for hail detection, an algorithm for tracking snowfall, or even an algorithm for estimating tornado damage. NADER strives to accomplish two main objectives. One objective is to provide beginning programmers with a straightforward programming environment with an intriguing, real-life application. The other objective is to provide meteorology experts with a rapid-feedback prototyping environment for developing new algorithms.
HIV-1 neutralizing antibody and approaches to the envelope diversity problem.

Since the discovery of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as the causative agent of AIDS in 1983–84, there has been considerable effort to design an efficacious vaccine. Principally for safety reasons, defined subunit polypeptides and proteins devoid of genomic material have been considered as alternatives to attenuated and/or killed virus. Much of the effort to develope such a component vaccine against HIV has been directed at the envelope gene products. These have included recombinant gp l60 (1,2,3), recombinant gp 120 (4,5,6), native viral gp 120 (7,8,9), bacterially expressed envelope fragments (10), and a large number of synthetic peptides (11–19). In these early studies each of the various reagents were tested for their ability to raise neutralizing antibodies in experimental animals. When successful, resultant sera were usually found to be active only against homologous virus, i.e. were isolate restricted. The results suggested that variable sites on the envelope represented the major target of neutralizing antibody raised by the various experimental immunogens.
Compressed Sensing With Approximate Message Passing Using In-Memory Computing

In-memory computing is a promising non-von Neumann approach where certain computational tasks are performed within resistive memory units by exploiting their physical attributes. In this paper, we propose a new method for fast and robust compressed sensing (CS) of sparse signals with approximate message passing recovery using in-memory computing. The measurement matrix for CS is encoded in the conductance states of resistive memory devices organized in a crossbar array. In this way, the matrix-vector multiplications associated with both the compression and recovery tasks can be performed by the same crossbar array without intermediate data movements at potential ${O}{(}{1}{)}$ time complexity. For a signal of size ${N}$ , the proposed method achieves a potential ${O}{(}{N}{)}$ -fold recovery complexity reduction compared with a standard software approach. We show the array-level robustness of the scheme through large-scale experimental demonstrations using more than 256k phase-change memory devices.
Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infections Following Vertical Expandable Prosthetic Titanium Rib (VEPTR) Surgery in Children.

Abstract Study Design Case-control study. Objectives To identify risk factors for surgical site infections (SSIs) following vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR) surgery in children. Summary of Background Data VEPTR surgery is a growth-sparing approach for early-onset scoliosis and chest or rib abnormalities. SSIs are an important complication following VEPTR surgery. We aimed to identify modifiable risk factors for SSIs following VEPTR surgery. Methods Children who underwent VEPTR surgery at a tertiary-care children’s hospital from January 2010 through November 2014 were included. SSIs following VEPTR implant or revision surgeries were identified. For each case patient, three control subjects matched by procedure type were randomly selected among those without infection. Patient and surgery-related risk factors were analyzed using conditional logistic regression. Results Twenty-six infections occurred in 22 subjects following 326 VEPTR surgeries (SSI rate: 8.0%). The infection rate was greater among implant than revision surgeries (15.5% vs. 4.5%; p 60 minutes for vancomycin) (OR 6.9, 95% CI 1.2-39.0), and an intraoperative temperature less than 35.0°C (OR 4.3, 95% CI 0.8-23.7). Conclusions Administration of preoperative antibiotics closer to the time of surgery may reduce the risk of SSI in children undergoing VEPTR surgery. Further study is needed to determine the optimal timing of antibiotic prophylaxis for children undergoing spinal surgery. Level of Evidence Level III.
The benefits of sensation on the experience of a hand: A qualitative case series.

Background The experience of upper limb loss involves loss of both functional capabilities and the sensory connection of a hand. Research studies to restore sensation to persons with upper limb loss with neural interfaces typically measure outcomes through standardized functional tests or quantitative surveys. However, these types of metrics cannot fully capture the personal experience of living with limb loss or the impact of sensory restoration on this experience. Qualitative studies can demonstrate the viewpoints and priorities of specific persons or groups and reveal the underlying conceptual structure of various aspects of their experiences. Methods and findings Following a home use trial of a neural-connected, sensory-enabled prosthesis, two persons with upper limb loss were interviewed about their experiences using the sensory restoration system in unsupervised, unconstrained settings. We used grounded theory methodology to examine their experiences, perspectives, and opinions about the sensory restoration system. We then developed a model to describe the impact of sensation on the experience of a hand for persons with upper limb loss. Conclusions The experience of sensation was complex and included concepts such as the naturalness of the experience, sensation modality, and the usefulness of the sensory information. Sensation was critical for outcome acceptance, and contributed to prosthesis embodiment, confidence, reduced focus and attention for using the prosthesis, and social interactions. Embodiment, confidence, and social interactions were also key determinants of outcome acceptance. This model provides a unified framework to study and understand the impact of sensation on the experience of limb loss and to understand outcome acceptance following upper limb loss more broadly.
United States Food and Drug Administration's 510(k) Pathway: Drawing Implications from the Approvals of Brachytherapy Devices.

Introduction Innovations in cancer treatment coupled with an increasing number of cancer patients have led to the growth of brachytherapy devices. The objective of this study is to characterize the development and safety of brachytherapy devices marketed in the United States (US) over the last 15 years. Methods We reviewed records from a public US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) database detailing premarket approval of brachytherapy devices. All 510(k) submissions approved between January 1, 2000 and October 31, 2018 were examined. To assess the safety of these devices, we searched the manufacturer and user facility device experience (MAUDE) database for related adverse events. Results Twenty-two brachytherapy devices received 510(k) premarket approval, with the first device approved in 2005. Of the 22 devices, 20 (91%) were marketed with specific indications. The most common indications include treatment of skin cancers and keloids (n=7), breast cancer (n=4), and gynecologic/rectal cancers (n=2). A review of the MAUDE database revealed 64 reports of adverse events associated with brachytherapy devices. Common adverse effects include poor device design, use error, and device malfunction that led to the delivery of an inaccurate dose of radiation. Discussion Although there are some single-center, short-term studies demonstrating adequate local control and satisfactory cosmesis with brachytherapy, data on long-term outcomes are lacking. Further research is warranted to define appropriate practice guidelines for brachytherapy devices in the treatment of various malignancies.