cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal Pulmonary Function in Newly Hired, Non-World Trade Center-Exposed Fire Department City of New York Firefighters: The First 5 Years

Background Few longitudinal studies characterize firefighters' pulmonary function. We sought to determine whether firefighters have excessive FEV1 decline rates compared with control subjects. Methods We examined serial measurements of FEV1 from about 6 months prehire to about 5 years posthire in newly hired male, never smoking, non-Hispanic black and white firefighters, hired between 2003 and 2006, without prior respiratory disease or World Trade Center exposure. Similarly defined Emergency Medical Service (EMS) workers served as control subjects. Results Through June 30, 2011, 940 firefighters (82%) and 97 EMS workers (72%) who met study criteria had four or more acceptable posthire spirometries. Prehire FEV1% averaged higher for firefighters than EMS workers (99% vs 95%), reflecting more stringent job entry criteria. FEV1 (adjusted for baseline age and height) declined by an average of 45 mL/y both for firefighters and EMS workers, with Fire − EMS decline rate differences averaging 0.2 mL/y (CI, −9.2 to 9.6). Four percent of each group had FEV1 less than the lower limit of normal before hire, increasing to 7% for firefighters and 17.5% for EMS workers, but similar percentages of both groups had adjusted FEV1 decline rates ≥ 10%. Mixed effects modeling showed a significant influence of weight gain but not baseline weight: FEV1 declined by about 8 mL/kg gained for both groups. Adjusting for weight change, FEV1 decline averaged 38 mL/y for firefighters and 34 mL/y for EMS workers. Conclusions During the first 5 years of duty, firefighters do not show greater longitudinal FEV1 decline than EMS control subjects, and fewer of them develop abnormal lung function. Weight gain is associated with a small loss of lung function, of questionable clinical relevance in this fit and active population.
Antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on a quasiperiodic lattice with hierarchical interactions

A quantum Heisenberg spin system on a quasiperiodic lattice with long-range hierarchical antiferromagnetic interactions is investigated. Because of the mean-field-like nature of interactions we can obtain all the eigenenergies and eigenfunctions in a uniform external field. The ground state is a dimerized state with quasi-long-range antiferromagnetic order and there is no gap immediately above the ground-state energy in the energy spectrum. Complete self-similarity of the magnetization (devil's staircase) is shown rigorously.
Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS): School-based treatment on a rural American Indian reservation

This study examines a pilot school-based treatment program for American Indian adolescents residing on a reservation who presented with symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and symptoms of depression. This is the first study directed at treating American Indian children with trauma; seven case studies demonstrate our findings that a manualized cognitive behavior therapy intervention delivered in group format for 10 weeks has potential for helping some children who experience PTSD symptoms and depression. The findings generally replicate previous research conducted with groups of non-Indian adolescents in urban settings. PTSD and depressive symptoms decreased for three of the four students who completed treatment. Directions for future research include the need to understand and control attrition and to address cultural influences, including making adaptations in the cognitive behavioral formulations and techniques regarding feelings as operant behaviors. Results contribute to knowledge of feasibility and acceptability of cultural adaptations of CBT for trauma in an under-served population.
Different convection dynamics in mixtures with the same separation ratio.

We report on convection near threshold in circular samples of radial aspect ratio {Gamma}=11.5 using ethanol-water mixtures with two concentrations {ital x}, but with the same separation ratio {Psi}{approx_equal}{minus}0.08. For {ital x}=0.250, convection begins with transients that lead to a time-independent cell-filling state, typically in a day. For {ital x}=0.011, there is a range of temperature differences where repeated transients and aperiodically fluctuating localized regions of disordered convection persist for many days. In rare cases these lead to an apparently stable {open_quote}{open_quote}wall{close_quote}{close_quote} state of traveling waves surrounding pure conduction. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
Energy function for a grid-tied, droop-controlled inverter

A reduced-order model is used to derive a candidate energy function for a system that includes an infinite bus connected with a single frequency-droop-controlled inverter (a ‘MicroSource’) whose frequency command is actuated according to its low-pass-filtered active power measurement. The analysis of the large-signal stability of such a system is important in understanding the duration that a frequency-droop-controlled inverter can withstand a particular grid transient before islanding or tripping offline becomes mandatory. It is shown that a large-signal instability for this system can occur under abnormal grid conditions. Additionally, for poor selections of droop gain and low-pass cutoff frequency, these control parameters can potentially have a significant effect on the ability of the system to maintain synchronism after a fault on the main grid is cleared. The proposed energy function is shown through simulation to provide insight on the impact of the frequency droop gain and filter time constant on this instability during and after faulted conditions, particularly for high levels of droop gain and/or measurement filter time constant.
Meaningful social studies for elementary students

This article begins with an overview of elementary social studies, considering its purposes and goals, historical and contemporary controversies about learner readiness and curriculum content, and commonly reported problems with textbooks and time pressures. It then considers proposed reforms, first considering approaches recommended by others and then focusing on the approach recommended by the authors. This approach features units on cultural universals, organized around powerful ideas developed with emphasis on their connections and applications. Common features of the units are described and then illustrated as they play out in a unit on government. The final section describes how an exemplary elementary teacher implements these units in her classroom in ways that personalize them to her students' home backgrounds, uses a narrative style for establishing a common content base, and in other ways addresses the challenges of teaching content‐rich subjects to young learners with limited background knowled...
Faith-Based Social Service Organizations and Government Funding: Data from a National Survey*

Objective. The objective of the research reported in this article is to test four hypotheses concerning government funding among faith-based social service coalitions: that it is positively related to size and organizational professionalism; positively related to attitudes toward government funding; positively related to social activism; and negatively related to organizational religiosity. Method. Our method is the application of OLS and probit analysis to data from a national survey of 656 such organizations. Results. Using three measures of government funding and 12 predictor variables, results are mixed in their support of the size and professionalization hypothesis and generally support the remaining hypotheses. These findings are replicated when we compare coalitions that had and had not applied for government funding. Conclusions. Our findings emphasize that greater religious expressiveness dissuades coalitions from both seeking and receiving government funding, but higher levels of social activism expedite both.
1093 INCIDENCE OF INFECTION IN RELATION TO DURATION OF RUPTURE OF MEMBRANES (ROM) IN PREMATURE INFANTS

From July 1976 to Dec. 1979, 300 premature infants, weighing between 1000 and 2300 gm were studied for the incidence of infection in relation to duration of ROM. They were divided into 6 groups of infants with 0-15/60, 16/60-23, 24-71 and greater than 72 hours of ROM. There were 82, 127, 51 and 40 infants in each group respectively. The incidence of proven infection was 8% (24) out of which 5% (15) had positive blood culture, 3% (4) had meningitis and 3.3% (10) had urinary tract infection. The incidence of clinical sepsis was 33.3% (100). The incidence of clinical and proven sepsis was not related to the duration of ROM. The incidence of antibiotic therapy was significantly related to the duration of ROM particularly in infants more than 32 weeks and 1500 gm. When they were small and extremely immature, 2/3 of them were on antibiotic therapy and it was not related to the duration of ROM. As the duration of ROM increases, the incidence of amnionitis and maternal antibiotic therapy increased only when the infants were greater than 32 weeks and 1500 gm. There were no correlations between the duration of ROM and the incidence of meconium stained amniotic fluid, fetal distress and severe perinatal asphyxia. Infants 32 weeks or less with greater than 72 hours of ROM had the lowest incidence of severe perinatal asphyxia. The mortality rate was not related to the duration of ROM. However, when there was no associated proven infection, significantly higher mortality was noted in infants with greater than 24 hrs. of ROM which was often associated with severe perinatal asphyxia. This study revealed that the duration of ROM did not seem to effect the incidence of infection, fetal distress, perinatal asphyxia and mortality in premature infants.
Diurnal Testosterone Levels in Peripheral Plasma of Human Male Subjects

A diurnal variation of testosterone in the peripheral plasma of adult male subjects has been observed. Significantly greater quantities of the hormone (p<0.01) were found at time 0800 when compared to the levels in the afternoon or in the evening. Also, the plasma concentration of testosterone was higher on 2 consecutive mornings compared to the intervening evening. The magnitude of this diurnal variation was not so great as that reported for plasma Porter-Silber chromogens or for conjugated dehydroepiandrosterone.
Solute Transport in the Capillary Fringe and Shallow Groundwater: Field Evaluation

Lateral transport of waterborne contaminants is generally assumed to occur below the water table (WT), but recent laboratory studies have suggested that subsurface lateral solute transport could occur above the WT through the capillary fringe (CF). The objective of this study was to evaluate the horizontal transport of solutes in the CF and shallow groundwater (SGW). Two consecutive field experiments were conducted in a Leon sand (Aeric Alaquod) at a site with a shallow WT. In both experiments, a bromide (Br − ) solution was applied to the bottom of an auger hole dug to within 10 cm above the projected CF. Movement of Br − in the subsurface was monitored by collecting CF and SGW samples using nests of tension samplers installed at radial distances of 60, 120, 220, and 320 cm from the application spot. Each nest of samplers contained a tension sampler at 45, 60, 75, 90, and 105 cm depth. Bromide transport was monitored for 58 d in the first experiment while the more detailed second experiment was conducted for 84 d. Peak Br − concentration generally occurred in the upper 60 cm of the soil where the CF was located for most of the experiment. The Br − plume that entered the CF moved horizontally in it until Br − was partially moved into the SGW by the fluctuating WT. In the second experiment, approximately 48% of the Br − detected in the CF at a distance of 320 cm from the application spot was still in the CF after 15 cm of rain through 59 d.
An overview of embedded system design education at berkeley

Embedded systems have been a traditional area of strength in the research agenda of the University of California at Berkeley. In parallel to this effort, a pattern of graduate and undergraduate classes has emerged that is the result of a distillation process of the research results. In this paper, we present the considerations that are driving our curriculum development and we review our undergraduate and graduate program. In particular, we describe in detail a graduate class (EECS249: Design of Embedded Systems: Modeling, Validation and Synthesis) that has been taught for six years. A common feature of our education agenda is the search for fundamentals of embedded system science rather than embedded system design techniques, an approach that today is rather unique.
An energy budget for waves and turbulence within an inversion

Several features of the maintenance of breaking gravity waves and turbulence in a marine inversion are examined. A formulation is proposed for a critical Richardson number based on a mutual response of the mean and turbulent states to a wave-like disturbance. The energy balance, based on averaged aircraft soundings, is examined to ascertain the order of magnitude of the component terms in the vicinity of a contemporaneous radar echo. Some physical mechanisms are discussed which may explain some aspects of the sustained existence of the echo layers.
Transient‐state groundwater flow in various geometries with wells at arbitrary positions: analytical methods

We have developed a method for analytically solving the porous medium flow equation in many different geometries for horizontal (two-dimensional), homogeneous and isotropic aquifers containing impermeable boundaries and any number of pumping or injection wells located at arbitrary positions within the system. Solutions and results are presented for rectangular and circular aquifers but the method presented here is easily extendible to many geometries. Results are also presented for systems where constant head boundary conditions can be emulated internal to the aquifer boundary. Recommendations for extensions of the present work are briefly discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prospective 3-Dimensional Computed Tomography Segmentation of the Pericardiac Right Phrenic Nerve in the Setting of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation

A 58-year-old man was referred for catheter ablation of symptomatic persistent atrial fibrillation without structural heart disease. Informed consent and local committee approval were obtained. He underwent preprocedural cardiac computed tomography (CT) angiography after administration of intravenous contrast for evaluation of left atrium and pulmonary vein (PV) anatomy. The pericardiac course of the right phrenic nerve (RPN) was delineated on the CT imaging by an experienced radiologist, either using direct RPN visualization or inferring the position of the right pericardiophrenic bundle by visualizing the right pericardiophrenic artery when RPN could not be directly seen. A new CT imaging sequence was created containing the original CT images with the path of the RPN overwritten by a 5-pixel wide 3-dimensional curved line at 900 HU value in attenuation to facilitate segmentation of the RPN in the electrophysiology laboratory. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the CT images in the new sequence was performed using the CARTO …
Zero-point and isotope shifts: Relation to thermal shifts

Abstract Zero-point motion of the atoms of a molecule or solid causes renormalization of physical properties. This renormalization depends ort the vibrational amplitudes and thus on the isotopic mass, giving rise to isotope shifts of quantities such as bandgaps and lattice constants. This effect is normally omitted in band-structure calculations. Therefore it is appropriate to compare theory not with experiment but rather with values which are corrected for zero-point renormalization. A simple scheme is presented for doing this by linear extrapolation of high-T thermal shift data back to T = 0.
Bacteriophages: biology and history

Bacteriophages were initially considered to offer the key to the control of bacterial infections; early studies, however, proved largely unsuccessful. In the 1940s and 1950s, pioneering studies into the structure and physiology of host/phage interactions laid the basis for the development of molecular biology and a spectrum of new biotechnologically-based industries. Bacteriophages able to infect most procaryotic groups of organisms have been isolated, and are readily isolated from soil, water, and sewage and most environments colonised by bacteria. Ecologically, phages are as varied and as versatile as their hosts with some able to survive extremes of temperature (up to 95 °C) and extremes of pH as low as pH 1.
Sleep-related respiratory abnormalities and arousal pattern in achondroplasia during early infancy.

Objective To assess sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), sleep architecture, and arousal pattern in infants with achondroplasia and to evaluate the relationship between foramen magnum size and the severity of SDB. Study design A retrospective review of polysomnographic recordings and medical records was performed in infants with achondroplasia and in aged-matched control subjects. All studies were re-scored with the emphasis on respiratory events, sleep state, and arousals. In addition, the neuroimaging study of the brain (magnetic resonance imaging) was reviewed to evaluate foramen magnum diameters and to assess their relationship to SDB. Results Twenty-four infants met the criteria for entry into analysis, 12 infants with achondroplasia (A) and 12 control infants (C). There was no significant difference in age or sex. Infants with achondroplasia had a significant increase in total respiratory disturbance index (RDI; A, 13.9 ± 10.8 versus C, 2.0 ± 0.9; P P P Conclusion Infants with achondroplasia have significant SDB during early infancy. SDB in infants with achondroplasia is not associated with alteration in sleep architecture, possibly because of attenuation of the arousal response. We speculate that the concomitant increased apneic events and decreased arousal response will lead to vulnerability in these infants and may underlie the pathophysiologic mechanism of sudden unexpected death in this population.
10.1.2 Call for an Effective Alignment of Program Management and Systems Engineering Risk Management Practices

Systems Engineering (SE) and Project / Program Management (pM / PM) struggle with Risk Management confusion in organizations embracing certifications of the two disciplines. Some of that confusion may remain even if an organization has standardized on their own Risk Management process if it adds yet another view and language of Risk Management (RM) process and activities. This Call is to encourage the collaboration of multiple organizations and standards committees, citing instances where alignment has been achieved and providing twelve recommendations for exploration of opportunities for improved program and systems engineering RM function. This paper is an elaboration of the RM section of last year's paper, (Arnold, 2012) based on the two certification bases. The Systems Engineering Handbook (Haskins, 2011), the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) (PMI, 2008), and the Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (SEBoK) (Pyster et al, 2012) are explored, with other RM contributors.
Laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: current status.

The role of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy is reviewed by authors from the Cleveland clinic. They discuss not only its history and development but also its current status in the management of prostate cancer. Bladder cancer is reviewed comprehensively by authors from Miami and Iowa; not only TCC but also the rather uncommon small cell neoplasm. Finally, authors from London assess the use of tissue microarrays in the validation of markers which may have diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic significance in urological oncology.
Between theory and data in a Seventh‐grade science class

A conceptual framework is developed incorporating the dialectic of science (developing theories and collecting and analyzing data) and the dialectic of education (bringing preexisting sociocultural elements to the students and letting the students develop their own understandings). The theory-data dialectic is specified as including both the inductive and deductive directions. Discourse is seen as central to both the activity of science and the educative process, and hence as the bridge between them. In the context of this framework, an empirical study was designed and executed in a seventh-grade science class. This article presents and analyzes data focusing on (a) how teacher and students moved between theory and data in a unit on sinking and floating, designed to engage the students mostly in the deductive direction of scientific activity; and (b) how the dialectic of education was played out in the classroom as teacher and students were engaged in (a). A qualitative, interpretive methodology was used. Some of the complexities that this science class encountered as teacher and students attempted to engage in the deductive mode of scientific activity are presented and discussed. The reform of science education has been in the forefront of attention in recent years (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989; International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, 1988; Linn, 1992; National Assessment of Educational Progress, 1988; National Science Board Commission on Precollege Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology, 1983), and enhancing elementary and middle school students’ experiences in science has become a national priority. It seems appropriate that efforts dedicated to the improvement of science education take into account recent developments in understanding the sociocultural nature of both science and education. This involves a serious reconceptualization of the foundations of science education. This article examines the problematics of science education in this spirit, theoretically and empirically, focusing on the theory-data dialectic of scientific activity, and the sociocultural elements-individual meanings dialectic of education. The background for the theoretical framework developed in this report is the movement in recent years from a traditional, teacher-directed perspective to a progressive, student-centered one. This movement came as an opposition to the traditional book- and lecture-centered approach that was seen as dominating science education and producing rote learning rather than understanding-and which therefore has been seen as based on a transmission model of education. The student-centered perspective has often taken the form of a hands-on, discovery learning approach which minimizes the role of the teacher and emphasizes the students’ development of new understandings through their own hands-on inquiries.
Divergent synaptic influences affecting discharge pattering of genioglossus motor units

Abstract Discharge patterns of single motor units were recorded from 5 inframandibular muscles in acutely prepared adult rhesus monkeys and cats. The alterations in interspike interval patterns were studied in genioglossus motor units during respiration, swallowing, laryngeal, and precentral cortex stimulation in animals anesthetized with urethane. Genioglossus motor units were active in both inspiration and swallowing with 87% of the units demonstrating a significant difference in distributions of their first order interspike interval histograms in swallowing as compared to their respiratory pattern. Interaction between several swallows and the prolonged inhibition of respiration (1–7 sec) altered the discharge pattern of a genioglossus unit from its activity during normal respiration. This significant change in the distribution of the interspike intervals of the motor unit in both first order and autocorrelation histograms occurred during the marked increase in intensity and duration of the gross EMG of the genioglossus muscle during the return of respiration. Stimulation of the precentral cortex of the rhesus monkey indicated a third central synaptic influence on the genioglossus motoneurons with a given motor unit discharging in masticatory movements and swallowing. A first order latency histogram demonstrated a fourth synaptic influence with a correlation between the stimulus pulse to the superior laryngeal nerve innervating the laryngeal region and the latency to when a genioglossus motor unit discharged. The latency analysis suggested a vago-hypoglossal reflex from sensory input of the laryngeal region synaptically affecting genioglossus motoneurons by a polysynaptic pathway.
Influence of duration and number of inescapable shocks on intrashock activity and subsequent interference effects

A three-phase investigation of the effects of duration and number of inescapable shocks with rats was conducted. In the first phase (shock treatment), separate groups were exposed either to 64 or 128 5-sec shocks or to 32, 64, or 128 10-sec shocks. Measures of intrashock activity were found to be lower for the groups exposed to 64 or 128 10-sec shocks than for any other group. In the second phase (Test Day 1), half of each group was tested for interference with FR 1, locomotor escape-avoidance learning at either 24 or 168 h following cessation of shock treatment, using a control procedure that was designed to equate groups for exposure to test shock. The results indicated that, relative to nonshock-treated controls, at each interval only the groups previously given 64 or 128 10-sec shocks were impaired in terms of escape frequency. However, all groups given at least 64 shocks exhibited depressed intertrial responding at the 24-h, but not the 168-h, interval. In the final phase (Test Days 2–4), the control procedure for equalizing test-shock exposure was discontinued and a pattern of interference effects was observed in terms of escape-avoidance response latency that was identical to that reported for the escape frequency in Phase 2. In general, these data were viewed as indicating that duration, but not total amount of shock, was a critical determinant of behavior during inescapable shock and of the subsequent interference effect. Both effects of duration were regarded as the product of a common associative process involving the learning of immobility tendencies to shock that served to compete with later escape-avoidance responding.
The Momentum Integral Approximation for Compressible Magnetogasdynamic Boundary-Layer Flow

The drag of an adiabatic flat plate in an ionized gas for a constant magnetic field applied to the boundary layer on the plate is found by a momentum integral approximation of von Karman. Laminar, two-dimensional flow, zero pressure gradient, small magnetic Reynolds number, and negligible electrical conductivity outside the boundary layer are assumed. The solution is valid in particular to a continuous, perfect-gas plasma, of unitary Prandtl number, and for conditions when the interaction parameter is very small. The solution shows the following effects: the adiabatic wall temperature is independent of the magnetic field; there is an increase in the boundary-layer thickness as the magnetic-field strength is increased; and the viscous drag coefficient decreases whereas the coefficient of total drag increases. (auth)
Development of a defect-free 6FDA-durene asymmetric hollow fiber and its composite hollow fibers☆

Abstract We have developed 6FDA-durene polyimide and poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP)/6FDA-durene composite hollow fibers. The 6FDA-durene fiber was defect-free and had a selectivity of 4.3–5.1 for O 2 /N 2 . It had an average permeance for O 2 of ≈ 240×10 −6 cm 3 (STP)/cm 2 cmHg and its dense layer thickness was ≈ 2000–3000 μm. The dense layer location was at the outer surface. This fiber was wet-spun directly from an in-situ imidization dope consisting of 14.94 wt% 6FDA-durene in a (70.24/21.5/7.51/0.75) N -methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)/propionic acid (PA)/β-picoline/propionic anhydride solvent mixture. The fiber diameter was ≈500 μm with a wall thickness ≈50–70 μm. The PVP/6FDA-durene composite fiber had a selectivity of 6.9 for O 2 /N 2 and a permeance for O 2 of 14.5×10 ∂ cm 3 (STP)/cm 2 s cmHg. The newly developed technology suggests, for the first time, that a defect-free hollow fiber can be produced from a modified Lewis acid:base complex dope. Compared to most other conventional hollow fiber fabrication processes, our approach has many advantages because that (1) it is simpler and more economical, (2) spins fibers at low temperatures, (3) employs a dope directly from polymerization, and (4) requires no secondary operations, such as silicone coating and curing.
Development of SCN connectivity and the circadian control of arousal: a diminishing role for humoral factors?

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is part of a wake-promoting circuit comprising the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) and locus coeruleus (LC). Although widely considered a “master clock,” the SCN of adult rats is also sensitive to feedback regarding an animal's behavioral state. Interestingly, in rats at postnatal day (P)2, repeated arousing stimulation does not increase neural activation in the SCN, despite doing so in the LC and DMH. Here we show that, by P8, the SCN is activated by arousing stimulation and that selective destruction of LC terminals with DSP-4 blocks this activational effect. We next show that bidirectional projections among the SCN, DMH, and LC are nearly absent at P2 but present at P8. Despite the relative lack of SCN connectivity with downstream structures at P2, day-night differences in sleep-wake activity are observed, suggesting that the SCN modulates behavior at this age via humoral factors. To test this hypothesis, we lesioned the SCN at P1 and recorded sleep-wake behavior at P2: Day-night differences in sleep and wake were eliminated. We next performed precollicular transections at P2 and P8 that isolate the SCN and DMH from the brainstem and found that day-night differences in sleep-wake behavior were retained at P2 but eliminated at P8. Finally, the SCN or DMH was lesioned at P8: When recorded at P21, rats with either lesion exhibited similarly fragmented wake bouts and no evidence of circadian modulation of wakefulness. These results suggest an age-related decline in the SCN's humoral influence on sleep-wake behavior that coincides with the emergence of bidirectional connectivity among the SCN, DMH, and LC.
A finite element analysis of high-energy absorption cellular materials in enhancing passive safety of road vehicles in side-impact accidents

In an effort to increase road vehicles’ structural strength, cellular materials, such as foam, have been utilised and installed in vital parts of the vehicle. The limited structural crush zones in side-impact collisions, when compared to frontal impacts, have shown to cause higher deformation to the passenger compartments that will lead to severe injury to the vehicle occupants. Therefore, the need to further enhance road vehicles’ passive safety system to protect the occupants during side-impact collisions is necessary. In addition to many passive safety features, cellular materials have been installed in current vehicles to serve as structural reinforcement by absorbing impact energy from transferring to the occupants. This study is aimed at investigating the effect of various cellular materials in enhancing vehicle crashworthiness such as side door's intrusion, interior door's acceleration and the internal energy of the cellular materials. To fulfil the objective of this paper, an existing finite eleme...
Examining ABO Compatible Donors in Double Lung Transplants During the Era of Lung Allocation Score

Background The short-term and long-term effect of using ABO compatible donors in the era of lung allocation score is unknown. This study determined if carefully selected ABO compatible donors could be used in double lung transplantation (DLT) with good outcomes. Methods The United Network for Organ Sharing database was retrospectively reviewed for adult DLT from May 2005 to December 2011. Results Of 6,655 double lung transplants, 493 (7.4%) were with ABO compatible donors and 6,162 (92.6%) were with ABO identical donors. In multivariate analysis, use of ABO compatible donors was not associated with mortality at 30 days (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.79, p = 0.49), 1 year (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.42, p = 0.46), and 5 years (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.34, p = 0.65). Variables associated with mortality at 5 years were donor female sex, donor age 60 years or greater, prolonged ischemic time, increasing recipient creatinine, recipient age, race mismatch, and mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to transplantation. Length of stay was longer in the ABO compatible group (30.9 vs 25.9 days, p = 0.001). Acute rejection episodes on index hospitalization (8.8 vs. 8.9%, p = 1.00), peak posttransplant forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) (82.7 vs 79.7%, p = 0.053), and decrement in FEV 1 over time were not different ( p = 0.13). Freedom from bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome was similar (1,475 vs 1,454 days, p = 0.17). Conclusions The use of ABO compatible donors in the era of lung allocation score was not associated with short-term or long-term mortality and resulted in equivalent posttransplant lung function. A DLT with carefully selected ABO compatible donors can result in excellent outcomes.
Properties of placental alkaline phosphatase. I. Molecular size and electrical charge of the various electrophoretic components of the six common phenotypes

The properties of the six common phenotypes (F1, S1, I1, F1S1, S1I1, F1I1) of placental alkaline phosphatase have been studied by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, gel filtration, two-dimensional paper-starch gel and starch block electrophoresis. The rapidly migrating component (component I) had the same molecular weight (118,000) in all phenotypes studied but different negative charge (F1>I1>S1). The fastest of the slow-moving components (component IIα) had a molecular weight of 130,000 and a higher absolute negative charge, but slightly lower net negative charge than I. The very slow-moving components (IIβ) were usually composed of two major and several minor components. The major components had a higher absolute negative charge but a lower net negative charge than IIα. All IIβ components had a molecular weight of over 200,000. It is suggested that IIα is an enzyme bound to a small molecule, while IIβ components are aggregates of enzyme with various substances or with itself.
Paper: Multilevel stabilization of large-scale systems: A spinning flexible spacecraft

Multilevel stabilization schemes for high order linear systems are proposed in the framework of the decomposition-aggregation method used so far for stability analysis of large-scale systems by vector Liapunov functions. In one scheme, the output feedback is applied and the control parameters are determined for low order subsystems to produce a stable aggregate model for the overall system. When system inputs are decentralized such that each subsystem has a distinct input, and states are available for control, another scheme is proposed which has a multilevel structure with local and global controllers. Both stabilization schemes are aimed at the maximization of structural parameters which couple the subsystems. An 11th-order linear model of a spinning flexible spacecraft is stabilized by the proposed decomposition-aggregation method using both the passive and the active stabilization devices. The method can take advantage of the special structural features of the model to provide the best estimate of the stability region for a salient parameter which couples the wobble and the spin motion of the spacecraft.
A Statistical–Physical Model of Interference in Diffusion-Based Molecular Nanonetworks

Molecular nanonetworks stand at the intersection of nanotechnology, biotechnology, and network engineering. The research on molecular nanonetworks proposes the interconnection of nanomachines through molecule exchange. Amongst different solutions for the transport of molecules between nanomachines, the most general is based on free diffusion. The objective of this paper is to provide a statistical–physical modeling of the interference when multiple transmitting nanomachines emit molecules simultaneously. This modeling stems from the same assumptions used in interference study for radio communications, namely, a spatial Poisson distribution of transmitters having independent and identically distributed emissions, while the specific molecule emissions model is in agreement with a chemical description of the transmitters. As a result of the property of the received molecular signal of being a stationary Gaussian Process (GP), the statistical–physical modeling is operated on its Power Spectral Density (PSD), for which it is possible to obtain an analytical expression of the log-characteristic function. This expression leads to the estimation of the received PSD probability distribution, which provides a complete model of the interference in diffusion-based molecular nanonetworks. Numerical results in terms of received PSD probability distribution and probability of interference are presented to compare the proposed statistical–physical model with the outcomes of simulations.
Image subband coding using an information-theoretic subband splitting criterion

It has been proved recently that for Gaussian sources with memory an ideal subband split will produce a coding gain for scalar or vector quantization of the subbands. Following the methodology of the proofs, we outline a method for successively splitting the subbands of a source, one at a time to obtain the largest coding gain. The subband with the largest theoretical rate reduction (TRR) is determined and split at each step of the decomposition process. The TRR is the difference between the rate in optimal encoding of N-tuples from a Gaussian source (or subband) and the rate for the same encoding of its subband decomposition. The TRR is a monotone increasing function of a so-called spectral flatness ratio, which involves the products of the eigenvalues of the source (subband) and subband decomposition covariance matrices of order N. These eigenvalues are estimated by the variances of the Discrete Cosine Transform, which approximates those of the optimal Karhunen Loeve Transform. After the subband decomposition hierarchy or tree is determined through the criterion of maximal TRR, each subband is encoded with a variable rate entropy constrained vector quantizer. Optimal rate allocation to subbands is done with the BFOS algorithm which does not require any source modelling. We demonstrate the benefit of using the criterion by comparing coding results on a two-level low-pass pyramidal decomposition with coding results on a two-level decomposition obtained using the criterion. For 60 MCFD (Motion Compensated Frame Difference) frames of the Salesman sequence an average rate- distortion advantage of 0.73 dB and 0.02 bpp and for 30 FD (Frame Difference) frames of Caltrain image sequence an average rate-distortion advantage of 0.41 dB and 0.013 bpp are obtained with the optimal decomposition over low-pass pyramidal decomposition.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A Critical Geographic Approach to Youth Civic Engagement: Reframing Educational Opportunity Zones and the Use of Public Spaces

The article draws on work in Critical Geography Studies and Photovoice methodology, to illustrate the ways in which youth in an inner city conceptualize neighborhoods and public spaces. We utilize ...
CF3 oxonium salts, O-(trifluoromethyl)dibenzofuranium salts: in situ synthesis, properties, and application as a real CF3+ species reagent.

We report in situ synthesis of the first CF3 oxonium salts, thermally unstable O-(trifluoromethyl)dibenzofuranium salts, which furthermore have different counteranions (BF4-, PF6-, SbF6-, and Sb2F11-) and ring substituents (tert-butyl, F, and OCH3), by photochemical decomposition of the corresponding 2-(trifluoromethoxy)biphenylyl-2‘-diazonium salts at −90 to −100 °C. The yields markedly increased in the order of BF4- < PF6- < SbF6- < Sb2F11-. The CF3 oxonium salts were fully assigned by means of 1H and 19F NMR spectroscopy at low temperature. The CF3 salts decomposed to form CF4 and dibenzofurans. The half-life times at −60 °C of the 2-tert-butyl salts having different counteranions were 29 min for BF4- salt 2d, 36 min for PF6- salt 2c, 270 min for SbF6- salt 2a, and 415 min for Sb2F11- salt 2b. Those at −60 °C of the Sb2F11- salts having different 2-substituents were 13 min for F salt 3b, 63 min for H (unsubstituted) salt 1b, and 415 min for tert-butyl salt 2b. Thus, the stability of the CF3 oxonium sal...
Comprehensive majority/minority logic synthesis method

New technologies such as Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA), Single Electron Tunneling (SET) and Tunneling Phase Logic (TPL) have been proposed as alternatives for CMOS technology. These technologies are based on the use of majority/minority logic. Existing logic synthesis methods targeting majority/minority logic based on three-feasible networks often result in non-optimal solutions. In this paper, we propose an improved synthesis technique that can process three-feasible and four-feasible networks. A method for finding the minimal majority expressions for all functions with four or fewer variables is given and a comprehensive synthesis method is provided. For the 21 Microelectronics Center of North Carolina (MCNC) benchmarks presented in this paper, the proposed approach yields an average reduction of 9.6% in the number of gate counts and 7.6% in the number of levels when compared with the best existing method.
US aqueous salt blanket for ITER

Abstract Aqueous lithium salt blankets have some very attractive features which make them likely candidates for use in the next generation of fusion devices such as ITER and beyond. The main attraction derives from the fact that such a blanket can go from a non-tritium-breeding state to a tritium breeding state by the simple dissolution of a lithium salt into the cooling water. Such a blanket is also relatively simple to design and analyze, and is amenable to accommodating penetrations. On the other hand, the salt solution raises concern with respect to radiolysis, electrolysis and corrosion, as well as safety issues related to them. This paper describes the design of the US entry of an aqueous salt blanket for ITER.
The Educational Benefits of Diversity: The Unfinished Journey from “Mandate” in Brown to “Choice” in Grutter and Comfort ∗

This paper reviews the rationale behind the recent US Supreme Court ruling in the University of Michigan's Grutter v. Bollinger case (2003). It describes the educational benefits of diversity as documented by research and argued by the seventy-five amicus briefs filed in support of the law school's race-based admissions policies. It further discusses the implications of the Grutter decision on race-conscious decisions, on “choice” integration programs, and on increased diversity strategies in K–12 schooling based on the requirements of compelling interest and policies that are narrowly tailored.
Inducible platelet adherence to human umbilical vein endothelium by anticardiolipin antibody-positive sera☆

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether anticardiolipin antibody-positive sera alter platelet adherence to vascular endothelium by a platelet activating factor-dependent mechanism. STUDY DESIGN: Anticardiolipin antibody-positive sera were used in an in vitro platelet-endothelial adherence assay. Confluent endothelial monolayers were randomly assigned for exposure to a 20% concentration of experimental and control sera. Platelets were radiolabeled with chromium 51, and adherence was assessed by quantification of endothelium-associated gamma emission. RESULTS: Inducible platelet adherence was observed by endothelial cell preincubation with sera from anticardiolipin antibody-positive donors compared with anticardiolipin antibody-negative control experiments ( n = 12, platelet adherence 6.4% ± 1.3% vs 4.5% ± 1.1%, respectively; p = 0.02). Compared with endothelial cell incubations alone, coincubation of platelets with anticardiolipin antibody-positive sera consistently augmented primary adherence ( n = 6, p = 0.042). Furthermore, platelet adherence induced by antibody-positive sera was consistently attenuated by specific platelet-activating factor antagonists in a dose-dependent fashion ( p CONCLUSIONS: Anticardiolipin antibody-induced platelet adherence may constitute an important prerequisite for vascular thrombosis in antibody-positive patients. The findings from this in vitro model suggest direct involvement of platelet-activating factor in this process.
What happens to minerals as they get squeezed in the mantle

The motion of the Earth's mantle is controlled in part by how mantle minerals respond to changes in temperature and pressure. The chemical and physical shifts that minerals undergo as they are heated and squeezed cause some to sink down toward the core and others to rise up toward the surface. This buoyant pressure and gravitational sinking, in turn, affect the convection of the mantle and the large-scale cycling of the Earth.
Numerical Mapping Applications

Engineers at ECAC have pioneered in applying numerical mapping techniques to the solution of electromagnetic compatibility problems. Data processing procedures for making digitized topographic data useful as a problem solving tool have been developed, (Ref. 1) and an economical means for acquiring digitized topographic data has been developed by Army Map Service personnel. (Ref. 2,3,4) As of February 1, 1967, the topographic data base contained data representing approximately 25% of the United States. A collection plan has been established with the Army Map Service to supply additional data on a routine basis.© (1967) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
How much can a vibrational diagnostic tool reveal in total hip arthroplasty loosening

Abstract Objective. To investigate how much information a vibrational technique can reveal regarding the loosening of the femoral component of a total hip arthroplasty. Design. Numerical modal analysis using finite element method and computer simulation. Background. Existing work suggested that this technique is capable of revealing total hip arthroplasty loosening. However, the potentials of this technique are not fully studied yet. There is a need to establish the limitation of this technique. Methods. Numerical modal analysis was conducted to obtain the natural frequencies and mode shapes of femoral models under free vibration. An absent interface portion was hypothesized at specified locations the data from modal analysis were then used in a computer simulation to visualize the vibration diagnosis. Results. The effects of interface failure on the femoral component stiffness vary with the locations and sizes of failure. Nominal critical, reliable, and nondetectable levels of interface failure are found. Conclusion. When the size of failure is more than one-third of the stem length, this tool is able to provide a reliable diagnosis. The critical detectable interface failure size is one-fifth of the stem length. It was found that the motion at higher harmonics is the most sensitive to the interface failure. This tool is unlikely to differentiate the slight differences in natural frequencies that occur when the interface failure length is less than one-sixth of the stem length. It is likely to fail in detecting failures located at the stem central portion regardless of their length. Relevance A numerical study of the vibration tool is important prior to pursuing clinical trials of the tool and may guide the characterizations involved in the trials.