cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Tactile Exploration of a Harsh Environment by a Manipulator With Joint Backlash

Here the tactile exploration by an autonomous robot when its joints are corrupted by significant backlash is studied. The motivation is the exploration of junctions in oil wells where the harsh conditions dictate the use of tactile exploration. These conditions also result in large, unknown, and variable backlash in the manipulator’s transmissions. Here, a method is developed to simultaneously identify the backlash and map the unknown surface. The method only needs joint encoders, and avoids the use of delicate force or tactile sensors. The mapped surface is described as a combination of geometric primitives. The robot probes the surface in several locations with its tip and computes the contact point through direct kinematics. These contact points are used simultaneously to construct a map of the environment and to identify its joint backlash, improving the precision of the map. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated in both simulation case studies and laboratory experiments.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Delivery of nanoparticle‐complexed drugs across the vascular endothelial barrier via caveolae

The endothelial cell monolayer lining the vessel wall forms a size-selective, semi-permeable barrier between the blood and tissue that must be crossed by blood borne therapeutic agents to reach diseased extravascular tissue. Nanoparticles engineered to carry drugs present an opportunity to enhance the specificity and efficacy of drug delivery. Therefore, an understanding of how these engineered nanoparticles are transported across the vessel wall will help us to more fully exploit this powerful therapeutic technology. Vascular endothelial cells are rich in caveolae, cell surface invaginations 50–100 nm in diameter that mediate endocytosis of lipids, proteins, and viruses. Caveolar invaginations pinch off to form intracellular vesicles that can transport cargo across the cell and release the cargo into the extravascular space via exocytosis. Here, we will review the current concepts and state of development for delivering engineered nanoparticles across the endothelium via the caveolae-mediated pathway.
Adoptive T Regulatory Cell Therapy for Tolerance Induction

There is a clear need to develop strategies to induce tolerance without the need of chronic immunosuppression in transplant recipient and in patients with autoimmunity. Adoptive T regulatory cell (Treg) therapy offers the potential of long-lasting protection. However, based on results of clinical trials so far with ex vivo expanded autologous Tregs in type 1 diabetic (T1D) patients, it seems unlikely that single immunotherapy with Treg infusion without immunomodulation regimens that promote stable donor Treg engraftment and persistence would afford truly significant clinical benefit. Combination therapies could provide improved outcomes with consideration of the fundamental factors required for Treg generation, homeostasis, and function to promote long-term donor Treg persistence to provoke beneficial therapeutic outcomes.
Sustainable agriculture or sustained error? The case of cotton in Kirinyaga, Kenya

Abstract Ignoring historical information is one of the major sources of error in development planning. Much can be learned about what works and what does not by examining unsuccessful interventions. This paper uses archival and ethnographic data to examine the very troubled history of cotton in Kirinyaga District, Kenya. It compares the crop's introduction and failure during the 1930s under British colonial rule with its later disappointing promotion by the independent Kenyan government in the 1960s and 1970s. The paper seeks to analyze how and why errors can arise, become embedded, and proliferate in agricultural development efforts. The paper also explores why planners sometimes have difficulties appreciating lessons from the past, especially those from colonial times. The paper calls for planners to redouble their efforts to learn from historical information.
Mechanisms Underlying CaMKII Regulation of Astrocytic Glutamate Transporters

Excitotoxic calcium signaling, a hallmark of aberrant neuronal activity during cerebral ischemia and brain trauma, induces a loss of CaMKII activity that appears to sensitize neurons to glutamate-induced toxicity. Because CaMKII is present in astrocytes and other glia, we postulate that aberrant CaMKII signaling could compromise neuronal signaling and survival to excitotoxicity by disrupting astrocyte function. In support of this model, inhibition of CaMKII in cortical astrocytic cultures with a peptide (tat-CN21) as well as a small molecule (KN-93) inhibitor significantly reduces glutamate uptake compared to inactive controls, suggesting that glutamate transporters in astrocytes require CaMKII for their basal activity. The two primary excitatory amino acid transporters (EAAT) in astrocytes are EAAT 1 and EAAT2. Co-immunoprecipitation from rodent brain and immunocytochemical studies in cortical astrocytes reveal an association and co-localization respectively between EAAT2 and CaMKII. Although additional studies are required to determine if these interactions exist for EAAT1 and CaMKII in cells, in vitro studies using GST-fusion proteins and peptide tiling arrays indicate that purified δCaMKII binds to the N terminal and second intracellular loop of EAAT1, whereas, CaMKII preferentially binds to the N terminus and third intracellular loop of EAAT2. Using P32 incorporation as an index of CaMKII phosphorylation, phosphorylation of immunoprecipitated transporters as well as peptide tiling assays for EAAT2 reveal that astrocytic glutamate transporters are indeed CaMKII substrates. In total, our data support the hypothesis that astrocytic glutamate transporters are regulated by CaMKII binding and/or phosphorylation. Further studies are required to determine if a loss of CaMKII activity that is associated with pathological states, including epilepsy and ischemic stroke, compromises neuronal survival due to reduced glutamate transporter function previously associated with excitotoxicity.
Optical Cross-Correlation By Complex Exponentiation Of The Input Data

AbstractOptical cross - correlation to determine relative signal displacements and degree of similarity between twosignals is commonly implemented by matched filter techniques using absorption transparencies as inputs. Theproblems associated with absorption inputs include low correlation- signal intensities chie to the light absorb- ing nature of the input and law signal -to -noise ratios. Without considerable preprocessing, positive correla-tion peak detection is not always readily achievable. These limitations are largely overcome by complex ex-ponentiation of the inputs. For the optical analog this means phasing the input transparencies by a bleachingprocess to yield phase transparencies. The cross - correlation function of these complex exponentiated inputshas two striking properties. One, the correlation -signal approaches a delta- function. Two, the correlation - signal is not affected by a difference in bias levels (average densities) of the two inputs inasmuch as onlydifferential phase differences are used for detecting correlation. This means constant phase shifts will notcontaminate the correlation signal. Hence, extensive data preprocessing is not required.
Performance of Likelihood Ratio Processors

Summarized by its ROC curve, the performance of a Bayes optimal detector is a function of two joint a priori probability density functions on the uncertain parameters involved. An investigation is made to determine at what point in the generation of an ROC curve for a given pair of priors sufficient information is retained for the calculation of a new ROC based on a different pair of priors.
Mobilization of iron from coal fly ash was dependent upon the particle size and source of coal: analysis of rates and mechanisms.

The observed iron mobilization rate from size-fractionated coal fly ash is consistent with the model predictions for a limiting case of mass transfer where the dominant resistance is diffusion thro...
On the 6 × 6 cartesian stiffness matrix for three-dimensional motions

Abstract It has been recently observed by Pigoski et al. [1, 2], and by Ciblak and Lipkin [3] that the Cartesian stiffness matrix associated with a linear elastic coupling between two rigid bodies is, in general, asymmetric if the resulting forces and moments do not sum to zero. In this paper, methods of differential geometry and properties of Lie groups are used to show that in any conservative system subjected to a non-zero external load, if motions in SE (3), the special Euclidean group of rigid body motions in three dimensions, are considered, the resulting 6 × 6 Cartesian stiffness matrix is asymmetric in any inertial (fixed) or body-fixed reference frame. We prove the general result that in any subgroup of SE (3), if the system is subject to external forces and moments, the Cartesian stiffness matrix is symmetric if finite displacements along the basis twists are used to generate the stiffness matrix commute. Further, we derive several useful properties of stiffness matrices using ideas from Lie theory. In particular, we offer a simple proof to show that the stiffness matrix in the body-fixed reference frame is the transpose of the stiffness matrix in the inertial reference frame, a result also derived in [3]. Finally, we outline a method to construct a symmetric stiffness matrix by choosing an appropriate moving reference frame that is not fixed to any rigid body.
SUBVERSIVE RATIONALIZATION: TECHNOLOGY, POWER AND DEMOCRACY 1

This paper argues, against technological and economic determinism, that the dominant model of industrial society is politically contingent. The idea that technical decisions are significantly constrained by ‘rationality’ ‐ either technical or economic ‐ is shown to be groundless. Constructivist and hermeneutic approaches to technology show that modern societies are inherently available for a different type of development in a different cultural framework. It is possible that, in the future, those who today are subordinated to technology's rhythms and demands will be able to control it and to determine its evolution. I call the process of creating such a society ‘subversive rationalization’ because it requires technological advances that can only be made in opposition to the dominant hegemony.
Core Outcomes for Catholic Religious Education

The emphasis in discussions on the Common Core Standards in public education in the United States is usually on knowledge or content. Some attention is also paid to the twelve constructivist pedago...
Hsp104 is a highly conserved protein with two essential nucleotide-binding sites.

MOST eukaryotic cells produce proteins with relative molecular masses in the range of 100,000 to 110,000 after exposure to high temperatures1. These proteins have been studied only in yeast and mammalian cells. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, heat-shock protein hsp104 is vital for tolerance to heat, ethanol and other stresses (ref. 2, and Y.S. et al., manuscript submitted). The mammalian hsp110 protein is nucleolar and redistributes with growth state, nutritional conditions and heat shock3,5. The relationships between hsp110, hsp104 and the high molecular mass heat-shock proteins of other organisms were unknown. We report here that hsp104 is a member of the highly conserved ClpA/ClpB protein family first identified in Escherlchla coli6 and that additional heat-inducible members of this family are present in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and in mammals. Mutagenesis of two putative nucleotide-binding sites in hsp104 indicates that both are essential for function in thermotolerance.
The “Golden Age” Senate And Floor Debate in the Antebellum Congress

An image of an antebellum “golden age” of Senate debate and deliberation has passed virtually unblemished from one generation of historians and political analysts to the next. In what ways, if any, is the image of a more deliberative Senate evident in the realities of antebellum House and Senate debates? In this article, I present a series of case studies to examine elements of the quantity and quality of floor debate in each chamber. By providing comparative evidence about House and Senate debate during the antebellum period, I offer an assessment and critique of the bicameral implications of the largely untested “golden age” understanding of the Senate and join other recent efforts to reassess the nature of the early Senate and its relation to the House. My results show the conventional wisdom to be an oversimplification, at least in its implications about the scope and depth of House debates. The House debated as long, and arguably as well, as the Senate on the signal issues of the day.
Three types of ambiguity in coding empathic interactions in primary care visits: Implications for research and practice

Abstract Objective To describe three methodological challenges experienced in studying patients' expressions of emotion in a sample of periodic health exams, and the research and practice implications of these challenges. Methods Qualitative analysis of empathic cues in audio-taped and transcribed periodic health examinations of adult patients ( n =322) in an integrated delivery system. The empathic and potential empathic opportunities methodology was used. Results Identifying emotional cues that constitute "empathic opportunities" is a complex task. Three types of ambiguity made this task particularly challenging: 1) presentations of emotional cues can be "fuzzy" and varied; 2) expressions of illness can be emotionally laden in the absence of explicit "emotion words"; and 3) empathic opportunities vary in length and intensity. Conclusion Interactional ambiguities pose a challenge to researchers attempting to document emotional cues with a binary coding scheme that indicates only whether an empathic opportunity is present or absent. Additional efforts to refine the methodological approach for studying empathy in medical interactions are needed. Practice implications The challenges discussed likely represent the same types of situations physicians find themselves in when talking with patients. Highlighting these ambiguities may aid physicians in better recognizing and meeting the emotional needs of their patients.
25 Profile of Noncompliance with Oral Chemotherapy in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess rates of adherence to oral chemotherapy during maintenance chemotherapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Biotransformation of methylmercury salts in the rat studied by specific determination of inorganic mercury.

Abstract Methylmercury chloride undergoes biotransformation in the rat resulting in the release of inorganic mercury. The reaction was followed by specific determination of inorganic mercury using an isotope exchange method. Small but significant amounts of mercury were detected in brain tissue during the first 10 days after a single injection of methylmercury chloride. Inorganic mercury accounted for the highest proportion of total mercury in the excretory organs and in feces. By comparing the present results with previously published reports using other analytical methods, the release of inorganic mercury was found to be the major biotransformation pathway available for methylmercury salts in rats. The role of this biotransformation pathway is discussed with reference to the biochemical mode of action and the pharmacokinetics of these very hazardous compounds.
Analysis of functional traits in reconfigured channels: implications for the bioassessment and disturbance of river restoration

AbstractChannel reconfiguration is a popular but controversial approach to river restoration, and ecological responses to channel reconfiguration have not been rigorously assessed. We compared physical-habitat variables, taxonomic and functional-trait diversities, taxonomic composition, and functional-trait abundances between 24 pairs of upstream (control) and downstream reconfigured (restored) reaches in 3 catchment land uses (urban, agricultural, rural) across the North Carolina Piedmont. We asked how environmental filters and functional species traits might provide insight to biological responses to restoration. Taxonomic and functional-trait differences between control and restored reaches suggest that restoration affected aquatic assemblages only in agricultural and rural catchments. Our results highlight 2 important aspects of channel reconfiguration as a restoration practice. First, responses to restoration differ between agricultural/rural and urban catchments, possibly because of modified hydrolo...
Resourcefulness Training for Grandmothers: Preliminary Evidence of Effectiveness.

In this pilot study of 102 grandmothers raising grandchildren, we used a quasi-experimental, repeated measures design to examine effects of resourcefulness training reinforced by expressive writing (journaling) or verbal disclosure (digital voice recording) in reducing stress and depressive symptoms and enhancing quality of life. Resourcefulness training was compared with expressive writing, verbal disclosure, and attention control conditions. Both the expressive writing and verbal disclosure methods for reinforcing resourcefulness training were more effective than the other three conditions in reducing stress and depressive symptoms and improving quality of life. No difference was found between the two reinforcement methods. Grandmothers may benefit from learning resourcefulness skills and from practicing them in ways that best fit their needs and lifestyles.
Visual specifications of correct spreadsheets

We introduce a visual specification language for spreadsheets that allows the definition of spreadsheet templates. A spreadsheet generator can automatically create Excel spreadsheets from these templates together with customized update operations. It can be shown that spreadsheets created in this way are free from a large class of errors, such as reference, omission, and type errors. We present a formal definition of the visual language for templates and describe the process of generating spreadsheets from templates. In addition, we present an editor for templates and analyze the editor using the cognitive dimensions framework.
Use of floating bead filters to recondition recirculating waters in warmwater aquaculture production systems

Abstract Floating bead filters (FBFs) are expandable granular filters that display a bioclarification behavior similar to sand filters. They function as a physical filtration device (or clarifier) by removing solids, while simultaneously encouraging the growth of bacteria that remove dissolved wastes from the water through biofiltration processes. Presently, there are two classes of FBFs that exist. Hydraulic and air washed units fall into the ‘gently washed’ category, which display reduced biofilm abrasion during backwashing and must be washed at a high frequency. Conversely, propeller-washed and paddle-washed filters inflict damage to a relatively heavy biofilm during backwashing, and are considered ‘aggressively washed’. FBFs capture solids through four identifiable mechanisms: straining, settling, interception, and adsorption. In the biofiltration mode, bead filters are classified as fixed film reactors, where each bead becomes coated with a thin film of bacteria that extracts nutrients from the recirculating water as it passes through the bed. In this paper the authors first establish application categories and parameters for recirculating system use, then give criterion for the sizing of recirculating system components in tabular form. Sizing variables for FBFs are normalized to the feed application rates, and the primary method for the sizing is based on a volumetric organic loading rate. Evaluation parameter equations are also given for comparison of bioclarifier performance. These equations include volumetric TAN conversion rate (VTR), the volumetric nitrite conversion rate (VNR), and the volumetric oxygen consumption rate of the bioclarifier (OCF).
Long-term outcomes of single and bilateral lung transplantation for adults with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Conclusions: LTX recipients who survive beyond the first year after transplant have an acceptable chance of achieving their 10th postoperative year. The higher crude and conditional survival rates for BLT recipients may reflect their younger age and our learning curve, as this group was the last commenced at our institution. Clearly, long-term survivors are more likely to have freedom from high-grade BOS and severe renal dysfunction. LTX is now established as an enduring therapy for advanced lung disease in selected recipients. Improving 10-year survival rates remains the next challenge.
Common-refinement-based data transfer between non-matching meshes in multiphysics simulations

In multiphysics simulations using a partitioned approach, each physics component solves on its own mesh, and the interfaces between these meshes are in general non-matching. Simulation data (e.g. jump conditions) must be exchanged across the interface meshes between physics components. It is highly desirable for such data transfers to be both numerically accurate and physically conservative. This paper presents accurate, conservative, and efficient data transfer algorithms utilizing a common refinement of two non-matching surface meshes. Our methods minimize errors in a certain norm while achieving strict conservation. Some traditional methods for data transfer and related problems are also reviewed and compared with our methods. Numerical results demonstrate significant advantages of common-refinement based methods, especially for repeated transfers. While the comparisons are performed with matching geometries, this paper also addresses additional complexities associated with non-matching surface meshes and presents some experimental results from 3-D simulations using our methods. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simultaneous detection of erythromycin-resistant methylase genes ermA and ermC from Staphylococcus spp. by multiplex-PCR.

A comparative analysis of the two most dominant erythromycin-resistance determinant genes in Staphylococcus sppnamely, the ermA and ermC genes, was carried out. Sixty erythromycin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus spp. were tested, of which 24 were avian and 36 were clinical isolates. Our results indicated the prevalence of ermA over the ermC gene as opposed to the widely held opinion of the ermC gene being the most dominant resistance determinant gene. A multiplex-PCR assay was developed to detect the presence of ermA and ermC genes. Two pairs of primers, specific for the detection of ermA and ermC genes, were used in a multiplex-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to yield amplified DNA products of 610 and 520 bp, respectively. Their digestion with restriction enzyme FokI that yielded a 477 bp and a 132 bp digestion product for ermA and a 333 bp and a 187 bp digestion product for ermC confirmed the authenticity of PCR products. The method could be used to amplify the ermA and ermC genes with as little as 5 pg of template DNA. The use of excess primers or the template DNA resulted in gene-specific amplification and no non-specific amplification was observed by changing the primer to primer or template to primer ratios. Furthermore, no amplification from erythromycin-sensitive S. aureus strain was observed. Using this assay, the poultry strains were found to contain either ermA alone (50%) or a combination of ermA (100%) and ermC (50%) both. The clinical strains contained either ermA (94.5%) or ermC (5.5%) but never both. The gene-specific internal probes were also used to verify the above findings and a high degree of correlation between the multiplex PCR and Southern hybridization data was observed.
Effect of beta-carotene supplementation on photosuppression of delayed-type hypersensitivity in normal young men.

The aim ofthis study was to examine whether f3-carotene protects against the immunosuppression seen with long-wave ultraviolet-light (UV-A) exposure. Free-living, healthy men, aged 19-39 y received 30 mg fl-carotene/d or a placebo while on a single-menu, low-carotenoid diet. After 28 d all sub- jects received 12 exposures to a UV-A/B light source over a 16- d period. The total UV-A dose received ranged from 15.9 to 19.3 J/cm2. The total shorter-wave ultraviolet-light (UV-B) dose varied from 1.59 to 1.96 J/cm2. Follow-up continued for 21 d. Carotenoid assays and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) tests were performed at baseline, pre-UV, post-UV, and after follow- up. The DTH-test responses were significantly suppressed in the placebo group after UV treatments. The suppression was in- versely related to plasma /3-carotene concentrations in this group. There was no significant suppression of DTH test responses in the j3-carotene group. It is concluded that f3-carotene protects against photosuppression of immune function. Am J Clin Nuir 1992;56:684-90. of the volunteers. These phototests were conducted with the subjects lying prone on a table under the calibrated UV-A source. The UV-A emittance of the lamp was calibrated for the pho- totests with a National Biological Corporation model LMA 302 meter (Cleveland, OH), with the top of the detector held at the level of subject's body height from the table. Meter readings in mW/cm2 were obtained along the length and breadth of the table and averaged. The average was used to determine the time required for the subjects to receive 1, 2, 3, and 4 J/cm2.
Retrospective Study of Campylobacter Species Isolated from Porcine Diagnostic Case Material

Porcine proliferative enteritis (PPE) is an enteric disease of weaned pigs characterized by proliferation of intestinal cryptal epithelial cells and the presence of bacteria in the apical cytoplasm of these cells 5,9 (Fig. 1). What role, if any, these bacteria play in the disease is unclear. The exact identity of the bacteria is not known, but their morphology is consistent with Campylobacter species. Several Campylobacter species have been isolated from intestines of diseased and healthy pigs. 1-4,6,8 In some laboratories diagnosis of enteric disease has included culture of ileal mucosa for Campylobacter species, despite uncertainty of the role these organisms play in the disease. A retrospective study of porcine diagnostic cases submitted to the University of Minnesota Diagnostic Laboratory in 1986 was conducted to determine what Campylobacter species were isolated from animals with histologically confirmed PPE or other disease conditions and to evaluate the diagnostic significance of their isolation and identification.
Low temperature premixed combustion within a small bore high speed direct injection (HSDI) optically accessible diesel engine using a retarded single injection

An optically accessible single-cylinder high speed direct-injection (HSDI) Diesel engine equipped with a Bosch common rail injection system was used to study low temperature Modulated Kinetics (MK) combustion with a retarded single main injection. High-speed liquid fuel Mie-scattering was employed to investigate the liquid distribution and evolution. By carefully setting up the optics, three-dimensional images of fuel spray were obtained from both the bottom of the piston and the side window. The NOx emissions were measured in the exhaust pipe. The influence of injection pressure and injection timing on liquid fuel evolution and combustion characteristics was studied under similar fuel quantities. Interesting spray development was seen from the side window images. Liquid impingement was found for all of the cases due to the small diameter of the piston bowl. The liquid fuel tip hits the bowl wall obliquely and spreads as a wall jet in the radial direction of the spray. Due to the bowl geometry, the fuel film moves back into the central part of the bowl, which enhances the air-fuel mixing process and prepares a more homogeneous air-fuel mixture. Stronger impingement was seen for high injection pressures. Injection timing had little effect on fuel impingement. No liquid fuel was seen before ignition, indicating premixed combustion for all the cases. High-speed combustion video was taken using the same frame rate. Ignition was seen to occur on or near the bowl wall in the vicinity of the spray tip, with the ignition delay being noticeably longer for lower injection pressure and later injection timing. The majority of the flame was confined to the bowl region throughout the combustion event. A more homogeneous and weaker flame was observed for higher injection pressures and later injection timing. The combustion structure also proves the mixing enhancement effect of the liquid fuel impingement. The results show that ultra-low sooting combustion is feasible in an HSDI diesel engine with a higher injection pressure, a higher EGR rate, or later injection timing, with little penalty on power output. It was also found that injection timing has more influence on HCCI-like combustion using a single main injection than the other two factors studied. Compared with the base cases, simultaneous reductions of soot and NOx were obtained by increasing EGR rate and retarding injection timing. By increasing injection pressure, NOx emissions were increased due to leaner and faster combustion with better air-fuel mixing. However, smoke emissions were significantly reduced with increased injection pressure.
¿Pero había que matar al mimo? Las trampas del humor explosivo en La virgen de los sicarios

Our Lady of the Assassins (1994), the most renown novel from the Colombian writer Fernando Vallejo, has been criticized because of the irresponsible laughter that it fosters in its public or the paralysis, melancholy and the feeling of helplessness that it produces trough the depiction of a country condemned to be a perpetual disaster. My reading opens a third way: to interpret the perplexity that Vallejo creates, with the juxtaposition of black humor and violence, as a (meta)humorous trap that encourages the reader to reflect on humor itself, in an aesthetic and ethical sense. In this trap, laughter does not come automatically or as a simple form of catharsis. It is obstructed, defamiliarized and questioned. I argue that the novel pushes the reader to take the decision on whether she or he laughs or not with certain humorous invitations, taking into consideration if they contribute to resist or exacerbate the violence that is represented. This would foster a kind of horizontal (re)education of humor, in which the text opens the question on the (im)propriety of laughter as a response to violence, but does not give an answer, since the agency to decide whether to laugh or not to laugh is in each reader. I explore a passage that critics usually do not consider, the murder of a street mime who is making fun of a defenseless old man. The episode allows me to show how the narrator gives some clues to imagine a kind of humor that is not another form of violence against others. A humor that, in the middle of the disaster, is able to bring some light by allowing us to have the greatness of laughing of our own ego and misfortunes. .
An integrated multimodality MR brain imaging study: Gray matter tissue loss mediates the association between cerebral hypoperfusion and alzheimer’s disease

Multimodality MR image processing and analysis aims to determine to what extent information from various imaging modalities is redundant or complementary and how changes in various regions of the brain, detected by various modalities, interact with each other to produce cognitive and functional changes. Here, we presented a multimodality image processing framework to integrate unique and complementary observations on anatomical and physiological brain changes measured by structural and perfusion MR imaging modalities. A unique aspect to this study is that we performed a test on mediation hypothesis that requires a model based on measurements from both MR imaging modalities. Our findings from these integrated multi-modality analysis were congruent with previously published results on neuropathology of AD patients and supplied a comprehensive explanation on the integration between structural atrophy and physiological deterioration due to AD.
Soil Moisture Estimation Using Combined Multifrequency SAR Data: A Comparison Between Two Inversion Models Using Simulation

Although high-resolution microwave synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors possess all-weather capability for mapping soil moisture from spaceborne platforms, continuous temporal and spatial monitoring of this important hydrological parameter has been relatively limited. However, the recent launch of operational SAR sensors aboard various satellites have made possible synoptic soil moisture monitoring a reality. Such systems operate over a wide range of frequencies, look angles, and polarization combinations, and thus show synergistic advantages when combined for estimating soil moisture patterns. Two soil moisture inversion algorithms have been developed using as inputs radar backscattering data at L, S, and C bands in the microwave frequency range. These models have been tested using radar image simulation with speckle added. It is observed that the neural network algorithm yields superior results in mapping actual soil moisture patterns over the linear statistical inversion technique, although both models show comparable errors in soil moisture estimation. We infer that using statistical estimation errors alone for comparison purposes may lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the advantages of one soil moisture inversion algorithm over another.
Exploring FPGA network on chip implementations across various application and network loads

The network on chip will become a future general purpose interconnect for FPGAs much like todaypsilas standard OPB or PLB bus architectures. However, performance characteristics and reconfigurable logic resource utilization of different network on chip architectures vary greatly relative to bus architectures. Current mainstream FPGA parts only support very small network on chip topologies, due to the high resource utilization of virtual channel based implementations. This observation is reflected in related research where only modest 2times2 or 2times3 networks are demonstrated on FPGAs. Naively it would be assumed that these complex network on chip architectures would perform better than simplified implementations. We show this assumption to be incorrect under light network loading conditions across 3 separate application domains. Using statistical based network loading, a synthetic benchmarking application, a cryptographic accelerator, and a 802.11 transmitter are each demonstrated across network on chip architectures. From these experiments, it can be seen that network on chips with complex routing and switching functionality are still useful under high network loading conditions. Additionally, it is also shown for our network on chip implementations, a simple solution that uses 4-5times less logic resources can provide better network performance under certain conditions.
Sources of Error in Constructing and Interpreting Graphs A Study of Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Students with LD

The purpose of this study was to examine students' understanding of and ability to interpret line graphs, using four tasks: two where students constructed a graph and two where students interpreted a given graph. The tasks were unique in that they did not simply involve the explanation of given data but included a language component that looked at students' cognitive processes and understanding while they were engaged in the tasks. The study is important because students are often able to define and even draw graphs yet perform poorly on graph interpretation items presented in high-stakes examinations. The sample for the study consisted of 91 fourth and fifth graders with and without learning disabilities (LD) from six schools in a major metropolitan area. Scoring rubrics were designed for each item. An analysis of variance by grade and group indicated no significant differences between fourth and fifth graders overall but revealed that typically achieving students performed at significantly higher levels than students with LD at both grade levels. Additional descriptive analyses looked at the patterns of errors evidenced and the nature of the students' constructions. These are discussed, and instructional implications are derived.
Children at work: prevention of occupational injury and disease

Because children are an isolated population that generally lacks a collective political voice, it is up to the rest of society to look after their well-being. The grim economic circumstances that plague impoverished nations around the world have resulted in many young children having to work to help their families survive. Often, these children have no choice but to work in dangerous places and under generally appalling conditions. Even in wealthy countries like the United States, the problems associated with child labor are a legitimate threat to our single most important investment for the future--the safety and health of our children. Language: en
Androgen Receptor– and E2F-1–Targeted Thymoquinone Therapy for Hormone-Refractory Prostate Cancer

Relapse of prostate cancer after androgen ablation therapy is hormone-refractory, with continued tumor growth being dependent on the androgen receptor (AR). E2F-1, a regulator of cell proliferation and viability, reportedly plays a role in the development of hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Thymoquinone is a component of Nigella sativa, an herb used for thousands of years for culinary and medicinal purposes in Asian and Middle Eastern countries and has been reported to have an antineoplastic effect both in vitro and in vivo. We observed that thymoquinone inhibited DNA synthesis, proliferation, and viability of cancerous (LNCaP, C4-B, DU145, and PC-3) but not noncancerous (BPH-1) prostate epithelial cells by down-regulating AR and E2F-1. In LNCaP cells, this was associated with a dramatic increase in p21(Cip1), p27(Kip1), and Bax. Thymoquinone blunted progression of synchronized LNCaP cells from G1 to S phase, with a concomitant decrease in AR and E2F-1 as well as the E2F-1-regulated proteins necessary for cell cycle progression. In a xenograft prostate tumor model, thymoquinone inhibited growth of C4-2B-derived tumors in nude mice. This in vivo suppression of tumor growth, as with C4-2B cell growth in culture, was associated with a dramatic decrease in AR, E2F-1, and cyclin A as determined by Western blot of tissue extracts. Tissue immunohistochemical staining confirmed a marked reduction in E2F-1 and showed induction of apoptosis on terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. These findings show that thymoquinone suppresses the expression of AR and E2F-1 necessary for proliferation and viability of androgen-sensitive as well as androgen-independent prostate cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo and, moreover, produced no noticeable side effects in mice. We conclude that thymoquinone, a naturally occurring herbal product, may prove to be effective in treating hormone-sensitive as well as hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Furthermore, because of its selective effect on cancer cells, we believe that thymoquinone can also be used safely to help prevent the development of prostate cancer.
Organizing programs without classes

All organizational functions carried out by classes can be accomplished in a simple and natural way by object inheritance in classless languages, with no need for special mechanisms. A single model—dividing types into prototypes and traits—supports sharing of behavior and extending or replacing representations. A natural extension, dynamic object inheritance, can model behavioral modes. Object inheritance can also be used to provide structured name spaces for well-known objects. Classless languages can even express "class-based" encapsulation. These stylized uses of object inheritance become instantly recognizable idioms, and extend the repertory of organizing principles to cover a wider range of programs.
Low order transfer function identification and robust PSS control design

This paper presents a low order identification technique suitable for power system damping controller design, which is based on standard Prony analysis. The proposed identification technique when combined with a robust controller design can be used to tune power system stabilizers (PSSs) for a number of operating conditions. Technical background of the method is presented first, and then a benchmark power system model is used to illustrate the proposed identification and controller design techniques.
The Influence of the Placental Site Upon Fetal Presentation

T placenta acts as a foreign body of similar dimensions within the cavity of the uterus and has a tendency to displace the fetus, requiring the latter to eonform to the remaining intrauterine space. It has been shown • 2 that the placenta usually occupies a discoid site comprising most of either the auterior m· posterior wall. Snow and Powell,:' in 1934, were probably among the first to note the site of the plaeenta as viewed by roentgen ray. They studied their patients by both anteroposterior and lateral views. In most of their cases the placenta appeared on one anterior or posterior wall. and thns appeared only in the lateral view. They stated that ''in practically all of 60 cases the ventral part of the fetus faees tho plaernta. 1n no instance vms the fetal back flush up against it. This appem·s to fH' natnral hocanso the placenta is very compressible and the relatively smooth baek of the baby might disturb the placental circulation. Very oftm1, a knee or elhow eauses a pressure defect in it. When a part tloes almt on it, a line ot increased density appears between. "F'o1· the elhow, it is usually about 2 mm., for knees about 3 mm., and for the hnttoc·ks us much as 1 em. It is our belief that this is caused by the greater penetrability by roentgen rays of the fatcontaining subcutaneous tissues. Tll(•idontally this finding is often helpful in locating the placenta.''
Optical polar OFDM: On the effect of time-domain power allocation under power and dynamic-range constraints

Polar OFDM (P-OFDM) is an OFDM format that can double the spectral efficiency of existing real-valued and unipolar optical OFDM intensity-modulation with direct detection (IM/DD) optical communication systems. P-OFDM modulates the amplitude and phase of a complex OFDM signal to allow a real unipolar signal. In this paper, we investigate the effect of power allocation to the phase and the amplitude components of P-OFDM time-domain signal on (1) the effective signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the receiver (2) the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) under transmit power constraint and (3) the induced clipping noise under optical-source's dynamic-range and transmit power constraints. In addition to a 4 dB reduction in PAPR from ACO-OFDM, we demonstrate the improvement of throughput for P-OFDM over other optical OFDM methods when the signal power is limited.
Raising the Thanksgiving Turkey: Agroecology, Gender, and the Knowledge of Nature

AbstractTo raise Thanksgiving turkeys, nineteenth-century farmwomen crossed wild and domestic birds. Today, this custom is largely forgotten, leading many writers to claim that domestic turkeys, th...
Spatial-genetic structure in the eastern chipmunk, Tamias striatus

Spatial autocorrelation is used to identify the pattern of allozyme variation in populations of the eastern chipmunk ( Tamias striatus ). A nonrandom pattern of autocorrelation was detected when distances several hundred times the distance across an average home range were considered. A population sufficiently large to survey demographics and the mating system (across several dozen home ranges) was deemed too small for genetic studies. The size of the genetic neighborhood of the chipmunk was estimated from a correlogram. These results are interpreted to mean that it is possible to identify the size of the genetic neighborhood by use of spatial autocorrelation and that it is an appropriate preliminary analysis for identifying the limits of dispersal and gene flow.
Recognition memory for common sounds

Recognition memory was measured separately for printed words, spoken words, and common sounds. Ss in each group inspected 350 stimuli and then were tested with 100 pairs of “old” and “new” stimuli in a two-alternative forced-choice task. Mean scores were 84%, 75%, and 69% correct for printed words, spoken words, and common sounds, respectively. It appears that recognition memory for common sounds is inferior to that for familiar pictures and no better than that for printed or spoken words.
Supersonic Cavity Flame Stabilization Studies using a Multivariate Quadrature based Moment Method

In supersonic combustion, typical closures based on conserved scalar approaches cannot be used. Transport of the joint probability density function (PDF) of the thermochemical composition vector leads to a better prediction of the reaction source term. The quadrature approximation allows us to develop computationally ecient Eulerian moment methods for solving the PDF transport equation. In this work, we use the direct quadrature method of moments (DQMOM) for simulating a supersonic cavity-stabilized ame. Numerical implementation of DQMOM leads to an erroneous evolution of the PDF. We develop an alternate semi-discrete quadrature method of moments (SeQMOM) for multivariate PDFs that overcomes this problem. SeQMOM is further used for simulating turbulent mixing using the Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) formulation.
Husserl Bibliography of English Translations

Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology (Ideen zu einer reinen Ph?nomenologie and ph?nomenologischen Philosophie: Allgemein Ein f?hrung in die reine Ph?nomenologie, in Husserliana, vol. III, 1950), translated by W. R. Boyce Gibson, New York: Macmillan, 1931. A forthcoming translation, prepared by Fred Kersten, with the assistance of Dorion Cairn's unfinished translation, is entitled Ideas Pertaining to a Pure Phenomenology and to a Phenomenological Philosophy: Intro duction, Book One, Epilogue, and will appear with Macmillan.
Standards for Nutritional Assessment in Dialysis

This paper will discuss the strengths and limitations of methods for assessing the nutritional status of maintenance dialysis patients. Virtually every survey of the nutritional status of patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, intermittent peritoneal dialysis, or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) indicates that they frequently suffer from wasting or protein-calorie malnutrition (1–5). The evidence includes decreased relative body weight (the patient’s body weight divided by the weight of normal people of the same age, height, sex and frame size), skinfold thickness (an estimate of body fat), arm muscle diameter or surface area (a reflection of total muscle protein mass), total body nitrogen, decreased serum concentrations of many proteins (including albumin, prealbumin, transferrin and certain complement proteins), low muscle alkali soluble protein, and low growth rates in children. The plasma amino acid pattern, which is unique to chronic renal failure, shows many similarities to the amino acid pattern in protein calorie malnutrition. Total body potassium tends to be low in patients with chronic renal failure and normal in individuals undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (data are reviewed in references 1–6).
Measurement of impact forces in ball mills: a reanalysis

The data of Dunn and Martin (1978) is reanalyzed using a rigorous application of Hertzian theory to the impact process. The Young’s modulus of steel required to fit their data to the theory is a factor of about 103, too low compared to the values quoted for steels. Thus, doubt is thrown on the validity of their experimental technique, and it is possible that their values for maximum impact force and stress are far too low.