cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic feature extraction for autonomous general game playing agents

The General Game Playing (GGP) problem is concerned with developing systems capable of playing many different games, even games the system has never encountered before. Successful GGP agents must be able to extract relevant features from the formal game description and construct effective search heuristics. In this article, we present a procedure by which autonomous General Game Playing agents can generate effective and efficient search heuristics from the formal game description. The major aspect of our approach is an innovative technique to automatically extract critical features from the game structure. Our method has been incorporated into a fully implemented system that came in fourth place at the second General Game Playing Competition held at AAAI-06.
Acetylcholine and the cyclic AMP system in smooth muscle.

Abstract The effect of acetylcholine on the cyclic AMP system and its interaction with the epinephrine effect on this system was studied in vitro in rat uterus. In the presence of acetylcholine (1–100 μMolar), epinephrine-induced cyclic AMP formation in intact tissue is decreased; this inhibitory effect of acetylcholine is more pronounced at higher concentrations of epinephrine and is reversed by atropine. In broken cell preparations, acetylcholine does not alter the activity of adenyl cyclase or phosphodiesterase, nor the stimulatory effect of epinephrine. It appears that acetylcholine has an effect on the cyclic AMP system of rat uterine smooth muscle only when the structural and functional relationships in the cell are preserved. The possible mechanisms are discussed.
All-Optical Wavelength Conversion at 40 Gb/s Data Rate in Silicon Waveguides

We report efficient wavelength conversion of a high speed signal at 40 Gb/s via four-wave mixing in silicon-on-insulator rib waveguides. Results give an efficiency of -8.6 dB, and the converted signal shows good signal integrity.
Reconfigurable Hardware Mapping for Accelerometer-Based Navigation Applications

Recent advances in reconfigurable logic have enabled physical hardware to be reused for different application and sensortypes. This hardware reuse" provides a significant cost reduction since a single hardware design can be reused and adaptedto many other applications with a simple change in software" (FPGA configuration information). Present navigationsystems consist of a central processor providing the algorithmic computations and application specific integrated circuits
The effect of vinblastine‐induced microtubule loss on kidney podocyte morphology

The effect of intravenous injections of vinblastine sulfate on the renal glomerular epithelium was studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Two hours after treatment with vinblastine, microtubules were almost completely lost from the podocyte cell bodies and major processes, and crystalline inclusions of a tubular nature had appeared within the cytoplasm. Coincident with this loss of microtubules, podocyte major processes at first collapsed and then became significantly thinner as they appeared to lose much of their cytoplasm to the nucleated cell body. These observations suggest that microtubules serve to maintain the shape and integrity of podocyte major processes. At no time after vinblastine treatment did we note any alteration in podocyte pedicel morphology.
pH-dependent gating in the Streptomyces lividans K+ channel.

Because of its size, high levels of expression, and unusual detergent stability, the small K+ channel from Streptomyces lividans (SKC1) is considered to be an ideal candidate for detailed structural analysis. In this paper, we have used planar lipid bilayers and radiotracer uptake experiments to study purified and reconstituted SKC1, in an attempt to develop a bulk assay for its functional characterization. In channels reconstituted into liposomes with external pH 3.5 and intravesicular pH 7.5, a time-dependent SKC1-catalyzed 86Rb+ uptake was observed. This cationic influx was blocked by Ba2+ ions with a Ki (external) of 0.4 mM and was shown to have the following selectivity sequence: K+ > Rb+ > NH4+ ≫ Na+ > Li+. In experiments with external pH 7.5 or in liposomes containing no channels, no 86Rb+ uptake was detected. When SKC1 was incorporated into planar lipid bilayers, we failed to observe significant single-channel activity at neutral pH but detected frequent multiple-channel openings a pH <5.0. These...
Estimating average economic growth in time series data with persistency

Abstract This paper studies estimation of average economic growth in time series models with persistency. In particular, a joint estimation of the trend coefficient and the autoregressive parameter is considered. An analysis on the proposed estimator is provided. Our analysis is also extended to the case with general disturbance distributions. A nonlinear M estimator and a class of partially adaptive M estimators which adapt themselves with respect to a measure of the tailthickness are considered. The joint estimator and its partially adapted version are compared with several conventional estimators. Monte Carlo experiments indicate that the proposed estimators have good finite sample performance. We use the proposed estimation procedure to estimate the growth rates for real GNP and consumer price index in 40 countries.
An examination of functional linkage between K efflux and 36Cl efflux in rat submandibular salivary gland acini in vitro.

Abstract Suspensions of dispersed acini isolated by enzymatic (collagenase) digestion were used to investigate possible interactions between transmembrane K and Cl movements. The isotopic tracer 36Cl monitored uptake and efflux of Cl under conditions where K efflux was either stimulated or inhibited. Uptake (accumulation) of 36Cl in the absence of experimental manipulation was time-dependent, resulting in a steady-state isotope content of 8.9 ± 0.2 nmol/mg protein after 3–5 min of incubation. This content was reduced 28 per cent by the K-ionophore, valinomycin (10 μM), which also caused a net efflux of 36Cl (28 per cent) from tracer-preloaded acini. Valinomycin also released 38 per cent of the cellular K content and caused efflux of 86Rb from acini preloaded with this tracer. The efflux of 36Cl induced by 1 μM acetylcholine (23 per cent) was blocked by the K-channel blocker, quinidine (1 mM), and incompletely by apamin (1 mM). Efflux of 36Cl was also blocked by the chloride-channel blocker, 3,5-dichlorophenyl-2-amine-carboxylic acid. Thus, induction of K release (efflux) in these acini is balanced by a parallel efflux of Cl, and blockade of K release inhibits acetylcholine-induced 36Cl efflux, which suggests a functional linkage between these two events. According to current opinion, these ion movements occur, respectively, in the basolateral (K) and apical (Cl) cell membranes, so any linkage implies that the apical Cl conductance can be regulated, at least in part, by changes in membrane potential which are secondary to secretagogue-induced changes in K conductance. The suggested linkage may involve stimulatant-induced changes in cell Ca and could provide the basis for a constant supply of Cl ions into the acinar lumen. Cl is the driving force for Na and water movement and, thus, for the formation of a NaCl-rich, isotonic primary saliva.
The Evaluation of Various Bioabsorbable Materials on the Titanium Fiber Metal Tracheal Prosthesis

Abstract A new type of tracheal prosthesis was studied. It consists of a rigid, porous cylinder of titanium fiber metal coated with a polymer that provides an initial air seal and then is absorbed to permit subsequent fibrous tissue ingrowth and reepithelialization. Fifteen such cylinders measuring 50 mm by 26 mm were coated with one of the following polymers: polycaprolactone 700 (3 coated internally and 3 externally); a copolymer of 75% poly-l-lactic acid and 25% polyglycolic acid (3 coated internally and 3 externally); and polyglactin 910 (3 coated externally). Fifteen kennel-conditioned mongrel dogs, each randomly assigned to one of these five groups, underwent implantation of the prosthesis through a right thoracotomy into a 5-cm defect in the distal intrathoracic trachea. There were no immediate postoperative deaths, and no instances of major air leak from the prosthesis. One animal died after two weeks secondary to a lower respiratory tract infection. Bronchoscopic evaluation revealed varying degrees of tissue ingrowth into the prostheses, with no evidence of infection or distal accumulation of secretions. Histological evaluation showed superior tissue ingrowth and reepithelialization with internally coated prostheses; two out of three polymers gave good results.
High-angle origin of the currently low-angle Badwater Turtleback fault, Death Valley, California

The late Cenozoic Badwater Turtleback fault separates an upper plate of volcanic and sedimentary rocks from a lower plate of predominantly mylonitic plutonic and metamorphic rocks. The Turtleback fault, however, is not a single continuous surface, but consists of at least three generations of faults. These faults occur as discrete, crosscutting segments that progressively decrease in age and increase in dip to the west. Therefore, they probably began at moderate to steep angles but rotated to lower angles with extensional strain. If so, lower plate mylonitic rocks also restore to steeper dips and suggest that transport of the upper plate occurred on moderate to steeply dipping surfaces in the middle and upper crust. The crosscutting nature of the fault segments and their initial moderate to steep dips, plus a possible offset marker on one of the segments, are most consistent with moderate amounts of extension in the Death Valley region.
Molecular water in nominally unhydrated carbonated hydroxylapatite: The key to a better understanding of bone mineral

Despite numerous analytical studies, the exact nature of the mineral component of bone is not yet totally defined, even though it is recognized as a type of carbonated hydroxylapatite. The present study addresses the hydration state of bone mineral through Raman spectroscopic and thermogravimetric analysis of 56 samples of carbonated apatite containing from 1 to 17 wt% CO 3 , synthesized in H 2 O or D 2 O. Focus is on the relation between the concentration of molecular water (as distinguished from hydroxyl ions) and the concentration of carbonate in the apatite. Raman spectra confirm the presence of molecular water as part of the crystalline structure in all the aqueously precipitated carbonated apatites. TGA results quantitatively document that, regardless of the concentration of carbonate in the structure, all hydroxylapatites contain ~3 wt% of structurally incorporated water in addition to multiple wt% adsorbed water. We spectroscopically confirmed that natural bone mineral also contains structurally incorporated molecular H 2 O based on independent analyses of bone by means of spectral stripping (subtracting the spectrum of collagen from that of bone) and chemical stripping (chemically removing the collagen content of bone prior to analysis). Taken together, the above data support a model in which water molecules densely populate the apatite channels regardless of the abundance of hydroxyl vacancies. We hypothesize that water molecules keep the apatite channels stable even when 80% of the hydroxyl sites are vacant (typical in bone), hinder carbonate ions from substituting for hydroxyl ions in the channels, and help regulate chemical access to the channels (e.g., ion exchange, entry of small molecules). Our results show that bone apatite is not a “flawed hydroxylapatite,” but instead a definable mineralogical entity, a combined hydrated-hydroxylated calcium phosphate phase of the form Ca 10−x [(PO 4 ) 6−x (CO 3 ) x ](OH) 2−x ·nH 2 O, where n ~ 1.5. Water is therefore not an accidental, but rather an essential, component of bone mineral and other natural and synthetic low-temperature carbonated apatite phases.
Comparing Performance of Multiclass Classification Systems with ROC Manifolds: When Volume and Correct Classification Fails

Higher dimensional surfaces are used to examine the diagnostic performance of multiclass classification systems. These surfaces are extensions of the ROC curve and are known as ROC surfaces or manifolds. Manifolds may be constructed from either the correct classifications or from the misclassifications of the diagnostic system. Comparisons of the usefulness of each of these ROC manifolds with respect to the performance of the diagnostic system are made with emphasis on inferences from volume under the surface and optimal operating points (thresholds) of the system. Recommendations for when to use each type of ROC manifold and performance measure are discussed.
Antioch College: A celebrated history and an uncertain future

The story of Antioch College includes closing four times (in 1862, 1881, 1919, and 2008) and reopening each time (in 1865, 1882, 1921, and 2011).
Efficient mean shift belief propagation for vision tracking

A mechanism for efficient mean-shift belief propagation (MSBP) is introduced. The novelty of our work is to use mean-shift to perform nonparametric mode-seeking on belief surfaces generated within the belief propagation framework. Belief propagation (BP) is a powerful solution for performing inference in graphical models. However, there is a quadratic increase in the cost of computation with respect to the size of the hidden variable space. While the recently proposed nonparametric belief propagation (NBP) has better performance in terms of speed, even for continuous hidden variable spaces, computation is still slow due to the particle filter sampling process. Our MSBP method only needs to compute a local grid of samples of the belief surface during each iteration. This approach needs a significantly smaller number of samples than NBP, reducing computation time, yet it also yields more accurate and stable solutions. The efficiency and robustness of MSBP is compared against other variants of BP on applications in multi-target tracking and 2D articulated body tracking.
Control of bulk driven ultrasonic surface micromachined resonator

Control of surface micromachines using external piezoelectric actuators is an attractive method to achieve low voltage, high power and CMOS compatible micromachine operation. In this paper we present IC-compatible system, using a PZT to actuate surface micromachines with optical feedback to control surface micromachines. In our experiment, the packaged device was tested in vacuum (/spl sim/300 mTorr) and air, while the PZT plate was swept with frequencies from 10 kHz to 2 MHz, at a drive voltage of 5 Vpp. A circuit was build to lock-in to the signal from the resonant frequency. The signal from the beam was amplified with a high bandwidth operational amplifier and filtered. The output from the filter is fed into a phase lock loop, which is used to drive the PZT. The amplitude of the vibration was controlled using by adjusting the loop gain.
Hegemony and Silence Confronting State-Sponsored Silences in the Field

State-sponsored silences cloak topics, such as inequality, that are of considerable social significance. However, hegemonic processes protecting current power structures drive these subjects underground, making them resilient and resistant to exposure. This poses both methodological and epistemological dilemmas. The social forces that perpetuate these silences do not yield easily to researchers; scholars thus know little about the complex hegemonic mechanisms underlying these powerful social forces. In this article, based on my experience conducting ethnographic fieldwork in the context of Mexico’s state-sponsored silence on racism, I illustrate how silence and silencing discourses function as mechanisms to reproduce hegemonic social relations. I detail the numerous barriers I faced when attempting to penetrate the silence on racism, and how these seemingly unproductive encounters ironically resulted in exposing various silencing mechanisms. I address the bigger question of why the Mexican populace goes t...
Early Prediction of Massive Transfusion in Trauma: Simple as ABC (Assessment of Blood Consumption)?

Background: Massive transfusion (MT) occurs in about 3% of civilian and 8% of military trauma patients. Although many centers have implemented MT protocols, most do not have a standardized initiation policy. The purpose of this study was to validate previously described MT scoring systems and compare these to a simplified nonlaboratory dependent scoring system (Assessment of Blood Consumption [ABC] score). Methods: Retrospective cohort of all level I adult trauma patients transported directly from the scene (July 2005 to June 2006). Trauma-Associated Severe Hemorrhage (TASH) and McLaughlin scores calculated according to published methods. ABC score was assigned based on four nonweighted parameters: penetrating mechanism, positive focused assessment sonography for trauma, arrival systolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or less, and arrival heart rate >120 bpm. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) used to compare scoring systems. Results: Five hundred ninety-six patients were available for analysis; and the overall MT rate of 12.4%. Patients receiving MT had higher TASH (median, 6 vs. 13; p < 0.001), McLaughlin (median, 2.4 vs. 3.4; p < 0.001) and ABC (median, 1 vs. 2; p < 0.001) scores. TASH (AUROC 0.842), McLaughlin (AUROC 0.846), and ABC (AUROC 0.842) scores were all good predictors of MT, and the difference between the scores was not statistically significant. ABC score of 2 or greater was 75% sensitive and 86% specific for predicting MT (correctly classified 85%). Conclusions: The ABC score, which uses nonlaboratory, nonweighted parameters, is a simple and accurate in identifying patients who will require MT as compared with those previously published scores.
Dynamics of monsoon-induced biennial variability in ENSO

The mechanism of the quasi-biennial tendency in El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-monsoon coupled system is investigated using an intermediate coupled model. The monsoon wind forcing is prescribed as a function of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomalies based on the relationship between zonal wind anomalies over the western Pacific to sea level change in the equatorial eastern Pacific. The key mechanism of quasi-biennial tendency in El Nino evolution is found to be in the strong coupling of ENSO to monsoon wind forcing over the western Pacific. Strong boreal summer monsoon wind forcing, which lags the maximum SST anomaly in the equatorial eastern Pacific approximately 6 months, tends to generate Kelvin waves of the opposite sign to anomalies in the eastern Pacific and initiates the turnabout in the eastern Pacific. Boreal winter monsoon forcing, which has zero lag with maximum SST in the equatorial eastern Pacific, tends to damp the ENSO oscillations.
An algebraic theory of process efficiency

This paper presents a testing-based semantic theory for reasoning about the efficiency of concurrent systems as measured in terms of the amount of their internal activity. The semantic preorders are given an algebraic characterization, and their optimality is established by means of a full abstractness result. They are also shown to subsume existing bisimulation-based efficiency preorders. An example is provided to illustrate the utility of this approach.
Gastrointestinal physiology and functions

While the health benefit of a functional food may be a metabolic response that lowers risk for disease, the actual target for the food or food component may be on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). For example, slowing absorption from the intestine, as measured by examining the appearance of the nutrient or food component in the blood, the hormone response associated with absorption of the compound or excretion of the compound, may provide a health benefit. However, the food component may slow absorption by delaying gastric emptying, altering the mixing within the intestinal contents or decreasing the availability of digestive enzymes in the intestine. These measures of GIT function provide validation of the mechanisms by which the functional food or food components affect metabolism. Bioavailability of physiologically active compounds from foods will be determined by the digestibility of foods that contain these compounds, their subsequent absorption and utilization by tissues. The physical structure of foods contributes to the functional effects of foods as well as to the availability of compounds from foods. For example, recent studies have demonstrated that changing the viscosity of the gut contents alters absorption and GIT response. Additionally, food structures such as the plant cell wall change the availability of absorbable compounds along the gastrointestinal contents. The areas of probiotics and prebiotics have highlighted the potential importance of gut microflora in health. While evidence suggests biological activity relevant to disease risk reduction, the long-term implications of the microbial activity have yet to be established.
Using electronic health records to improve the physical healthcare of people with serious mental illnesses: A view from the front lines

AbstractIndividuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI) treated in the public mental health sector die decades younger than the general population. Poor quality and fragmentation of care are risk factors underlying the poor health of this population. Integrated electronic health records (EHR) can play a vital role in efforts to improve quality and outcomes of care in patients with SMI. The objective of this paper is to describe the current state of efforts to integrate and improve the mental and physical care of individuals with SMI in the public sector, with an emphasis on the use of electronic health records (EHR). While a range of encouraging initiatives exists throughout the country, technological and medico-legal challenges are providing significant barriers for the successful integration of care and EHRs for many partnering organizations. Furthermore, there is a lack of rigorous research studying the effectiveness and sustainability of these programmes. Recommendations are made for the alleviation o...
Ceteris paribus laws, component forces, and the nature of special-science properties

Laws of nature seem to take two forms. Fundamental physics discovers laws that hold without exception, ‘strict laws,’ as they are sometimes called; even if some laws of fundamental physics are irreducibly probabilistic, the probabilistic relation is thought not to waver. In the nonfundamental, or special, sciences, matters differ. Laws of such sciences as psychology and economics hold only ceteris paribus—that is, when other things are equal. Sometimes events accord with these ceteris paribus laws (c.p. laws, hereafter), but sometimes the laws are not manifest, as if they have somehow been placed in abeyance: the regular relation indicative of natural law can fail in circumstances where an analogous outcome would effectively refute the assertion of strict law. Many authors have questioned the supposed distinction between strict laws and c.p. laws. The brief against it comprises various considerations: from the complaint that c.p. clauses are void of meaning to the claim that, although understood well enough, they should appear in all law-statements. These two concerns, among others, are addressed in due course, but first, I venture a positive proposal. I contend that there is an important contrast between strict laws and c.p. laws, one that rests on an independent distinction between combinatorial and noncombinatorial nomic principles.2 Instantiations of certain properties, e.g., mass and charge, nomically produce individual forces, or more generally, causal influences,3 in accordance with noncombinatorial laws. These laws are noncombinatorial in the sense that they govern the production
Turbulent deposition of aerosol particles in large transport tubes

ABSTRACT Particle deposition from turbulent flows in large tubes (up to 102 mm) was measured experimentally and a correlation developed for the results. The correlation allows prediction of the nondimensional deposition velocity as a function of the nondimensional relaxation time and the flow Reynolds number. The correlation shows good agreement with previous correlations for deposition in small diameter tubes as well for the full range of tube sizes (13–102 mm diameter) and Reynolds numbers (up to 55,000) upon which the correlation is based. As an example of the improvement in predictive abilities rendered by this new model, the penetration of 20-mm-aerodynamic-diameter aerosol particles in a 102-mm-diame-ter tube at a flow rate of 2260 L/min was measured to be 59%. The present model predicts a penetration of 62%, while two previously reported models that do not include Reynolds number effects predict 80% and 82% penetration. This new model should be of benefit in the design and evaluation of large-sized...
Testing the 3Q:1R "Rule": Mutational Analysis of the Ionic "Zero" Layer in the Yeast Exocytic SNARE Complex Reveals No Requirement for Arginine

The crystal structure of the synaptic SNARE complex reveals a parallel four-helix coiled-coil arrangement; buried in the hydrophobic core of the complex is an unusual ionic layer composed of three glutamines and one arginine, each provided by a separate α-helix. The presence of glutamine or arginine residues in this position is highly conserved across the t- and v-SNARE families, and it was recently suggested that a 3Q:1R ratio is likely to be a general feature common to all SNARE complexes. In this study, we have used genetic and biochemical assays to test this prediction with the yeast exocytic SNARE complex. We have determined that the relative position of Qs and Rs within the layer is not critical for biological activity and that Q-to-R substitutions in the layer reduce complex stability and result in lethal or conditional lethal growth defects. Surprisingly, SNARE complexes composed of four glutamines are fully functional for assembly in vitro and exocytic function in vivo. We conclude that the 3Q:1R layer composition is not required within the yeast exocytic SNARE complex because complexes containing four Q residues in the ionic layer appear by all criteria to be functionally equivalent. The unexpected flexibility of this layer suggests that there is no strict requirement for the 3Q:1R combination and that the SNARE complexes at other stages of transport may be composed entirely of Q-SNAREs or other noncanonical combinations.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Perhaps I had never guessed, in the early years of our relationship, the depth of Elsie’s fear and the breadth of her dysfunction. She entered therapy in despair, hurtling from rage to depression, then mired in terrified self-doubt. At 37, she had taken a 15-year journey around the mental health system, not omitting a several-month stay in the custody of a state hospital. A newly equipped cognitive therapist, I thought I could shape her up and ship her out, a model of socialization and employability.
Hypertension and hemorheology

Hemorheological disturbances in hypertension are the outcome of changes in red cell characteristics, their interaction in the presence of fibrinogen, and the magnitude and distribution of flow forces. Hemorheological alteration coupled with changes in biochemical variables and vessel characteristics in hypertension may affect the hemodynamic profile, which could possibly contribute to the development of hemorrhagic disorders. The complex pathophysiology of hypertension also depends upon the life style, presence of other risk factors, emotional/psychological stress, age and the genetic constitution of an individual. This review article summarizes the hemorheological changes in hypertension and their probable role in the deterioration of blood flow.
Occupational Stress and Marital Support

In this chapter we examine the support that married couples provide when one of them is confronted by a stressful job problem. Social support has emerged in recent years as a very useful concept but one whose study is still notably incomplete. It is useful because it helps to explain why some people are damaged by the life problems to which they are exposed and others, faced with similar problems, are able to resist threat to their psychological and physical well-being. Of course, social support is not alone in its capacity to shield people from the deleterious effects of difficult life circumstances. Other conditions have similar mediating functions, such as coping behavior, self-esteem, and mastery. However, whereas other mediators are essentially intrapsychic in character, social support is distinctively and inherently a social construct.
Broadening the scope of worksite stress programs: a guiding framework.

Abstract Worksite stress programs have proliferated in recent years. A large proportion of these programs focus on helping individual employees learn about stress and develop better coping skills. Few programs attempt to reduce the stressful aspects of the job or the organizational context. In order to facilitate the development of a broader array of stress reduction programs, the authors provide: 1) a conceptual framework upon which worksite stress programs should be based, 2) a guide to the variety of decision points in the program development process, 3) an exploration of the reasons why a broader range of stress programs have not heretofore been developed, and 4) suggestions for creating a context amenable to innovative worksite stress programs.
Pheochromocytoma coexisting with renal artery lesions.

Purpose: Physiologically significant renal artery lesions in the presence of a pheochromocytoma comprise a confounding factor which may impact on the hypertension cure following excision of the pheochromocytoma. We present 10 cases of these dual lesions and review the literature on this entity.Materials and Methods: From 1952 to 1999, 269 patients were diagnosed with pheochromocytoma at our institution. Hospital charts of these patients were reviewed retrospectively to identify those with coexisting renal artery stenosis. A Medline search was performed to review the available literature.Results: Of the 269 patients with pheochromocytoma 10 (3.7%) had coexisting renal artery lesions, including renal artery stenosis in 8, renal artery aneurysm in 1 and postangiographic dissection occlusion in 1. Pheochromocytoma was adrenal in 8 cases and ectopic in 2. Of the patients 9 have been treated to date by adrenalectomy in 4, nephroadrenalectomy in 3, adrenalectomy plus lysis of renal artery adhesions in 1 and adre...
Reduced state equalization of multilevel turbo coded signals

In this paper, a novel type of equalization technique, called "double decision feedback equalizer" (DDFE) is applied to multilevel turbo codes (MLTC) to improve BER performance, and the entire system is called "multilevel turbo equalization" (MLTEQ). The parallel input data sequences are encoded at each level by turbo encoders, and then the coded data sequences are mapped to M-PSK signals, where M depends on the level quantity. After these modulated signals are passed through severe ISI and fading channels, the corrupted signals are equalized by an innovative iterative double decision feedback equalization technique, which uses an adaptive LMS algorithm to estimate the channel taps with a new equalization design. Then, the equalized signals are sent to the turbo decoders. The performance of new proposed MLTEQ system is investigated under non-frequency selective fading and frequency selective fading channels. As an application, two level turbo codes are simulated using 4-PSK modulation over AWGN, Rician, Rayleigh and Proakis B channels with 800 frame sizes. The simulation results show that satisfactory performance improvement is obtained with the proposed system over severe ISI and non-frequency selective fading channels.
Challenging Prospective Teachers' Beliefs During Early Field Experience: A Quixotic Undertaking?

Field experiences are rarely designed to challenge prospective teachers' underlying beliefs about teaching and learning. In the experience described here, teacher education students are deliber ately brought face-to-face with their assumptions through encounters with negative numbers, third-graders, and an unconventional teacher. Although the students appear to reconsider their beliefs, such changes may be superficial and short-lived.
New Iron (III) Hydroxyl-Phosphate with Rod-packing Structure as Intercalation Materials

A new iron hydroxyl-phosphate, H2Fe14/3(PO4)4(OH)4 has been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. In this compound, perpendicular chains formed by the face-sharing FeO6 form rod-packing structure. Only about 60% of the chain sites are occupied by iron atoms; other metals, such as manganese, nickel, zinc, can be incorporated into the chain either by filling in the vacancies and/or replacing some of the iron atoms. Reversible insertion and extraction of lithium into this compound shows it to be an excellent cathode material. At current density of 0.1 mA/cm2, 90 % of the theoretical capacity (176 mAh/g) can be obtained. The utilization was reduced to about 70 % on a ten-fold increase of current density. The electrochemical behavior is attributed to the 3-dimensional rod packing structure, where lithium can move freely even at high current densities inside the 3-dimensional framework without altering the host structure. Two of the protons in the lattice may be exchanged by lithium giving Li2Fe14/3(PO4)4(OH)4. These lithium atoms are not removable in electrochemical cycling and similar electrochemical property was found for these two compounds, suggesting an ion-exchange process for the lithiation.
Towards high performance modeling of the 802.11 wireless protocol

The IEEE 802.11 standard is a widely used protocol for wireless communications. It is a moderately complex algorithm involving collision detection, dynamic backoffs, channel reservations, and acknowledgments. Detailed simulation of 802.11 requires some care, and considerable execution time. We are interested in developing a rapidly executable model of 802.11's effect on network behavior. Our interest in this derives from investigations into routing algorithms for large scale ad-hoc networks, executing on parallel architectures. As our interest is in routing and not the MAC layer, a rapidly executed model of 802.11 will accelerate simulations focused on routing issues while giving us "good enough" estimates of packet latency, throughput, and loss.
Sequential Exposure to Estrogen and Testosterone (T) and Subsequent Withdrawal of T Increases the Level of Arginine Vasopressin Messenger Ribonucleic Acid in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus of the Female Rat

The hypothalamic peptides arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) have been implicated as mediators of socio-sexual behaviors in addition to their roles in osmolar homeostasis (AVP), milk ejection and uterine contractility (OT). Within 24 h of parturition, OT and AVP messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels increase in the hypothalamic paraventricular, and to a lesser degree, the supraoptic nucleus (PVN and SON) of the rat. We previously reported that the prepartum increase in OT mRNA is related to the spontaneous decline in progesterone levels prior to parturition. We also reported that increases in PVN and SON OT mRNA can be induced by exposing the ovariectomized rat to a steroid regimen that mimics the steroid milieu of pregnancy, namely sequential estrogen and progesterone and subsequent progesterone withdrawal. Levels of PVN and SON AVP mRNAs were not affected by progesterone withdrawal in late pregnant rats or the steroid regimen that increased OT mRNA in ovariectomized rats. These observations suggest that other factors, perhaps hormonal, may influence AVP mRNA levels. A decline in testosterone coincident with waning progesterone levels also occurs prepartum. Since peak levels of AVP mRNA prepartum coincide with the prepartum decline in testosterone, we questioned whether declining testosterone levels are important for the increase in AVP mRNA levels. To examine a possible role for testosterone in the increased level of AVP mRNA in late pregnancy, we sequentially administered estradiol and testosterone long-term (2 weeks) and removed testosterone 48 h prior to sacrifice. This steroid regimen mimics the estrogen and testosterone pattern of late pregnancy in rats. AVP, but not OT, mRNA levels increased significantly in the PVN of ovariectomized rats receiving this steroid regimen. We also found that implantation of late pregnant rats with testosterone capsules to prevent the spontaneous prepartum decline in testosterone, attenuates the increase in PVN AVP, but not OT, mRNA on day 21 of pregnancy. The data show that sequential estrogen and testosterone and testosterone withdrawal increase the level of PVN AVP mRNA in the female rat.
The Employment Law Rights of Student Interns

Large and growing numbers of post-secondary students are working in internships for little or no pay, often while giving up the legal rights of most employees. This article examines the employment law rights of student interns, especially with regard to minimum wage standards and discrimination law.
Patients who use multiple EDs: quantifying the degree of overlap between ED populations.

Introduction: The degree to which individual patients use multiple emergency departments (EDs)is not well-characterized. We determined the degree of overlap in ED population between threegeographically proximate hospitals. Methods: This retrospective cohort study reviewed administrative hospital records from 2003 to2007 for patients registered to receive ED services at an urban academic, urban community, andsuburban community ED located within 10 miles of one another. We determined the proportion whosought care at multiple EDs and secondarily characterized patterns of repeat encounters. Results: There were 795,176 encounters involving 282,903 patients. There were 89,776 (31%)patients with multiple encounters to a single ED and 39,920 (14%) patients who sought care frommultiple EDs. The 39,920 patients who sought care from multiple EDs generated 185,629 (23%)of all encounters. Patients with repeat encounters involving multiple EDs were more likely to befrequent or highly frequent users (30%) than patients with multiple encounters to a single ED (14%). Conclusion: While only 14% of patients received care from more than one ED, they wereresponsible for a quarter of ED encounters. Patients who use multiple EDs are more oftenfrequent or highly frequent users than are repeat ED visitors to the same ED. Overlap between ED populations is sufficient to warrant consideration by multiple domains of research, practice, andpolicy. [West J Emerg Med. 2015;16(2):229–233.]
The user reconfigured: on subjectivities of information

Foundational to HCI is the notion of "the user." Whether a cognitive processor, social actor, consumer, or even a non-user, the user in HCI has always been as much a technical construct as actual people using systems. We explore an emerging formulation of the user---the subjectivity of information---by laying out what it means and why researchers are being drawn to it. We then use it to guide a case study of a relatively marginal use of computing---digitally mediated sexuality---to holistically explore design in relation to embodiment, tactual experience, sociability, power, ideology, selfhood, and activism. We argue that subjectivities of information clarifies the relationships between design choices and embodied experiences, ways that designers design users and not just products, and ways to cultivate and transform, rather than merely support, human agency.
GenomeRunner web server: regulatory similarity and differences define the functional impact of SNP sets

Motivation The growing amount of regulatory data from the ENCODE, Roadmap Epigenomics and other consortia provides a wealth of opportunities to investigate the functional impact of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Yet, given the large number of regulatory datasets, researchers are posed with a challenge of how to efficiently utilize them to interpret the functional impact of SNP sets. Results We developed the GenomeRunner web server to automate systematic statistical analysis of SNP sets within a regulatory context. Besides defining the functional impact of SNP sets, GenomeRunner implements novel regulatory similarity/differential analyses, and cell type-specific regulatory enrichment analysis. Validated against literature- and disease ontology-based approaches, analysis of 39 disease/trait-associated SNP sets demonstrated that the functional impact of SNP sets corresponds to known disease relationships. We identified a group of autoimmune diseases with SNPs distinctly enriched in the enhancers of T helper cell subpopulations, and demonstrated relevant cell type-specificity of the functional impact of other SNP sets. In summary, we show how systematic analysis of genomic data within a regulatory context can help interpreting the functional impact of SNP sets. Availability and implementation GenomeRunner web server is freely available at http://www.integrativegenomics.org/ Contact mikhail.dozmorov@gmail.com Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Metallization of beryllia ceramics for microelectronic use

Within the last decade and especially in the last two years, the use of beryllia as an electronic substrate material has risen dramatically. One reason for this has been the development of high power devices which require electrical isolation. Another reason has been the demand for high packaging densities. Both of these reflect a need to remove heat from the device efficiently.
Chronic Mycobacterium Avium Infection Leads to Cell Autonomous Exhaustion of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Background: Chronic infections and inflammatory conditions can cause bone marrow suppression and pancytopenia, a dangerous condition that impairs recovery from infection. In some chronic infections such as tuberculosis, marrow suppression has been ascribed to myelofibrosis. However, inflammatory conditions also affect hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) themselves. HSCs are activated to proliferate and differentiate in the setting of a Mycobacterium avium infection. These responses are mediated by interferon gamma (IFNg) signaling. We hypothesized that sustained interferon signaling during a chronic infection would impair self-renewal in HSCs and lead to premature exhaustion of the stem cell compartment. Objective: To ascertain whether persistent interferon exposure in an animal model of chronic Mycobacterium avium infection leads to cell autonomous reduction in HSC number and competency. Methods: We conducted sustained infection of C57Bl/6 wild type mice with M. avium over an 8-month period. At monthly intervals, we assessed HSC number and pluripotency in a mouse model of bone marrow transplantation. In order to determine whether suppression of HSC counts was due to a cell autonomous or environmental effect, we performed Mycobacterium avium infection in chimeric mice containing mixed WT and IFNg-receptor-deficient ( Ifngr1 -/- ) marrow. Results: After 6 months of repeated infection with M. avium , mice became anemic and leukopenic. There was a gradual decrease in the number of committed hematopoietic progenitors and a depletion of HSCs in the bone marrow by 6 months following initial infection. The bone marrow of infected animals was hypercellular and not fibrotic. Despite the overall reduction in HSC number, HSCs that remained in chronically infected animals retained full self-renewal potential even across multiple rounds of transplantation. Whereas WT marrow was suppressed in M. avium- infected chimeras, Ifngr1 -/- marrow demonstrated enhanced engraftment, indicating an IFNg-dependent cell autonomous reduction in self-renewal potential. Transcriptional profiling of HSCs from M. avium -infected and control animals by RNAseq indicated that genes involved in the interferon gamma-mediated inflammatory response and genes associated with aging were differentially upregulated. Conclusions: We find that chronic interferon gamma exposure can deplete the HSC pool without inducing myelofibrosis. Further, we demonstrate that IFNg-mediated impairment in HSC self-renewal is cell-autonomous. Despite a reduction in HSC number, a subset of HSCs is protected from exhaustion and maintains self-renewal potential. Serial M. avium infection may be utilized as a mouse model for bone marrow suppression associated with inflammatory conditions, as is seen in some patients with chronic infections or autoimmune disorders. In future studies, candidate genes identified by transcriptome analysis will be assessed for their contribution to HSC exhaustion in the setting of chronic inflammation. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Modeling, experiments and optimization of an on-pipe thermoelectric generator

Abstract A thermoelectric energy harvester composed of two thermoelectric modules, a wicked copper-water heat pipe, and finned heat sinks has been designed, modeled, and tested. The harvester is proposed to power sensor nodes on heating/cooling, steam, or exhaust pipes like these in power stations, chemical plants and vehicle systems. A model to analyze the heat transfer and thermoelectric performance of the energy harvesting system has been developed and validated against experiments. The results show that the model predicts the system power output and temperature response with reasonable accuracy. The model developed in this paper can be adapted for use with general heat sink, heat pipe, and thermoelectric systems. The design, incorporating a heat pipe and two 1.1″ by 1.1″ Bi2Te3 modules generates 2.25 W ± 0.13 W power output with a temperature difference of 128 °C ± 1.12 °C and source temperature of 246 °C ± 1.9 °C, which is more than enough to operate wireless sensors or some actuators. The use of a heat pipe in this design increased the power output by 6 times over conventional designs. Based on the model, further improvement of the power output and energy harvesting efficiency of the system has been suggested by optimizing the number of thermoelectric modules.
Enantioselectivity in Catalytic Asymmetric Fischer Indolizations Hinges on the Competition of π-Stacking and CH/π Interactions

Computational analyses of the first catalytic asymmetric Fischer indolization (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 18534) reveal that enantioselectivity arises from differences in hydrogen bonding and CH/π interactions between the substrate and catalyst in the operative transition states. This selectivity occurs despite strong π-stacking interactions that reduce the enantioselectivity.
Chapter 6: The Expressive Writing Method

Expressive writing is built on a set of relatively open-ended instructions that encourage letting go and opening up about emotional events and exploring their meanings. Relative to writing about trivial topics, expressive writing results in a range of benefits including improved physical health and immune functioning, well-being, cognitive functioning, social integration, and relationship satisfaction. This chapter describes the main features of the expressive writing method in terms of Sweeney and L'Abate's dimensions of writing, and reviews the literature on expressive writing with an emphasis on recent studies investigating novel applications of the paradigm. Expressive writing can be effectively used alone or as an adjunct to traditional therapy. As it can be conducted at a distance with no therapist involvement, it is a flexible, cost-effective approach for addressing a variety of physical and mental health needs for a large number of people. Keywords: emotional events; expressive writing method; mental health; physical health
Investigating a New World: Thoughts on Kindergarten Literacy and Arts Integration.

ABSTRACTAn examination of the American school system through the case study of a kindergarten classroom.