cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Precipitation, dynamical intermittency, and sporadic randomness

Abstract While rainfall intermittency is a dynamical phenomenon, little progress has been made in the literature on the link between rainfall intermittency and atmospheric dynamics. We present the basic dynamical models of intermittency that are phenomenologically most similar to rainfall: Pomeau–Manneville Type-III and On–Off. We then illustrate each type with both a 1-D iterative map and a corresponding stochastic process stressing the appearance of these dynamics in high-dimensional (stochastic) systems as opposed to low-dimensional chaotic systems. We show that the pdf of rainfall intensities, the pdf of “laminar phases” (periods of zero rainfall intensity), and the spectrum of the rainfall series all have power-law behavior that is broadly consistent with intermittency in the classic types. Using a seasonal analysis, we find that summer convective rainfall at daily and sub-daily scales seems consistent with features of Type-III intermittency. The correspondence with Type-III intermittency and a preliminary entropic analysis further suggest that rainfall may be an example of sporadic randomness, blending deterministic and stochastic components.
Reflection high-energy electron diffraction from carbon nanotubes

Using reflection high-energy electron diffraction, we have observed diffraction patterns from both vertically aligned and randomly oriented multiwalled carbon nanotube samples. The patterns, for both samples, consist of rings and are similar to the patterns observed in x-ray diffraction from multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The ring radii are roughly consistent with powder diffraction from graphite. However, the ratio of the interlayer spacing to the in-plane nearest-neighbor distance is, for both samples, higher than the ordered graphite value of 2.36. Also, reflection electron energy-loss spectra were taken for both samples. For the vertically aligned sample, the center-to-center spacing of the nanotubes was determined, from the energy-loss spectrum, to be $52\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}12\mathrm{nm}.$
Site-specific Inhibition of Photophosphorylation in Isolated Spinach Chloroplasts by Mercuric Chloride

Photophosphorylation associated with noncyclic electron transport in isolated spinach ( Spinacia oleracea ) chloroplasts is inhibited to approximately 50% by low concentrations of HgCl 2 (less than 1 μmole Hg 2+ /mg chlorophyll) when the electron transport pathway includes both sites of energy coupling. Reactions involving only a part of the electron transport system can give a functional isolation of at least two sites coupled to phosphorylation. Only one of these sites, located between the oxidation of plastoquinone and the reduction of cytochrome f , is sensitive to mercuric chloride. The energy conservation site located before plastoquinone and close to photosystem II is unaffected by HgCl 2 concentrations up to 10-fold those required to inhibit phosphorylation by the coupling site after plastoquinone. This site-specific inhibition may reflect a mechanistic difference in the mode of energy coupling at the two coupling sites or a variable accessibility of HgCl 2 to these sites. Concentrations of HgCl 2 , which inhibit steady state phosphorylation, do not inhibit dark phosphorylation after illumination (X E ), suggesting that HgCl 2 affects a step in the coupling mechanism prior to the terminal step of ATP formation.
Redescription of Euaugaptilus Mixtus (Sars) (Copepoda, Calanoida)1)

Euaugaptilus mixtus (Sars, 1907) wird nachbeschrieben und zum ersten Mal abgebildet. Die Homonymie einer 1950 beschriebenen Art wird aufgezeigt und diese Art mit E. brodskyi neu benannt.
Statistics of two-dimensional point vortices and high-energy vortex states

Results from the theory ofU-statistics are used to characterize the microcanonical partition function of theN-vortex system in a rectangular region for largeN, under various boundary conditions, and for neutral, asymptotically neutral, and nonneutral systems. Numerical estimates show that the limiting distribution is well matched in the region of major probability forN larger than 20. Implications for the thermodynamic limit are discussed. Vortex clustering is quantitatively studied via the average interaction energy between negative and positive vortices. Vortex states for which clustering is generic (in a statistical sense) are shown to result from two modeling processes: the approximation of a continuous inviscid fluid by point vortex configurations; and the modeling of the evolution of a continuous fluid at high Reynolds number by point vortex configurations, with the viscosity represented by the annihilation of close positive-negative vortex pairs. This last process, with the vortex dynamics replaced by a random walk, reproduces quite well the late-time features seen in spectral integration of the 2d Navier-Stokes equation.
Plasma cortisol and beta-endorphin in horses subjected to electro-acupuncture for cutaneous analgesia

Electro-acupuncture (EA) treatment of horses to induce cutaneous analgesia also increased plasma concentrations of beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and cortisol. The magnitude of these increases did not relate consistently to the degree of EA-induced analgesia. Respiration and heart rates were also markedly increased during EA treatment. Intact female horses had higher packed cell volume and plasma beta-EP as well as lower plasma total protein than castrated male horses. Plasma cortisol, heart rate, and respiration rate did not differ significantly between sexes. None of the parameters measured before or during EA treatment provided an explanation for the differential cutaneous analgesia which depended on sex of subject and locus of stimulation as reported elsewhere.
Soil fungi: Relationships between hyphal activity and staining with fluorescein diacetate

Abstract The relationship between fungal activity in soil and staining with fluorescein diacetate (FDA) was investigated using Penicillium citrinum and Rhizoctonia solani inoculated into autoclaved and non-sterilized soil, with or without nutrient amendment. Correlations of fungal activity with FDA staining allowed a quantitative relationship between FDA-staining and fungal CO 2 -evolution to be calculated. Results suggest that where nutrient fluxes occur in the soil, correlation between FDA-staining and CO 2 evolution may be useful in assessing fungal contributions to carbon transformations.
Prevalence of Affective Disorder in the Child and Adolescent Offspring of a Single Kindred: A Pilot Study

Abstract Objective The study determined the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among the child and adolescent offspring of an extended family identified through a proband with bipolar affective disorder. Method All of the not mentally retarded offspring (ages 6 to 17 years) of a single extended bipolar affective disorder pedigree were studied. Data regarding psychiatric diagnoses, intelligence, school achievement, temperament, and family functioning were collected using structured and standardized instruments. Results When the child and adolescent offspring were stratified by degree of genetic relationship to an adult with an affective disorder, there were no differences in demographic variables, IQ, school achievement, or most temperamental and family characteristics. In contrast, there were increases in the rates of affective disorders and disruptive behavior disorders in the offspring that correlated with the degree of genetic relationship to an affected adult. Conclusions The risk of developing an early onset affective disorder is correlated with the degree of genetic relatedness to affected adults in this single, extended family. This pilot study demonstrates that the inclusion of extended relatives in high-risk studies can enhance the discrimination of genetic and environmental contributions to the development of affective disorders.
Ultraviolet regularization of light-cone Hamiltonian perturbation theory: Application to the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron (g-2) in the light-cone gauge.

An ultraviolet regularization and renormalization procedure of light-cone perturbation theory which is suitable for a numerical application is discussed. The fourth-order correction to the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron in the light-cone gauge is computed. Several regularizations of the associated light-cone gauge singularity are explored. Local counterterms are constructed to remove the quadratic light-cone divergences from the formalism. Problems of discrete light-cone quantization (DLCQ), beyond one-photon exchange, are also described.
Minimax analysis for finite-horizon inventory models

We consider stochastic finite-horizon inventory models with discrete distributions that are incompletely specified by selected moments, percentiles, or a combination of moments and percentiles. The objective is to determine an inventory policy that minimizes the maximum expected cost over the class of demand distributions satisfying the specifications described above. We show that many inventory models of this form can be solved by a sequence of linear programs.
Monte Carlo simulation of energy dissipation of recombining hydrogen in a maze

Studies of 2-D atomic hydrogen at high densities on helium surfaces have been plagued by the heating of the surfaces due to recombination, which dissipates more than 52,000K for each recombining pair of atoms in the cell. When hydrogen recombines on a surface, it deposits less than 4% of its energy at the point of recombination and the rest is carried off by the excited molecule. We have designed a maze to absorb most of this energy, and carried out a Monte Carlo simulation to show that approximately 87% of the energy is dissipated in the maze, preventing the surface from getting excessively heated, even at high surface densities. This simulation varies the number of inelastic collisions with the maze wall for complete relaxation, the fraction of elastic collisions, and the angular distribution of excited molecules desorbing from the walls.
Fibroblast growth factor 23, Klotho and disordered mineral metabolism in chronic kidney disease: unraveling the intricate tapestry of events and implications for therapy

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and Klotho play key roles, along with serum phosphate and parathyroid hormone (PTH), in disordered mineral metabolism in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Through independent and combined effects on renal phosphorus and vitamin D metabolism, alterations in FGF23 and Klotho expression are essential for maintaining mineral homeostasis in kidney disease. However, increasing evidence showing that disturbances in FGF23 and Klotho expression produce direct cardiovascular and renal toxicity has accelerated interest in therapies that directly target these hormones in the interest of improving outcomes in CKD. Importantly, recent studies showing that reversing CKD-induced elevations in FGF23 levels may have adverse cardiovascular effects have shed new light on the potential unintended consequences linked to developing therapeutic targets in this arena. These findings ultimately support the notion that addressing root causes of disturbances of FGF23 and Klotho, such as phosphorus excess, should remain the main focus in managing mineral metabolism in CKD.
Net-centric optical communication for the global information grid

Optical communications technologies are being actively explored by the defense and security communities as a potential solution to alleviate bandwidth bottlenecks and to provide covert, jam resistant communications without spectrum restrictions. While static fiber-optic networks are widely deployed in the Department of Defense (DoD) communications network, the integration of wireless, free space optical (FSO) communications technology is required to provide end-to-end high bandwidth paths to support mobile defense and security operations. This paper presents an analysis of inherent benefits of optical wireless communications technologies in enabling net-centric applications and discusses specific technology and architectural challenges that need to be overcome before these technologies can be seamlessly integrated in the Global Information Grid (GIG) to fully realize the net-centric vision.
HIV-1 Tat increases oxidant burden in the lungs of transgenic mice

Chronic human immunodeficiency virus infection is associated with higher incidence of pulmonary complications including hypertension, vasculopathy, lymphocytic alveolitis, and interstitial pneumonitis not attributed to either opportunistic infections or presence of the virus. The Tat (transactivator of transcription) protein, a required transactivator for expression of full-length viral genes, is pleiotropic and influences expression of cellular inflammatory genes. Tat-dependent transactivation of cellular genes requires specific mediators, including NF-κB, widely recognized as sensitive to changes in cellular oxidant burden. We hypothesized that overproduction of Tat leads to increased oxidant burden and to alterations in basal inflammatory status as measured by NF-κB activation. We engineered transgenic mouse lines that express Tat (86-amino-acid isoform) in the lung under the control of the surfactant protein C promoter. Tat-transgenic mice exhibit increased pulmonary cellular infiltration, increased nitrotyrosine and carbonyl protein modifications, and increased levels of NF-κB, MnSOD, and thioredoxin-interacting protein. These data indicate that Tat increases oxidant burden and resets the threshold for inflammation, which may increase susceptibility to secondary injuries.
Science and Politics: A Commentary

The formation of attitudes and expectations in international politics—if they are to be adequate bases for action—must rest upon, among other things, a correct appraisal of the motives of the leaders of other countries and of the means by which they achieve their objectives. In a recent article in World Politics entitled “Science and Politics in the U.S.S.R.: The Genetics Debate,” Miss Pamela N. Wrinch discusses the possible ideological motives (as well as, speculatively, some of the psychological ones) which give impetus to the eradication of disapproved scientific theories and procedures, and the argumentative means employed in this stamping-out process. Though the article is fully convincing in presenting a clear picture of Soviet debating techniques, Miss Wrinch is less successful on the score of assessing the motives for the official opposition to certain theories in Soviet Russia.
Incompleteness of the Landauer formula for electronic transport

We show that the Landauer formula for the conductance of a nanoscale system is incomplete because it does not take into account many-body effects which cannot be treated as contributions to the single-particle transmission probabilities. We show that the physical origin of these effects is related to the viscous nature of the electron liquid and we develop a perturbative formalism, based on the time-dependent current-density-functional theory, for calculating the corrections to the resistance in terms of the ``Kohn-Sham current distribution'' and the exchange-correlation kernel. The difficulties that still remain in calculating the latter are critically discussed.
The organization of discipline: From performance management to perversity and punishment

Drawing on participant observation, in-depth interviews, and statistical analysis of administrative data, this article explores the operation of performance management in the Florida Welfare Transition program and its effects on decisions to sanction welfare clients. Unlike most econometric research on welfare sanctions, we approach sanctioning as an organized practice that reflects, not just client characteristics and behaviors, but also organizational needs, routines, values, authority relations, environments, and systems of reward and punishment. Our analysis focuses on the organization of discipline and, in the process, suggests that scholars may misrepresent and misinterpret the incidence of discipline when they fail to account for the dynamic ways that organization and management shape sanctioning patterns.
EICOSANOIDS FROM THE TROPICAL RED ALGA MURRAYELLA PERICLADOS

Abstract Lipid extracts of several collections of the tropical red marine alga Murrayella periclados were found to be rich sources of eicosanoids more commonly associated with mammalian systems, including 12 S -hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid, 12 S -hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, (6 E )-leukotriene B 4 , and erythro and threo diastereomers of hepoxilins B 3 and B 4 . This is the first report of leukotriene or hepoxilin B 4 natural products from a plant, and several spectroscopic features of these molecules are reported herein for the first time. Two conjugated triene-containing acids recently reported from another red alga, S Z ,7 E ,9 E ,14 Z ,17 Z -eicosapentaenoic acid and 5 E ,7 E ,9 E ,14 Z ,17 Z -eicosapentaenoic acid, were also found in the algal extract. A 12-lipoxygenase initiated biosynthetic origin is proposed for most of these Murrayella oxylipins.
Size and secondary structure of potato spindle tuber viroid

Abstract The structure and size of potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTV) were investigated by electron microscopy. PSTV appears to be composed of two single-stranded RNA components of different sizes, one linear and one circular. The linear component is about four times more common than the circular. Both components exist in collapsed, highly base-paired structures under nondenaturing conditions. Both components are sensitive to digestion by pancreatic ribonuclease but are resistant to snake venom phosphodiesterase. From length measurements of formylated and non-formylated PSTV RNA, the estimated molecular weight for the linear molecule is 110,000, and for the circular, it is 137,000.
Photobiomodulation in the treatment of patients with non-center-involving diabetic macular oedema

Purpose Far-red/near-infrared phototherapy or photobiomodulation (PBM) has recently been reported to be an effective and non-invasive treatment method to inhibit lesions of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in animals. This study investigated the safety and efficacy of PBM in diabetic patients to treat non-center-involving diabetic macular oedema (NCDME). Methods This was a non-randomised, consecutive, case series, where 4 patients with type 2 diabetes with NCDME were treated for 160 s per day with PBM for 2–9 months. Demographic data including age, sex, HbA1c%, electronic ETDRS visual acuity, and retinal and macular thickness were measured using spectral domain ocular coherence tomography (SD-OCT) before and after treatment. Results Four eyes of 4 patients were treated, with fellow eyes serving as untreated controls. Daily PBM treatment for only 80 s per treatment twice daily caused a significant reduction in focal retinal thickening in all 4 treated eyes. No adverse effects attributable to therapy were noted by the patients or study investigators during the study period. Conclusions PBM potentially offers a non-invasive and cost-effective therapeutic option for patients with NCDME. Further studies of this therapeutic option in DR are warranted
Creatine and Its Potential Therapeutic Value for Targeting Cellular Energy Impairment in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Substantial evidence indicates bioenergetic dysfunction and mitochondrial impairment contribute either directly and/or indirectly to the pathogenesis of numerous neurodegenerative disorders. Treatment paradigms aimed at ameliorating this cellular energy deficit and/or improving mitochondrial function in these neurodegenerative disorders may prove to be useful as a therapeutic intervention. Creatine is a molecule that is produced both endogenously, and acquired exogenously through diet, and is an extremely important molecule that participates in buffering intracellular energy stores. Once creatine is transported into cells, creatine kinase catalyzes the reversible transphosphorylation of creatine via ATP to enhance the phosphocreatine energy pool. Creatine kinase enzymes are located at strategic intracellular sites to couple areas of high energy expenditure to the efficient regeneration of ATP. Thus, the creatinekinase/phosphocreatine system plays an integral role in energy buffering and overall cellular bioenergetics. Originally, exogenous creatine supplementation was widely used only as an ergogenic aid to increase the phosphocreatine pool within muscle to bolster athletic performance. However, the potential therapeutic value of creatine supplementation has recently been investigated with respect to various neurodegenerative disorders that have been associated with bioenergetic deficits as playing a role in disease etiology and/or progression which include; Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington’s disease. This review discusses the contribution of mitochondria and bioenergetics to the progression of these neurodegenerative diseases and investigates the potential neuroprotective value of creatine supplementation in each of these neurological diseases. In summary, current literature suggests that exogenous creatine supplementation is most efficacious as a treatment paradigm in Huntington’s and Parkinson’s disease but appears to be less effective for ALS and Alzheimer’s disease.
Modular Nonlinear Filter Stabilization of Methods for Higher Reynolds Numbers Flow

Stabilization using filters is intended to model and extract the energy lost to resolved scales due to nonlinearity breaking down resolved scales to unresolved scales. This process is highly nonlinear and yet current models for it use linear filters to select the eddies that will be damped. In this report we consider for the first time nonlinear filters which select eddies for damping (simulating breakdown) based on knowledge of how nonlinearity acts in real flow problems. The particular form of the nonlinear filter allows for easy incorporation of more knowledge into the filter process and its computational complexity is comparable to calculating a linear filter of similar form. We then analyze nonlinear filter based stabilization for the Navier–Stokes equations. We give a precise analysis of the numerical diffusion and error in this process.
The Impact of Research Design on Consumer Price Recall Accuracy: An Integrative Review

For almost half a century, researchers have examined consumer knowledge of prices, often with disturbing and conflicting results. Although the general findings suggest that consumer knowledge of prices is poorer than assumed in neoclassical economic theory, significant variations among results exist. The authors synthesize findings from prior studies to determine the impact of research design choices on price recall accuracy measures. A meta-analysis indicates that a significant amount of variation in the accuracy of consumers’ price recall is related to research design characteristics such as the presence of financial rewards, respondents’ task size, and the price elicitation approach. Implications for price awareness research are discussed.
Nocturnal hypothermia impairs flight ability in birds: a cost of being cool

Many birds use regulated drops in night-time body temperature (Tb) to conserve energy critical to winter survival. However, a significant degree of hypothermia may limit a bird's ability to respond...
Length dependence of localization and electron-electron interaction effects in thin metal films

The electrical properties of thin films of ${\mathrm{Au}}_{40}$${\mathrm{Pd}}_{60}$ and of Pt with lengths as small as 0.25 \ensuremath{\mu}m have been studied. At temperatures below about 10 K, the resistance increases with decreasing temperature due to localization and electron-electron interaction effects, as found in previous studies of much longer films. For films with lengths shorter than about 5 \ensuremath{\mu}m, the resistance rise decreases as the length of the film is decreased. This behavior is in agreement with general expectations concerning finite-size effects in these systems. However, it does not appear that the theory, at least in its present form, can account quantitatively for our results.
Biomechanical Evaluation of Gastropexy Techniques in the Dog

The relative strength of adhesions created by three different gastropexy techniques in dogs was evaluated two and six months following surgery. Tube gastrostomy formed a stronger adhesion (p>.001) when compared with simple gastropexy and permanent gastropexy two months after operation. In a smaller number of animals examined at six months, no difference in strength was noted between permanent gastropexy and tube gastrostomy.
Economic Transition in the City of Paterson, New Jersey (America's First Planned Industrial City): Causes, Impacts, and Urban Policy Implications

This paper examines the dynamics of economic change in the City of Paterson, New Jersey, from the time of its founding in the late eighteenth century to 1990, with emphasis on the post-1945 era. Analysis shows that from the time of its founding to the first half of the twentieth century, Paterson experienced a period of economic growth followed by economic decline in the 1960s, characterized by major changes in its principal industries of cotton, locomotives, and silk. Economic growth in Paterson up to the early part of the twentieth century is attributable to several locational factors, including the availability of water resources, transportation, labor supply, and markets. Its decline in the post-1945 era is attributable to a combination of local, national, and global economic factors including periods of depression, labor discord, product substitution, decentralization of economic activities, and deindustrialization. Economic decline resulted in a high rate of unemployment, poverty, and urban decay. The most significant effort to reverse urban decline in the city is the urban enterprise zone (UEZ) program. The impacts of this program on economic growth in the city, however, remain inconclusive.
Subdivision algorithms with nonnegative masks generally converge

In this paper, a subdivision scheme consists of an operator froml ∞(ℤ) tol ∞(ℤ) determined by a doubly infinite sequence, called the mask. This operator convolutes, in a certain sense, sequencesλ ∈l ∞ (ℤ) with the mask, thus producing a new sequence inl ∞(ℤ). Moreover, this new sequence is placed on a finer grid. If we iterate this process with a positive mask infinitely many times, it is known that this process will produce a continuous function, which we callf λ. In this paper, we consider the extent to which non-negative masks yield similar results. An important application of subdivision schemes in computer graphics is the generation of curves and surfaces from an initial sequenceλ.
Outage minimization and fair rate allocation for the multiple access relay channel

We consider a block fading multiple access relay channel (MARC) where K users communicate with a single destination in the presence of Q ges 1 half-duplex relays. Each relay employs a successive group decoder with a specified complexity constraint and a decode and forward (DF) protocol. We design an outage minimizing relaying strategy for the scenario where no channel dependent feedback is possible between the destination and any user but a limited amount of such feedback is possible between the destination and each relay. We also design a rate allocation algorithm which yields the symmetric fair rate allocation. Remarkably, even though the outage minimization and rate allocation algorithms use low-complexity dasiagreedypsila or myopic sub-routines at the relays, they achieve globally optimal solutions.
Effects of ‘Carpramid’ on nutrient uptake and lint yield of cotton

Abstract Growth‐enhancing compounds have become some of the many inputs used in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production systems across the United States Cotton Belt. Their usefulness, however, in producing high yielding, high quality cotton remains to be resolved. In 1996, a new product emerged on the cotton market that may aid nutrient absorption during reproductive development. Amisorb (polyaspartate), chemical name ‘Carpramid’: copoly‐[(3‐carboxypropionamide)(2‐(carboxymethyl)acetamide)] developed by the Donlar Corporation (Bedford Park, IL) may improve a crops ability to take up nutrients, resulting in improvements in yield and quality. Therefore, the objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of ‘Carpramid’ on nutrient uptake and lint yield on cotton. Experiments were conducted in 1996 and 1997 at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton on a Tifton loamy sand, the Southeast Georgia Branch Station in Midville on a Dothan loamy sand, and the Southwest Branch Experiment Station...
Wissensmanagement und Sprachtechnologie

Wissensmanagement zahlt technologisch ebenso wie kulturell zu den spannendsten Herausforderungen der globalen Informationsgesellschaft. Wesentliche technologische Aspekte des Wissensmanagements sind ohne Sprachtechnologie und linguistic engineering nicht zu bewaltigen, es sei denn, wir waren bereit, textuell reprasentiertes Wissen auszuschliesen. Mit aktuellen Moglichkeiten des Text Mining kann textuelles Wissen in die Prozesse des Wissensmanagements integriert und seine Rolle fur Innovationsprozesse erheblich verstarkt werden. Zugleich entsteht damit die Moglichkeit, das in den Geisteswissenschaften geschaffene Wissen in den Innovationsprozes einzubeziehen.
Ternary pseudorandom encoding of Fourier transform holograms

Pseudorandom encoding is a statistical method for designing Fourier transform holograms by mapping ideal complex-valued modulations onto spatial light modulators that are not fully complex. These algorithms are notable because their computational overhead is low and because the space–bandwidth product of the encoded signal is identical to the number of modulator pixels. All previous pseudorandom-encoding algorithms were developed for analog modulators. A less restrictive algorithm for quantized modulators is derived that permits fully complex ranges to be encoded with as few as three noncollinear modulation values that are separated by more than 180° on the complex plane.
Admissible Pole Locations for Tracking Random References

Admissible pole locations for tracking step inputs are well known and widely used for designing tracking controllers. In some applications, however, references are random signals rather than steps. What are admissible pole locations for tracking such references? This is the question addressed in this note. Specifically, a method for constructing admissible domains, which lead to the desired closed loop behavior, is developed and illustrated by a hard disk drive controller design.
Should critically ill children with acute respiratory failure be treated with surfactant

A 9-year-old child with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia postbone marrow transplant was admitted to the children's intensive care unit (ICU) for non-neutropenic fever with worsening respiratory distress that required mechanical ventilation. Despite broad-spectrum antimicrobials, serial chest radiographs showed worsening bilateral infiltrates and increasing mechanical ventilatory requirements. As the registrar in the unit, you wondered if intratracheal surfactant would be beneficial in treating this child with acute respiratory failure. In critically ill children with acute respiratory failure (patient), does treatment with surfactant (intervention) improve gaseous exchange and shorten duration of mechanical ventilation and length of ICU stay (outcomes)? Secondary source—Cochrane Database of Systematic Review, BestBETs Primary source—PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science Search terms were (‘children’) AND (‘surfactant’) AND (‘acute respiratory distress syndrome’ OR ‘adult respiratory distress syndrome’ OR ‘acute lung injury’ OR ‘acute respiratory failure’). ### Search outcome The Cochrane database yielded one relevant review. BestBETs yielded one relevant review. Pubmed, CINAHL and Web of Science yielded 209, 55 and 324 hits, respectively, from which seven relevant randomised controlled studies were identified. Three of these studies were included in the Cochrane review. Qualitative and quantitative deficiency of surfactant play a role in the development of acute respiratory failure in infants, children and adults.1 ,2 An Archimedes review published in 2003 looking at the use of surfactant in mechanically ventilated infants with severe bronchiolitis suggested …
A single-server system with limited service policy

The exhaustive limited service system, in which the processor takes a preventive maintenance after every M messages are processed, is considered. The probability-generating function of the number of messages in the system and the distribution of the message delay time are derived. From these the average number of messages in the system and the mean delay time of messages are easily obtained.
Long-term His-bundle pacing and cardiac function.

The article by Deshmukh et al1 published elsewhere in the journal represents a tour de force for a number of reasons. The ability to chronically and selectively pace the His bundle not only represents an important methodological advance but also allows us to test the hypothesis that septal pacing in a fashion nearly identical to normal activation of the His-Purkinje system is superior to ventricular pacing. This technical breakthrough deserves strong accolades. Those of us who have used His-bundle pacing either to validate His-bundle records2 or for detection of concealed parahisian pathways3 will attest to the difficulty in achieving even temporary consistent His-bundle pacing. The authors have shown that placing a standard multipolar mapping catheter as a guide at the His bundle facilitates placement of a commercially available steroid-eluting long-term pacing lead, incorporating an exposed helix, to be embedded in the membranous septum on or near the His bundle. This technique is feasible and allows for long-term pacing with acceptable stimulation thresholds. The study group included 14 patients with atrial fibrillation and severe dilated cardiomyopathy but with narrow QRS complexes in whom reliable His-bundle stimulation was possible. Twelve of the 14 underwent insertion of the long-term lead, but 10 required AV junctional ablation allowing for rate control and persistent His-bundle pacing. Over a mean follow-up of nearly 2 years, they found rather …
Insights into the Role of Bcl6 in Follicular Th Cells Using a New Conditional Mutant Mouse Model

The transcriptional repressor Bcl6 controls development of the follicular Th cell (T(FH)) lineage, but the precise mechanisms by which Bcl6 regulates this process are unclear. A model has been proposed whereby Bcl6 represses the differentiation of T cells into alternative effector lineages, thus favoring T(FH) cell differentiation. Analysis of T cell differentiation using Bcl6-deficient mice has been complicated by the strong proinflammatory phenotype of Bcl6-deficient myeloid cells. In this study, we report data from a novel mouse model where Bcl6 is conditionally deleted in T cells (Bcl6(fl/fl)Cre(CD4) mice). After immunization, programmed death -1 (PD-1)(high) T(FH) cells in Bcl6(fl/fl)Cre(CD4) mice are decreased >90% compared with control mice, and Ag-specific IgG is sharply reduced. Residual PD-1(high)CXCR5(+) T(FH) cells in Bcl6(fl/fl)Cre(CD4) mice show a significantly higher rate of apoptosis than do PD-1(high)CXCR5(+) T(FH) cells in control mice. Immunization of Bcl6(fl/fl)Cre(CD4) mice did not reveal enhanced differentiation into Th1, Th2, or Th17 lineages, although IL-10 expression by CD4 T cells was markedly elevated. Thus, T cell-extrinsic factors appear to promote the increased Th1, Th2, and Th17 responses in germline Bcl6-deficient mice. Furthermore, IL-10 may be a key target gene for Bcl6 in CD4 T cells, which enables Bcl6 to promote the T(FH) cell phenotype. Finally, our data reveal a novel mechanism for the role of Bcl6 in promoting T(FH) cell survival.
Investigating Isolated Neuromuscular Control Contributions to Non-Contact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk via Computer Simulation Methods

Background. Despite the ongoing evolution of anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention methods, injury rates and the associated sex-disparity remain. Strategies capable of successfully countering key control parameters existent within the injury mechanism thus remain elusive. Forward dynamics model simulations afford an expedited means to study realistic injury causing scenarios, while controlling all facets of the movement control strategy. Utilizing these methods, the current study examined the potential for perturbations in key initial contact neuromuscular parameters to injure the anterior cruciate ligament during the stance phase of sidestep cutting maneuvers. Methods. Controlled experiments were performed on optimized and validated subject-specific forward dynamic musculoskeletal sidestep models generated from 10 male and 10 female data sets. Random perturbations (n = 5000) were applied to initial contact kinematic and muscle activation parameters in these baseline models and then to those with prescribed systematic modifications in initial hip and knee flexion, hip internal rotation and hip internal rotation velocity postures. The number of injuries via an isolated anterior tibial shear (>2000 N) or knee valgus load (>125 Nm) mechanism was determined for each of the seven model conditions and subsequently compared. Findings. Neuromuscular control perturbations produced peak stance phase (0–100 ms) knee valgus loads large enough to induce anterior cruciate ligament injury. Decreases and increases in combined initial contact hip and knee flexion postures and hip internal rotation velocity produced significant increases and decreases in these valgus-induced ACL injury rates respectively. Interpretation. Anterior cruciate ligament injury via a valgus load mechanism is more likely during sidestepping when landing in a more extended posture, or with increased hip external rotation velocity. The fact that injury rates are reduced when these control parameters are reversed suggests they should be central to ongoing prevention strategy developments. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Dietary Therapy Mitigates Persistent Wake Deficits Caused by Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Sleep disorders are highly prevalent in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and can significantly impair cognitive rehabilitation. No proven therapies exist to mitigate the neurocognitive consequences of TBI. We show that mild brain injury in mice causes a persistent inability to maintain wakefulness and decreases orexin neuron activation during wakefulness. We gave mice a dietary supplement of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), precursors for de novo glutamate synthesis in the brain. BCAA therapy reinstated activation of orexin neurons and improved wake deficits in mice with mild brain injury. Our data suggest that dietary BCAA intervention, acting in part through orexin, can ameliorate injury-induced sleep disturbances and may facilitate cognitive rehabilitation after brain injury.
Adult Sex Offenders on Community Supervision: A Review of Recent Assessment Strategies and Treatment

Sex offenders present challenges to treatment providers and probation officers. This article reviews recent developments in assessing risk and gauging their treatment progress. Probation departments in many jurisdictions have recently created specialized sex offender programs that provide intensive supervision and treatment. This article also reviews studies that have carefully evaluated these new probation strategies. In addition, it surveys the literature on treatment effectiveness and the predictors of treatment failure. Finally, the current article discusses directions for future research and implications for professional practice.
Millivolt switches will support better energy-reliability tradeoffs

Millivolt switches will not only improve energy efficiency, but will enable a new capability to manage the energy-reliability tradeoff. By effectively utilizing this system-level capability, it may be possible to obtain one or two additional generations of scaling beyond current projections. Millivolt switches will enable further energy scaling, a process that is expected to continue until the technology encounters thermal noise errors [Theis 10]. If thermal noise errors can be accommodated at higher levels through a new form of error correction, it may be possible to scale about 3× lower in system energy than is currently projected. A general solution to errors would also address long standing problems with Cosmic Ray strikes, weak and aging parts, some cyber security vulnerabilities, etc.
The Conundrum of Genetic “Drivers” in Benign Conditions

Advances in deep genomic sequencing have identified a spectrum of cancer-specific passenger and driver aberrations. Clones with driver anomalies are believed to be positively selected during carcinogenesis. Accumulating evidence, however, shows that genomic alterations, such as those inBRAF,RAS,EGFR,HER2,FGFR3,PIK3CA,TP53,CDKN2A, andNF1/2, all of which are considered hallmark drivers of specific cancers, can also be identified in benign and premalignant conditions, occasionally at frequencies higher than in their malignant counterparts. Targeting these genomic drivers can produce dramatic responses in advanced cancer, but the effects on their benign counterparts are less clear. This benign-malignant phenomenon is well illustrated in studies ofBRAFV600E mutations, which are paradoxically more frequent in benign nevi (∼80%) than in dysplastic nevi (∼60%) or melanoma (∼40%-45%). Similarly, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 is more commonly overexpressed in ductal carcinoma in situ (∼27%-56%) when compared with invasive breast cancer (∼11%-20%).FGFR3mutations in bladder cancer also decrease with tumor grade (low-grade tumors, ∼61%; high-grade, ∼11%). "Driver" mutations also occur in nonmalignant settings:TP53mutations in synovial tissue from rheumatoid arthritis andFGFR3mutations in seborrheic keratosis. The latter observations suggest that the oncogenicity of these alterations may be tissue context-dependent. The conversion of benign conditions to premalignant disease may involve other genetic events and/or epigenetic reprogramming. Putative driver mutations can also be germline and associated with increased cancer risk (eg, germlineRASorTP53alterations), but germlineFGFR3orNF2abnormalities do not predispose to malignancy. We discuss the enigma of genetic "drivers" in benign and premalignant conditions and the implications for prevention strategies and theories of tumorigenesis.
Numerical analysis of the effects of combustion in rocket ejectors

In the rocket ejector mode of rocket-based combined-cycle engines, fuel for afterburning can be introduced either through operating the rocket thruster fuel-rich or through discrete downstream injection. Basic thermodynamic analysis indicates discrete injection is more efficient, but the use of a fuel-rich thruster could decrease engine length and complexity. A computational study is conducted to qualitatively evaluate the differences in these two approaches. Of particular interest are multidimensional effects which cannot be accounted for using one-dimensional analyses. Combustion of fuel before significant mixing had occurred decreased the engine performance. Typically, these conditions resulted in negative thrust augmentation for these conditions. Combustion efficiencies were low, emphasizing the need for effective mixing in these flowfields. Finally, increasing combustion decreased the air entrainment because of thermal compression effect.
Tales of a gypsy doc: perspectives on social and medical aspects of care of the American Gypsy population.

Understanding a patient’s culture and outlook is critical to any doctor-patient interaction, but perhaps especially so when dealing with the Gypsy population.
Food, eating and social dynamics in the retirement community

Abstract. Research has shown that positive dietary practices play a role in preventing morbidity, delaying mortality, and enhancing quality of life. Not as well researched are the dietary behaviors of elderly women. The purpose of this study was to examine how the physical and social environment of a retirement community without special care ammenities shapes dietary practices among older women. In- depth narrative interviews with 18 female residents allowed insight into their dietary experiences. The consequent analysis identified four levels of influence: 1) ageing factors; 2) resident interaction and roles; 3) the retirement community environment; and 4) economic and political factors. Findings were interpreted in terms of social experiences and structural characteristics of the retirement community that constrain or facilitate dietary practices. These findings provide a better understanding of elderly womens dietary behavior and have implications on quality of life issues for residents of retirement communities.
Influence of Resistant Soybeans on the Susceptibility of Lepidopterous Pests to Insecticides

In the laboratory, Heliothis zea (Boddie) larvae that were fed foliage of ED73–371, a genotype resistant to the Mexican bean beetle, Epilachna varivestis Mulsant, weighed less and were more susceptible to methomyl and Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner compared to larvae fed foliage of the ‘Bragg’ variety. No difference was detected in the LD50, of methyl parathion when H. zea larvae were reared on Bragg and ED73–371. Larvae of Pseudoplusia includens (Walker) weighed less and were significantly more susceptible to methyl parathion when fed ED73–371 foliage than when fed Bragg foliage, whereas LD60’s of methomyl and B. thuringiensis were similar on the 2 genotypes. Percent control of field populations of H. zea was greater in ED73–371 than in Bragg soybeans when plots of each genotype were treated with similar rates of methyl parathion or B. thuringiensis . Fewer larvae were found in untreated plots of ED73–371 than in Bragg, indicating a lower natural population in the resistant soybeans.
MACHINE BASED OPTIMIZATION USING GENETIC ALGORITHMS IN A STORAGE RING

The genetic algorithm (GA) has been a popular technique in optimizing the design of particle accelerators. As a population based algorithm, GA requires a large number of evaluations of the objective functions, which can be time consuming. One can benefit from parallel computing with significantly reduced computing time when fulfilling the function evaluation by a numerical machine model in simulation codes. Indeed, this is the most common approach in GA applications. In this paper, instead of applying GA in the conventional numerical calculations as described above, we present a successful experimental demonstration of implementing GA in real machine based optimization. We conduct the minimization of the average vertical beam size of the SPEAR3 storage ring using GA. Beam loss rate is chosen as the sole objective function because it is inversely proportional to the vertical beam size and can be measured instantaneously in SPEAR3. The decision variables are the strengths of SPEAR3 skew quadrupoles, by varying which we can change both the betatron coupling and the vertical dispersion while searching for the minimum beam size. The results in this paper can shed light on new applications of GAs in the particle accelerator community, for example, optimizing the luminosity of a high energy collider or the injection efficiency of a diffraction limited storage ring in real time.
Stenting of a Retropharyngeal Internal Carotid Artery

A retropharyngeal course of the carotid artery is an uncommon variant. Recognition of this anatomic anomaly is important in avoiding severe hemorrhage with endotracheal intubation and oropharyngeal procedures and for planning carotid interventions. We present a rare case of stenting for an asymptomatic, high-grade stenosis in a retropharyngeal internal carotid artery.
Online Probabilistic Load Flow Based on Cumulant Method Considering Multi-Slack Strategy

An improvement of probabilistic load flow based on cumulant method has been proposed in this paper to improve the calculation accuracy by considering multi-slack strategy. Compared with conventional analytical method,with modifying of the sensitivity matrix, the unbalanced power can be distributed fitting by system physical attribute in the proposed method. The accuracy and practicality of this method is testified by the 4 IEEE systems and a real power case.