cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution of reliability toward meeting Grid-Enabled users needs

In this paper we point out that the very notion of reliability is changing. This is driven by many heterogeneous factors, which are briefly summarized. As a consequence, it is becoming increasingly difficult to accommodate the needs of grid users without revisiting the basic assumptions underlying today's industry operations and planning. In particular, we suggest that the role of weakly connected control areas (CAs) as the main balancing authorities within an electric interconnection is likely to evolve into a CA becoming an interactive coordinator of its internal Smart Balancing Authorities (SBAs) according to the well-defined protocols. Moreover, the CAs themselves will evolve into larger interactive SBAs within a region and/or interconnection according to the well-defined protocols. Policy and technical solutions in support of such operations will be a major challenge. The challenge ahead is defining rules, rights and responsibilities so that the power is delivered to meet the needs of heterogeneous grid users at value.
Can Courts Make Federalism Work? A Game Theory Approach to Court-Induced Compliance and Defection in Federal Systems

Few studies on federalism analyze the role of courts as safeguards of the federal arrangement, and those that do tend to be too optimistic about what courts can do. This article analyzes the effect of judicial review on the interaction between the central and a regional government in a federation in order to understand the conditions under which courts may or may not enforce compliance with federalism. It argues that politicians of either level of government anticipate the likelihood of a judicial challenge and an eventual veto, and it finds distinct equilibria in the interaction between central and regional governments (imposition, auto-limitation, negotiation and litigation). Only under auto-limitation do courts effectively prevent transgressions to the federal arrangement. In all other scenarios, defection may take place despite the presence of courts. These findings show that as the court’s jurisprudence becomes more solid and defined, the chances for governments to successfully exceed their powers increase. Not only do transgressions take place despite the presence of the court, but because of it.
Surface-Bound Soft Matter Gradients

This feature article describes the progress realized over the past half century in the field of surface-bound gradient structures created on or from soft materials (oligomers and/or polymers), or those enabling the study of the behavior of soft materials. By highlighting our work in the field and accounting for the contribution of other groups, we emphasize the exceptional versatility of gradient assemblies in facilitating fast screening of physicochemical phenomena, acting as "recording media" for monitoring a process, and playing a key role in the design and fabrication of surface-bound molecular and macromolecular motors capable of directing a transport phenomenon.
Bubble properties in large-particle fluidized beds

Abstract Bubble properties were studied in a two-dimensional bed and a square bed 1.2m wide fluidized with large particles (1 mm average diameter). Horizontal and vertical arrays of optical probes were used to measure the bubble characteristics. The velocity of a bubble depends on the proximity of bubbles above it; the average velocity is closely approximated by the Davidson and Harrison expression. At high flow rate, the initial bubble size is closely estimated by a Froude number correlation. The rate of bubble coalescence is well-correlated by the void fraction of bubbles in the bed and can be predicted by allowing for the random spatial distribution of bubbles. A one-dimensional model for the bubble growth is presented.
Protein kinase expression during murine mammary development.

The susceptibility of the mammary gland to carcinogenesis is influenced by its normal development, particularly during developmental stages such as puberty and pregnancy that are characterized by marked changes in proliferation and differentiation. Protein kinases are important regulators of proliferation and differentiation, as well as of neoplastic transformation, in a wide array of tissues, including the breast. Using a RT-PCR-based cloning strategy, we have identified 41 protein kinases that are expressed in breast cancer cell lines and in the murine mammary gland during development. The expression of each of these kinases was analyzed throughout postnatal mammary gland development as well as in a panel of mammary epithelial cell lines derived from distinct transgenic models of breast cancer. Although the majority of protein kinases isolated in this screen have no currently recognized role in mammary development, most kinases examined were found to exhibit developmental regulation. After kinases were clustered on the basis of similarities in their temporal expression profiles during mammary development, multiple distinct patterns of expression were observed. Analysis of these patterns revealed an ordered set of expression profiles in which successive waves of kinase expression occur during development. Interestingly, several protein kinases whose expression has previously been reported to be restricted to tissues other than the mammary gland were isolated in this screen and found to be expressed in the mammary gland. In aggregate, these findings suggest that the array of kinases participating in the regulation of normal mammary development is considerably broader than currently appreciated.
Health care access and treatment for children with co-morbid autism and psychiatric conditions

Purpose To characterize the rate of comorbid psychiatric conditions (CPC) among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), to examine their treatment utilization, and to investigate treatment delay or non-delivery.
The importance of identifying different components of a mixture distribution in the prediction of field returns

Data from a mixture of distributions with two different increasing hazard functions can behave, over some period of time, like a distribution with decreasing hazard functions. As a result, reliability predictions based on data from a mixture of units with two or more different physical designs could be seriously wrong if the pooled data are used to extrapolate in time. Thus, it is important to identify components of the mixture and do statistical inference based on the stratified data. In this paper, the importance of this principle is investigated analytically and illustrated with lifetime data on high-voltage power transformers. From engineering knowledge, the lifetime distribution of a transformer has an increasing hazard due, largely, to insulation aging. However, data from a population of units could indicate a decreasing hazard due to a mixture of units with different designs or environmental conditions. Comparisons are made between the predictions based on the pooled-data and stratified-data models and the importance of correct stratification in practice is shown. Some suggestions for practitioners are also given. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Against the Rules: Synthesizing Types and Processes of Bureaucratic Rule-Breaking

Organizational scandals have become all too commonplace; from investment firms' financial improprieties to sexual abuse cover-ups, rule-breaking has become a “normal” feature of organizational life. Although there is considerable scholarly work on rule-breaking, efforts to explain it remain theoretically fragmented. Here we identify two fundamental dimensions of bureaucratic rule-breaking and develop a coherent theoretical conception of it as a structurally patterned and interactionally mediated sociological fact. First, rule-breaking may be permitted or contested by those charged with rule enforcement. Manifestations of rule-breaking take on a routine character only where it is unofficially allowed; where it is not, conflict ensues. Second, the hierarchical structure of bureaucracy is mirrored by an organizational hierarchy of rule-breaking. Rule-breaking can be undertaken by individuals acting alone, it can be coordinated by workgroups, or it can be organized by top management as a matter of unofficial ...
Reuse-distance-based miss-rate prediction on a per instruction basis

Feedback-directed optimization has become an increasingly important tool in designing and building optimizing compilers. Recently, reuse-distance analysis has shown much promise in predicting the memory behavior of programs over a wide range of data sizes. Reuse-distance analysis predicts program locality by experimentally determining locality properties as a function of the data size of a program, allowing accurate locality analysis when the program's data size changes.Prior work has established the effectiveness of reuse distance analysis in predicting whole-program locality and miss rates. In this paper, we show that reuse distance can also effectively predict locality and miss rates on a per instruction basis. Rather than predict locality by analyzing reuse distances for memory addresses alone, we relate those addresses to particular static memory operations and predict the locality of each instruction.Our experiments show that using reuse distance without cache simulation to predict miss rates of instructions is superior to using cache simulations on a single representative data set to predict miss rates on various data sizes. In addition, our analysis allows us to identify the critical memory operations that are likely to produce a significant number of cache misses for a given data size. With this information, compilers can target cache optimization specifically to the instructions that can benefit from such optimizations most.
Internal Temperatures of Chick Shipping Boxes as Influenced by Environmental Temperatures

Abstract THE purpose of a chick shipping box is to provide a convenient way of handling baby chicks. In addition it is necessary that the chick box provide a suitable brooding temperature. Chick boxes are made of corrugated paper with semi-perforated holes stamped on the sides and top in such a manner that a plug may be removed leaving a hole about ⅝ inch in diameter. The purpose of the hole is to permit elimination of excessive quantities of heat and water produced by the chicks. It is assumed that ventilation for the removal of carbon dioxide and the addition of oxygen is probably of only secondary importance in most instances. In the shipping of chicks various extremes of temperature are encountered and in some cases by the same shipment of chicks. For example, chicks may be chilled in boxes and later placed beside a radiator and overheated. It is the . . .
Identifying Regional Cardiac Abnormalities From Myocardial Strains Using Nontracking-Based Strain Estimation and Spatio-Temporal Tensor Analysis

Myocardial strain is a critical indicator of many cardiac diseases and dysfunctions. The goal of this paper is to extract and use the myocardial strain pattern from tagged magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify and localize regional abnormal cardiac function in human subjects. In order to extract the myocardial strains from the tagged images, we developed a novel nontracking-based strain estimation method for tagged MRI. This method is based on the direct extraction of tag deformation, and therefore avoids some limitations of conventional displacement or tracking-based strain estimators. Based on the extracted spatio-temporal strain patterns, we have also developed a novel tensor-based classification framework that better conserves the spatio-temporal structure of the myocardial strain pattern than conventional vector-based classification algorithms. In addition, the tensor-based projection function keeps more of the information of the original feature space, so that abnormal tensors in the subspace can be back-projected to reveal the regional cardiac abnormality in a more physically meaningful way. We have tested our novel methods on 41 human image sequences, and achieved a classification rate of 87.80%. The regional abnormalities recovered from our algorithm agree well with the patient's pathology and clinical image interpretation, and provide a promising avenue for regional cardiac function analysis.
Varieties of Binocular Interaction in Human Vision

Binocular processing was investigated using a quantitative, process-oriented metatheory of response times. The analyses are not confined to particular distributional assumptions or specific models. Upper and lower performance boundaries for probability summation in parallel processing are defined and compared with observed distributions of reaction times using a variety of dichoptic stimuli. Performance that exceeds the upper bound strongly suggests facilitatory convergence between the two eyes (binocular channel summation). Performance below the lower bound suggests that inputs to the two eyes are processed serially. The results indicate that binocular channel summation in subjects with normal stereo vision requires targets of the same luminance polarity (paired increments or decrements) in corresponding retinal locations. When corresponding retinal locations are stimulated with opposing luminance polarities (increment to one eye, decrement to the other), performance is consistent with probability summat...
Technical Note-Renormalization of Seasonals in Winters' Forecasting Systems: Is it Necessary?

Normalizing the initial estimates of the seasonal factors in Winters' seasonal forecasting systems is a universally recommended practice. Once forecasting begins, however, the seasonal factors lose their normalization. It is often recommended that these factors be renormalized either seasonally or continuously, i.e., with every observation. We show that this latter procedure is never necessary in the case of the additive model, since a simple change in the smoothing constants can achieve the same ends. We also give a simpler and more efficient method of obtaining seasonally renormalized forecasts for this model.
Specification, decomposition and agent synthesis for situation-aware service-based systems

Service-based systems are distributed computing systems with the major advantage of enabling rapid composition of distributed applications, such as collaborative research and development, e-business, health care, military applications and homeland security, regardless of the programming languages and platforms used in developing and running various components of the applications. In dynamic service-oriented computing environment, situation awareness (SAW) is needed for system monitoring, adaptive service coordination and flexible security policy enforcement. To greatly reduce the development effort of SAW capability in service-based systems and effectively support runtime system adaptation, it is necessary to automate the development of reusable and autonomous software components, called SAW agents, for situation-aware service-based systems. In this paper, a logic-based approach to declaratively specifying SAW requirements, decomposing SAW specifications for efficient distributed situation analysis, and automated synthesis of SAW agents is presented. This approach is based on AS^3 calculus and logic, and our declarative model for SAW. Evaluation results of our approach are also presented.
Learning affinity functions for image segmentation: combining patch-based and gradient-based approaches

The paper studies the problem of combining region and boundary cues for natural image segmentation. We employ a large database of manually segmented images in order to learn an optimal affinity function between pairs of pixels. These pairwise affinities can then be used to cluster the pixels into visually coherent groups. Region cues are computed as the similarity in brightness, color, and texture between image patches. Boundary cues are incorporated by looking for the presence of an "intervening contour", a large gradient along a straight line connecting two pixels. We first use the dataset of human segmentations to individually optimize parameters of the patch and gradient features for brightness, color, and texture cues. We then quantitatively measure the power of different feature combinations by computing the precision and recall of classifiers trained using those features. The mutual information between the output of the classifiers and the same-segment indicator function provides an alternative evaluation technique that yields identical conclusions. As expected, the best classifier makes use of brightness, color, and texture features, in both patch and gradient forms. We find that for brightness, the gradient cue outperforms the patch similarity. In contrast, using color patch similarity yields better results than using color gradients. Texture is the most powerful of the three channels, with both patches and gradients carrying significant independent information. Interestingly, the proximity of the two pixels does not add any information beyond that provided by the similarity cues. We also find that the convexity assumptions made by the intervening contour approach are supported by the ecological statistics of the dataset.
A Remark on Color‐Blind Affirmative Action

Faced with legal challenges to explicitly race-contingent admissions policies, elite educational institutions have turned to criteria that meet diversity goals without being formally contingent on applicant identity. We establish that under weak conditions that apply generically, such color-blind affirmative action policies must be nonmonotone, in the sense that within each social group, some students with lower scores are admitted while others with higher scores are denied. In addition, we argue that blind rules can generate greater disparities in mean scores across groups conditional on acceptance than would arise if explicitly race-contingent policies were permitted.
Does Being Overweight Really Reduce Mortality

There is indisputable evidence from epidemiologic and clinical studies that being overweight and obese elevates the risk of developing debilitating and costly chronic diseases, including hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and cancer (1). Nonetheless, the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality remains the subject of much debate. A recent meta-analysis concluded that compared to those of normal weight (BMI<25.0), overweight individuals (BMI 25.0–29.9) had a significantly lower mortality risk (2). Even Class 1 obesity (BMI 30–34.9) was associated with marginally reduced mortality. In this Perspective, we discuss why this finding is likely to be an artifact of methodological limitations and what the clinical and public health implications may be.
Arsenic occurrence and speciation in municipal ground-water-based supply system

The city of Hanford, California, relies on ground water for its municipal water supply. Arsenic concentrations in local wells frequently exceed the current drinking water standard (50 μg/L), although some dilution is achieved within the distribution system. Water samples were collected from municipal water supply wells and storage tanks in July and December 1996. Total arsenic concentrations ranged from 9 to 75 μg/L. Arsenic was found to occur predominantly in the +III oxidation state. Lower contributions of As(III) to total arsenic concentrations were found in three wells and one storage tank. In all other samples, the percent As(III) was 89 ± 6%. The very low values of %As(III) in one storage tank (1% in July and 14% in December) indicate that As(III) oxidation occurs within the distribution and storage system.
Regional brain volume abnormalities in Lesch-Nyhan disease and its variants: a cross-sectional study

Summary Background Lesch-Nyhan disease is a rare, X-linked, neurodevelopmental metabolic disorder that is caused by abnormalities in the levels of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase enzyme activity. The neural substrates associated with Lesch-Nyhan disease remain poorly understood. We aimed to use voxel-based morphometry to identify affected brain regions in classic Lesch-Nyhan disease and Lesch-Nyhan variant disease, and to identify regions that differ between the two disease types. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we recruited patients with classic Lesch-Nyhan disease or Lesch-Nyhan variant disease from clinics, referrals, the Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome Registry, and the Matheny School and Hospital (Peapack, NJ, USA), and healthy controls from the Baltimore metropolitan area (MD, USA). We used voxel-based morphometry to analyse grey matter volume between groups using a three-group ANCOVA, followed by six pairwise post-hoc group comparisons. Findings Between Oct 3, 1993, and April 29, 2013, we recruited 21 patients with classic Lesch-Nyhan disease, 17 patients with variant disease, and 33 healthy controls. Patients with classic Lesch-Nyhan disease had a 20% reduction in intracranial volume (17% reduction in grey matter volume; 26% reduction in white matter volume) compared with healthy adults. The largest differences were in basal ganglia, and frontotemporal and limbic regions, with sparing of parieto-occipital regions. Grey matter volumes of patients with Lesch-Nyhan variant disease were invariably between those of patients with classic Lesch-Nyhan disease and healthy controls. Compared with healthy controls, patients with classic disease showed additional grey matter volume reductions in the temporal lobe and left lateralised structures, and patients with variant disease showed additional reductions in lingual and precuneus regions with sparing of right frontal and temporal regions. Patients with classic disease had reductions of volume in the ventral striatum and prefrontal areas compared with those with the variant form. Interpretation We noted regional abnormalities associated with known neurological and behavioural deficits in patients with classic Lesch-Nyhan disease. Patients with Lesch-Nyhan variant disease show milder grey matter abnormalities in many of the same brain regions and preservation of grey matter volume in other regions, which could provide important clues to the neural substrates of differences between the phenotypes. Funding National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Therapeutic Cognitive Neuroscience Fund, and Benjamin and Adith Miller Family Endowment on Aging, Alzheimer's and Autism Research.
lag-2 may encode a signaling ligand for the GLP-1 and LIN-12 receptors of C. elegans

The C. elegans lag-2 gene is required for several cell-cell interactions that rely on the receptors GLP-1 and LIN-12. In this paper, we report that lag-2 encodes a putative membrane protein with sequence similarity to Drosophila Delta, a proposed ligand for the Notch receptor. Furthermore, we show that the lag-2 promoter drives expression of a reporter protein in the signaling distal tip cell (DTC) of the DTC/germline interaction. By in situ hybridization, we have found that endogenous lag-2 mRNA is present in the DTC but not the germ line. One fusion protein, called LAG-2::beta-gal(intra), rescues a lag-2 null mutant and can be detected in both DTC and germ line. Taking these results together, we propose that lag-2 may encode a signaling ligand for GLP-1/LIN-12 and that the entire LAG-2 protein may be taken up into the receiving cell during induction by GLP-1 and lateral signaling by LIN-12.
Clinical Inquiry and Reflective Design in a Secrecy-Based Organization

Edgar Schein has consistently maintained that clinical inquiry differs from action research because the setting is created by someone who wants help rather than by the researcher deciding what to s...
Elimination of Surface Voids in Ceramics

A preliminary study was conducted of the removal of surface porosity in a typical ceramic polycrystal. Surface voids were observed to be eliminated in hot-pressed MgO packed in a fine powder and heat treated at an elevated temperature. Surface diffusion along the specimen surface and evaporation/condensation of the surrounding powder are considered as filling mechanisms. Mechanism maps are plotted to identify the relevant parameters for the dominant filling mechanism. 10 references, 13 figures, 1 table.
The Development of United World Federalist Thought and Policy

Ten years have passed since the initial publication of Emery Reves's international best-seller, The Anatomy of Peace , and the rapid growth of numerous organizations which took up the cry for world government at the dawn of the Atomic Era. Open conflict in Korea in 1950, following several years of severe international tension, seemed to lend some grim support to early world federalist warnings that the world would either “federate or disintegrate” within the span of a few years. But the international atmosphere has improved somewhat in recent years, and the world has not conformed with the early federalist prediction. Indeed, world federalists themselves are still very much alive and active on this still unfederated planet—not only in the United States, but in more than a score of other non-communist countries as well.
Adolescent Pregnancy and Mental Health

This chapter is a survey of what we know about mental health issues and adolescent pregnancy. Literature and studies from different countries and cultures are presented to inform and help disentangle the influence of adolescent pregnancy on mental health and the influence of mental health on adolescent pregnancy. We know that culture and environment has an influence on behavior and one’s life trajectory. We are also aware that other conditions, such as mental illness can dominate or at minimum complicate the nature and nurture balance. In the process of addressing these mental health issues, the incidence and rate of observed mental health disorders among pregnant adolescents is covered. Then, the impact of depression and other mental health disorders, the adolescent mother’s age, rapid repeat pregnancy, and other uniquely adolescent characteristics such as risk-taking behavior and substance use and misuse will be discussed in relationship to the differential effect on the development and life trajectory of children of adolescent mothers with a mental disorder. Some of the crucial events and factors associated with a mother’s depression that are more likely to affect the mental health of her child have been identified (i.e., the time during the prenatal and postpartum period when the depression occurred, the severity of a depressive episode, and the chronic nature of the mother’s depression). Intergenerational transmission of depression and the child’s inherit tendency toward depression, must also be included among those major forces involved in determining a child’s outcome. The positive side of the findings from these studies is that material differences are creating situations and circumstances that can be modified and changed to reduce the risk to adolescent mothers and their children are exposed to. This is especially true for adolescent girls who have mental health issues that are activated or complicated by pregnancy.
Examining the associations of racism, sexism, and stressful life events on psychological distress among African-American women

African-American women may be susceptible to stressful events and adverse health outcomes as a result of their distinct social location at the intersection of gender and race. Here, racism and sexism are examined concurrently using survey data from 204 African-American women residing in a southeastern U.S. urban city. Associations among racism, sexism, and stressful events across social roles and contexts (i.e., social network loss, motherhood and childbirth, employment and finances, personal illness and injury, and victimization) are investigated. Then, the relationships among these stressors on psychological distress are compared, and a moderation model is explored. Findings suggest that racism and sexism are a significant source of stress in the lives of African-American women and are correlated with one another and with other stressful events. Implications for future research and clinical considerations are discussed.
Rate of Digestion of 51Cr-Hemoglobin by Stomoxys Calcitrans (Diptera: Muscidae)

Bovine hemoglobin labeled with 51Cr was used to follow the digestion of the blood meal in Stomoxys calcitrans and to determine the rate of digestion of 51Cr-labeled hemoglobin and the excretion of free 51Cr. Digestion of the labeled hemoglobin by untreated flies fed only fresh, labeled, heparinized bovine blood began within the first hour postfeeding and was completed within 48 h: digestion did not begin in treated flies (flies fed soybean trypsin inhibitor with the blood) for ca 24 h. After 24 h, the rate of digestion in control and treated flies was the same. Excretion of free 51Cr began at about 4 h in control flies and at 24 h in treated flies. Labeling with chromium can be used to follow digestion in vivo and is also useful in determining the volume of blood meals.
The CHILD 1 and DASH diets: rationale and translational applications.

PEDIATRIC ANNALS 42:9 | SEPTEMBER 2013 The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened an expert panel to develop integrated guidelines for cardiovascular health and risk reduction in children and adolescents. Because it is well documented that the roots of cardiovascular disease in adults are initiated in childhood, the expert panel sought to review the existing literature to address a broad array of questions related to prevention and translate these findings into practical, effective lifestyle guidelines.1,2 Among the many risk factors contributing to the development of disease, diet and eating behaviors are central to several of them, including dyslipidemia, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. The panel evaluated research studies involving specific nutrients, such as dietary fatty acids, sodium, and fiber, as well as foods such as sugar-sweetened beverages and dietary patterns including the application of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.3-5 This allowed the comparison of different benefits/risks and applications of certain findings from several studies that collectively influenced the development of the Cardiovascular Health Integrated Lifestyle Diet (CHILD 1). The CHILD 1 diet is intended to be the first stage of diet intervention when a child is identified with one or more cardiovascular risk factors or a positive family history. The diet was carefully developed to meet the nutrient needs of growing children while minimizing dietary factors that contribute to excess calories, saturated/transfatty acids, sodium, and sugar. The CHILD 1 diet can be fully achieved by following a DASH-style eating pattern that emphasizes fat-free/low-fat dairy products; increased intake of fruits and vegetables, fish, and fresh lean meats; and lower sodium intake. The expert panel differentiated the diet recommendations by age group, starting with strongly advocating breast-feeding for as long as possible but at least until 6 months of age. Transitions to reduced-fat (2%) milk and then fat-free milk were recommended during the 12to 24-month period, with input and guidance from the pediatrician. A delayed introduction of solid foods until preferably 6 months of age was also recommended. Because of the prevalence of overweight and obesity, the expert panel further recommended limited sugar and solid fat intake, only one 4-oz serving of 100% fruit juice per day, and avoidance of sugar-sweetened beverages. In addition, the panel encouraged guidance regarding eating behaviors including modest portion sizes, regular breakfast eating, famThe CHILD 1 and DASH Diets: Rationale and Translational Applications
How Local and Average Particle Diffusivities of Inhomogeneous Fluids Depend on Microscopic Dynamics.

Computer simulations and a stochastic Fokker–Planck equation based approach are used to compare the single-particle diffusion coefficients of equilibrium hard-sphere fluids exhibiting identical inhomogeneous static structure and governed by either Brownian (i.e., overdamped Langevin) or Newtonian microscopic dynamics. The physics of inhomogeneity is explored via the imposition of one-dimensional sinusoidal density profiles of different wavelengths and amplitudes. When imposed density variations are small in magnitude for distances on the scale of a particle diameter, bulk-like average correlations between local structure and mobility are observed. In contrast, when density variations are significant on that length scale, qualitatively different structure-mobility correlations emerge that are sensitive to the governing microscopic dynamics. Correspondingly, a previously proposed scaling between long-time diffusivities for bulk isotropic fluids of particles exhibiting Brownian versus Newtonian dynamics [Pon...
Application of de-excitation technology without switches

The de-excitation switches are usually applied to dissipate the residual energy stored in the rotor when generators trip off in the normal condition or in contingency. However, this method not only complicates the configuration of excitation systems, but also increases the maintenance cost of the equipment. The application of de-excitation method without switches was proposed countering the over-voltage caused in the rotor windings in different generator operating modes. Associated with the de-excitation by inverters, the technology takes the advantage of fast switching of crowbars, properly devises the control strategy and is able to meet the criteria of security and reliability.
Bile salt-dependent inhibition of gallbladder emptying

Little is known about the inhibitory controls of gallbladder emptying. Since cholestyramine, a binding agent that reduces luminal concentration of bile salt, has been reported to accelerate gallbladder emptying, suggesting that bile salt is inhibitory, we hypothesized that fat-stimulated gallbladder emptying is inhibited by a bile salt-dependent mechanism. To test this idea, we compared gallbladder emptying in 10 dogs equipped with duodenal and jejunal fistulas that allowed for complete diversion of the native bile while varying concentrations of bile salt were perfused into the small intestine. In six dogs, 30 mM oleate and 5, 10, or 20 mM sodium taurocholate was perfused into the whole intestine. Since bile salt availability alters fat absorption, in a separate experiment in seven dogs we also compared gallbladder emptying while 30 mM oleate and 5 mM taurocholate were perfused between fistula and 0, 5, 10, or 20 mM taurocholate were perfused beyond jejunal fistula to separate fat from varying concentrat...
Surgical Management and Reconstruction Training (SMART) Course for International Orthopedic Surgeons.

Abstract Background The burden of complex orthopedic trauma in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is exacerbated by soft-tissue injuries, which can often lead to amputations. This study's purpose was to create and evaluate the Surgical Management and Reconstruction Training (SMART) course to help orthopedic surgeons from LMICs manage soft-tissue defects and reduce the rate of amputations. Methods In this prospective observational study, orthopedic surgeons from LMICs were recruited to attend a 2-day SMART course taught by plastic surgery faculty in San Francisco. Before the course, participants were asked to assess the burden of soft-tissue injury and amputation encountered at their respective sites of practice. A survey was then given immediately and 1-year postcourse to evaluate the quality of instructional materials and the course's effect in reducing the burden of amputation, respectively. Results Fifty-one practicing orthopedic surgeons from 25 countries attended the course. No participant reported previously attempting a flap reconstruction procedure to treat a soft-tissue defect. Before the course, participants cumulatively reported 580-970 amputations performed annually as a result of soft-tissue defects. Immediately after the course, participants rated the quality and effectiveness of training materials to be a mean of ≥4.4 on a Likert scale of 5 (Excellent) in all 14 instructional criteria. Of the 34 (66.7%) orthopedic surgeons who completed the 1-year postcourse survey, 34 (100%, P Conclusion The SMART Course can give orthopedic surgeons in LMICs the skills and knowledge to successfully perform flaps, reducing the self-reported incidence of amputations. Course participants were able to disseminate flap reconstructive techniques to colleagues at their home institution. While this course offers a collaborative, sustainable approach to reduce global surgical disparities in amputation, future investigation into the viability of teaching the SMART course in LMICs is warranted.
The Diagnosis and Management of Spontaneous Rupture of the Ureter

AbstractSpontaneous rupture of the ureter is rare. It usually is associated with calculous disease and most often occurs in the upper ureter. The surgical management includes drainage of the urinoma and proximal nephrostomy drainage with urinary reconstruction if necessary. Even with good surgical management secondary nephrectomy sometimes is required. The clinical course of 2 patients is described and the literature is summarized.
Laguerre-Gauss and Bessel-Gauss beams propagation through turbulence: analysis of channel efficiency.

As a means of increasing the channel capacity in free-space optical communication systems, two types of orbital angular momentum carrying beams, Bessel–Gauss and Laguerre–Gauss, are studied. In a series of numerical simulations, we show that Bessel–Gauss beams, pseudo-nondiffracting beams, outperform Laguerre–Gauss beams of various orders in channel efficiency and bit error rates.
Linearization improves the repeatability of quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the repeatabilities of the linear and nonlinear Tofts and reference region models (RRM) for dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI). Materials and methods Simulated and experimental DCE-MRI data from 12 rats with a flank tumor of C6 glioma acquired over three consecutive days were analyzed using four quantitative and semi-quantitative DCE-MRI metrics. The quantitative methods used were: 1) linear Tofts model (LTM), 2) non-linear Tofts model (NTM), 3) linear RRM (LRRM), and 4) non-linear RRM (NRRM). The following semi-quantitative metrics were used: 1) maximum enhancement ratio (MER), 2) time to peak (TTP), 3) initial area under the curve (iauc64), and 4) slope. LTM and NTM were used to estimate Ktrans, while LRRM and NRRM were used to estimate Ktrans relative to muscle (RKtrans). Repeatability was assessed by calculating the within-subject coefficient of variation (wSCV) and the percent intra-subject variation (iSV) determined with the Gage R&R analysis. Results The iSV for RKtrans using LRRM was two-fold lower compared to NRRM at all simulated and experimental conditions. A similar trend was observed for the Tofts model, where LTM was at least 50% more repeatable than the NTM under all experimental and simulated conditions. The semi-quantitative metrics iauc64 and MER were as equally repeatable as Ktrans and RKtrans estimated by LTM and LRRM respectively. The iSV for iauc64 and MER were significantly lower than the iSV for slope and TTP. Conclusion In simulations and experimental results, linearization improves the repeatability of quantitative DCE-MRI by at least 30%, making it as repeatable as semi-quantitative metrics.
Evaluation of the Interface Accuracy for Power Hardware-in-the-Loop Experiments

AbstractSelecting an accurate interface algorithm is a primary goal in order to have a successful operation of power hardware-in-the-loop. The purpose of this paper is to utilize the modified damping impedance method for testing the accuracy of the interface algorithm in power hardware-in-the-loop applications in comparison to the traditional damping impedance method and ideal transformer model interfaces. The hardware-in-the-loop test-bed (a power-electronic-based system) is utilized to experimentally analyze and validate the expected advantages of the modified damping impedance method. In addition, to evaluate the power hardware-in-the-loop accuracy, a transfer function perturbation-based approach is considered to validate the results of experimentation analytically and quantitatively.
Neuronal Activity Associated with Conditioned Limb Movements

The development of techniques for recording activity of single neurons in the central nervous system of conscious, behaving animals was optimistically hailed two decades ago as a major advance toward the analysis of neuronal mechanisms of behavior. Previously, information concerning the functions of particular regions of the central nervous system had been obtained primarily by observing the behavioral consequences of experimental and clinical lesions, or by analyzing the responses evoked by electrical stimulation. Ablation experiments can provide important clues as to those functions that depend on the integrity of specific areas and that cannot be subserved or compensated by other regions. Likewise, “electroanatomy,” that is, investigation of pathways by electrical stimulation, can elucidate the neural connections between various centers. Neither method, however, can provide any information on the normal activity of cells in the relevant regions. Until recently, activity of single neurons had been recorded only in anesthetized or surgically reduced preparations; although such preparations were useful to document sensory responses to peripheral stimulation, they were of limited value in analyzing normal motor mechanisms.
Metamaterial loop body coil element for 10.5T MRI

A metamaterial based microstrip loop element is proposed for the ultra-high magnetic field MRI body coils. The advantage of the leaky wave broadside radiation capability of the metamaterials is utilized. A 12 cm by 12 cm square loop simulated at 447 MHz for 10.5T demonstrates good penetration of magnetic field into the phantom with no change in the resonance condition or the Q-factor after loading. It also maintains the uniformity of the field inside the phantom over a large field of view. The proposed design verifies that a resonator coil element longer than half-wavelength can be designed without affecting magnetic field distribution using metamaterials.
Optical properties of smart thermochromic film by computational optical model

Abstract Thermochromic film is capable of modulating optical properties in response to environmental temperature. It has the potential to control solar heat gains in buildings and therefore to reduce energy consumptions. This study aims at investigating optical behaviors of thermochromic film using optical simulation. Thermochromic film is designed by incorporating thermochromic powders into polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrix. The optical constants of both PVC film and thermochromic pigment are determined based on a series of reflectance and transmission measurement. The influence of powder concentration, temperature, and particle depth on normalized scattering and absorption cross section, forward scattering ratio, and diffuse reflectance of thermochromic film was investigated using optical simulation. These studies can serve as a model for understanding the interaction of light with thermochromic powder embedded in polymer matrix and facilitate the computer-aided design of thermochromic film with high thermochromic efficiency.
Dark-field microscopic study of the interactions between gold/silver nanoparticles and giant unilamellar vesicles

Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are well-established model systems for studying lipid packing and membrane dynamics. With sizes larger than 1 μm, GUVs are easily observable using optical microscopy. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are well known for their biocompatibility and such biomedical applications in drug and gene delivery as well as medical diagnostics and therapeutics. On the other hand, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have long been known for their potent antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects for such applications as wound dressing and biomedical implants. In this work, we employed the dark-field microscopy (CytoViva Inc.) to study the interactions between AuNPs/AgNPs and GUVs, respectively. The GUVs used in this study were prepared with 1,2 dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) as well as cholesterol (chol) at various mol% concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30, 40%). The electroformed GUVs were allowed to incubate with gold or silver nanoparticles of various sizes (between 10 and 100 nm) for 2 hrs before microscopic examination. The experiment has shown that the size of nanoparticles is a critical factor that determines the penetration rate. In addition, the membrane rigidity increases with the molar concentration of cholesterol hence making the NP penetration more difficult. Comparative studies have been made between AuNPs and AgNPs in regard to NP penetration and loading rate as well as the morphological changes induced in GUVs. This work aims to better understand the mechanisms of AuNP/AgNP and membrane interactions for their respective future applications in nanomedicine and nanotechnology.
Managing Without Moms: Gay Fathers, Incidental Activism, and the Politics of Parental Gender:

Cultural norms surrounding gender and family have failed to keep pace with demographic trends of family change, resulting in a wide range of family forms that are excluded from family normativity. Yet the contexts in which diverse families confront normative expectations, and the strategies they use to navigate such situations, have received limited attention. Using participant observation with gay father groups and interviews with 41 gay fathers in California and Texas, this study examines how structures of gender and family affect gay fathers’ everyday lives, as well as the management strategies that contribute to gay fathers’ resilience within exclusively paternal families. Results show that community support and norms of outness and visibility among gay fathers aid in their ability to navigate heteronormative ideologies. The concept of incidental activism is introduced to theorize the relationship between gay fathers’ resistance strategies and discourses of respectability within LGBTQ collective action.
Identification of Proteins Required for Ca2+-Triggered Secretion

Eukaryotic cells synthesize proteins whose final destinations are the extracellular space, the plasma membrane or intracellular organelles. The constitutive secretory pathway employed to sort proteins consists of a series of inter-organelle transport steps that are vesicle-mediated. The cellular mechanisms employed in this pathway are under active investigation since such studies promise to reveal insights into the poorly understood biochemical events involved in vesicle budding, vesicle targeting and membrane fusion. Individual vesicle transport steps of the constitutive pathway from the endoplasmic reticulum to plasma membrane fusion have been successfully reconstituted in semi-intact cells or in homogenates.1 These in vitro reactions typically exhibit a requirement for ATP and cytosolic proteins2, and several cytosolic proteins have been purified and characterized, including the 76 kD NSF protein, 35–39 kD SNAP proteins, a 25 kD POP protein, low molecular weight GTP-binding proteins, and components of a non-clathrin coat.3,4 Genetic approaches in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have complemented the in vitro reconstitution approach, and a large number of genes required in the yeast secretory pathway have been identified by mutational analysis.5 Although the biochemical events underlying membrane fusion have eluded detailed description thus far, the identification of several key protein participants represents an important step toward this goal.