cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chlamydial and gonococcal infections in women seeking pregnancy testing at family-planning clinics

Objective The objective of the study was to assess genital chlamydia and gonorrhea prevalence and associated predictors in women seeking pregnancy testing. Study Design The study included analysis of demographics and results of pregnancy, chlamydia, and gonorrhea testing in 1465 females seeking pregnancy testing at family-planning clinics in South Carolina. Results The median age was 22 years (range 16-45), the race distribution consisted of 53% African Americans and 47% Caucasians, and 64% of subjects were pregnant. Chlamydia and gonorrhea were detected in 12% and 2% of subjects, respectively. Predictors of chlamydia and gonorrhea included younger age and African American race. Chlamydia and gonorrhea prevalence did not differ in pregnant vs nonpregnant subjects. Conclusion Chlamydia prevalence was high and gonorrhea prevalence low in women seeking pregnancy testing at family-planning clinics, and both were predicted by younger age and African American race but not pregnancy status. Because the majority seeking pregnancy testing were pregnant, chlamydia testing in this population at risk for chlamydia-associated morbidity has potential benefit.
Design of near-field optical nanostructures for enhanced second-harmonic generation

We present optical nanostructure designs for enhancement of second harmonic generation based on near-field localization and phase matching effects, and analyze these nanostructures using a rigorous electromagnetic modeling tool.
Lactic acid restores skeletal muscle force in an in vitro fatigue model: are voltage-gated chloride channels involved?

High interstitial K+ concentration ([K+]) has been reported to impede normal propagation of electrical impulses along the muscle cell membrane (sarcolemma) and then also into the transverse tubule ...
Transfronterizo Literacies and Content in a Dual Language Classroom.

Abstract The purpose of this article is to discuss the ways in which young transfronterizo students who live between the two worlds of El Paso (USA) and Ciudad Juarez (Mexico) bring their literacy practices and content to the classroom. Drawing on the data gathered during a 3-year ethnographic study, we illustrate how transfronterizo texts and content are used for academic purposes, in particular in the context of learning narrative writing. We present the case of one transfronteriza teacher who successfully facilitated literacies crossing numerous borders. We frame our discussion of transfronterizo literacy practices drawing on literature from dual language education, the Continua of Biliteracy Model, and the New Literacy Studies. We show the recontextualization and transcontextualization of texts and practices. These processes help us understand biliteracy development in this border area, which is both global and local. We argue that developing awareness of how transfronterizo literacies are used in cla...
Quantitative gene monitoring of microbial tetracycline resistance using magnetic luminescent nanoparticles

A magnetic/luminescent nanoparticles (MLNPs) based DNA hybridization method was developed for quantitative monitoring of antibiotic resistance genes and gene-expression in environmental samples. Manipulation of magnetic field enabled the separation of the MLNPs-DNA hybrids from the solution and the fluorescence of MLNPs normalized the quantity of target DNA. In our newly developed MLNPs-DNA assay, linear standard curves (R2 = 0.99) of target gene was determined with the detection limit of 620 gene copies. The potential risk of increased bacterial antibiotic resistance was assessed by quantitative monitoring of tetracycline resistance (i.e., tetQ gene) in wastewater microcosms. The gene abundance and its expression showed a significant increase of tetQ gene copies with the addition of tetracycline, triclosan (TCS), or triclocarban (TCC). A real-time PCR assay was employed to verify the quantification capability of the MLNPs-DNA assay and accordingly both assays have shown strong correlation (R2 = 0.93). This non-PCR based MLNPs-DNA assay has demonstrated its potential for gene quantification via a rapid, simple, and high throughput platform and its novel use of internal calibration standards.
Specific Allergy Immunotherapy for Allergic Rhinitis: Subcutaneous and Sublingual

Numerous controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of specific allergen immunotherapy (SIT) in reducing the clinical symptoms and costs associated with allergic rhinitis. Compared with pharmacotherapy, SIT may provide persistent clinical benefits after treatment discontinuation. Subcutaneous and sublingual immunotherapy are the two most widely prescribed SIT routes worldwide. This review compares the efficacy, safety, preventive effect, immunologic mechanisms, and adherence rates associated with these two forms of SIT.
Environmental Effects on Glycophorin A Folding and Structure Examined through Molecular Simulations

The human erythrocyte sialoglycoprotein glycophorin A (GpA) has been used extensively in experiment and simulations as a model of transmembrane helix-dimer formation, emphasizing the critical role of specific residue-residue interactions between helices in dimer stability. While the tertiary dimer structure is modulated by the hydrophobic lipid bilayer environment, we show that interactions of GpA with ordered interfacial water are commensurate to intrahelical forces. The role of lipid-water interface in stabilizing transmembrane proteins is not yet understood; however, dramatic water reordering in the presence of the transmembrane domains is observed from simulations and is possibly measurable by experiment. Interfacial interactions including anisotropic interactions with the polar headgroups might favor parallel association of transmembrane helices. To quantify forces capable of disrupting the GpA dimer, we generate folding/unfolding intermediates by replacement of the lipid bilayer with water, eliminating not only the native hydrophobic environment but also the native interfacial water region. Dramatic changes in the secondary, helical structures occur, with a transition from i,i+4 α-helix to i,i+5 π-helix and concomitant perturbation of the tertiary structure. Enforcing the native α-helix secondary structure by soft dihedral restraints restores the native tertiary structure, in essence substituting for the lack of the lipid-water interface. We suggest that differentiation between interactions within the lipid bilayer, including interactions with lipid headgroups and interfacial water can enrich our understanding of the thermodynamic stability of transmembrane domains.
Education, Athletic Scholarships, and the Occupational Career of the Professional Athlete.

Based on a survey of 335 former major league baseball players, college education was found to be incompatible with sports performance but positively associated with postbaseball occupational achievement. Athletic scholarship recipients, when compared with nonsupported college peers, were characterized by lower levels of playing ability and limited occupational success. The results are discussed in terms of three distinct "ideal-typical" career profiles based on differences in baseball skill, commitment to baseball, and later occupational achievement. The results seriously compromise the myth of occupational mobility for the sports hero.
EFFECT OF PARTICLE SIZE ON BULK DENSITY AND STRENGTH PROPERTIES OF URANIUM DIOXIDE SPECIMENS

Fused uranium dioxide was separated into fractions of varying particle size by air separation. Specimens of the nominal size of 1/8 by 1/4 by 1½ in. were formed by hydrostatic pressing, firing, and lapping. Specimens prepared from the 0 to 5 μ fraction were the strongest and most dense. The room-temperature density was about 92% of theoretical and the room-temperature flexural strength was about 12,000 1b. per sq. in. When tested at 1000°C., the strength was about 18,000 1b. per sq. in. The flexural strength of specimens decreased and their density decreased as the starting particle size was increased. The crystallization of the urania fragments which had occurred during the firing treatment was observed.
Vector set-partitioning with successive refinement Voronoi lattice VQ for embedded wavelet image coding

While lattice vector quantization (LVQ) can solve the complexity problem of LBG based vector quantizers, and also yield very general codebooks, a single stage lattice VQ, when applied to high variance vectors result in very large and unwieldy indices, making it unsuitable for applications requiring successive refinement. The goal of this work is to develop a unified framework for progressive uniform quantization of vectors, without having to sacrifice the mean-squared-error advantage of lattice quantization. A successive refinement uniform vector quantization paradigm is developed, where the codebooks in successive stages are all lattice codebooks, each in the shape of the Voronoi region of the lattice at the previous stage. The Voronoi shaped lattice codebook at each stage is called Voronoi lattice VQ (VLVQ). Measures of efficiency of successive refinement are developed. The developed methodology is applied to successively refine vectors of wavelet coefficients in the vector set-partitioning (VSPIHT) framework to obtain an embedded bitstream. The results are compared against the previous successive approximation wavelet vector quantization (SA-W-VQ) results of Sampson, da Silva, and Ghanbari (see IEEE Trans. Image Processing, vol.5, no.2, p.299-310, 1996) for image coding.
Invasion spread of Operophtera brumata in northeastern United States and hybridization with O. bruceata

We used five methods to estimate the rate of spread of the winter moth, Operophtera brumata L., a European Lepidoptera, invading the northeastern USA and occasionally hybridizing with the closely related O. bruceata. These two species utilize the same sex attractant and pheromone traps capture both species. We estimated spread based on the ratio of the two species captured in pheromone-baited traps. Population boundaries were derived from captures in a grid of traps and spread was estimated as 6.6 km/year based on displacement of population boundaries between 2005 and 2008. Radial spread rate was also estimated as 6.9 km/year from the displacement of boundaries using logistic regression of trap captures along a single east–west transect of traps deployed yearly from 2007 to 2011. We also estimated the rate of spread from the expansion of defoliation mapped during aerial surveys. Based on the displacement of defoliation boundaries from 2005 to 2008, spread rate was estimated as 6.0 km/year. Based on the year of first defoliation, spread was estimated as 4.8 km/year and regression of the square-root of the cumulative area/π versus time yielded an estimate of 4.7 km/year. All five estimates were similar, and differences reflect the nuances of the data from which they were derived. We discuss here how the occasional hybridization with O. bruceata may be either retarding or enhancing O. brumata spread.
Status and influence in virtual communities: an examination of interactions between followers of a video blog

It is important for organisations to understand why their customers participate in virtual communities, the groups in which they participate, and the interactions that occur. This information can offer insight into how social media might be used to build brands and strengthen marketing communications programs. Although groups are comprised of members who strive to belong, individuals also have a fundamental need to distinguish themselves from others. Using blog entries submitted over a nine-week period by followers of a Ustream.tv live broadcast of Shiba Inu puppies, the research examines motives for participation, and identifies sources of differentiation within the group and their relationship to status and attempts to influence others. Evidence of subgroups is found, and comments posted by members suggest the potential for influence in messages that are not company-initiated.
Neurobiology of the structure of personality: Dopamine, facilitation of incentive motivation, and extraversion.

Extraversion has two central characteristics: (1) interpersonal engagement, which consists of affiliation (enjoying and valuing close interpersonal bonds, being warm and affectionate) and agency (being socially dominant, enjoying leadership roles, being assertive, being exhibitionistic, and having a sense of potency in accomplishing goals) and (2) impulsivity, which emerges from the interaction of extraversion and a second, independent trait (constraint). Agency is a more general motivational disposition that includes dominance, ambition, mastery, efficacy, and achievement. Positive affect (a combination of positive feelings and motivation) is closely associated with extraversion. Extraversion is accordingly based on positive incentive motivation. Parallels between extraversion (particularly its agency component) and a mammalian behavioral approach system based on positive incentive motivation implicate a neuroanatomical network and modulatory neurotransmitters in the processing of incentive motivation. A corticolimbic-striatal-thalamic network (1) integrates the salient incentive context in the medial orbital cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus; (2) encodes the intensity of incentive stimuli in a motive circuit composed of the nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum, and ventral tegmental area dopamine projection system; and (3) creates an incentive motivational state that can be transmitted to the motor system. Individual differences in the functioning of this network arise from functional variation in the ventral tegmental area dopamine projections, which are directly involved in coding the intensity of incentive motivation. The animal evidence suggests that there are three neurodevelopmental sources of individual differences in dopamine: genetic, "experience-expectant," and "experience-dependent." Individual differences in dopamine promote variation in the heterosynaptic plasticity that enhances the connection between incentive context and incentive motivation and behavior. Our psychobiological threshold model explains the effects of individual differences in dopamine transmission on behavior, and their relation to personality traits is discussed.
The Three Factors in Reading Ability: Reanalysis of a Study by Cunningham, Stanovich, and Wilson

Cunningham, Stanovich, and Wilson (1990) tested college students and concluded from their 22 measures that three factors were needed to explain individual differences in reading ability; one of these factors was called Word Recognition. Their data have been reanalyzed to determine whether there is any support for the three individual difference factors advanced in rauding theory—called rauding accuracy level (AL), rauding rate level (RL), and rauding efficiency level (EL). A factor analysis of their nine variables that measured reading ability yielded two factors; one was readily identified as A L because its highest loadings were on vocabulary and listening tests, and the other was readily identified as RL because its highest loadings were on measures of reading rate. When a single factor fit was forced upon these data, the resulting factor was readily identified as E L because the highest loadings were on measures of general reading ability such as reading comprehension and efficiency. It appears that individual differences in almost all measures of reading ability can be explained by regarding AL and RL as correlated subfactors of general reading ability, EL. The Word Recognition factor found by Cunningham et al. appears to be a rate factor, called rauding rate level, RL.
Plasma and Urine Disposition of 1-α-Acetylmethadol and its Principal Metabolites in Man

The disposition of 1-alpha-acetylmethadol (LAAM) in plasma and urine was monitored by GC/CIMS following oral administration of 10 doses (0.73-1.5 mg/kg) over 42 days, to twelve human subjects. Plasma concentration-time course profiles fitted a two-compartment, first order kinetic model. Mean plasma t1/2 alpha for LAAM was 2.4 hours; t1/2 beta was 37.5 hours for the first dose and 46.8 hours for the last dose. The mean terminal half-life for nor-LAAM was 38.2 hours for first and 64.6 for last dose; for dinor-LAAM t1/2 beta was 168 hours, last dose. Drug accumulation occurred in some subjects, but within the study range, dosage was not related to maximum plasma levels nor to accumulation. In urine, the sum of LAAM, nor-LAAM, and dinor-LAAM represented 25% of the dose, and unconjugated methadol metabolites, 1.6-1.7%.
Prediction of solubility of biomolecules in supercritical solvents

The supercritical .uid extraction (SFE) is considered an appropriate alternative for separation of biomolecules from food and pharmaceutical products. A major di2culty in utilizing the SFE for biomolecules has been the di2culty in measurement and prediction of their solubilities in supercritical solvents at various pressures and temperatures for process optimization. Lack of data for intermolecular energy parameters and=or critical properties, acentric factors, and molar refractions limits us to the use of the simple equations of state for prediction of their solubilities in supercritical solvents. In this report, six di8erent cubic equations of state are used to predict the solubility of cholesterol and � -carotene, as two representative biomolecules, in supercritical .uids. They are the van der Waals, Redlich–Kwong, Mohsen-Nia–Moddaress–Mansoori (MMM), Peng–Robinson (PR) and Patel–Teja and modi=ed PR equations. It is shown that the two-parameter MMM equation is more accurate than =ve of the other equations and comparable to the modi=ed PR equation in predicting the solubility of cholesterol and � -carotene in supercritical .uids. ? 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
A cognitive latent variable model for the simultaneous analysis of behavioral and personality data.

I describe a cognitive latent variable model, a combination of a cognitive model and a latent variable model that can be used to aggregate information regarding cognitive parameters across participants and tasks. The model is ideally suited for uncovering relationships between latent task abilities as they are expressed in experimental paradigms, but can also be used as data fusion tools to connect latent abilities with external covariates from entirely different data sources. An example application deals with the structure of cognitive abilities underlying an executive functioning task and its relation to personality traits. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.
It Takes Two To Tango Buyer-Supplier Relationship Building

The purpose of this case is to demonstrate how industrial norms influence the relationship between exchange parties. Deeply entrenched industrial norms serve as guidelines for behavior within permissible limits for exchange parties in a given industry. They form a common ground for action and constitute an implicit understanding upon which a cooperative relationship can be built. Industrial norms therefore play an important role in reducing conflict in the early stages of the interfirm relationship as they help exchange parties develop successful relationships. In the absence of industrial norms, exchange parties at the initial stages of a relationship may be faced with conflict. Even a detailed contract is usually not sufficient to prevent conflict. However, a contract does help exchange parties pursue the relationship and this continuity will foster the development of relational norms. Relational norms tend to govern long-term relationships and they are unique to the specific relationship, as opposed to industrial norms, which hold for an entire industry. The contribution of this article is as follows: (1) It offers a more extensive discussion of the interfirm relation in a macro social context than has previously been explored in inter-organization research literature, and (2) presents a useful premise for understanding interfirm relationships. This case can be used in conjunction with discussion on marketing topics such as the design of marketing channels (Chapter 6, Designing the Marketing Channel, Marketing Channels: A Management View, 7th Edition by Bert Rosenbloom, South-Western College Pub, 2003) for senior level marketing seminar.
Therapeutic Uses of Double-Balloon Enteroscopy

In spite of initial skepticism toward the practicability of double-balloon enteroscopy, this technology will become an integral part of endoscopy and is likely to find expanded applications in the future. One strong reason to support this technique is the capacity to deliver endoscopic therapies, and thereby minimize aggressive surgical options. With increasing acceptance of capsule endoscopy by the medical community, more small-bowel lesions will be found and more directed endoscopic interventions will be needed. Like many new procedures, reimbursement issues will possibly prevent it from gaining well-deserved popularity. Unlike other common endoscopies, double-balloon enteroscopy is an expensive procedure. It requires fluoroscopy, extended anesthesia support, long procedure time, significant capital investment, and a team of threeor four people (endoscopist, anesthesiologist, nurse). Gastroenterologists and their patients will have to work together to convince insurance carriers that this isa valuable and cost-effective technology worthy of appropriate reimbursement.
Donut Stop: Local Competition From A National Chain

This case applies undergraduate intermediate microeconomic competition fundamentals to the situation of a dominant local firm competing against a national company. The case presents details of a donut company with multiple locations in a mid-sized city competing against a national chain with more than 175 stores. Price, location, attribute differences, firm-service differentials, and differentiated subjective image in the form of advertising are the primary forms of competition explored in the case.
Inhibitory renorenal reflexes: a role for renal prostaglandins in activation of renal sensory receptors.

In anesthetized rats, activation of renal sensory receptors with a mechanical stimulus (increased ureteral pressure) and a chemical stimulus (renal pelvic perfusion with 0.9 M NaCl) results in an increase in ipsilateral afferent renal nerve activity and a reflex increase in contralateral urine flow rate and urinary sodium excretion, i.e., a contralateral inhibitory renorenal reflex. Because both interventions are known to increase renal prostaglandin (PG) synthesis, we examined whether renal PGs were involved in the renorenal reflex response to renal sensory receptor stimulation. In the first part, mechanical and chemical activation of renal sensory receptors was performed in the absence and presence of renal pelvic perfusion with indomethacin or meclofenamate (0.2 micrograms/min). Indomethacin inhibited the ipsilateral afferent renal nerve activity response to increased ureteral pressure (7 +/- 2 vs. 38 +/- 10%, P less than 0.01) and renal pelvic perfusion with 0.9 M NaCl (3 +/- 3 vs. 28 +/- 5%, P less than 0.01) and the contralateral diuretic and natriuretic responses in the absence of any renal hemodynamic changes. Similar effects were produced by meclofenamate. In the second part, mechanical and chemical activation of renal sensory receptors was performed in the presence of renal pelvic perfusion with vehicle, indomethacin, and indomethacin plus PGE2 (20 micrograms/min). Addition of PGE2 to the renal pelvic perfusate in indomethacin-treated kidneys restored the responses to mechanical and chemical activation of renal sensory receptors to levels not different from their pre-indomethacin control values. We conclude that PGs in the renal pelvic area are involved in inhibitory renorenal reflex responses to mechanical and chemical activation of renal sensory receptors.
DOA estimation with co-prime arrays in the presence of mutual coupling

In this paper, we present a method for performing direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation using co-prime arrays in the presence of mutual coupling. The effects of mutual coupling are first examined for extended co-prime arrays configurations using the Receiving-Mutual-Impedance Method (RMIM). DOA estimation is then achieved by performing a joint estimation of the angles of arrival and the mutual coupling matrix, using the mixed-parameter covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy. Simulation results demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method are provided.
Metabolomics data analysis and missing value issues with application to infarcted mouse hearts

Background High throughput technology makes it possible to monitor metabolites on different experiments and has been widely used to detect differences in metabolites in many areas of biomedical research. Mass spectrometry has become one of the main analytical technique for profiling a wide array of compounds in the biological samples. Extracting relevant biological information from large datasets is one of the challenges. Missing values in metabolomics datasets occur widely and can arise from different sources, including both technical and biological reasons. Mostly the missing value is substituted by the minimum value, and this substitute may lead to different results in the downstream analysis. Different methods tend to give different results. In this study we summarize the statistical analysis of metabolomics data with no missing values and with missing values. With the missing values, we compare the different methods and examine the outcomes based on each method.
Equal Protection for Human Clones: A Review of Illegal Beings: Human Clones and the Law by Kerry Macintosh

In response to the arguments of social, religious and medical ethicists that reproductive cloning undermines human dignity and should be banned, Illegal Beings: Human Clones and the Law by Kerry Macintosh marshals constitutional law and policy arguments toward a critique of legislative efforts to prohibit human reproductive cloning. This is a welcome perspective, given the tendency of efforts to ban human reproductive cloning to rely on philosophical imponderables rather than serious, thoughtful consideration of the practical ramifications of cloning bans on those who will inevitably be born via the use of this technology. This review joins those who have favorably received Macintosh's book. It begins by situating Macintosh's book within the debate over human reproductive cloning and executing a close reading of her constitutional-law argument. It praises in particular Macintosh's meticulously honed insight that bans on human reproductive cloning perpetrate an insidious existential segregation of human clones. This review concludes with some reflections on how the Supreme Court's jurisprudence mandating equal treatment for non-marital children might be brought to bear against reproductive cloning bans.
DS-01GLUCOCORTICOIDS POTENTLY INDUCE APOPTOSIS IN THE CEREBELLAR EXTERNAL GRANULE LAYER: IMPLICATIONS FOR MEDULLOBLASTOMA TREATMENT

Premature infants suffering from respiratory dysfunction are often administered glucocorticoids (GCs) to mature the lungs. Unfortunately, neonates exposed to GCs can exhibit neuromotor deficits and selective cerebellar stunting. In order to test the safety of GCs, we administered the synthetic GC dexamethasone to neonatal mouse pups and found it potently increased apoptosis in the external granule layer (EGL) of the cerebellum. The EGL is responsible for producing over 90% of the neurons in the cerebellum, which represents over half the neurons in the entire brain. We subsequently discovered that endogenous GC release, receptors, and enzymatic metabolism is carefully orchestrated to selectively increase stimulation in the EGL as it is naturally eliminated. This suggests the GC system may signal the permanent disappearance of the EGL during development. Unfortunately, EGL neural progenitor cells (NPCs) can transform into medulloblastomas (MBs), the most common malignant brain tumor in children. As a result, the GC system may play a critical role in MB development. Up to 30% of human medulloblastomas are thought to be driven by excessive Hedgehog signaling (a potent EGL mitogen). Consistent with this idea, mice with mutations causing constitutive Hedgehog signaling are also vulnerable to MB formation. Interestingly, excessive Hedgehog signaling is also thought to decrease GC stimulation in the EGL due to selective GC metabolism. Therefore, we used MB prone (Patched) mice to examine if this vulnerability still exists during preneoplastic tumor transformation. We found GC stimulation potently increased apoptotic cell death in preneoplasms. This suggests GCs may both play a role in MB development and have potential as a therapeutic treatment.
Practical ways to avoid superpower crises

The adoption of practical proposals, such as the four outlined here, to ensure that crises do not escalate into superpower confrontations may prevent nuclear war even in the absence of fundamental changes in U.S.-Soviet relations.
Localization and actions of transforming growth factor-beta s in the embryonic nervous system.

We present evidence for unique localization and specific biological activities for transforming growth factor-beta s (TGF-beta s) 2 and 3, as compared to TGF-beta 1, in the nervous system of the 12–18 day mouse embryo. Each TGF-beta isoform was localized immunohistochemically by specific antibodies raised to peptides corresponding to unique sequences in the respective TGF-beta proteins. Staining for TGF-beta 1 was principally in the meninges, while TGF-beta s 2 and 3 co-localized in neuronal perikarya and axons, as well as in radial glial cells. In the central nervous system, staining was most prominent in zones where neuronal differentiation occurs and less intense in zones of active proliferation, while in the peripheral nervous system, many nerve fibers as well as their cell bodies were strongly immunoreactive for TGF-beta s 2 and 3. Functionally, we have also found that in the presence of an extract of chick eye tissue, TGF-beta s 2 and 3 inhibit survival of cultured embryonic chick ciliary ganglionic neurons in a dose-dependent fashion; TGF-beta 1 shows no inhibitory effects. Our data suggest that TGF-beta s 2 and 3 may play a role in regulation of neuronal migration and differentiation, as well as in glial cell proliferation and differentiation.
The design of handheld device based on data information security

In order to solve the unstable problem of communication quality and data transmission between power station and energy meter,we design a portable device with the functions of encryption and decryption used the field maintenance of intelligent electric meter.With the increased security,the data transmission is not tampered,confidentiality and data integrity is not destroyed,the identity information of the users is not disabused.It meets the need of the power system which can collect the power consumption information and has the widespread application prospect.
Nearly Hypersingular Integrals by Double-Arctan Transformation in Higher Order Geometry Modeling

In order to directly utilize the dyadic Green’s functions in surface integral equations (SIEs), a novel double-arctan transformation for nearly hypersingular integrals is proposed in this communication. This new transformation is flexible and applicable to nearly hypersingular integrals in the forms of $\hat {R}\hat {R}/R^{3}$ , $\hat {R}/R^{3^{^{}}}$ , and $1/R^{3}$ over the curved surfaces by a fully numerical method. With the help of the sigmoidal transformation to improve the stability of this new singularly handling method, there results an efficient solution for the third-order near-singularity problems in SIEs. Moreover, the proposed method is also effective for the lower orders of the nearly singular integral kernels. With typical testing cases, the performance of this method is fairly evaluated, and its validity and stability is well demonstrated.
Diode laser noise and limitations for spectroscopy

In using lasers for spectroscopy and other precision measurements, the amount of absorption or dispersion that can be delected in a sample is often limited by the technical noise on a laser rather than the fundamental limits of the sample. With hopes of using diode lasers for quantum limited detection of atoms and molecules, we studied the amplitude noise characteristics of these lasers. We are also interested in achieving very high spectral resolution, so we have incorporated optical feedback techniques to stabilize the frequency and narrow the linewidth of diode lasers. Some of the spectral characteristics of the amplitude noise on lasers with optical feedback (for narrowing) differ from the noise on unaltered lasers. The fractional amplitude noise level on diode lasers is relatively tow when compared with traditional tunable laser sources, but it is still well above the fundamental shot noise level. For room temperature AlGaAs lasers operating at spectroscopically useful power levels, the amplitude noise is typically 20 dB above the shot noise level. The spectral distribution of this noise has been measured from a few hertz out to beyond the relaxation oscillation frequency at a few gigahertz. When these Users are antireflection coated on one facet and coupled with optical feedback to extended cavities (for tuning and reduced linewidths), the amplitude noise spectrum is altered significantly. In the case of strong optical feedback from gratings, the amplitude noise on these lasers can be within 5 dB of the shot noise level over broad spectral regions.
From moral imagination to international public spheres: the political and institutional implications of pragmatic critique

Introduction To summarize the point at which chapter 7 concluded, there is a central dilemma or tension that pragmatic critique must address in order adequately to incorporate feminist ethical/political concerns. The problematic moral situation takes the following form: how might pragmatic critique proceed in a way that properly interrogates the discursive and material power structures of communities, enabling radical critique, such that reformism is not all we have available. This has implications not only for extending moral inclusion to women in international practice, but for the extent to which pragmatic critique generally is able to facilitate moral inclusion. Can this pragmatic synthesis rely upon its answer to the authentic critique problem: the projection of alternative discourses and practices through moral imagination? Can we assume that the tensions which set immanent critique rolling will be readily and always apparent, and that social contradictions will at times be so glaring that we will be motivated and able to seek their determination through metaphor and the transformation of social practice? This is where power considerations must come into play. However, at the same time, there is an associated danger with pursuing avenues of authentic critique in this way: that is, whether this pragmatic approach can have anything to say about the possibilities for consensus around ethical criteria and how such convergence might be facilitated. Bringing power considerations to the fore means that it matters whether or not one finds criteria of ethical judgement by and for oneself, because, if one does not, such criteria are likely to be felt as an external imposition by the individual concerned, which could lead to the occurrence of further morally problematic situations in the future.
Major amyloid-β–degrading enzymes, endothelin-converting enzyme-2 and neprilysin, are expressed by distinct populations of GABAergic interneurons in hippocampus and neocortex

Impaired clearance of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) has been postulated to significantly contribute to the amyloid accumulation typical of Alzheimer's disease. Among the enzymes known to degrade Aβ in vivo are endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE)-1, ECE-2, and neprilysin (NEP), and evidence suggests that they regulate independent pools of Aβ that may be functionally significant. To better understand the differential regulation of Aβ concentration by its physiological degrading enzymes, we characterized the cell and region-specific expression pattern of ECE-1, ECE-2, and NEP by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in brain areas relevant to Alzheimer's disease. In contrast to the broader distribution of ECE-1, ECE-2 and NEP were found enriched in GABAergic neurons. ECE-2 was majorly expressed by somatostatin-expressing interneurons and was active in isolated synaptosomes. NEP messenger RNA was found mainly in parvalbumin-expressing interneurons, with NEP protein localized to perisomatic parvalbuminergic synapses. The identification of somatostatinergic and parvalbuminergic synapses as hubs for Aβ degradation is consistent with the possibility that Aβ may have a physiological function related to the regulation of inhibitory signaling.
Development and electrical properties of undoped polycrystalline silicon thin film transistors for guest-host LCDs

It is demonstrated that it is possible to use TFTs (thin-film transistors) to construct CMOS inverters operating at 40 V. In addition, the authors discuss qualitatively and quantitatively the changes which take place in the grain boundary trap density on removal of HCl during gate oxidation and on grain boundary passivation by hydrogenation. Quantitative measurements of I/sub DS/ as a function of V/sub G/ show that the removal of HCl during gate oxidation of polysilicon lowers the grain boundary trap density by about one third. This is a small but still significant improvement in addition to the reductions by factors of 6 to 9 obtained through hydrogenation. The activation energy for source-drain conduction at low values of V/sub G/ was measured to be 0.55 eV and indicates that conduction is controlled by the supply of carriers from mid-gap grain boundary states. The activation energy of dual gated devices is twice that for a single gated structure, since at values of V/sub G/ close to the conduction minimum, both gates equally control conduction. >
Performance analysis of distributed control configurations in LQR multi-agent system design

The paper considers a distributed Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) design framework for a network of identical dynamically decoupled multi-agent systems. It is known that in this case a stabilizing distributed controller for the network can be obtained by solving a centralized LQR problem whose size depends on the maximum vertex degree of the graph. A systematic method is presented for computing the performance loss of various distributed control configurations relative to the performance of the centralized controller. A procedure is developed for analyzing the performance loss for general distributed control configurations and state-space directions. It is also shown that by removing a single link we can always define a control configuration for which there is no performance loss, provided the initial state of the aggregate system lies in a particular direction of state-space which is identified. The results are illustrated by an exhaustive analysis of the network consisting of six identical agents.
Cognitive affordance representations in uncertain logic

The concept of "affordance" represents the relationship between human perceivers and their environment. Affordance perception, representation, and inference are central to commonsense reasoning, tool-use and creative problem-solving in artificial agents. Existing approaches fail to provide flexibility with which to reason about affordances in the open world, where they are influenced by changing context, social norms, historical precedence, and uncertainty. We develop a formal rules-based logical representational format coupled with an uncertainty-processing framework to reason about cognitive affordances in a more general manner than shown in the existing literature. Our framework allows agents to make deductive and abductive inferences about functional and social affordances, collectively and dynamically, thereby allowing the agent to adapt to changing conditions. We demonstrate our approach with an example, and show that an agent can successfully reason through situations that involve a tight interplay between various social and functional norms.
American Gastroenterological Association Institute Technical Review on the Role of Elastography in Chronic Liver Diseases.

Chronic liver diseases (CLDs), due to chronic hepatitis C; hepatitis B; nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD); and alcoholic liver disease, are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Early identification of patients with cirrhosis at high risk of progression to liver-related complications may facilitate timely care and improve outcomes. With risks and misclassification associated with invasive tests, such as liver biopsy, noninvasive imaging modalities for liver fibrosis assessment have gained popularity. Therefore, the American Gastroenterological Association prioritized clinical guidelines on the role of elastography in CLDs, focusing on vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). To inform these clinical guidelines, the current technical review was developed in accordance with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework for diagnostic accuracy studies. This technical review addresses focused questions related to: (1) comparative diagnostic performance of VCTE and MRE relative to nonproprietary, serum-based fibrosis markers for detection of cirrhosis in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), NAFLD, and alcoholic liver diseases; (2) performance of specific VCTE-defined liver stiffness cutoffs as a test replacement strategy (to replace liver biopsy) in making key decisions in the management of patients with CLDs; and (3) performance of specific VCTE-defined liver stiffness cutoffs as a triage test to identify patients with low likelihood of harboring high-risk esophageal varices (EVs) or having clinically significant portal hypertension (for presurgical risk stratification). This technical review does not address performance of other noninvasive modalities for assessing fibrosis (eg, acoustic radiation force pulse imaging or shear wave elastography) or steatosis (controlled attenuation parameter or magnetic resonance imaging−estimated proton density fat fraction).
Critical Magnetic Field and Its Slope, Specific Heat, and Gap for Superconductivity as Modified by Nanoscopic Disorder

Abstract Superconductivity can be modified by various effects related to randomness, disorder, structural defects, and other similar physical effects. Their affects on superconductivity are important because such effects are intrinsic to certain material system's preparation, or may be intentionally produced. Here we show that the introduction of disorder through impurities could possibly lead to an increase in the superconducting gap Δ ( T ) , where this disorder is of an unconventional non-alloy type. Furthermore, by use of this Δ ( T ) in a microscopic approach, critical magnetic field H c , its slope d H c / d T , and heat capacity C e l are found. This is an old subject, having been addressed decades ago in the view of simpler substances, including metal alloy materials. Today, with the advances in material science, nanoscience, and atomic level preparation of materials and devices, this subject should be reexamined. That is our purpose here, especially in light of some recent discoveries made in the area of the metal–insulator transition, to be covered herein. Use is made of many-body quantum field theory for condensed matter, employing quantum Green's functions, to extract out analytical formulas. The reader will find use made of perturbational Feynman propagator techniques, and finite temperature quantum Matsubara Green's functions. Relationship to BCS theory is indicated throughout the presentation.
A Transactional Correctness Tool for Abstract Data Types

Transactional memory simplifies multiprocessor programming by providing the guarantee that a sequential block of code in the form of a transaction will exhibit atomicity and isolation. Transactional data structures offer the same guarantee to concurrent data structures by enabling the atomic execution of a composition of operations. The concurrency control of transactional memory systems preserves atomicity and isolation by detecting read/write conflicts among multiple concurrent transactions. State-of-the-art transactional data structures improve on this concurrency control protocol by providing explicit transaction-level synchronization for only non-commutative operations. Since read/write conflicts are handled by thread-level concurrency control, the correctness of transactional data structures cannot be evaluated according to the read/write histories. This presents a challenge for existing correctness verification techniques for transactional memory, because correctness is determined according to the transitions taken by the transactions in the presence of read/write conflicts.In this article, we present Transactional Correctness tool for Abstract Data Types (TxC-ADT), the first tool that can check the correctness of transactional data structures. TxC-ADT elevates the standard definitions of transactional correctness to be in terms of an abstract data type, an essential aspect for checking correctness of transactions that synchronize only for high-level semantic conflicts. To accommodate a diverse assortment of transactional correctness conditions, we present a technique for defining correctness as a happens-before relation. Defining a correctness condition in this manner enables an automated approach in which correctness is evaluated by generating and analyzing a transactional happens-before graph during model checking. A transactional happens-before graph is maintained on a per-thread basis, making our approach applicable to transactional correctness conditions that do not enforce a total order on a transactional execution. We demonstrate the practical applications of TxC-ADT by checking Lock Free Transactional Transformation and Transactional Data Structure Libraries for serializability, strict serializability, opacity, and causal consistency.
Multihazard Assessment and Retrofit of Deteriorated Timber Pile Bridges

AbstractCompared to research studies on the behavior and performance of reinforced concrete and steel structures, there is almost no information available in the literature relating to heavy timber...
Technical skill and informed consent.

Does a surgeon’s complication rate in a randomized controlled trial constitute a “significant new finding” that must be reported to patients during the consent process? Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.