cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide for radiation maculopathy after plaque radiotherapy for choroidal melanoma.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide on patients with visually symptomatic radiation-induced maculopathy after plaque radiotherapy for choroidal melanoma. DESIGN In this prospective, nonrandomized, single-center case series of 31 patients with visually symptomatic radiation-induced maculopathy after plaque radiotherapy for choroidal melanoma at the Ocular Oncology Service at Wills Eye Hospital of Thomas Jefferson University, triamcinolone acetonide (4 mg/1 mL) was injected through the pars plana into the vitreous cavity using sterile technique. Status of radiation maculopathy and final visual acuity were the main outcome measures. RESULTS At the time of diagnosis of choroidal melanoma, visual acuity was 20/20 to 20/50 in 90% (n = 28), 20/60 to 20/200 in 10% (n = 3), and 20/400 or worse in none of the patients. The mean radiation dose to the foveola was 5,122 cGy (median, 3,280 cGy; range, 1,000-16,100 cGy). Radiation maculopathy developed at a mean of 22 months (median, 16 months; range, 6-96 months) after plaque radiotherapy. In all cases, the choroidal melanoma was regressed, and there was no retinal detachment or neovascularization of the retina, optic disk, or iris. At the time of diagnosis of radiation maculopathy, visual acuity was 20/20 to 20/50 in 19% (6/31), 20/60 to 20/200 in 58% (18/31), and 20/400 or worse in 23% (7/31) of patients. After intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide, visual acuity was stable or improved in 91% (20/22) of patients by 1 month and 45% (14/31) by 6 months. Mean foveal thickness by optical coherence tomography was 417 microm at injection and 207 microm at 1 month and 292 microm at 6 months after injection. CONCLUSIONS Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide can stabilize or improve visual acuity in some patients with radiation-induced maculopathy, but its effect might not be lasting.
Reproductive ecology of the ascidians Molgula citrina Alder & Hancock, 1848 and aplidium glabrum (Verrill, 1871) from the Gulf of Maine, U.S.A.

Abstract We examined long-term patterns of sexual reproduction in the solitary ascidian Molgula citrina, and both sexual reproduction and colony growth in the colonial ascidian Aplidium glabrum from the shallow subtidal zone in the Gulf of Maine, U.S.A.. Ascidians of each species were collected regularly from two sites over a three-year period, then examined in the laboratory to determine size and fecundity, and, for the colonial species, density of individuals (zooids) in colonies. Reproductive characteristics were compared between ascidian species and between sites. In both species, sexual reproduction was highly seasonal, exhibiting marked peaks from late spring throughout summer. Periods of peak asexual reproduction in A. glabrum generally occurred when ascidians were not reproducing sexually. Fecundity of M. citrina ( # larvae per gram of parent ascidian) during peak periods of sexual reproduction differed between sites. Colonies of A. glabrum also differed between sites in several characteristics: #...
US government spending, the national debt, and the role of accounting educators

Abstract This article discusses the facts associated with US government deficits and the national debt. The growing problem of government debt is unsustainable and timely action is needed to avert serious economic problems in the future. While the current picture and forecast in the future are sobering, positive change that will restore fiscal balance is possible. Government spending and national debt are significant societal problems and the solutions can be facilitated by objective, non-partisan expertise from financial professionals such as accounting educators. We have an opportunity and responsibility to educate our students and others about the significance of our nation’s financial problems. The article also encourages accounting educators to be more active in researching and discussing these issues in a broader public context. Having faculty focus on federal spending in their teaching and research is consistent with recommendations by the Pathways Commission that encourage accounting faculty to focus on issues that matter to the profession and to society. The article suggests alternative methods for sharing the issues with various student audiences.
A mouse model for studying large-scale neuronal networks using EEG mapping techniques

Human functional imaging studies are increasingly focusing on the identification of large-scale neuronal networks, their temporal properties, their development, and their plasticity and recovery after brain lesions. A method targeting large-scale networks in rodents would open the possibility to investigate their neuronal and molecular basis in detail. We here present a method to study such networks in mice with minimal invasiveness, based on the simultaneous recording of epicranial EEG from 32 electrodes regularly distributed over the head surface. Spatiotemporal analysis of the electrical potential maps similar to human EEG imaging studies allows quantifying the dynamics of the global neuronal activation with sub-millisecond resolution. We tested the feasibility, stability and reproducibility of the method by recording the electrical activity evoked by mechanical stimulation of the mystacial vibrissae. We found a series of potential maps with different spatial configurations that suggested the activation of a large-scale network with generators in several somatosensory and motor areas of both hemispheres. The spatiotemporal activation pattern was stable both across mice and in the same mouse across time. We also performed 16-channel intracortical recordings of the local field potential across cortical layers in different brain areas and found tight spatiotemporal concordance with the generators estimated from the epicranial maps. Epicranial EEG mapping thus allows assessing sensory processing by large-scale neuronal networks in living mice with minimal invasiveness, complementing existing approaches to study the neurophysiological mechanisms of interaction within the network in detail and to characterize their developmental, experience-dependent and lesion-induced plasticity in normal and transgenic animals.
Adult humans’ understanding of support relations: an up-linkage replication

In an up-linkage replication, three experiments examined adult humans’ folk physics, i.e., their naturally occurring and spontaneous understanding of the physical world, using a violation of expectation (VOE) task and stimuli similar to those used to study chimpanzees’, monkeys’, and rooks’ folk physics. Unlike what has been reported with nonhuman primates, adult humans did not look longer at physically impossible than possible events, though they did rate the physically impossible events as more interesting and novel than the possible events. These results underscore that behavior during a VOE experiment has many possible causes, only one of which may be a subject’s folk physics.
Can a reverse transcriptase be involved in centriole duplication

Abstract Accepting tentatively that the nucleic acid thought to be present in centrioles and basal bodies is RNA rather than DNA, which had earlier been thought to be the case, it is suggested that this RNA represents the primary genome of the organelle which is replicated via a DNA intermediate with the aid of an RNA-instructed DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase) into more RNA during the course of the duplication cycle. This suggestion is presented as an alternate, and not as a replacement, to one made earlier which states that the organellar RNA is a transcript of the primary DNA genome located in the nucleus. In support of this hypothesis are data, cited from the literature, showing: simultaneous formation of multiple centrioles and basal bodies; cytoplasmic synthesis of thymidine triphosphate; presence in the cytoplasm of particles capable of performing RNA-instructed synthesis of DNA; presence of reverse transcriptase in eukaryotic cells not infected with RNA viruses; formation of centrioles in homogenates of artificially activated surf clam eggs. The relationship of this hypothesis to the postulated generative mechanism for centriole duplication is also discussed.
Linearised theory of plane strain of a mixture of two solids

Abstract The linearised constitutive equations for an isotropic mixture of two elastic solids, given in rectangular Cartesian coordinates by Steel [1], are transformed into complex coordinates and then the equations of equilibrium when the mixture is subject to plane strain are solved in terms of complex potential functions. Finally a problem is solved to illustrate the theory.
Second-look laparotomy for stage III epithelial ovarian cancer: rationale and current issues

During the past two decades, the initial treatment of an advanced ovarian malignancy has been generally uniform: it begins with an exploratory laparotomy surgically to remove as much tumor as possible (1) and to stage the cancer (2). For the 70% of patients classified as stages III and IV, surgery is then followed by combination chemotherapy. Although opinions differ as to the optimal regimen, the standard involves a platinum-based program (3), recently also including paclitaxel (4). A second-look laparotomy is often performed in all patients who achieve a clinical complete remission, that is the inability to detect disease by physical examination and non-invasive laboratory tests. This surgical procedure is able to detect clinical disease not apparent on computerized axial tomography (CT scan), ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), serum CA-125 levels or physical examination (5-7). Major questions, however, have arisen around the need for such a procedure, and whether one can justify it in terms of an improved outcome or merely as an assessment of prognosis (8-14). We shall review: (i) the technique; (ii) the rationale; (iii) the results that have been reported from its routine application; and (iv) controversial issues, particularly as they relate to the evolution of therapeutic strategies.
Force assessment of the stimulated arm flexors: quantification of contractile properties.

The primary objective was to develop equipment and evaluate protocols for non-invasive assessment of contractile properties of human arm flexors. The research design consisted of a non-randomized control trial, with repeated measures. Data from six males and two females were gathered in a clinical research laboratory. The elbow flexor torque following motor point or direct nerve stimulation was measured in response to single pulses or short trains of electrical pulses. Length-tension relationships were determined; comparative data were obtained at the identified optimal muscle lengths. Twitch waveforms and peak torques following either type of stimulation were reproducible (within 10%). Peak torques following a 4-pulse small interpulse interval stimulation were nearly identical for motor-point activation and direct nerve stimulation (15.2 &#45 6.6 Nm for motor point stimulation; 14.5 &#45 6.6 Nm for nerve stimulation). Average perceived pain indexes associated with 4-pulse stimuli were slightly higher fol...
Radiolytic processes in mixtures of cyclobutane and perfluorocyclobutane in the gas phase

Abstract The gas phase radiolysis of mixtures of cyclobutane and perfluorocyclobutane has been studied for systems containing 0–100 per cent of the fluorocarbon. The decomposition of cyclobutane to hydrocarbon products is sensitized by the presence of the fluorocarbon, but the hydrogen yield is directly proportional to the fraction of the energy deposited in the cyclobutane. It is suggested that energy is transferred from excited perfluorocyclobutane to cyclobutane molecules, which subsequently decompose, ultimately forming hydrocarbon products including ethane, ethylene, propane, butenes and others. It appears that unsaturates formed in the radiolysis scavenge free H· atoms, leaving only the unscavengable H2 yield for detection. It is suggested that electron capture by perfluorocyclobutane, followed by a neutralization reaction with the parent positive ion, leads to efficient rupture of the CF bond and production of HF, as in other fluorocarbon-hydrocarbon mixtures. However, the concomitant interference with the production of H· atoms, seen in other systems, does not lead to a significant lowering of the H2 yield, which arises largely from other sources in cyclobutane radiolysis. Twenty-eight products have been identified in all, and yields over the entire mixture range have been recorded for twenty-four of them. The majority of the products contain only carbon and hydrogen. Four perfluorocarbon compounds were found, as well as three mixed species containing both fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon moieties. Such products are probably formed by combination of radicals from both parent compounds.
Orientation and growth behavior of CaHfO3 thin films on non-oxide substrates

Abstract The growth behavior of CaHfO 3 on (001) Ni and Ge substrates was examined. CaHfO 3 is a perovskite insulator that is suitable for applications as a buffer layer or gate dielectric. The tendency for CaHfO 3 growth on both (001) Ni and (001) Ge substrates is to orient with the CaHfO 3 (200) + (121) planes parallel to the surface, which corresponds to the (110) orientation in the pseudo-cubic geometry. This differs from that of CaHfO 3 on perovskites, such as (001) LaAlO 3 , where a pseudo-cube-on-cube orientation is observed.
Metastasis and AKT activation

Metastasis, responsible for 90% of cancer patient deaths, is an inefficient process because many tumor cells die. The survival of metastatic tumor cells should be considered as a critical therapeutic target. This review provides a new perspective regarding the role of AKT in tumor survival, and the rationale to target AKT in anti-metastasis therapies.
Understanding Effects of Matrix Protease and Matrix Organization on Directional Persistence and Translational Speed in Three-Dimensional Cell Migration

Recent studies have shown significant differences in migration mechanisms between two- and three-dimensional environments. While experiments have suggested a strong dependence of in vivo migration on both structure and proteolytic activity, the underlying biophysics of such dependence has not been studied adequately. In addition, the existing models of persistent random walk migration are primarily based on two-dimensional movement and do not account for the effect of proteolysis or matrix inhomogeneity. Using lattice Monte Carlo methods, we present a model to study the role of matrix metallo-proteases (MMPs) on directional persistence and speed. The simulations account for a given cell's ability to deform as well as to digest the matrix as the cell moves in three dimensions. Our results show a bimodal dependence of speed and persistence on matrix pore size and suggest high sensitivity on MMP activity, which is in very good agreement with experimental studies carried out in 3D matrices.
Budd-Chiari syndrome in a patient with the lupus anticoagulant

Lupus anticoagulant is an immunoglobulin that interferes with prothrombin conversion to thrombin and is manifested biochemically by prolongation of the partial thromboplastin time. Paradoxically, bleeding is rare in association with this anticoagulant, and deep leg vein thromboses, pulmonary emboli, and cerebrovascular accidents have been described in patients with this clotting inhibitor. This report describes the first case of Budd-Chiari syndrome associated with the lupus anticoagulant. The patient presented with abdominal pain and massive ascites. The Budd-Chiari syndrome was confirmed by liver biopsy and venography. No medical condition known to predispose to an increased thrombotic tendency could be identified, and the presence of the lupus anticoagulant in the patient's plasma may provide an explanation for his hypercoagulability and development of the Budd-Chiari syndrome.
Diffusive draining and growth of eddies

The diffusive effect on barotropic models of meso- scale eddies is addressed, using the Melnikov method from dynamical systems. Simple geometric criteria are obtained, which identify whether a given eddy grows or drains out, un- der a diffusive (and forcing) perturbation on a potential vor- ticity conserving flow. Qualitatively, the following are shown to be features conducive to eddy growth (and, thereby, sta- bility in a specific sense): (i) large radius of curvature of the eddy boundary, (ii) potential vorticity contours more tightly packed within the eddy than outside, (iii) acute eddy pinch- angle, (iv) small potential vorticity gradient across the eddy boundary, and (v) meridional wind forcing, which increases in the northward direction. The Melnikov approach also sug- gests how tendrils (filaments) could be formed through the breaking of the eddy boundary, as a diffusion-driven advec- tive process. active area of research. In this paper, we address a particular aspect of stability of such eddies, which reflects the effect of
Magnesium−Antimony Liquid Metal Battery for Stationary Energy Storage

Batteries are an attractive option for grid-scale energy storage applications because of their small footprint and flexible siting. A high-temperature (700 °C) magnesium-antimony (Mg||Sb) liquid metal battery comprising a negative electrode of Mg, a molten salt electrolyte (MgCl(2)-KCl-NaCl), and a positive electrode of Sb is proposed and characterized. Because of the immiscibility of the contiguous salt and metal phases, they stratify by density into three distinct layers. Cells were cycled at rates ranging from 50 to 200 mA/cm(2) and demonstrated up to 69% DC-DC energy efficiency. The self-segregating nature of the battery components and the use of low-cost materials results in a promising technology for stationary energy storage applications.
Differential ability of heparan sulfate proteoglycans to assemble the fibroblast growth factor receptor complex in situ

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) require heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) as cofactors for signaling. The heparan sulfate chains (HS) mediate stable high affinity binding of FGFs to their receptor tyrosine kinases (FR) and may specifically regulate FGF activity. A novel in situ binding assay was developed to examine the ability of HSPGs to promote FGF/FR binding using a soluble FR fusion construct (FR1-AP). This fusion protein probe forms a dimer in solution, simulating the dimerization or oligomerization that is thought to occur at the cell surface physiologically. In frozen sections of human skin, FGF-2 binds to keratinocytes and basement membranes of epidermis and dermal blood vessels. In contrast, in skin preincubated with FGF-2, FR1-AP binds avidly to FGF-2 immobilized on keratinocyte cell surfaces, but fails to bind to basement membranes at the dermo-epidermal junction or dermal microvessels despite the fact that these structures bind large amounts of FGF-2. Apparently, basement membrane and ce...
A spectral-element discontinuous Galerkin lattice Boltzmann method for simulating natural convection heat transfer in a horizontal concentric annulus

We present a spectral-element discontinuous Galerkin lattice Boltzmann method to solve incompressible natural convection flows based on the Bousinessq approximation. A passive-scalar thermal lattice Boltzmann model is used to resolve flows for variable Prandtl number. In our model, we solve the lattice Boltzmann equation for the velocity field and the advection–diffusion equation for the temperature field. As a result, we reduce the degrees of freedom when compared with the passive-scalar double-distribution model, which requires the solution of several equations to resolve the temperature field. Our numerical solution is represented by the tensor product basis of the one-dimensional Legendre–Lagrange interpolation polynomials. A high-order discretization is employed on body-conforming hexahedral elements with Gauss–Lobatto–Legendre quadrature nodes. Within the discontinuous Galerkin framework, we weakly impose boundary and element-interface conditions through the numerical flux. A fourth-order Runge–Kutta scheme is used for time integration with no additional cost for mass matrix inversion due to fully diagonal mass matrices. We study natural convection fluid flows in a square cavity and a horizontal concentric annulus for Rayleigh numbers in the range of Ra =1 0 3 –10
Identifying apicoplast-targeting antimalarials using high-throughput compatible approaches

Malarial parasites have evolved resistance to all previously used therapies, and recent evidence suggests emerging resistance to the first-line artemisinins. To identify antimalarials with novel mechanisms of action, we have developed a high-throughput screen targeting the apicoplast organelle of Plasmodium falciparum. Antibiotics known to interfere with this organelle, such as azithromycin, exhibit an unusual phenotype whereby the progeny of drug-treated parasites die. Our screen exploits this phenomenon by assaying for “delayed death” compounds that exhibit a higher potency after two cycles of intraerythrocytic development compared to one. We report a primary assay employing parasites with an integrated copy of a firefly luciferase reporter gene and a secondary flow cytometry-based assay using a nucleic acid stain paired with a mitochondrial vital dye. Screening of the U.S. National Institutes of Health Clinical Collection identified known and novel antimalarials including kitasamycin. This inexpensive macrolide, used for agricultural applications, exhibited an in vitro IC50 in the 50 nM range, comparable to the 30 nM activity of our control drug, azithromycin. Imaging and pharmacologic studies confirmed kitasamycin action against the apicoplast, and in vivo activity was observed in a murine malaria model. These assays provide the foundation for high-throughput campaigns to identify novel chemotypes for combination therapies to treat multidrug-resistant malaria.—Ekland, E. H., Schneider, J., Fidock, D. A. Identifying apicoplast-targeting antimalarials using high-throughput compatible approaches.
DNA Sequence, Structure and Gene Expression of Mycobacteriophage L5: a Phage System for Mycobacterial Genetics.

Genetic studies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other mycobacterial pathogens have suffered from the lack of a sophisticated genetic system. To address this issue we have developed a viral system through a detailed characterization of mycobacteriophage L5, a temperate phage that infects both fast- and slow-growing mycobacteria. We describe here the complete DNA sequence of the L5 genome and initial characterization of L5 virion structure and gene expression. In addition to providing a genetic 'tool-box' for the mycobacteria we find that L5 offers a new paradigm for dsDNA phages, being phenotypically temperate but employing genetic strategies for phage growth usually associated with lytic bacteriophages.
Accurate Estimates of Fine Scale Reaction Zone Thicknesses in Gas Phase Detonations

A robust method is developed and used to provide rational estimates of reaction zone thicknesses in one-dimensional steady gas phase detonations in mixtures of inviscid ideal reacting gases whose chemistry is described by detailed kinetics of the interactions of N molecular species constituted from L atomic elements. The conservation principles are cast as a set of algebraic relations giving pressure, temperature, density, velocity, and L species mass fractions as functions of the remaining N L species mass fractions. These are used to recast the N L species evolution equations as a self-contained system of non-linear ordinary dieren tial equations of the form dYi=dx = fi(Y1; : : : ; YN L). These equations are numerically integrated from a shock to an equilibrium end state. The eigenvalues of the Jacobian of fi are calculated at every point in space, and their reciprocals give local estimates of all length scales. Application of the method to the standard problem of a stoichiometric Chapman-Jouguet hydrogen-air detonation in a mixture with ambient pressure of 1 atm and temperature of 298 K reveals that the nest length scale is on the order of 10 5 cm; this is orders of magnitude smaller than both the induction zone length, 10 2 cm, and the overall reaction zone length, 10 0 cm. In order to achieve numerical stability and convergence of the solution at a rate consistent with the order of accuracy of the numerical method as the spatial grid is rened, it is shown that one must employ a grid with a ner spatial discretization than the smallest physical length scale.
Comparison of tellurite resistance and tetracycline resistance among the enterococci.

A correlation was found to exist between tellurite and tetracycline resistance in the enterococci.
Nondestructive Evaluation of the Mineralogy of Rock Temper in Ceramics Using X-Radiography

Industrial and medical x-radiography can be used in a new manner analogous to back-scattered electron microscopy to identify the approximate mineralogy of rock temper particles in ceramics, but without their destruction by thin-sectioning and at very low cost. Mineralogical traits similar to those applied in petrography to identify mineralogy are visible in a magnified radiograph. They include particle radiographic grey level contrast, which varies with specific density and mineralogy; morphology; cleavage; and internal texture. Blind tests that evaluate the specificity and accuracy of the method are presented.
Potential Application of the Modulated Scatterer Technique to Multilayered Material Evaluation and Health Monitoring

Modulated scatterer technique (MST) is based on illuminating a small antenna, usually a dipole, loaded with a PIN diode, with an electromagnetic wave. The scattered (or reflected) wave from the probe may then be used to determine dielectric properties of the material in which the probe is located or embedded. The PIN diode is turned "on " and "off" which not only changes the impedance of the probe, but also modulates (with the same rate) the reflection from the probe. A major challenge associated with MST is detecting and distinguishing the desired probe response in the ever-present reflections from surrounding structures and materials. This challenge can be overcome by incorporating a swept-frequency method into the measurements. A swept-frequency technique allows the use of the Fourier Transform method which results in separate detection of the reflection from the probe (similar to pulsed methods). Having the ability to discriminate the probe response renders the MST technique useful for multilayer structure applications as well. The probe can be placed in a given layer of a material, and the properties of that layer can be monitored (regardless of the presence of other layers). Additionally, the probe can be placed at an interface and changes in that interface (such as disbonding) can be detected. The ratio of the reflection from a probe, between the "on" and "off" states, has been shown to be a unique technique for evaluating properties of materials. This paper presents the basis and some results of applying swept-frequency MST for inspecting layered materials.
Message from the radar systems panel chair

On behalf of the Radar Systems Panel of the Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society, I would like to welcome you to the IEEE 2011 Radar Conference. Our organizing committee has once again organized a premier event, and assembled an outstanding group dedicated to the success of the conference and they deserve special recognition for their dedication and superior effort. This year's event offers many half-day tutorials selected and designed to help educate those exploring a new topic in radar, while offering a refresher course to others.
Long-term efficacy of lymph node reoperation for persistent papillary thyroid cancer.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the outcome of surgical resection of metastatic papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) in cervical lymph nodes after failure of initial surgery and I131 therapy. Design: This was a retrospective clinical study. Setting: The study was conducted at a university-based tertiary cancer hospital. Patients: A cohort of 95 consecutive patients with recurrent/persistent PTC in the neck underwent initial reoperation during 1999–2005. All had previous thyroidectomy (±nodal dissection) and I131 therapy. Twenty-five patients with antithyroglobulin (Tg) antibodies were subsequently excluded. Main Outcome Measures: Biochemical complete remission (BCR) was stringently defined as undetectable TSH-stimulated serum Tg. Results: A total of 107 lymphadenectomies were undertaken in these 70 patients through January 2010. BCR was initially achieved in 12 patients (17%). Of the 58 patients with detectable postoperative Tg, 28 had a second reoperation and BCR was achieved in five (18...
Mössbauer, magnetic susceptibility, radiolytic and photochemical studies of europium and lutetium porphyrins

Abstract The chemistry of the lanthanide complexes of europium and lutetium with several porphyrin molecules were probed in both the solid state and in solution. Mossbauer and variable temperature magnetic susceptibility studies indicated that the trivalent state of europium was formed under the synthetic conditions. Electron addition to both europium(III) and lutetium(III) porphyrins by photochemical and radiolytic techniques resulted in reduction of the porphyrin ring rather than the coordinated trivalent metal ion, and the resulting π-radical anion disproportionated into the initial metalloporphyrin and the ring reduced metalloporphyrin di-anion. The reduction potentials in solution for mono- and di-anion formation of the lutetium porphyrin were measured by electrochemical procedures. While the lutetium(III) porphyrin is stable for years at pH 7, the metal is rapidly removed from the metalloporphyrin by protons in the di-anion state. The photophysics of the lutetium(III) porphyrin in solution are dominated by the triplet state, and the reactivity of this triplet with dioxygen, NADH and persulfate is reported.
Smart Aggregates: a Distributed Intelligent Multi-purpose Sensor Network (DIMSN) for Civil Structures

Early-age strength monitoring, impact detection, and structural health monitoring are important issues for concrete structures, especially concrete infrastructures such as bridges. A distributed intelligent multi-purpose sensor network (DIMSN) using innovative piezoelectric-based smart aggregates is proposed in this paper to address these important issues. The smart aggregate is fabricated by embedding a water-proofed piezoelectric patch into a small concrete block. The smart aggregates are then placed at the desired locations in concrete structures before casting to form a distributed intelligent multipurpose sensor network. In this paper, a two-story concrete frame is used as the object to test the multi-functionality of smart aggregates and the DIMSN. The early-age strength monitoring is performed by monitoring the harmonic response amplitude of smart aggregates. Experimental results show that the predicted concrete strength matches the experimental results obtained in the compressive test. Impact tests are by performed by impacting the concrete frame at different locations. Experimental results show that the impact response is captured by the distributed smart aggregates and the energy of the impact response is related to the distance between the smart aggregate and the impact location. After the concrete strength is fully developed, structural health monitoring is conducted on the concrete frame through a destructive push-over test. Experimental results show that the proposed damage index matrix reveals the time history of health status of different locations. The proposed smart aggregate-based health monitoring approach is more sensitive than the traditional approaches that use microscopes and LVDTs. The proposed distributed intelligent multi-purpose sensor network has the potential to be implemented to the comprehensive performance evaluation of concrete civil structures.
Power Estimation in Digital CMOS VLSI Chips

A method for estimating power consumption of digital CMOS VLSI chips is developed. The method estimates the total power consumption of a chip by analyzing separately for different parts of the chip, which are logic circuit, on chip memory, interconnection, clock distribution, and off chip driving. This method makes it possible to estimate the power consumption of a digital CMOS VLSI chip based on gate count, memory size, and logic circuit. An estimation tool, which is implemented in C language, is created and used to estimate the gate count from Verilog register transfer level (RTL) descriptions
Analysis of USJ Formation with Combined RTA/Laser Annealing Conditions for 28nm High-K/Metal Gate CMOS Technology Using Advanced TCAD for Process and Device Simulation

TCAD process and device simulations are used to gain physical understanding for the integration of laser- annealed junctions into a 28 nm high-k/metal gate first process flow. Spike-RTA (Rapid Thermal Annealing) scaling used for transient enhanced diffusion (TED) suppression and shallow extension formation is investigated. In order to overcome the performance loss due to a reduced RTA, laser anneal (LSA) is introduced after Spike-RTA to form highly activated and ultra shallow junctions (USJ). In this work, the impact of different annealing conditions on the performance of NMOS and PMOS devices is investigated in terms of Vth and Ion/Ioff, considering lateral dopant diffusion and activation.
Remote sensing for detection of cotton aphid- (Homoptera : Aphididae) and spider mite- (Acari : Tetranychidae) infested cotton in the San Joaquin Valley

Abstract We explored remote sensing methods for their potential to distinguish aphid- (Aphis gossypii Glover) and spider mite–infested (Tetranychus spp.) cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) from uninfested cotton. Field plots were established using selective and disruptive pesticides to establish a range of aphid and mite populations over 2 yr. Aerial and satellite remote sensing data in 2003 and 2004 were supplemented with ground-based remote sensing data in 2004 and by ground-truthing of arthropod populations in both years. Mite- and aphid-infested cotton was detected using aerial data in the green and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths in 2003, with subeconomic threshold aphid population levels. At the time aerial data were collected, mite populations peaked at 95% leaves infested and exceeded treatment threshold levels of 30–50% leaves infested. However, the number of mites per leaf in the treatments was low to moderate (32, 9, 4, 6, and 2 average mites/leaf). Moreover, cotton infested with cotton aphids abov...
Pregnancy Outcomes in Youth With Type 2 Diabetes: The TODAY Study Experience

OBJECTIVE We evaluated pregnancy outcomes, maternal and fetal/neonatal, during the Treatment Options for type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The TODAY study was a randomized controlled trial comparing three treatment options for youth with type 2 diabetes. Informed consent included the requirement for contraception, including abstinence; this was reinforced at each visit. Following informed consent, self-reported data related to the mother’s prenatal care and delivery and the infant’s health were retrospectively collected. When permitted, maternal medical records and infant birth records were reviewed. RESULTS Of the 452 enrolled female participants, 46 (10.2%) had 63 pregnancies. Despite continued emphasis on adequate contraception, only 4.8% of the pregnant participants reported using contraception prior to pregnancy. The mean age at first pregnancy was 18.4 years; the mean diabetes duration was 3.17 years. Seven pregnancies were electively terminated; three pregnancies had no data reported. Of the remaining 53 pregnancies, 5 (9.4%) resulted in early pregnancy loss, and 7 (13%) resulted in loss with inadequate pregnancy duration data. Two pregnancies ended in stillbirth, at 27 and 37 weeks, and 39 ended with a live-born infant. Of the live-born infants, six (15.4%) were preterm and eight (20.5%) had a major congenital anomaly. CONCLUSIONS Despite diabetes-specific information recommending birth control and the avoidance of pregnancy, 10% of the study participants became pregnant. Pregnancies in youth with type 2 diabetes may be especially prone to result in congenital anomalies. Reasons for the high rate of congenital anomalies are uncertain, but may include poor metabolic control and extreme obesity.
Automatic Web Content Extraction by Combination of Learning and Grouping

Web pages consist of not only actual content, but also other elements such as branding banners, navigational elements, advertisements, copyright etc. This noisy content is typically not related to the main subjects of the webpages. Identifying the part of actual content, or clipping web pages, has many applications, such as high quality web printing, e-reading on mobile devices and data mining. Although there are many existing methods attempting to address this task, most of them can either work only on certain types of Web pages, e.g. article pages, or has to develop different models for different websites. We formulate the actual content identifying problem as a DOM tree node selection problem. We develop multiple features by utilizing the DOM tree node properties to train a machine learning model. Then candidate nodes are selected based on the learning model. Based on the observation that the actual content is usually located in a spatially continuous block, we develop a grouping technology to further filter out noisy data and pick missing data for the candidate nodes. We conduct extensive experiments on a real dataset and demonstrate our solution has high quality outputs and outperforms several baseline methods.
Networked Microgrids for Self-Healing Power Systems

This paper proposes a transformative architecture for the normal operation and self-healing of networked microgrids (MGs). MGs can support and interchange electricity with each other in the proposed infrastructure. The networked MGs are connected by a physical common bus and a designed two-layer cyber communication network. The lower layer is within each MG where the energy management system (EMS) schedules the MG operation; the upper layer links a number of EMSs for global optimization and communication. In the normal operation mode, the objective is to schedule dispatchable distributed generators (DGs), energy storage systems (ESs), and controllable loads to minimize the operation costs and maximize the supply adequacy of each MG. When a generation deficiency or fault happens in an MG, the model switches to the self-healing mode and the local generation capacities of other MGs can be used to support the on-emergency portion of the system. A consensus algorithm is used to distribute portions of the desired power support to each individual MG in a decentralized way. The allocated portion corresponds to each MG’s local power exchange target, which is used by its EMS to perform the optimal schedule. The resultant aggregated power output of networked MGs will be used to provide the requested power support. Test cases demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
Plantation Progressive on the Federal Bench: Law, Politics, and the Life of Judge Henry D. Clayton

Henry D. Clayton (1857-1929) lived a remarkably full public life. The namesake son of an Alabama Confederate general, he was a loyal Democrat and white supremacist, a lawyer, a Congressman (1897-1914) and a federal judge (1914-1929). He took part in his state's 1901 disfranchisement of African Americans; later in Congress he was identified with the Progressive wing of his party, giving his name to the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914. As judge of Alabama's Middle District he was a zealous partisan of the Wilson administration's wartime repression of civil liberties; as a visiting judge in the Southern District of New York he presided over the infamous Abrams case. After the First World War, however, he rethought the wisdom and ethics of government intervention in citizens' private lives. During the 1920s he was a staunch opponent of the second Ku Klux Klan. Anyone considering the diverse phases of Clayton's life might be excused for concluding that he was an inconsistent man in inconsistent times. Yet with his whole career in perspective, it is clear that Clayton's lodestone was the value-system of the Alabama Black Belt - the paternal instincts, the racial and economic hierarchies that survived from his parents' time, and the political order cobbled together in the aftermath of Reconstruction. This article is a lightly revised version of a piece by the same title published in Volume XIV of Southern Studies.
The agricultural figures of Darwin's evolutionary rhetoric

ABSTRACTAlthough theories of agricultural breeding came to epitomize Charles Darwin's evolutionary argument, little scholarship considers the rhetoric of agricultural writings he consulted. This inattention results from scholars misunderstanding how breeding figures in the Origin, with most suggesting Darwin uses it metaphorically or analogically. It is, however, better considered a metonymy, substituting a condensed causal description of selection that is qualitatively identical to the more complex process of natural evolution. Reevaluating Darwin's use of figuration sheds light on the way he and other scientists use a wider array of figurative resources (beyond metaphor), and particularly metonymy, to make causal arguments.
Towards automating fixation correction for source code

During eye-tracking studies there is a possibility for the actual fixation to shift a little when recorded. The cause of this shift could be due to various reasons such as the accuracy of the calibration or drift. Researchers usually correct fixations manually. Manual corrections are error prone especially if done on large samples for extended periods. There is also no guarantee that two corrections done by different people on the same data set will be consistent with each other. In order to solve this problem, we introduce an attempt at automatically correcting fixations that uses a variable offset for groups of fixations. Our focus is on source code, which is read differently than natural language requiring an algorithm that adapts to these differences. We introduce a Hill Climbing algorithm that shifts fixations to a best-fit location based on a scoring function. In order to evaluate the algorithm's effectiveness, we compare the automatically corrected fixations against a set of manually corrected ones, giving us an accuracy of 89%. These findings are discussed with additional ways to improve the algorithm.
Abstract 892: Survey of human cancer tissues for the presence of bovine leukemia virus

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is an oncogenic retrovirus that causes B cell leukemia/lymphoma in 5% of infected cattle. Infection is widespread in the USA: 24% of beef herds, 84% of dairy herds, and 100% of large dairy operations. BLV has been detected in T cells, B cells, endothelium, and mammary epithelium, and infected cells may be present in the blood and milk of cattle. Previously we found IgG antibodies to BLV in 39% of humans sampled, and BLV-related DNA in 60% (67/112) of malignant human breast tissues. Presence of BLV-related DNA in human mammary epithelium was significantly associated with breast cancer risk (odds ratio = 3.4, confidence interval = 1.77-6.44; P≪ .0002). The purpose of this study was to test other types of human cancers for BLV-related DNA as a first step in exploring whether BLV might be involved in malignancies of tissues other than breast. Specimens were surgical pathology archival material collected from 1992-2003. We performed PCR-in-situ hybridization (PCR-ISH) on formalin-fixed tissue sections, targeting the highly conserved tax region, which codes for the oncogenic protein of BLV. This method is not subject to molecular contamination, and can localize the signal to a particular cell type in the intact tissue. Our survey included the following malignancies: stomach, colon, pancreas, prostate, seminoma, ovary, endometrium, sarcoma (1 liposarcoma, 3 fibrosarcoma, 4 fibrohistiocytoma, 1 Ewing sarcoma), lymphoma (10 B cell, 2 T cell, 3 Hodgkin), squamous cell skin carcinoma, lung, thyroid, and brain (3 astrocytoma, 4 meningioma, 3 glioblastoma). BLV-related amplicons were detected in the following cancer types: stomach (5/10), colon (1/11), brain (2/10 [1 astrocytoma and 1 glioblastoma]), lymphoma (1/15 [T cell lymphoma]), sarcoma (1/9 [poorly differentiated high grade sarcoma]), and squamous cell skin carcinoma (2/10). No tissue type we tested showed a frequency of BLV-related DNA as great as we previously detected in breast cancer (60%). Sample sizes in this pilot survey were too small to provide an accurate estimate of overall frequency in the population or to make any conclusions about the association of BLV-related DNA with the malignancies studied. However, the data do provide some interesting leads for further research with an increased number of specimens and normal control tissue, especially for the cancer types exhibiting at least one positive specimen. This research was supported by a seed grant to HM Jensen from the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 892. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-892
Low-frequency transient (time domain) electromagnetic fields propagating in a marine environment: Research Articles

The propagation of electromagnetic waves in seawater is quite different from the propagation in free air. Both the velocity of propagation and the attenuation of the wave reveal a strong dependency on frequency. When using electromagnetic methods for underwater purposes, the low-frequency bands are preferable since high-frequency components are attenuated very quickly. Consider a transmitted electromagnetic pulse travelling outward from a submerged electric dipole. Such a pulse contains many frequency components. Since the different components travel with different velocity, the shape of the pulse will become more and more distorted as it travels from the source. In seawater, the distance of propagation is very limited to encourage practical applications. However, when the environment contains several electrically different media, the electromagnetic wave can propagate along the boundaries to a much longer distance and this property makes them valuable tools in geophysical prospecting and radio communication. The purpose of this study is twofold: first the paper outlines a technique that generalizes the solution of Maxwell's equations to an arbitrary number of layers; the second goal is to investigate the propagation of low-frequency transient electromagnetic fields in a marine environment modelled as a layered media. The frequency-domain formula for the travelling field of a horizontal electric dipole excited by a current pulse is Fourier transformed to obtain the solution for the field in time domain. Possible application to remote sensing in the ocean is considered. © Crown Copyright 2004. Reproduced with the permission & Her Majesty's Stationary Office. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Studies in the Lichen Family Physciaceae. III. A New Species of Phaeophyscia From Hawaii

(1978). Studies in the Lichen Family Physciaceae. III. A New Species of Phaeophyscia From Hawaii. Mycologia: Vol. 70, No. 6, pp. 1247-1249.