cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of Collusion-Free Codes Based on MAI-Free Principle

The design of collusion-free codes for data hiding systems is investigated, and two new collusion-free codes are proposed in this work. They are called the Orthogonal Spreading (OS) codes and the Orthogonal Spreading codes with Inverse discrete Fourier Transform (OSIFT). The design of OSIFT codes is motivated by the recently developed multi-access-interference-free (MAI-free) codes in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) wireless communication system. Code embedding and detection algorithms are described. It is shown by simulation that both OS and OSIFT codes are robust against collusion attacks in an exemplary audio watermarking system.
Abnormal vasoreactivity in the pathophysiology of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.

1. Steven H. Abman, MD1,* 1. 2. *Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine and The Children’s Hospital, Denver CO. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the factors that modulate the transition of pulmonary circulation from in utero to after birth. 2. Delineate temporal changes in pulmonary vascular resistance during fetal life. 3. List the substances that play a role in vasoregulation of normal fetal pulmonary circulation. 4. Delineate the role of nitric oxide in increasing pulmonary blood flow at birth. 5. Describe the common physiologic characteristics of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. 6. Delineate how abnormalities in production and responsiveness to nitric oxide affect developing lung circulation. 7. Explain why inhaled nitric oxide therapy may not be effective in all cases of pulmonary hypertension. Successful adaptation of the newborn to postnatal conditions requires a dramatic transition of the pulmonary circulation from a high resistance state in utero to a low-resistance state within minutes after birth. This fall in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) allows for a nearly 10-fold rise in pulmonary blood flow that ensures that the lung can assume its postnatal role in gas exchange. Over the past 50 years, experimental studies have demonstrated that several mechanisms contribute to the normal fall in PVR at birth, including the establishment of a gas-liquid interface in the lung, increased oxygen tension, rhythmic distension of the lung (respiration), and shear stress. In addition to these physical stimuli, pulmonary vascular tone is modulated by altered production of vasoactive products, especially the release of potent vasodilator substances, such as nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin (PgI2). Within minutes of this vasodilator response, increased pulmonary blood flow distends the vasculature, causing a “structural reorganization” of the vascular wall that includes flattening of the endothelium and thinning of smooth muscle cells and matrix. Thus, the ability to accommodate this marked rise in blood flow requires rapid functional and structural adaptations to ensure that the normal postnatal fall in …
Military requirements for object-oriented real-time dependable database systems

We review requirements for military database systems, what added database support is being developed for them, and ongoing concept development efforts and change proposal recommendations by the US Navy and the American national standards institute (ANSI) in cooperation with private industry and academia for real time database management systems standard features. We examine the unique information needs of military systems, how these needs have been met in the past and what the future holds. We examine the Navy's next generation computing resources program (NGCR), their Database Management Interface Standards Working Group (DISWG), and ANSI's database systems study group's (DBSSG) Predictable Real time Information Systems Task Group (PRISTG) and how these efforts will foster the evolution of existing and emerging database management systems standards into real time database management systems standards.
On the order reduction of linear function observers

This note analyzes a new algorithm presented in [1] for designing a linear function observer with a minimum number of arbitrary poles. It shows that the maximum order of the observer of [1] is \nu + ... + \nu_{p} - p for p \leq q and n - q for p \geq q , instead of p(\nu_{1} - 1) as suggested in [1], where \nu{i}, i = 1 to p , are the descending ordered observability indexes of system ( A, C ) and n,p , and q are the order of the system, the number of the functions, and the number of the system outputs, respectively. This note also shows the significance of this result. For presentational purposes, only a special case of [1] is considered here. However, the technical properties as proved in this note are general.
The 70-degree telescope as a teaching tool for cleft palate repair and pharyngoplasty surgery.

Abstract Objective To determine the optimum positioning of a 70-degree telescope to provide a maximum view of the palate and posterior pharynx for observers while minimally obstructing the direct view of a surgeon. Design Simulator testing of clinical protocol. Setting Simulation center of an academic tertiary care children's hospital. Interventions The palate and pharynx of an infant airway mannequin was exposed with a Dingman mouthgag. A 4 mm, 70-degree endoscope was secured to the Mayo stand to provide a projected image of the simulated operative procedure. Various positions of the 70-degree telescope were photodocumented by manipulating the angle of the scope, the extension past the lower lip, and the distance of the scope tip away from the midline. Using a 4-point Likert scale, three surgeons rated the randomized photos from both the direct operative view and the projected endoscopic view. Results Average rating for the adequacy of the view for pharyngeal surgery was 2.4/4.0 and for palate surgery was 3.1/4.0 (p = .001). Only 4 of 22 scope positions were rated as minimally obstructive to direct view by all three surgeons. Only 1 position – scope parallel and just lateral to the tongue blade – was rated as minimally obstructive and adequate for both pharyngeal and palatal surgery by all three surgeons. Conclusions In training centers, a 70-degree telescope attached to a Mayo stand may be useful for teaching and assessing cleft palate and pharyngoplasty surgery, while providing minimal obstruction to direct view by the surgeon.
Sediment size and nutrients regulate denitrification in a tropical stream

AbstractLanduse changes might alter N cycling in tropical aquatic ecosystems, but understanding of N cycling in tropical streams is limited. We measured actual and potential denitrification rates during the dry season in Rio Las Marias, a 4th-order Andean piedmont stream in Venezuela. Our objectives were to describe spatial and temporal variation in denitrification, quantify the effects of nutrient availability and substratum particle size on denitrification, and explore potential effects of anthropogenic sedimentation on denitrification. In 4 experiments, actual and potential denitrification rates ranged from 0 to 160 and from 0 to 740 μg N2O-N m−2 h−1, respectively. Rates were distributed approximately log-normally because of spatial variation. During a 1-mo period, actual denitrification rates decreased exponentially from 37 ± 39 to 5 ± 7 μg N2O-N m−2 h−1 (mean ± SD), probably because of a decline in water-column NO3-N concentration from 41 ± 14 to 12 ± 3 μg NO3-N/L. The texture (particle size) of stre...
Cosegregation of the Renin Gene with an Increase in Mean Arterial Blood Pressure in the F2 Rats of SHR-Wky Cross

Using the restriction endonuclease, Bgl I, Samani et al. found a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for the renin gene in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and its normotensive control Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats (1). This RFLP was confirmed in our laboratory in SHR and WKY rats using a rat renin cDNA probe. The correlation of blood pressure and the renin RFLP was examined in 106 F2rats produced from F1 rats, the offspring of a cross between SHR males and WKY females. Systolic blood pressure was measured by the tail cuff method at 12 weeks of age. Mean arterial blood pressure of anesthetized rats was measured by cannuiation of the fomoral artery prior to sacrifice. The frequency of renin genotype showed a typical 1:2:1 Mendelian ratio in F2 rats of SHR and WKY cross. The mean arterial blood pressure of F2 rats homozygous with the SHR allele was significantly higher than F2 rats that were heterozygous or homozygous for the WKY allele. No significant difference in systolic blood pressure was ob...
Network signatures of age-related cognitive decline.

Amyloid pathology and cerebrovascular disease are the most frequent, and best characterized, mechanisms linked to age-related cognitive decline and dementia. The relationship between these mechanisms and phenotypes of normal aging, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia has recently been explored in vivo with neuroimaging markers of small vessel disease (SVD) and amyloid deposition (respectively, white matter hyperintensities [WMH] identified on T2-weighted or fluid-attenuated inversion recovery [FLAIR] MRI, and binding of the β-amyloid selective radiotracer Pittsburgh compound B [PiB] on PET). These techniques have accelerated understanding of disease burdens in preclinical and clinical states of impaired cognition.
A Re-design Technique for Datapath Modules in Error Tolerant Applications

Scaling CMOS into nano-scale is decreasing yields. The concept of error tolerance has been proposed to reverse this trend by developing new test techniques for chips used in many applications, such as audio, video, graphics, games, and error-correcting codes for wireless communication. In such chips, manufacturing defects that induce errors with severities within specified thresholds (determined via analysis of applications) are deemed acceptable. In this paper, we develop an approach to re-design datapath modules to exploit acceptable errors to improve yield. Under the manufacturing yield model (Ym = Ypara * Yfunc), parametric yield (Ypara) improvement due to decrease in delay is more important than functional yield (Yfunc) improvement due to decrease in area. So our re-designing technique mainly focuses on reducing delay of datapath modules to improve parametric yield. In particular, we propose multiple approaches and apply them to improve yield of a wide range of adder architectures by exploiting error tolerance in these applications. Experiment results show that even for small thresholds on error severity, we can obtain significant improvements in manufacturing yield.
Delineation of systolic murmurs by autoregressive modelling

Autoregressive (AR) models are used in this paper to delineate four types of systolic murmurs. The study shows that second order AR models can be effectively utilized to extract quantitative measures to accurately characterize different heart sound episodes.
Involution of retinochoroidal shunt vessel after radiotherapy for optic nerve sheath meningioma.

Purpose To illustrate the development and involution of retinochoroidal shunt vessel of the optic disc in a patient with primary optic nerve sheath meningioma. Case report A 38-year-old woman presented with gradual onset of blurred vision in her right eye. Examination revealed a right relative afferent pupillary defect and mild edema of the right optic disc. Computed tomography (CT) showed changes consistent with a primary optic nerve sheath meningioma affecting the orbital portion of the right optic nerve. Patient was observed without treatment and subsequently developed a retinochoroidal shunt vessel on her right optic disc. With progression of the meningioma towards the optic chiasm, treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery was done. Following treatment, the optic disc gradually became pale and the retinochoroidal shunt vessel decreased in caliber with complete involution three years after radiotherapy.
An active learning framework using sparse-graph codes for sparse polynomials and graph sketching

Let f : {-1,1}n → ℝ be an n-variate polynomial consisting of 2n monomials, in which only s ≪ 2n coefficients are non-zero. The goal is to learn the polynomial by querying the values of f. We introduce an active learning framework that is associated with a low query cost and computational runtime. The significant savings are enabled by leveraging sampling strategies based on modern coding theory, specifically, the design and analysis of sparse-graph codes, such as Low-Density-Parity-Check (LDPC) codes, which represent the state-of-the-art of modern packet communications. More significantly, we show how this design perspective leads to exciting, and to the best of our knowledge, largely unexplored intellectual connections between learning and coding. The key is to relax the worst-case assumption with an ensemble-average setting, where the polynomial is assumed to be drawn uniformly at random from the ensemble of all polynomials (of a given size n and sparsity s). Our framework succeeds with high probability with respect to the polynomial ensemble with sparsity up to s = O(2δn) for any δ ∈ (0,1), where f is exactly learned using O(ns) queries in time O(ns log s), even if the queries are perturbed by Gaussian noise. We further apply the proposed framework to graph sketching, which is the problem of inferring sparse graphs by querying graph cuts. By writing the cut function as a polynomial and exploiting the graph structure, we propose a sketching algorithm to learn the an arbitrary n-node unknown graph using only few cut queries, which scales almost linearly in the number of edges and sub-linearly in the graph size n. Experiments on real datasets show significant reductions in the runtime and query complexity compared with competitive schemes.
Gene expression profiling indicates an increased capacity for proline, serine, and ATP synthesis and mitochondrial mass by the liver of steers grazing high vs. low endophyte-infected tall fescue

Grazing -infected forages results in a variety of reduced animal performance parameters, collectively known as "fescue toxicosis." The initial, limited evaluations of hepatic mechanisms affected by fescue toxicosis have used transcriptomic expression profiling of experimental phenotypes developed by short-term feeding of concentrated ergot alkaloids or fescue seeds to rodents and steers. To assess the effects of fescue toxicosis in growing cattle using a commercially relevant phenotype, we induced fescue toxicosis in beef steers by summer-long grazing (89 to 105 d) of a single high toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue pasture (HE; 0.746 μg/g ergot alkaloids; 5.7 ha; = 10; BW = 267 ± 14.5 kg) vs. a low toxic endophyte tall fescue-mixed pasture (LE; 0.023 μg/g ergot alkaloids; 5.7 ha; = 9; BW = 266 ± 10.9 kg). High toxic endophyte tall fescue-mixed pasture steers had decreased BW (313 vs. 338 kg) and an increased potential for hepatic gluconeogenesis from AA-derived carbons. To gain a greater perspective into fescue toxicosis-induced hepatic metabolism and identify candidate regulatory mechanisms, the goal of the current research was to examine liver samples for changes in gene (mRNA) expression profiles using a Bovine Affymetrix microarray and selected reverse-transcription PCR and immunoblot analyses. The expression (false discovery rate < 10%; < 0.01) of 147 genes was increased (7 to 268%) and that of 227 was decreased (4 to 87%) in livers of HE vs. LE steers. The top (1) functional gene category was cell-mediated immune response (33 genes; ≤ 0.012), (2) canonical cell signaling pathway was primary immunodeficiency signaling (8 genes; ≤ 0.0003), and (3) canonical metabolic pathways were oxidative phosphorylation (5 genes; ≤ 0.016) and purine metabolism (8 genes; ≤ 0.029). High toxic endophyte tall fescue-mixed pasture steers had increased ( ≤ 0.022) expression of genes critical for increased (1) Pro () and Ser () synthesis, (2) shunting of AA carbons into pyruvate () and ATP synthesis (, , , COX4, , and ), and (3) mitochondrial mass (COX4). Targeted reverse-transcribed PCR or immunoblot assays corroborated ( ≤ 0.035) these latter microarray findings for , , , , and COX4. Moreover, network analysis identified glucocorticoid receptor-mediated signaling as the most probable mechanism to coordinate the above findings. These results greatly extend our knowledge of the consequences of summer-long grazing of endophyte-infected tall fescue to the hepatic metabolism of growing steers.
Problematic Internet Use

Problematic Internet use is a recognizable behavioral syndrome which shares many phenomenological features with substance-dependence and impulse-control disorders. It is associated with significant psychosocial impairments and co-occurring disorders. Further investigations into the possibility that problematic Internet use shares common neurobiological features with addictions may help refine conceptualization of the condition and explore novel treatments.
How Patient Experiences Should Change Our Approach to Treating Patients with Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease.

Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is a complex and somewhat mysterious inflammatory syndrome that can frustrate the patient and the clinician alike. Although aspirin desensitization and daily administration of high-dose aspirin is beneficial for most patients with AERD, it is not a treatment that is available to or appropriate for all patients and many patients require multiple medications to manage their symptoms. Despite this, their burden of disease remains high, and little has been known about the perceived effectiveness of the medications we offer. Although AERD is often described and treated as a subset of asthma or of eosinophilic nasal polyposis, the syndrome is distinct enough to warrant more individualized therapeutic modalities. However, the underlying causative mechanisms largely remain elusive, which has made the development of specific targeted therapies nearly impossible. White and Ta write in this issue of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice about patient experiences on living with AERD, defined through the results of a crosssectional online survey of 190 patients about the effects of AERD on quality of life and about the patients’ perception of their medical treatments. In addition to quality of life, they assessed patients’ views of the effectiveness of available treatments, the factors involved in the decision to initiate high-dose aspirin therapy, and the sense of AERD expertise observed by patients with the disease. This information has never before been available to clinicians and much of it is surprising and could truly change standard approaches to the treatment of these patients. Above all, it is crucial for all clinicians to be aware of the serious negative effect that AERD has on patients’ quality of life. More than 70% of the patients surveyed reported that AERD had at least a moderate negative effect on their quality of life. Specifically, decreased sense of smell was the top symptom that led to that diminished quality of life, and smell is an aspect that both clinicians and researchers often ignore. In fact, the original
The Unexpectedness of Jim Pepper

L’historien culturel Philip Deloria utilise les concepts d’attente et d’anomalie pour mettre en lumiere l’influence des Amerindiens inattendus sur la formation de la culture populaire americaine au debut du vingtieme siecle. J’applique le cadre theorique de Deloria a une etude du saxophoniste Creek et Kaw Jim Pepper, a l’epoque de la sortie de "Witchi Tai To" en 1969. J’interprete la musique de Pepper comme l’expression sonore d’une vision unique de la modernite musicale autochtone et j’examine les attentes liees a sa fusion de styles musicaux, avant de conclure par une reflexion sur la question de savoir a qui appartient "Witchi Tai To".
United States Experience With Competition Class Action Certification: A Comment

In this comment arising out of a 2005 conference at the University of Western Ontario on the growth of competition class actions, I discuss the American experience in this area. I first respond to two excellent papers from Professors Robert Klonoff and William Page on different aspects of the American class action experience. I then discuss the anticipated effect of the Class Action Fairness Act on private antitrust enforcement. I conclude with advice for new jurisdictions adopting class action type mechanisms, particularly the need to incorporate standing for indirect purchasers. The full symposium on this issue can be found at 3 Canadian Class Action Review (2006).
Evaluation of extended reach capability of 40G BiDi VCSEL-based WDM transmission over OM4 multimode fibers

40G BiDi is a commercial WDM transceiver with duplex LC connectivity for transmissions over multimode fibers. In this paper, we evaluate the transmission performance of 40G BiDi over OM4 fibers. We have carefully selected OM4 fibers with the lowest and highest peak wavelengths around 850 nm to evaluate the reach capability for 40G BiDi transmission. We demonstrated that the OM4 fiber with the lowest peak wavelength can transmit error free over 325 m while the OM4 fiber with the highest peak wavelength can transmit up to 350-390 m. In both cases, the maximum lengths are much longer than 150 m and 200 m specified for OM4 and wideband MMF transmissions, respectively. We also measured the transceiver encircled flux and found that it was tighter than the encircled flux standard, which may be a factor favoring long system reach at 900 nm.
The Density Determination of Small Solid Objects by a Simple Float Method-II.

The measurement of density changes in solid samples of less than one gram is often of practical interest. We describe here such relative measurements having a precision of a few parts in 104 using a newly reported apparatus. Comparisons of results with theory are presented.
Nanoparticles by Decomposition of Long Chain Iron Carboxylates: From Spheres to Stars and Cubes

In this paper, we report the influence of reaction conditions and the chain length on the nanoparticle (NP) size and morphology for thermal decomposition of long-chain iron carboxylates such as Fe(III) oleate, palmitate, and myristate. In the majority of cases, spherical NPs are obtained; however, nonspherical morphologies were observed in some "extreme" conditions. For example, iron oxide nanostars are formed in eicosane at the Fe oleate/oleic acid ratio of 0.49 g/mL: the highest oleic acid content when NPs still form. The cubic NPs with flat facets are obtained by decomposition of iron palmitate at the lowest palmitic acid fractions, but the most monodisperse cubes are formed at the Fe palmitate/palmitic acid ratio of 1.19 g/mL. Elliptical NPs are formed from Fe myristate with the most well-defined structure. Easy transformation of these NPs from wustite to maghemite without aggregation and loss of solubility makes them excellent candidates for biomedical applications after proper functionalization described in our preceding papers.
A standardized, evidence-based protocol to assess clinical actionability of genetic disorders associated with genomic variation

Genome and exome sequencing can identify variants unrelated to the primary goal of sequencing. Detecting pathogenic variants associated with an increased risk of a medical disorder enables clinical interventions to improve future health outcomes in patients and their at-risk relatives. The Clinical Genome Resource, or ClinGen, aims to assess clinical actionability of genes and associated disorders as part of a larger effort to build a central resource of information regarding the clinical relevance of genomic variation for use in precision medicine and research. We developed a practical, standardized protocol to identify available evidence and generate qualitative summary reports of actionability for disorders and associated genes. We applied a semiquantitative metric to score actionability. We generated summary reports and actionability scores for the 56 genes and associated disorders recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics for return as secondary findings from clinical genome-scale sequencing. We also describe the challenges that arose during the development of the protocol that highlight important issues in characterizing actionability across a range of disorders. The ClinGen framework for actionability assessment will assist research and clinical communities in making clear, efficient, and consistent determinations of actionability based on transparent criteria to guide analysis and reporting of findings from clinical genome-scale sequencing. Genet Med 18 12, 1258–1268.
ANALYSES ON COMPOSITE COLUMN WITH INSIDE CONCRETE FILLED STEEL TUBE UNDER AXIAL COMPRESSION

A composite column with inside concrete filled steel tube may have advantages over either pure steel or reinforced concrete columns, with the inner concrete enhancing the stability , the tube confining the concrete core to a triaxial stress state, and the outer concrete protecting the steel tube from high temperature, corrosion, etc. But the reaction to axial compressive load is different between reinforced concrete column and column with inside concrete filled steel tube .This paper presents analyses of the influences of the transverse reinforcement ratio on the function of the composite column. The transverse reinforcement ratio in critical state is derived , and found to be in good agreement with test data.
To Explore the Orientation of Democratic Management in Enterprises from the Modern Civilization

This thesis presents many arguments in many ways, including the meanings of modern civilization, the status and functions of political civilization in socialist modern civilization and the connotation of the democratic politics at basic level. Besides, the thesis also includes the opinion that the developmental degrees of democracy and centralist mainly indicate whether political civilization has been improved or not and that democratic management should be the core of the democratic political construction at the grass-roots. The thesis finally proves the status of democratic management in enterprises in the modern civilization, expounds the key component elements of democratic management in enterprises and demonstrates the main functions of workers' congress as a carrier in democratic management in enterprises.
Studies in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Further Studies of the Proliferative Abnormality of the Blood Lymphocyte

Peripheral lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia were exposed to phytohemagglutinin in culture. Quantitative assessment of the proliferative response provided an in vitro test of lymphocyte function. The results were correlated with several clinical parameters, both hematologic and immune. Lymphocytes from patients with modestly elevated lymphocyte counts and mild disease manifested slightly delayed and depressed reactions to PHA. All immunoglobulin levels in these patients were also moderately reduced. Further delay and depression of the PHA response showed a rough correlation with progressive lymphocytosis and reduction in circulating immunoglobulins. Kinetic and autoradiographic analyses have suggested that late-reacting lymphocytes formed distinct populations of abnormal cells which did not seem to be appreciably contaminated with normal lymphocytes, even in instances of mild disease. Only in a patient with splenic lymphosarcoma were multiple circulating populations of normal and late reacting lymphocytes detected simultaneously. In that case, at least some of the late-reacting lymphocytes appeared to originate in parenchymal lymphoid masses. A definition of CLL could well include, not only the findings in the blood and bone marrow, but a statement of the reaction of the lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin and of the immunoglobulin characteristics.
Gonorrhea: Not a new problem but a serious one

In order to prevent the variety of complications that can result from a gonococcal infection, accurate and prompt diagnosis is essential. Untreated gonorrhea can have devastating effects on men and women and their offspring. Identification of at-risk clients and management of the disease will also help prevent complications. Additionally, thorough management of uncomplicated gonorrhea, effective client education, and promotion of public education are essential in achieving the goals set by the Surgeon General.
Infusion of Tracers at a Constant Rate

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce formulas that relate the rates described in the preceding chapter to isotopic data obtained during constant infusion of tracers. The derivation of these formulas follows the order of increasing complexity of the systems; accordingly, 1, 2, 3, and m primary pools embedded in a multicompartmental network are considered sequentially. Although the formulas derived for the m pool system are of course applicable when m is 1, 2, or 3, the simpler cases are discussed separately since the symbolism is less cumbersome and, in practice, only systems consisting of very felt primary pools can be studied experimentally.
O’Donoghue Award Winner Early Changes in the Knee Joint Center of Rotation during Walking Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Correlate with Later Changes in Patient Reported Outcomes

Background: Altered knee kinematics after anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction (ACLR) have been implicated in the development of premature osteoarthritis (OA), leading to poor long term clinical outcomes.
A Survey of Perinatal Palliative Care Programs in the United States: Structure, Processes, and Outcomes.

Abstract Background: Perinatal palliative care (PPC) programs are proliferating nationwide, but little is known about their structure, process, or desired outcomes, to inform future program development. Objective: To explicate structure, processes, and outcomes of PPC programs, specifically how they coordinate care and manage goals of care meetings, as well as providers’ perceptions of the most beneficial components of care and their expected care outcomes. Design: Free-text response data were taken from a 48-item online survey organized around the eight domains defined by the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care (NCP). Responses related to NCP Domain 1 (Structure and Process of Care) were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Subjects: U.S. PPC program representatives (N = 75) from 30 states. Results: The majority of programs have a care coordinator, but roles vary from direct patient care to program administration. Participants described a range of topics discussed during famil...
Metal Cations in G-Quadruplex Folding and Stability

This review is focused on the structural and physico-chemical aspects of metal cation coordination to G-Quadruplexes (GQ) and their effects on GQ stability and conformation. G-Quadruplex structures are non-canonical secondary structures formed by both DNA and RNA. G-quadruplexes regulate a wide range of important biochemical processes. Besides the sequence requirements, the coordination of monovalent cations in the GQ is essential for its formation and determines the stability and polymorphism of GQ structures. The nature, location and dynamics of the cation coordination and their impact on the overall GQ stability are dependent on several factors such as the ionic radii, hydration energy and the bonding strength to the O6 of guanines. The intracellular monovalent cation concentration and the localized ion concentrations determine the formation of GQs and can potentially dictate their regulatory roles. A wide range of biochemical and biophysical studies on an array of GQ enabling sequences have generated at a minimum the knowledge base that allows us to often predict the stability of GQs in presence of the physiologically relevant metal ions, however, prediction of conformation of such GQs is still out of the realm.
A 0.9um 2 1T1R bit cell in 14nm SoC process for metal-fuse OTP array with hierarchical bitline, bit level redundancy, and power gating

This work introduces the first high-volume manufacturable (HVM) metal-fuse technology in a 14nm tri-gate high-k metal-gate CMOS process. A high-density array featuring a 0.9µm2 1T1R bit cell and bit level redundancy is presented. An array efficiency of 50% is achieved with hierarchical bit line design to separate fuse programming from read/sense. A power gating scheme is adopted to reduce leakage current consumption and reduce high voltage exposure for reliability. Program conditions can be optimized for HVM and in-field programming (IFP) to achieve close to 100% bit level yield.
Discourse of Democracy

. Discourse centers on the study of language and how language can be used to dominate and control people, usually without their conscious knowing. Different tools and templates are provided in this chapter for teachers and students to work through and understand the various modes of discourse they are surrounded with. The ultimate aim of the chapter is not just to instill the ability to analyze discourse, but for students to be able to actually create new and more beneficial discourse which more accurately represents their world. The chapter concludes by linking the ideas of discourse for democracy with relevant skills, dispositions and school climate attributes.
Product Development of High Power Electronics for High Reliability Applications

Abstract: The goal of this study was to achieve an improvement on power conversion based on SiC High Power Electronic devices at high temperature (+220°C). Two different devices (a SiC Schottky Diode & a Schottky Diode Bridge Rectifier) were studied using different substrates, die attach materials and die. Positive results were achieved; it was found a strong relationship between wire bond strength and die attach material; it was evident the two different die chosen for the study resulted in different electrical performance on the devices; and that, from the arrays of tests, there was no evident data to prefer one of the two substrates chosen for the study.
A Sparse Latent Regression Approach for Integrative Analysis of Glycomic and Glycotranscriptomic Data

Glycomics and glycotranscitomics have emerged as two key high-throughput approaches to interrogating the glycome within specific cells, tissues or organisms under specific conditions. Because the glycotransciptomic analysis utilizes the same experimental protocol as the whole-transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) that is commonly used in the genomic research, the glycotranscriptomic information can be conveniently extracted in silico for many biological samples from which RNA-seq data have been collected and made publicly available through large-scale projects such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) proeject. However, the glycomic data collection is constrained by specialized analytical tools that are less accessible by biological researchers. In this paper, we present a Bayesian sparse latent regression (BSLR) model for predicting quantitative glycan abundances from glycotranscriptomic data. The model is built using the matched glycomic and glycotranscriptomic data collected in a same set of samples as training sets, and is then exploited to study the common properties of the training samples and to predict these properties (e.g., the glycan abundances) in similar samples from which only glycotranscriptomc data are available. The BSLR model assumes the glycomic and the glycotranscriptomic abundances are both modulated by a small number of independent latent variables, and thus can be constructed by using only a relatively small number of training samples. When tested on simulated data, we show our approach achieves satisfactory performance using only 10-20 training samples. We also tested our model on five cancer cell lines, and showed the BSLR model can accurately predict the glycan abundances from the transcription levels of glycan synthetic genes. Furthermore, the predicted glycan abundances can distinguish the metastatic cell line specifically targeting brain from the remaining breast cancer cell lines as well as the a brain cancer cell line, with only slightly lower power than the observed glycan abundances in glycomic experiments, indicating the BSLR prediction retains the variations of glycan abundances across different groups of samples from their glycotranscriptomic data.
Suppression of irrelevant sounds during auditory working memory.

Auditory working memory (WM) processing in everyday acoustic environments depends on our ability to maintain relevant information online in our minds, and to suppress interference caused by competing incoming stimuli. A challenge in communication settings is that the relevant content and irrelevant inputs may emanate from a common source, such as a talkative conversationalist. An open question is how the WM system deals with such interference. Will the distracters become inadvertently filtered before processing for meaning because the primary WM operations deplete all available processing resources? Or are they suppressed post perceptually, through an active control process? We tested these alternative hypotheses by measuring magnetoencephalography (MEG), EEG, and functional MRI (fMRI) during a phonetic auditory continuous performance task. Contextual WM maintenance load was manipulated by adjusting the number of "filler" letter sounds in-between cue and target letter sounds. Trial-to-trial variability of pre- and post-stimulus activations in fMRI-informed cortical MEG/EEG estimates was analyzed within and across 14 subjects using generalized linear mixed effect (GLME) models. High contextual WM maintenance load suppressed left auditory cortex (AC) activations around 250-300 ms after the onset of irrelevant phonetic sounds. This effect coincided with increased 10-14 Hz alpha-range oscillatory functional connectivity between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left AC. Suppression of AC responses to irrelevant sounds during active maintenance of the task context also correlated with increased pre-stimulus 7-15 Hz alpha power. Our results suggest that under high auditory WM load, irrelevant sounds are suppressed through a "late" active suppression mechanism, which prevents short-term consolidation of irrelevant information without affecting the initial screening of potentially meaningful stimuli. The results also suggest that AC alpha oscillations play an inhibitory role during auditory WM processing.
Delays in Seeking General Medical Services and Measurable Abnormalities Among Individuals With Serious Mental Illness.

Objective:The study explored the association of delays in seeking general medical care with elevated blood pressure and metabolic abnormalities among individuals with serious mental illness.Methods...
Ramanujan's Notebooks

Working mostly in isolation, Ramanujan noted striking and sometimes still unproved results in series, special functions and number theory.
Spatial suitability assessment for vineyard site selection based on fuzzy logic

Developing a sustainable agricultural production system requires knowledge of the climate, soil, and topography of the area of interest. This is especially relevant for wine grape (Vitis vinefera L.) production. The main objective of this study was the development of a comprehensive system to aid in the selection of suitable areas for grapevine cultivation. Included in this system were several bioclimatic indices, such as Growing Degree Days (GDD), Frost Free Days (FFD), and the Huglin Index (HI) calculated over a period of 30 years using daily weather data obtained from the University of Idaho’s Gridded Surface Meteorological (UI GSM) dataset. Soil data and topographical data were also included in the system. The bioclimatic indices, soil, and topographic data were then transformed using fuzzy logic, and suitability maps with scores ranging from 0 to 1 were developed. The final vineyard-potential scores were obtained by combining the soil, weather, and topographic potential scores with a range from 0 to 1, where 0 pertained to non-suitable areas and 1 referred to optimal sites. The maps were evaluated by comparing the range of suitability scores of existing vineyards in Washington State. The evaluation indicated that 97% of the established vineyards have a vineyard-potential score that ranges from 0.8 to 1. The results of this study revealed that 11% of the total study area had a high potential for wine grape production. This study was able to successfully employ fuzzy logic to help decision-makers, growers, and others with conducting a precise land assessment for wine grape production.
Worms: A Remarkably Reasonable Treatment Option for Psoriasis:

There is a need to expand safe and effective treatment options for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. This article hypothesizes one promising novel treatment option: Trichuris Suis. Epidem...
Data Mining and Equi-Accident Zones for US Pipeline Accidents

AbstractData mining is performed on the last 21 years of United States pipeline accident data to illustrate the trends in different pipeline accident types and their consequences, namely financial ...
Combinations of Tracer Techniques, Especially HRP and PHA-L, with Transmitter Identification for Correlated Light and Electron Microscopic Studies

The tracing of neural circuits is greatly facilitated if a neuron’s projections and afferent synaptic connections as well as its transmitter content can be identified, and various attempts have been made in recent years to accomplish this goal. Since the analysis of synaptic relations requires the use of the electron microscope, the techniques applied in such investigations must be compatible with ultrastructural studies. When initial studies by Kristensson and Olsson (1971) and LaVail and LaVail (1972) demonstrated the usefulness of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as a neuroanatomical tracer, it had already been shown that the end product of the HRP reaction is electron dense if DAB is used as a substrate and the tissue is postfixed in osmium tetroxide (Graham and Karnovsky, 1966; see review by Carson and Mesu-lam, 1982c). The HRP method, therefore, became increasingly popular in combined light—electron microscopic tracer studies.
Speculations on the Origin of the Anadarko Basin

The Anadarko Basin of the southern midcontinent, U.S.A., is the deepest cratonic basin in North America, with an existing in-place sedimentary section of 12–13 km. It has a more complex history than some other interior basins because it is both a cratonic and a foreland basin. It shares a common origin with several North American Paleozoic basins in having formed over a preexisting rift zone. This rift zone — the Southern Oklahoma Aulacogen — was unusual, having been formed athwart the suture between the southern 1.35–1.40 Ga Granite-Rhyolite terrane and the 1.2 Ga Texas era ton. The rift was active in the late Proterozoic-early Cambrian, but may have inherited an earlier Proterozoic grain. The Paleozoic Anadarko Basin was areally similar to present-day Michigan or Illinois, but was segmented and deepened in the Pennsylvanian during the Ouachita collision. It had a poorly recognized Permian phase which perhaps extended into the Mesozoic.
Synthesis of Bis-Strychnos Alkaloids (–)-Sungucine, (–)-Isosungucine, and (–)-Strychnogucine B from (–)-Strychnine

It was developed a concise synthetic route resulting in the first syntheses of bis-Strychnos alkaloids (-)-sungucine, (-)-isosungucine, and (-)-strychnogucine B from commercially available (-)-strychnine. Employing a highly convergent synthetic strategy, it was demonstrated that both Strychnos monomers could be efficiently prepared from commercially available (-)-strychnine. The venerable Mannich reaction was enlisted to join the two Strychnos monomers in a biomimetic fashion. Subsequent epimerization and olefin isomerization yielded (-)-strychnogucine B. Functional group manipulation transformed (-)-strychnogucine B into (-)-sungucine and (-)-isosungucine. Computational chemistry was employed to rationalize the regiochemical course of key steps en route to the bis-Strychnos targets.
Wireless Passive Radiation Dosimeter Using Flash Memory

We propose and demonstrate technique to utilize commercial off-the-shelf Flash memory for radiation dosimetry application. We demonstrate that the state-of-the-art Flash chips is not only sensitive to ionizing radiation (data corruption starts at the dose of 100 rad (SiO 2 )) but also selective enough to distinguish X-ray vs Gamma-ray exposure. Sensitivity of the dosimeter is measured by correlating data corruption rate, while selectivity is achieved by utilizing dose enhancement effect and relative response from fresh vs worn-out memory blocks. Finally, an algorithm is introduced for smart phone application that can potentially be used for real-time wireless radiation dosimetry
Competing inhibition-stabilized networks in sensory and memory processing

In simplified models of neocortical circuits, inhibition is either modeled in a feedforward manner or through mutual inhibitory interactions that provide for competition between neuronal populations. By contrast, recent work has suggested a critical role for recurrent inhibition as a negative feedback element that stabilizes otherwise unstable recurrent excitation. Here, we show how models based upon a motif of recurrently connected “E-I” pairs of excitatory and inhibitory units can be used to describe experimental observations in sensory and memory networks. In a sensory network model of binocular rivalry, a model based on competing E-I motifs captures psychophysical observations about how incongruous images presented to the two eyes compete. In a model of cortical working memory, an architecturally similar model with modified synaptic time constants can mathematically accumulate signals into a working memory buffer in a manner that is robust to the abrupt removal of cells. These results suggest the inhibition-stabilized EI motif as a fundamental building block for models of a wide array of neocortical dynamics.
Optimal Fractional-order PID Control of Permanent Magnetic Synchronous Generator for Fault-ride Through Enhancement using Yin-Yang Pair Algorithm

Wind energy conversion system (WECS) plays an important role in renewable energy generation for the sake of environment protection and reduction of greenhouse gas emission. This paper designs a novel optimal fractional-order PID control (FPID) scheme of permanent magnetic synchronous generator (PMSG) to enhance the fault-ride through (FRT) capability, which aims to considerably increase the operation reliability of PMSG under various grid fault scenarios. An ancient Chinese philosophy inspired meta-heuristic algorithm, called Yin-Yang pair algorithm (YYPA), is employed to optimally tune the control parameters of FPID. YYPA has a very simple structure with few parameters that need to be tuned, thus it is very easy to be implemented with efficient optimum searching ability. Moreover, due to the use of fractional-order mechanism, the closed-loop system dynamics could be further improved, such that a satisfactory FRT performance of PMSG can be achieved. Case studies verify the effectiveness and superiority of YYPA compared to that of genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO).
NMSSM Higgs Detection: LHC, LC, $\gam C$ Collider Complementarity and Higgs-to-Higgs Decays

We discuss the importance of being able to detect Higgs-to-Higgs-pair decays in the context of the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Model (NMSSM) and demonstrate the excellent capabilities of a photon collider for this purpose.
A method for preparing N-alkylated kanosamines from diacetone d-glucose

Abstract The aminoglycoside (AG) antibiotics have seen a resurgence in their clinical use given the increase in multi drug resistant bacterial infections. Campaigns to generate novel analogs show promise that structural modification can lead to compounds with improved pharmacological properties. The results described herein include a new method to synthesize mono-, di-, and mixed N-alkylated kanosamine sugars and their elaboration into novel glycosides that inhibit bacterial protein synthesis in vitro.