cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A clustering prediction scheme for wireless cellular network

A centralized collaborative system between nodes and BSs is developed, and a new prediction mobility scheme is proposed with data mining and time series techniques. Based on the mobility prediction, bandwidth is reserved for the paths with the maximum support or the best confidence rule, so that the handoff calls' service can be guaranteed. This new approach belongs to the direct group mobility (DGM) prediction scheme and is based on the tree path construction algorithm (TPCON) for each base station (BS). The nodes with DGM support provide the BSs with the important aggregate bandwidth information so that they can avoid the congestion for the handoff users' sake. For finding the most popular group path, based on TPCON, clusters are constructed according to the various flows of the group mobility over an area of mobile stations. We focus on the center oriented clusters that are very crucial for bandwidth prediction purposes. An adaptive clustering algorithm creates the chain of activated cells at each time. A call admission control (CAC) algorithm is developed for each BS for minimizing the call dropping probability. This study deals with the system behavior only at exceptional congestion time periods (periodical events). Simulation results are provided
Feasibility of a Composite of Sic Whiskers in an MoSi2 Matrix

A composite consisting of 20 vol% SiC whiskers in a hot-pressed MoSi/sub 2/ matrix was investigated. The composite displayed an approx. = 100% increase in flexural strength and a 54% improvement in fracture toughness, compared to the values measured for the matrix material. The improvements are attributed to the change in the microstructure of the MoSi/sub 2/ afforded by the presence of the whiskers.
On the sensitivity of covariance based direction finding to gain and phase perturbations

In recent work the author (1990) studied the sensitivity of two direction finding algorithms (MUSIC and maximum likelihood) to gain and phase errors. Here, he generalizes the analysis to any consistent estimator based on the covariance matrix of the received data. The analysis is deterministic in the sense that the gain/phase perturbations are assumed to be fixed during the data collection interval; also, the exact covariance matrix of the received data is assumed to be known. >
The Significance of Age of Onset for Schizophrenia

Age of onset is the single most important characteristic of schizophrenia that could yield clues to its origin. To identify the age of onset, however, the onset of the pathological process must be determined. This process may have more than one component occurring at distinctly different times in the life of an individual. Nevertheless, many studies, using either the first appearance of psychosis or the age of first hospitalization, have found gender, familial, and other "age of onset" differences among patients with schizophrenia. These differences may aid in examining genetic mechanisms for schizophrenia.
Adjuvant external-beam radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy after resection of primary gallbladder carcinoma: A 23-year experience

Purpose: Primary adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder is a rare malignancy. To better define the role of adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy, a retrospective analysis of the outcome of patients undergoing surgery and adjuvant therapy was undertaken. Methods and Materials: Twenty-two patients with primary and nonmetastatic gallbladder cancer were treated with radiation therapy after surgical resection. Median radiation dose was 45 Gy. Eighteen patients received concurrent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy. Median follow-up was 1.7 years in all patients and 3.9 years in survivors. Results: The 5-year actuarial overall survival, disease-free survival, metastases-free survival, and local-regional control of all 22 patients were 37%, 33%, 36%, and 59%, respectively. Median survival for all patients was 1.9 years. Conclusion: Our series suggests that an approach of radical resection followed by external-beam radiation therapy with radiosensitizing 5-FU in patients with locally advanced, nonmetastatic carcinoma of the gallbladder may improve survival. This regimen should be considered in patients with resectable gallbladder carcinoma.
Genetic evidence for hybridization in red oaks (Quercus sect. Lobatae, Fagaceae)

Premise of the study Hybridization is pervasive in many plant taxa, with consequences for species taxonomy, local adaptation, and management. Oaks (Quercus spp.) are thought to hybridize readily yet retain distinct traits, drawing into question the biological species concept for such taxa, but the true extent of gene flow is controversial. Genetic data are beginning to shed new light on this issue, but red oaks (section Lobatae), an important component of North American forests, have largely been neglected. Moreover, gene flow estimates may be sensitive to the choice of life stage, marker type, or genetic structure statistic. Methods We coupled genetic structure data with parentage analyses for two mixed-species stands in North Carolina. Genetic structure analyses of adults (including F(ST), R(ST), G'(ST), and structure) reflect long-term patterns of gene flow, while the percentage of seedlings with parents of two different species reflect current levels of gene flow. Key results Genetic structure analyses revealed low differentiation in microsatellite allele frequencies between co-occurring species, suggesting past gene flow. However, methods differed in their sensitivity to differentiation, indicating a need for caution when drawing conclusions from a single method. Parentage analyses identified >20% of seedlings as potential hybrids. The species examined exhibit distinct morphologies, suggesting selection against intermediate phenotypes. Conclusions Our results suggest that hybridization between co-occurring red oaks occurs, but that selection may limit introgression, especially at functional loci. However, by providing a source of genetic variation, hybridization could influence the response of oaks and other hybridizing taxa to environmental change.
Near-maximal fractional oxygen extraction by active skeletal muscle in patients with chronic heart failure.

Systemic oxygen uptake and deep femoral vein oxygen content were determined at peak exercise in 53 patients with chronic heart failure with impaired systolic function (mean left ventricular ejectio...
Learning Potential and the Prediction of Work Skill Acquisition in Schizophrenia

This study examined whether a measure of learning potential could predict work skill acquisition in schizophrenia beyond the prediction offered by a single administration assessment. Fifty-seven outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder completed a test-train-test version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test as a measure of their learning potential. The outpatients were randomly assigned to training by errorless learning or conventional instruction on two work skills (index card filing and toilet tank assembly). Work skills were assessed both immediately and 3 months after training. Generally, patients with high learning potential performed better on the work skill tasks. Learning potential explained an additional 15 percent of variance beyond single administration assessment in participants' accuracy immediately after work skill training and an additional 13 percent of variance in participants' accuracy 3 months after training. These findings indicate that measures of learning potential contribute to the prediction of work skill acquisition, going beyond the predictive power of single administration assessments.
Estimating matched filter amplitude probability functions by failure rate analysis

Performance analysis of echolocation systems requires knowledge of the probability density function (pdf) or cumulative distribution function (cdf) of a matched filter output. A method is presented to estimate these and other probability functions from data by estimating the failure rate function, a function employed in reliability theory. The method can also be used to derive approximations to closed-form probability functions. The method is demonstrated using experimental sonar and radar clutter data and a closed-form radar clutter model.
Intracoronary thrombus : still a risk factor for PTCA failure ?

Pre-existing intracoronary thrombus has been associated with an increased risk of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) failure. Whether intracoronary thrombus is an independent risk factor for failure is uncertain, as conflicting data exist in the literature. Additionally, given advances in patient selection and angioplasty balloon design, it is uncertain whether the current risk posed by intracoronary thrombus is as substantial as that in the early angioplasty experience. The primary objective of this study was to first assess whether pre-existing coronary thrombus was an independent predictor of angioplasty failure and if so, whether the risk due to thrombus had changed from the early angioplasty experience to the present time. Our prospectively collected angioplasty data base was used to identify individuals undergoing single-vessel angioplasty of a thrombus-containing segment from January 1, 1984 through December 1, 1991. Univariate and multivariate stepwise logistic regression techniques were utilized to analyze clinical, angiographic, and procedural characteristics associated with angioplasty failure. The study period was divided into three separate time periods and these used as variables in our multivariate analysis. In the study population that consisted of 2,699 patients with single-vessel angioplasty, univariate analysis demonstrated that among many factors, thrombus was importantly associated with angioplasty failure (P < 0.0001). A multivariate logistic model of angioplasty failure was developed and thrombus achieved independent predictive significance in this model.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Should Health Insurance Cover Ivf? Issues and Options

An emotional debate has attended the question of whether health insurance should cover the cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF) for infertile couples. Some private health plans have opted to cover IVF, although most have not. Ten states have mandated that it be included or offered as a standard benefit for private health insurance plans. This article analyzes several key issues in the debate: the impact of insurance coverage; the cost-effectiveness of IVF; valuing the benefit of IVF; and adoption as an alternative. It recommends policy action in several areas: more efficiently allocating resources for IVF (by giving priority to couples with better chances of success, and by making more extensive use of facilities with higher success rates); ensuring that clear and reliable information about the effectiveness of IVF is available; and leveling the playing field between IVF and adoption.
Psychopathology and anger in interpersonal violence offenders.

The current literature on psychopathology and anger suggests that both contribute to interpersonal violence. The present study examined psychopathology and anger expression with two objectives: to confirm previous distinctions of personality type among abusive individuals and to examine the relation between these types and anger. Cluster analysis was conducted with data gathered from 40 subjects. Results suggested confirmation of four clusters of interpersonal violence offenders. Furthermore, the most pathological cluster type reported the highest level of total anger experience, while the histrionic cluster type reported the lowest anger expression. These results provide tentative support for a positive relationship between psychopathology and anger, as well as for the distinction between overcontrolled and under-controlled anger as subtypes of interpersonal violence offenders. Language: en
Automated 3-D Segmentation of Internal Hemoglobin in TEM Images

Active contour models or snakes are widely used for medical image segmentation, due to their robustness to images with weak borders and poor contrast, and their ability to provide smooth contours. However, initialization is a serious problem for active contours and they tend to be attracted towards inappropriate image features if the initialization is not proper. In this paper, we propose a method that combines region growing and active contours for segmenting internal hemoglobin in transmission electron micrograph images of malaria parasites. Region growing is used in each image slice to provide the initial contour for the snake, which then determines the final contour based on the gradient vector field. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in terms of segmentation quality and accuracy.
Is immunohistochemistry for epidermal growth factor receptor expression a poor predictor of response to epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted therapy?

TO THE EDITOR: I read with interest the recently published article by Saltz et al in which they reported poor correlation between the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) score and response to cetuximab treatment in patients with refractory colorectal cancer. In that study, one of 17 patients with 1 EGFr status, four of 30 with EGFr 2 status, and zero of 10 with EGFr 3 status, were responders. The authors stated in the Discussion that immunohistochemistry for EGFr expression is a poor indicator of which tumors are most treatable by the EGFr-targeted therapy used in the study. Before accepting this conclusion, we need the authors to provide important methodological details that were lacking in their article. Answering the following questions will help us understand some possible reasons for the unexpected results they reported: (1) The authors should name the “single reference laboratory” who performed and measured the expression of EGFr by immunohistochemistry. This is a customary practice in most publications. (2) The authors need to clarify how EGFr status was scored. The grading method mentioned in their Methods section is certainly NOT according to the manufacturer’s (DakoCytomation, Carpinteria, CA) instructions that are included in the recently released EGFrpharmDx kit. The product sheet recommends an “observational” approach to reporting the results of EGFr staining in which the overall percent of positive cancer cells, the percent of cancer cells with membranous staining, the percent of cancer cells with cytoplasmic staining, the intensity of the membranous staining, and the intensity of the cytoplasmic staining are all reported. There is no suggestion of a combined score. Therefore, the authors should explain how did they come up with the 0, 1 , 2 , and 3 scores for EGFr expression, and what these scores mean. (3) It will be helpful to know what percent of cancer cells were positive for membranous EGFr expression, and whether or not there were correlation between this percentage and treatment response. (4) The instructions included with Dako EGFr pharmDx kit specifically state that “Only tissues preserved in neutral buffered formalin for routine processing and paraffin embedding are suitable for use.” Unexpected results in previous studies on other markers were later found to be due to authors’ using alcohol-based tissue fixatives or postfixation instead of neutral buffered formalin and routine processing. The authors did not provide any information on the type of tissue fixatives used, whether postfixatives were used, or whether the same tissue fixatives, reagents, and processing protocols were used in all participating institutions.
Severe myocardial dysfunction during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Abstract Of the 102 neonates with respiratory fallure supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at this institution between 1984 and 1987, 8 patients developed severe myocardial dysfunction that was noted shortly after onset of bypass. The neonates in the cardiac dysfunction group were more hypoxic (average PaO 2 = 26 ± 8 mm Hg v 41 ± 19 mm Hg, P
Identification of a Rat c-erbAα-Related Protein Which Binds Deoxyribonucleic Acid but does not Bind Thyroid Hormone

c-erbA cDNAs encoding thyroid hormone-binding receptor proteins have been previously isolated from several species and tissues. We have isolated a novel rat c-erbA cDNA, r-erbAα-2, identical to the rat brain c-erbAα cDNA (which we refer to as r-erbAα-1) except at the 3′-end of the cDNA, which encodes an altered carboxy-terminal region of the predicted amino acid sequence. The r-erbAα-2 cDNA is most closely related to the human testicular c-erbAα cDNA. The apparent molecular weight of the in vitro protein product of this cDNA is 55 K, close to that predicted from the nucleotide sequence. The r-erbAα-2 protein binds a DNA fragment containing a putative T3-responsive sequence from the rat GH gene. However, the r-erbAα-2 protein product does not bind T3. RNA isolated from rat GH3 cells and various rat tissues contains at least three mRNAs hybridizing to c-erbAα probes. A predominant 2.6 kilobase mRNA hybridizes specifically to r-erbAα-2, while a 5.0 kb mRNA hybridizes to r-erbAα-1-specific cDNA probes. The r-...
Agricultural Applications Of Weather Derivatives

Weather derivatives are currently a fast growing derivatives sector. The purpose of this article is to examine the background of the weather derivatives market and some of its benefits for agricultural risk management. In addition, this article is meant to serve as an overview of the benefits and uses of weather derivatives for those who may not be otherwise exposed to this type of market. This article examines the structure of Heating Degree Day and Cooling Degree Day contracts along with agricultural hedging uses of weather derivatives, notably, a use unique in this market, hedging of volumetric risk.
Are they paying attention? Students’ lack of motivation and attention potentially threaten the utility of course evaluations

Student evaluations are a common source of information used by instructors and administrators, but their utility depends on students’ motivation and attention. This paper presents evidence from two studies indicating that insufficient effort responding and lack of motivation may be problems in course evaluations. In the first study, approximately one in four students responded in an improbable way to ‘catch items’ embedded in actual course evaluation instruments, suggesting a lack of attention. In the second study, students’ responses to an online survey indicated that they doubted that their responses to course evaluations would be used by instructors or administrators. The majority of students admitted to only occasionally putting sufficient effort into their responses. Potential means for identifying insufficient effort responding and mechanisms for increasing student attention and motivation during the course evaluation process are discussed.
Weyl and Dirac loop superconductors

We study three-dimensional systems where the parent metallic state contains a loop of Weyl points. We introduce the minimal $\mathbf{k}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathbf{p}$ Hamiltonian, and discuss its symmetries. Guided by this symmetry analysis, we classify the superconducting instabilities that may arise. For a doped Weyl loop material, we argue that---independent of microscopic details---the leading superconducting instability should be to a fully gapped chiral superconductor in three dimensions---an unusual state made possible only by the nontrivial topology of the Fermi surface. This state, which we dub the ``meron superconductor,'' is neither fully topological nor fully trivial. Meanwhile, at perfect compensation additional states are possible (including some that are fully topological), but the leading instability depends on microscopic details. We discuss the influence of disorder on pairing. In the presence of a spin degeneracy (``Dirac loops'') still more complex superconducting states can arise, including a ``skyrmion'' superconductor with topological properties similar to superfluid He III-B, which additionally breaks lattice rotation symmetry and exhibits nematic order.
Heavy childhood television use persists into young adulthood and is associated with increased BMI

Objective To test whether TV use has both concurrent effects on body mass index (BMI) at the time of survey interviews and long-term, enduring effects via the promotion of future levels of TV use. Methods Two waves of survey data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics were used to test relationships between TV use and BMI among a nationally representative sample of children and their parents (n = 1,421). Path analysis was used to model effects of childhood (1997) levels of TV use and BMI on the same variables 14 years later (2011). Results Path analysis showed childhood TV use was associated positively with childhood BMI (β = 0.08, P < 0.05), and young adult TV use was related positively to young adult BMI (β = 0.10, P < 0.01). Heavy childhood TV use also persisted into young adulthood (β = 0.15, P < 0.001), indirectly increasing young adult BMI (β = 0.02, P < 0.05). Conclusions Heavy childhood TV users tend to become heavy young adult users. The continuation of TV behavior from childhood to young adulthood independently increases BMI.
Sorption of 14C-Labelled Chlorpyrifos (Killmaster II) by German Cockroaches (Orthoptera: Blattellidae)

Laboratory experiments with susceptible strain of Blattella germanica (L.) were done to determine the effect of a plastic resin lacquer (Killmaster) additive on the insecticidal properties of chlorpyrifos. No advantage in topical toxicity was demonstrated for the lacquer formulation compared with an emulsifiable-concentrate (EC) formulation. Radio-tracer experiments indicated the residual efficacy of 14C-chlorpyrifos lacquer on painted wood surfaces over a 1-year period was inferior to comparable 14C-chlorpyrifos EC applications. Also, the “layer” integrity of initial 14C-chlorpyrifos lacquer applications was not maintained when subsequent applications were made.
Occupational Determinateness: A Problem and Hypotheses in Role Theory

T HE sociologist has only to attempt to answer the more penetrating questions of his brighter sophomores to realize that his professional fraternity lacks consensus on the conceptualization of "role." If he has assigned two or more readings on the concept, his students may well have found two or more definitions of it. And if he should make so bold as to teach a course which emphasizes research, he is really courting trouble when the floor is thrown open for a discussion of the utility of such a concept in a science of interaction. "Inner-directed" and "other-directed" have become almost popular jargon, but they seem to be more closely related to personality and value taxonomy than to interaction analysis.' Parsons says that he conceives the "specific-diffuse" dichotomy as a system goal concept rather than a classification of status-pair expectations." We have, then, the division of statuses and roles into "ascribed" and "achieved," a usage considerably more honored in time and in textbook than in research application. While these are meaningful and useful terms for the description of some institutional behaviors and for the comparison of diverse cultures, they offer us little in the analysis of many social systems: industry, politics, and voluntary associations, for example. Yet, to many of us, "role" is one of the basic analytic constructs, if not the core concept, in sociology and social psychology. Some taxonomy of roles, however simple, would seem desirable. We have been driven by our research to construct a classification based upon the degree of flexibility in the role expectations. The terms were derived for use in a project dealing with occupational roles and will be presented here as they apply to this research. While this dichotomy is subject to the usual difficulties which attend ideal type constructs, it is to be hoped that, as empirical work refines it, the classification may be found more generally useful in the analysis of interaction in other spheres. Sociologists need a theory of occupations. We have a theory of industrial organization by Weber out of Roethlisberger and Dickson, and most recently refined by Gouldner.3 We have a start toward a theory of industrial administration, thanks largely to Barnard, Whyte, and the applied anthropologists.4 Our knowledge of occupations, however, is almost entirely limited to descriptive materials presented without any attempt at theoretic systematization. The bulk of our data on occupations consists of facts which we possess because they were gathered peripherally in research with some theoretical orientation other than that of a sociology of occupations. Studies of the general social structure of industry, for example, through their descriptions of formal and informal organization, have led to an analysis of the stratification of occupations in work plants.5 Community stratification studies
Environmental Risk Analysis: Probability Distribution Calculations

INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ANALYSIS Introduction to Environmental Risk Environmental Risk Analysis Introduction to Probability and Statistics Introduction to Probability Distributions DISCRETE PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS Binomial Distribution Multinomial Distribution Hypergeometric Distribution Poisson Distribution CONTINUOUS PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS Normal Distribution Log-Normal Distribution Exponential Distribution Weibull Distribution Other Continuous Probability Distributions APPLICATIONS Chemicals and Refineries Energy and Power Manufacturing and Electronics Pharmaceuticals Military and Terrorism Travel/Aerospace/Weather Nanotechnology
Granulocytes and red cell lysis.

Intact granulocytes from man and rabbit hemolyze red cells in vitro. The hemolytic activity is related to the lysosomes. A highly-basic protein fraction from the lysosomes and lysosomal membrane material produce hemolysis in isosmotic buffered saline and increase the osmotic fragility of red cells. Sucrose does not inhibit this hemolytic activity but low temperature incubation and heparin do.
The prevalence of SARS in Guangdong province from 2003 to 2004 and its control

The clinical characteristics of patients, epidemiological factors and control measures for SARS prevalence in Guangdong province from 2003 to 2004 were analysed in order to improve the preventive tactics for this illness. The epidemiology and the related factors with the new SARS cases in Guangdong province in 2003-2004 were described and analysed by descriptive method of epidemiology. From August 2003 to June 2004, all together there were 4 community-acquired and laboratory diagnosed cases of SARS in Guangdong province; all of these cases had no contact history with the same kind of patients, neither occurring the secondary patients. In these 4 cases, one case might be infected through contact with civet cats, 2 cases had the possibility to contact with cevet cats before the onset of illness and the source of infection for the remaining one case was uncertain.. The positive rate of SARS-Cov IgG antibodies in personnels from two refectories with possible contacts with 3 SARS patients was 6.3% (8/128);and that of population working with wild animals was higher than that of the non-wild animal occupation [ 3.3% (46/1390) vs 0% (0/452)]. In addition, SARS genes could be detected from cages for civet cats in TGL restaurants managing civet cats by using RT-PCR assay. The mean interval from onset of illness to be diagnosed was 3 days ,and the mean interval from onset of illness to be isolated from community was 5.8 days(4-7 days). All thoe closely contactd with patients had been tracted and quarantined timely in which quarantine had been performed to all closely contacts 5-6 days after onset of illeness in 3 cases and 12 days in another one case.. In the whole range of Guangdong provinc, eating or killing of wild aninals, such as civet cats was prohibited. Under performance of these manoeuvres, no new case of SARS was discovered later on. It is concluded that the critical points in epidemics of SARS to control the spreading of disease consists of the improvement of the early warning surveillance system with core measures of the so called “3-early” ( early detection, early report and early isolation) and the management of suspected animals to be infected with SARS virus.
Concave worlds, artificial horizons: reframing the urban public garden

As a type, the urban public garden retains an important place-making role in cities. Unlike urban parks — which are increasingly indistinguishable from the neoliberal cities of spectacle in which t...
A Study of Current Market Conditions in the Mutual Fund Industry

The purpose of this chapter is to determine whether the mutual fund industry is competitive and, therefore, whether the forces of competition are sufficient to restrain managers of mutual funds from behaving in a manner contrary to shareholders’ interests. If competition prevents abuses, then regulation may not be warranted. In this chapter, we provide a framework for the evaluation of competition in the mutual fund industry.
Single Trial Variability of Event-Related Brain Potentials as an Index of Neural Efficiency During Working Memory

Event-related brain potentials ERPs to a particular stimulus are extracted from the continuous electroencephalogram EEG through signal averaging techniques. The most extensively studied ERP component, P300 P3, or P3b, occurs at approximately 300---800i¾?ms post-stimulus. P3 amplitude and latency are markers of the attentional/cognitive resources devoted to the task and the timing within msecs of central processing speed of an individual's cognitive response to a stimulus, respectively. Variability in the timing and amplitude of components in the single EEG trials that contribute to the averaged ERP has been of particular interest to our laboratory because it may provide an index of central information processing efficiency. Examination of single trial variability STV can provide a level of analysis beyond traditional ERP measures and offers a unique marker of the functional integrity of neural pathways. In the present study we examined ERP STV as it relates to WM demand or load during a visual n-back task in normal adult participants. Performance measures and the scalp-recorded EEG were obtained during the n-back task. Frontal and parietal scalp averaged ERPs were derived from the EEG time-locked to the stimuli. The mean and variability SD of the peak amplitude and latency were then obtained from the single trial data for each participant and condition. Results showed that as WM load increased, behavioral measures of processing speed slowed, behavioral efficiency decreased, and the number of correct responses decreased. Correlations for both latency and amplitude between the P3 component derived from the averaged ERP and the P3 component derived from the single trials were generally high, indicating that the P3s for individual trials identified by our STV procedure were representative of the P3s in the averaged ERP obtained by standard signal averaging procedures.P3 STV analyses also showed differential effects between frontal and parietal scalp sites for both amplitude and latency variability that were related to WM load. Both frontal P3 latency STV and amplitude increased as WM load increased, indicating decreased neural efficiency associated with an increase in WM load. Single trial ERP variability measures may provide potential physiological markers of the neural efficiency of brain processes engaged in cognitive functions, such as working memory.
Laser Treatment of Experimental Animal Cancer

The oncologist will find himself confused in experimental animal work with lasers unless he has training in laser technology and expert advice and suggestions. This has been the pattern today in cooperative studies of laser research of experimental cancer in animals as illustrated by the pioneering studies of McGuff and his group, by Klein and Fine and their associates, by Minton and Ketcham and by Rounds and Chamberlin. These exellent basic investigations both in laser radiation of tissue cultures of malignant cells and of experimental cancer in animals have shown varied patterns of effects of laser on cancer. According to Fine and Klein, the effect of the laser treatment of cancer in animals has extended “... from complete regression to accelerated deterioration of the tumorbearing host.” Again, these experiments show, as expected, that the color and consistencey of tissue affects the results.
What's Important: The Unhappy Patient.

Like most orthopaedic surgeons, I think I’m a nice guy and a very effective “communicator.” When I tell patients what is wrong with them and what they have to do about it, I am really clear. If they don’t understand, I can speak louder or repeat myself. When someone questions my judgment, I can explain how many certificates I have hanging on the walls of my office. It seemed to me that this attitude served me OK for my first decade in practice. At the end of each clinical session, I was sure that I had helped lots of people with my wisdom. If they were unhappy with my advice, they were free to go elsewhere. Eventually, because I was doing so well, I was appointed department chair. It sounds like a great job. It turns out that there are some downsides. What I didn’t realize was that anytime a patient had an unhappy experience with one of our 40 faculty members, he/she would write me a letter or complain to one of my bosses. The first time I got a letter from an unhappy patient, …
ℋ 2 -clustering of closed-loop consensus networks under generalized LQR designs

In this paper we present a Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) control design for large-scale consensus networks. When such networks have tens of thousands of nodes spread over a wide geographical span, the design and implementation of conventional LQR controllers become very challenging. Consider an n-node consensus network with both node and edge weights. Given any positive integer r, our objective is to develop a strategy for grouping the states of this network into r distinct non-overlapping groups. The criterion for this partitioning is defined as follows. First, an LQR state-feedback controller is defined over the n-node network for any given Q ≥ 0. Then, an r-dimensional reduced-order network is created by imposing a projection matrix P on the open-loop network, and a reduced-order r-dimensional LQR controller is constructed. The resulting controller is, thereafter, projected back to its original coordinates, and implemented in the n-node network. The problem, therefore, is to find a grouping strategy or P that will minimize the difference between the closed-loop transfer matrix of the original network with the full-order controller and that with the projected controller in the sense of ℋ 2 norm. We derive an upper bound on this difference in terms of P, and, thereby propose a design for P using weighted k-means that tightens the bound. The weighting of k-means arises due to the node weights in the network, and the resulting asymmetry in its Laplacian matrix.
Airborne polarimetric Doppler weather radar: Trade-offs between various engineering specifications

NCAR/EOL is investigating potential configurations for the next generation airborne phased array radar (APAR) that is capable of retrieving dynamic and microphysical characteristics of clouds and precipitation. A number of antenna aperture configurations, and signal processing algorithms will be used for realizing overall performance of the APAR. In the case of polarimetric measurements, alternate transmit with alternate receive (single channel receiver) and simultaneous reception (dual channel receiver) is considered. The above-mentioned engineering options will be evaluated for realizing an optimal APAR system suitable for measuring the high temporal and spatial resolution of Doppler and polarimetric measurements of precipitation and clouds when compared to a mechanically scanning radar.
Design of CRM AC/DC converter for very high-frequency high-density WBG-based 6.6kW bidirectional on-board battery charger

The wide-band-gap (WBG) devices based 6.6 kW bidirectional on-board charger (OBC) system for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) is recently developed. With the proposed novel variable DC-link voltage system architecture, high frequency soft switching operation, and integrated magnetics, the OBC system becomes more compact and more efficient compared to a Si-based counterpart. The design considerations of the AC/DC stage are introduced in this paper including the evaluation of 1.2 kV SiC MOSFETs; the zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) extension function for the line-cycle ZVS operation; and the novel universal control strategy for both the rectifier mode and the inverter mode. The prototype of the AC/DC stage is built which achieves 98.5% efficiency at higher than 300 kHz switching frequency. Finally, the complete 6.6 kW OBC system using both SiC and GaN devices is demonstrated with 37 W/in3 power density and above 96% efficiency.
The Beatty scarp in Nye County, Nevada—An important late quaternary morphologic Datum

Abstract The Beatty scarp is a prominent topographic scarp located immediately south of the town of Beatty, Nevada. Early workers interpreted the feature to be a Quaternary fault scarp, but recent studies indicate that the feature is a fluvial scarp marking the former channel margin of the Amargosa River. Detailed topographic scarp profiles indicate that the Beatty scarp is nearly 30 m in height and has maximum scarp-slope angles of 35°. Because the age of the scarp is constrained at about 9000 to 13,000 yr, the Beatty scarp provides an important reference datum for scarp degradation studies and morphologic analyses in southern Nevada.
High Throughput Method of Extracting and Counting Strontium-90 in Urine

A method has been developed for the rapid extraction of Sr-90 from the urine of individuals exposed to radiation in a terrorist attack. The method employs two chromatographic ion-exchange materials: Diphonix resin and Sr resin, both of which are commercially available. The Diphonix resin reduces the alkali ion concentrations below 10 mM, and the Sr resin concentrates and decontaminates strontium-90. Experimental and calculational data are given for a variety of test conditions. On the basis of these results, a flowsheet has been developed for the rapid concentration and extraction of Sr-90 from human urine samples for subsequent beta-counting.
Catastrophic wind and salvage harvesting effects on woodland plants

Abstract Compound disturbances may result in novel forest successional and developmental patterns. This study investigated effects of post-wind disturbance salvage harvesting, a unique compound disturbance of which the ecological consequences are unresolved, in fire-restored longleaf pine woodlands of the Alabama Fall Line Hills, a characteristically biodiverse and rare ecosystem. Plot-level data were collected May–June 2016 in areas undisturbed, wind-disturbed, and compound-disturbed (salvage harvested within seven months of an April 2011 EF3 tornado). Disturbance-mediated differences in (1) physical site conditions, (2) woody plant composition and structure, and (3) ground flora (herbaceous and woody plants ≤ 1 m in height) were assessed. Multivariate analyses revealed distinct differences in ground flora across disturbance categories. Biophysical drivers most correlated with differences in species assemblages included volume of coarse woody debris, sapling density, percent canopy cover, and basal area. Unharvested wind-disturbed plots had the greatest diversity of saplings and ground flora, and had indicator species with unique habitat requirements (specialists). Indicator species of compound-disturbed plots were mostly generalists that also had a relatively high frequency and abundance in the other disturbance categories. Reduced plant diversity on compound-disturbed plots was attributed to salvage harvest-mediated reductions in habitat heterogeneity and resource availability. Thus, leaving patches unharvested within salvaged stands is recommended to promote stand-scale plant diversity.
Traditional African religions and their influences on the worldviews of Bangwa people of Cameroon

This essay explores the traditional African religious beliefs and practices of the people of Bangwa in the Southwestern region of Cameroon in order to uncover how those beliefs influence their thought processes and worldviews. In the course of rethinking and re-examining their belief systems and their traditional religious practices, the following themes emerged: religious sacrifices, observance of the Sabbath, belief system, incontrovertible belief in God, sorcery and divine retribution, the dead and the living, inequality and class divide, dreams and interpretation, names and religious identity. The implication of the essay is that study abroad should encompass religious studies that help study abroad students learn ways of thinking and knowing of their host countries.
Games superheroes play: Teaching game theory with comic book favorites

ABSTRACTThe valuable insights of game theory sometimes remain out of reach for students who are overwhelmed by the subject's complexity. Comic book applications of game theory, with superheroes as players, can facilitate enthusiasm and classroom interaction to enhance the learning of game theory. Drawing from content in superhero movies and books, the authors construct games to illustrate pure-strategy Nash equilibrium, Bayes-Nash equilibrium, mixed strategies, sub-game perfection, and perfect Bayesian equilibrium. To help instructors build students' skills in finding and interpreting game solutions, they translate comic book scenarios into specific game forms; however, not all scenarios are obvious so they suggest instructors help students develop their own game-theoretic judgments to determine what game forms, payoffs, and solution concepts might be appropriate for understanding a situation.
Morphology Extension Kit: A Modular Robotic Platform for Physically Reconfigurable Wearables

Various forms of wearable robotics challenge the notion of the human body, in that the robots render the acquired capabilities in physical forms. However, majority of such systems are designed for specific purposes, where rapidly changing environments pose a diverse set of problems that are difficult to solve with a single interface. To address this, we propose a modular hardware platform that allows its users or designers to build and customize wearable robots. The process of building an augmentation is simply to connect actuator and sensor blocks and attach them to the body. The current list of designed components includes servomotor modules and sensor modules, that can be programmed to incorporate additional electronics for desired sensing capabilities. Our electrical and mechanical connector designs can be extended to utilize any motors within afforded power, size, and weight constraints. We also show how our platform can be used in various applications, in addition to how the proposed design can be extended as well as challenges for future systems.
The Concept of Immunodiagnosis

Abstract The idea that specific immune responses could be used for diagnosis sprang from the studies of infection carried out in the last decades of the 19th century during the golden age of microbiology. Building on the demonstration by Roux and Yersin that some microorganisms such as the bacilli of diphtheria and tetanus produce their pathologic effects through the production of a soluble toxin, Von Behring and Katasato in 1890 showed that animals given sublethal doses of a toxin develop resistance to its effects. Using transfer experiments, they showed that the basis of this acquired resistance was found in the serum. These neutralizing antitoxins were disease specific and could be used for treatment of the particular disorder. Soon other factors were identified in the serum in response to infection in the form of lysins by Pfeiffer, agglutinins by Gruber and Durham, and precipitation by Kraus. Later Widal and others propounded the concept that the presence or increase of antibodies could provide a tool for diagnosis. The rationale for today’s widespread application of antibody-based diagnosis derives from that simple idea.
Monitoring of Chronic Daily Headaches

This chapter discusses the various metrics used in monitoring patients with chronic daily headache (CDH). Topics such as office visits, psychiatric assessments, vitals, physical exam, laboratory data, radiological imaging, standardized scales, and headache diaries will all be reviewed. To date a comprehensive collection of such information has yet to be compiled. The intent of this chapter is to provide information that can be used as a guide for monitoring those afflicted with chronic daily headaches, regardless of the type, and therefore allow for personalized treatment.
Mycobacterial DnaB helicase intein as oxidative stress sensor

Inteins are widespread self-splicing protein elements emerging as potential post-translational environmental sensors. Here, we describe two inteins within one protein, the Mycobacterium smegmatis replicative helicase DnaB. These inteins, DnaBi1 and DnaBi2, have homology to inteins in pathogens, splice with vastly varied rates, and are differentially responsive to environmental stressors. Whereas DnaBi1 splicing is reversibly inhibited by oxidative and nitrosative insults, DnaBi2 is not. Using a reporter that measures splicing in a native intein-containing organism and western blotting, we show that H2O2 inhibits DnaBi1 splicing in M. smegmatis. Intriguingly, upon oxidation, the catalytic cysteine of DnaBi1 forms an intramolecular disulfide bond. We report a crystal structure of the class 3 DnaBi1 intein at 1.95 A, supporting our findings and providing insight into this splicing mechanism. We propose that this cysteine toggle allows DnaBi1 to sense stress, pausing replication to maintain genome integrity, and then allowing splicing immediately when permissive conditions return.
Z c (4100 ) and Z c (4200 ) as hadrocharmonium

It is suggested that the recently reported charged charmoniumlike resonance ${Z}_{c}(4100)$ and the previously observed ${Z}_{c}(4200)$ are two states of hadrocharmonium, related by the charm quark spin symmetry in the same way as the lowest charmonium states ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{c}$ and $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$. Namely, the ${Z}_{c}(4100)$ is (dominantly) the ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{c}$ embedded in a light-quark excitation with quantum numbers of a pion, while the ${Z}_{c}(4200)$ is a similar four quark state containing $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ instead of ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{c}$. It is argued that this picture suggests certain relations between the properties of the two exotic resonances and a distinctive pattern of their decays that can be tested experimentally. It is also pointed out that due to the presence of a spatially compact $c\overline{c}$ charmonium the discussed exotic ${Z}_{c}$ states may be produced as resonances in the $s$ channel in $\overline{p}p$ annihilation.