cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Public Information and Competition on Trading Volume and Price Volatility

In a one-period model of market making with many exogenously informed traders, we first show that the variance of prices and expected.trading volume depend on the public information released at the start of trading. This is accomplished by representing beliefs with elliptically countoured distributions, for which the form of optimal decision rules does not depend on the specific distribution used. Second, if the model is altered so that the decision to become informed is made endogenous, then the decision rules of the market-maker and infomed traders depend on the public information. Third, in a multiperiod model with many informed traders and long-lived private information, recursion formulas similar to those of Kyle (1985) hold for all elliptically contoured distributions, trading volume is autocorrelated, and, unless per period liquidity trading is bounded.away from zero as new trading periods are added, informed traders' profits vanish. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
The molecular basis of heterogeneity of hepatitis delta virus

HDV-RNA displays genetic heterogeneity at several different levels. This heterogeneity is likely reflected in the biological properties, such as pathogenicity and evolution, of HDV. The variation and progression of the clinical picture of delta hepatitis is likely associated with the heterogeneity of the virus. The mechanism of the generation of the heterogeneity remains largely to be studied.
DNA/RNA Content and Proliferative Fractions of Colorectal Carcinomas: A Five-Year Prospective Study Relating Flow Cytometry to Survival

In our prospective study, flow cytometric analysis of cellular DNA and RNA content was performed on unfixed fresh specimens of colorectal adenocarcinoma taken from 176 patients. Of the 176 tumors, 113 (64%) were aneuploid. There was no correlation between aneuploidy and tumor stage, grade, location, or size. After a median follow-up of 5.6 years, no correlation between DNA or RNA content and patient survival was found. DNA content alone was not an independent prognostic factor when the colorectal carcinomas were segregated by curable and incurable stages. However, normal mucosa, diploid tumors, and aneuploid tumors showed progressively higher proliferation and higher RNA and DNA indices. Proliferative fraction--defined as the percentage of cells in S + G2 and M phases of the cell cycle--was significantly related to ploidy and to Dukes' stage. Despite these correlations, we did not detect a significant influence of proliferative fraction on survival when patients were segregated above or below the mean proliferative fraction for all tumors. More accurate methods of identifying the proliferative fraction of tumor cells are currently being pursued. While the role of flow cytometry in the evaluation and management of patients with colorectal carcinoma is still undefined for a number of other cellular parameters, it seems unlikely that DNA index, RNA index, or the proliferative fractions calculated from the DNA histogram, will, of themselves, represent independent prognostic factors.
Impaired myogenic responsiveness of the afferent arteriole in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: role of eicosanoid derangements.

Evidence suggests that diabetes is associated with an impairment of renal autoregulation. It has previously been demonstrated that pressure-induced (myogenic) afferent arteriolar vasoconstriction is well preserved in the isolated perfused hydronephrotic kidney. In this study, pressure-induced afferent arteriolar vasoconstriction was examined in kidneys from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Vessel diameters were measured by videomicroscopy as renal arterial pressure was elevated from 80 to 180 mm Hg. In normal kidneys, the afferent arteriole vasoconstricted progressively as renal arterial pressure was increased (-24 +/- 2% decrement in diameter at 180 mm Hg; N = 35; P less than 0.001). In contrast, afferent arterioles of diabetic kidneys exhibited a greatly attenuated response to pressure (i.e., -3 +/- 2% change at 180 mm Hg; N = 60). In vitro treatment with 100 microM ibuprofen completely restored myogenic vasoconstriction (-21 +/- 2% change at 180 mm Hg), but did not alter myogenic responses of control (i.e., nondiabetic) kidneys. The control of hyperglycemia by insulin treatment resulted in a partial preservation of myogenic vasoconstriction (i.e., -11 +/- 3% change at 180 mm Hg), which was further restored by the administration of a low dose (10 microM) of ibuprofen (-21 +/- 1% change at 180 mm Hg). These observations indicate that diabetes is associated with an impaired responsiveness of the afferent arteriole to pressure that is mediated by an alteration in eicosanoid metabolism. This deranged renal microcirculatory response to pressure may represent a functional impairment of the diabetic kidney that may contribute to the progression of diabetic nephropathy.
Simulating sine-generated meandering channel evolution with an analytical model

An analytical model to simulate the evolution of a meandering channel was developed based on the analytical solution of flow field in a sine-generated meandering channel and application of the bank erosion model by Duan et al. The flow-field solution was derived from two-dimensional, depthaveraged, steady-flowequations in channel-fitted, curvilinear orthogonal coordinates where the transverse bed slopewas treated as a variable increasing with channel sinuosity. The flow-field solution indicated that the location where the shift of maximum velocity zone from the convex to concave banks in sine-generated channels varies with the transverse bed slope and the strength of secondary current. The rate of bank erosion was calculated as a gradient function of the longitudinal sediment transport rate and strength of the secondary flow rather than being proportional to the magnitude of excessive near-bank velocity or shear stress. This model replicated the evolution of meandering channels from mildly to highly sinuo...
Clinical Reasoning: A 55-year-old woman with vertigo: A dizzying conundrum

A 55-year-old woman presented to the emergency department complaining of dizziness. Several hours earlier she abruptly felt “the room spinning and moving back and forth.” Simultaneously, she experienced nausea, vomiting, and gait unsteadiness. The dizziness exacerbated with head movement. She denied head or neck pain, photophobia, phonophobia, auditory symptoms, weakness, numbness, diplopia, dysarthria, dysphonia, dysphagia, history of recent illness, prior dizziness, or headache. Medical history included hyperlipidemia and hypertension. ### Question for consideration: 1. What is the differential diagnosis for acute vertigo? GO TO SECTION 2 To determine the cause of acute vertigo, it is important to know whether it is transient (seconds to minutes) or prolonged (hours to days); a single episode of vertigo or a recurrence; if it is positionally provoked (e.g., benign paroxysmal positional vertigo); and if there are any accompanying symptoms or signs. The most common causes of acute prolonged vertigo include a peripheral vestibulopathy, Meniere syndrome, migrainous vertigo, or brainstem or cerebellar ischemia.1 This discussion is limited to the distinction between a peripheral vestibulopathy and ischemia. The acute vestibular syndrome (AVS) develops over seconds to hours and is characterized by vertigo, nausea, vomiting, gait instability, head motion intolerance, and nystagmus.2,–,4 It is caused by either an acute peripheral vestibulopathy (APV) or brainstem/cerebellar ischemia, and similarities in presentation often make the distinction a diagnostic challenge. Transient ischemic attacks can cause acute vertigo with rapid resolution but vertigo resulting …
Radioguided neck dissection in recurrent metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma

Although radioguided surgery has been used for the excision of sentinel nodes in breast cancer and melanoma, sparse literature exists describing its use in thyroid cancer. We report a 69-year-old patient with a previous total thyroidectomy and lymph node dissection for papillary carcinoma who was subsequently found to have recurrent metastatic disease. After a therapeutic dose of radioactive iodine, a hand-held γ-probe was used to selectively dissect the neck. The patient was offered radioguided revision neck dissection to remove the disease using residual radioactivity of the original therapeutic iodine 131 dose. Our case report seeks to demonstrate a recent example of our use of the γ-probe in radioguided surgical excision of recurrent metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma.
A comprehensive image processing suite for book re-mastering

Converting paper books into electronic form provides benefits for archiving, distribution and content reuse. However, directly scanned images are usually undesirable for electronic books, and automated content re-mastering is required. In this paper, we describe a comprehensive image processing suite consisting of three major components: 1) image enhancement with deskew, cropping, color correction, contrast enhancement and text sharpening, 2) compound document image compression, and 3) extraction of TOC (table of content) and linking. We built a processing pipeline that automatically converts a set of scanned page images into a high quality and highly compressed e-book in the popular PDF format.
Community size and sex role attitudes of the students in India.

The major purpose of the study is to examine the relation between background variables and the attitudes toward wife, mother and father roles for three subsamples based on community size and also t...
A Better Way to Generate and Use Comparative-Effectiveness Research

President Barack Obama, former U.S. Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, and others propose a new government agency that would evaluate the relative effectiveness of medical treatments. The need for "comparative-effectiveness research" is great. Evidence suggests Americans spend $700 billion annually on medical care that provides no value. Yet patients, providers, and purchasers typically lack the necessary information to distinguish between high- and low-value services.Advocates of such an agency argue that comparative- effectiveness information has characteristics of a "public good," therefore markets will not generate the efficiency-maximizing quantity. While that is correct, economic theory does not conclude that government should provide comparative- effectiveness research, nor that government provision would increase social welfare.Conservatives warn that a federal comparative- effectiveness agency would lead to government rationing of medical care - indeed, that's the whole idea. If history is any guide, the more likely outcome is that the agency would be completely ineffective: political pressure from the industry will prevent the agency from conducting useful research and prevent purchasers from using such research to eliminate low-value care. The current lack of comparative-effectiveness research is due more to government failure than to market failure. Federal tax and entitlement policies reduce consumer demand for such research. Those policies, as well as state licensing of health insurance and medical professionals, inhibit the types of health plans best equipped to generate comparative-effectiveness information.A better way to generate comparative-effectiveness information would be for Congress to eliminate government activities that suppress private production. Congress should let workers and Medicare enrollees control the money that purchases their health insurance. Further, Congress should require states to recognize other states' licenses for medical professionals and insurance products. That laissez-faire approach would both increase comparative-effectiveness research and increase the likelihood that patients and providers would use it.
Leadership Decisions Influencing Medicolegal Death Investigation: “We wear a lot of hats.”

ABSTRACTLeaders of medicolegal death investigation agencies face leadership and management challenges. To develop a deeper understanding of how they approach these challenges in the context of the community they serve we explored their lived experiences through semi structured telephone interviews about the essential services of their agency. Qualitative interviews of 12 leaders were transcribed and reviewers identified major themes through multiple readings. The themes included: Responsibilities of Agencies, Interdisciplinary Relationships, Variations in Practice, Recruitment of Agency Personnel, Leaders Qualifications and Certification of Personnel, Training of Personnel, and Quality Improvement/Quality Assurance. The factors affecting agency leaders are complex ranging from the hiring of agency personnel to running and overseeing all aspects of death investigations. There are resources such as leadership training and mentoring needed to improve the oversight and quality of death investigation agencies ...
Diapause of the Southwestern Corn Borer, Diatraea grandiosella: Transition from Spotted to Immaculate Mature Larvae

Immaculate larvae which lack cuticular pigmentation are the typical diapause larvae of Diatraea grandiosella Dyar. Results snowed that mature spotted larvae reared under diapause-inducing conditions underwent a stationary ecdysis to become immaculate larvae. This stationary ecdysis occurred earlier when mature larvae were held at 30°C than at 23°C. Mature spotted larvae had a high weight loss until the immaculate ecdysis, after which their weight decreased slowly. During this period mature larvae became partially dehydrated and 10 days after the immaculate ecdysis had a mean water content of only 65%. A comparison of laboratory-reared and field-collected spotted and immaculate larvae revealed no physiological differences. However, field larvae were heavier and contained a significantly higher concentration of hemolymph pigments than the laboratory ones. These pigments were found to be carotenoids which were absorbed from ingested host plant tissues. The possible nature of hormonal mechanisms regulating diapause induction and development are discussed.
Hechuan area vector biological monitoringnresults analysis,in 2013

Objective To understand hechuan vector biological population density and seasonal ebb and flow situation, formulate vecor biology and mediabiological prevention and control measures. Methods Survey the sticky rat board method is adopted the density of rodents mosquito density investigation using path fingering, flies density investigation by visual method and fly legal persons,the cockroach density investigation method using glie. Results Rat density was 0.04/board only, highest density of rodents injune, in mice as the dominant species(39%); mosquito density of 1.03/km, mosquito density is highest, in july that tired culex [5]for; flies density of only 0.08 per article to housefly as the dominant species(51%), peaked in july; cockroach density was 2.35/sheet only, the highest in july, dominant species of german cockroach(94.61%). conclusion With mice.mosquitoes. flies,cockroaches as the dominat species;mosquito rat in june.july. flies.cockroaches activity peak,peak choice is to eliminate the best period.
Isolated dissecting aneurysm of the renal artery

A 40-year-old man with a history of renal stone formation was evaluated for left flank pain. An excretory urogram failed to show any renal calculi. However, renal arteriography and computerized tomography studies demonstrated a primary dissection of the left renal artery with resulting decreased perfusion to the lower pole of the left kidney.
Factors Associated with Recurrence Rates and Long-Term Survival in Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer Ages 40 and Younger

Young age at breast cancer diagnosis has been associated with increased risk of recurrence and mortality. We reevaluated this assumption in a large, modern cohort of women diagnosed with breast cancer at age ≤40 years. We identified women with breast cancer at age ≤40 years at a single institution from 1996–2008. We assessed locoregional recurrence (LRR), distant recurrence, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS), and correlated patient and tumor characteristics with outcomes. We identified 584 women aged ≤40 years with breast cancer. Median age was 37 years, and median follow-up was 124 months; 61.5 % were stages 0–I and 38.5 % were stages II–III. Overall, 57.4 % had lumpectomies and 42.5 % mastectomies. DFS was 93 % at 5 years and 84.5 % at 10 years. OS was 93 % at 5 years and 86.5 % at 10 years. On multivariate analysis, worse DFS was associated with positive nodes (p = 0.002); worse OS was associated with larger tumor size (p = 0.042). When stratified by lumpectomy versus mastectomy, there were no significant differences in survival or recurrence. For lumpectomy patients, DFS was 96 % at 5 years and 88 % at 10 years; OS was 96 % at 5 years and 89 % at 10 years. For mastectomy patients, DFS was 89.5 % at 5 years and 79 % at 10 years; OS was 90 % at 5 years and 83 % at 10 years. Lumpectomy LRR rates were 1 % at 5 years and 4 % at 10 years. Mastectomy LRR rates were 3.5 % at 5 years and 8.7 % at 10 years. Outcomes for women with breast cancer at age ≤40 years have improved. Lumpectomy recurrence rates are low, suggesting that lumpectomy is oncologically safe for young breast cancer patients.
Marcy’s Voice: The Road Less Traveled

It all started when I decided to attend Mount Holyoke, a women’s college. Although she didn’t admit it until years later, my mother was horrified. She couldn’t imagine herself choosing the road less traveled, an environment that was all-women, and she questioned how I would learn the social skills necessary to survive in a world full of men. I had been a shy kid in school. Perhaps ‘shy’ isn’t quite the right word, but I didn’t raise my hand in class, I didn’t hang out with a lot of friends, and I often preferred my own company to that of others. When I took a speech class in my senior year, I was so terrified on the first day that I could barely get my name out when asked to introduce myself. That’s the reason I took speech in the first place—to learn some public speaking skills and to gain more confidence in my ability to speak out.
Toy Safety and Hazards

Toys may present both toxicological and physical hazards to children. Ensuring the safety of toys is a challenging task. A network of regulatory and voluntary standards groups helps reduce hazards from toys. In the United States, toys are under the jurisdiction of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The voluntary standard American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F-963 is now a mandatory standard in the United States. In Europe, toys are subject to the Toy Safety Directive and the European standard EN-71. The international standard ISO 8124 is the specified toy safety standard in other countries. Regulations in the United States and Europe limit the concentrations of lead and certain other elements, as well as selected phthalate esters, in toys. Physical hazards associated with toys include choking on small parts, sharp edges and sharp points, noise from sound-producing toys, and flammability. US and European standards include a series of tests to address physical and toxicological hazards. In the United States, manufacturers of certain children's products are required to certify that their products have been tested by a third-party laboratory and are compliant with all applicable standards.
Mycobacterium goodii endocarditis following mitral valve ring annuloplasty

Mycobacterium goodii is an infrequent human pathogen which has been implicated in prosthesis related infections and penetrating injuries. It is often initially misidentified as a gram-positive rod by clinical microbiologic laboratories and should be considered in the differential diagnosis. We describe here the second reported case of M. goodii endocarditis. Species level identification was performed by 16S rDNA (ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid) gene sequencing. The patient was successfully treated with mitral valve replacement and a prolonged combination of ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Confirmation of the diagnosis utilizing molecular techniques and drug susceptibility testing allowed for successful treatment of this prosthetic infection.
Situation-Aware Data-Driven Decision Making in Smart Environments Using the MapReduce

With the advent of technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT) and Cloud Computing we have now entered the Big Data era. In particular, in a modern sensor-laden environment, often called smart environment, we expect that a huge amount of data can be generated from many sources including hardware and software sensors, and oftentimes humans as sensors too. The significant amount of data thus generated can potentially help smart environments make situation-aware data-driven decisions based on the predicative capability of future situations in a timely manner. However, massive data requires efficiency in data processing. Therefore, scalable solutions will be required to allow smart environments to provide effective and efficient decisions. This paper presents a framework for situation-aware data-driven decision making in smart environments using the MapReduce.
Treatment of Late-Life Psychosis

Psychosis in late life is a cause of significant distress, suffering, and decline in the quality of life for patients, caregivers, and family members. While psychotic symptoms in later life may be related to long-standing, chronic conditions, the new onset of delusions and hallucinations often presents a diagnostic dilemma to the clinician. This paper seeks to review the overall causes and conditions related to psychosis in later life and discuss available treatment options. The paucity of new research in the areas of psychosis in late-life and the near absences of clinical drug trials in this area is a source of great frustration to the practicing clinician. The need to abstract and modify drug dosing and treatment regimes for frail, elderly patients based on available data is typically required. The minimal availability of psychotherapy research in the area of psychosis in late life is troubling. Antipsychotic medications may be safely and effectively utilized for the treatment of psychosis in late life. Side effect monitoring is vital, and agents for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia may be required.
How to Restore Reading With Visual Prostheses

In daily life sight is used for mainly two types of tasks. Those requiring the recognition of small forms or objects as it is specifically done in reading and those requiring spatial orientation and localization in three-dimensional environments, such as whole body mobility and visuo-motor coordination. For the former the central part of the visual field is mainly used, whereas the latter rely for an essential part on the peripheral visual field. Both have to be seriously considered when developing useful vision aids for low vision and/or blind patients. This chapter is dedicated to the particular question: What are minimum requirements for visual prostheses to restore useful reading abilities to blind patients?
Restructuring Governments in Urban Areas: First Iteration

As indicated in the previous chapter, local government in North America was established to meet the needs of a rural society. With a small, mostly agrarian population, communities were small, and local government provided few services and amenities. There was also sociological and philosophical support for keeping cities small. The local governments consisted of homogeneous groups of people bound together often by religious or ethnic ties. According to the concept of Gemeinschaft, human beings are attracted to a community of people with whom they have something in common. They desire to identify with and be part of a closely knit group of people with similar values and characteristics with whom they can develop emotional ties and have intimate face-to-face relationships (Hamilton, 1999).
Complications of Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery: Iatrogenic and Doulogenic

Robotic surgery has greatly increased in popularity for a wide variety of procedures. Complications encountered in robotic surgeon are often unique; it is a recognition of complications and theire prevention which will allow the benefits of robotic surgery to be optimized. Complications, or adverse events (AEs), in robotic surgery may be viewed as iatrogenic, or due to actions of the physician, and what may be termed “doulogenic” (Gk: doulos, slave), or due to robotic malfunction. ILatrogenic AEs may be unique to robotic surgery, such as injuries due to robotic arm entrapment or movement; doulogenic AEs include arm breakage, stereo viewer failure, bulb explosion, or master tool failure. Complications in robotic surgery are low: most are iatrogenic, from 5–15% in reported series; <1% are doulogenic. The robotic surgeon assumes a primary role in the maintenance of a safe operative environment and the prevention of avoidable iatrogenic or doulogenic complications.
Adherence to pomalidomide in patients with multiple myeloma: A US-based claims study.

e20008Background: Pomalidomide is indicated for use in multiple myeloma (MM) for those who have received at least two prior therapies. Data on real world medication use and factors associated with ...
Expert Preferences for Categorical, Dimensional, and Mixed/Hybrid Approaches to Personality Disorder Diagnosis.

The authors asked 361 personality disorder experts to rank order their preferences for a categorical, dimensional, or mixed/hybrid approach to personality disorder diagnosis in manuals such as the DSM and ICD. Respondents reported a general preference for the mixed/hybrid approach over a purely dimensional approach, and a clear preference against a categorical model. Although there were some statistically significant differences in the rates across training background, age, and gender, this overall pattern of preferences held across these factors. Preferences were notably similar to those reported by Bernstein et al. (2007) prior to the beginnings of deliberations on DSM-5 that ultimately led to a hybrid model. Results are informative for discussions regarding how to classify personality disorders in diagnostic manuals.
Smad3 mediates TGF-beta induced apoptosis through the control of survivin expression

4501 Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) pathway initiates signaling by assembling receptor complexes that activate Smad transcription factors. TGF-β plays a key role in cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. The mechanism of TGF-β induced apoptosis has not been elucidated. We have approached the blockade of Smad3 by using stable ectopic anti-sense Smad3 (AS-Smad3) expression in a breast cancer cell line to understand how the loss of Smad3 affects on the inhibitory TGF-β mediated cell death. In AS-Smad3 MCF-7E cells, we found that the expression of Smad3 mRNA and protein was reduced up to ∼40-45% and were less sensitive to autocrine TGF-β responses than empty vector control using the p3TP-Lux reporter construct. We demonstrated that AS-Smad3 cells showed enhanced anchorage independent growth and cell proliferation. Furthermore, AS-Smad3 cells exhibited delayed apoptosis. We examined whether increased cell survival is involved in the regulation of inhibitor of apoptotic protein (IAP), survivin. We demonstrated that the expression of survivin in AS-Smad3 cells was increased and was reduced by inhibitory TGF-β treatment and rescued by reintroducing wild type Smad3 plasmid in AS-Smad3 cells. In addition, we exhibited that TGF-β signaling regulates the 5’ flanking region (-124 to -113) of human survivin gene in a Smad3 dependent manner. These results indicate that the role of Smad3 in antiproliferative TGF-β pathway converges into the down-regulation of survivin expression resulting in acceleration of tumorigenesis and inhibitory TGF-β induced apoptosis.
Four-factor prothrombin complex concentrate is associated with improved survival in trauma-related hemorrhage: A nationwide propensity-matched analysis.

INTRODUCTIONPost-traumatic hemorrhage is the most common preventable cause of death in trauma. Numerous small single-center studies have shown the superiority of four-factor prothrombin complex concentrate (4-PCC) along with fresh frozen plasma (FFP) over FFP alone in resuscitation of trauma patient
Southeast Asia’s modern architecture: questions of translation, epistemology and power

There have not been many accounts addressing modern architecture in Southeast Asia as a subject of historical analysis. Derived from the inaugural Southeast Asia Architectural Research Collaborativ...
Robust Navigation Control of a 4WD/4WS Agricultural Robotic Vehicle

Abstract This paper reports the development of a robust controller based on backstepping sliding mode control (SMC) for a four-wheel-steering (4WS) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) agricultural robotic vehicle. Two RTK-GPS receivers were installed on the vehicle to provide feedback of the robot’s location and orientation. Kinematic models of front wheel steering and coordinated steering modes and their corresponding navigation controllers were developed. Diverse reference trajectories were designed and used to validate the controller performance. The experimental results demonstrated the capability and robustness of the developed SMC navigation controller in controlling a nonholonomic system that has a high degree of freedom.
Application and extension of a likelihood-ratio test for seasonality in epidemiological data

We present a detailed exposition of the development and application of a likelihood-ratio test for seasonality. It is well known that likelihood-ratio tests have optimal power properties. We assess...
Dynamic Constellation Mapping and SER Performance for Asynchronized PNC Using QPSK

The increased throughput performance of physical-layer network coding (PNC) has led to rigorous research in this field for two-way relay systems or multi-way systems. For coherent detection of information received by the relay node and decoding the correct symbols transmitted by the user nodes after removing self-information, synchronization in the system is a critical requirement. This paper aims to study the symbol error rate (SER) performance of an asynchronized PNC system, i.e. a system with phase misalignments. The symbols of two end users arrive with a phase difference of $\phi$ . We study a mapping scheme for the combined signal at the relay based on its superimposed constellation structure incorporating the phase difference $\phi$ . An analytical bound on SER performance at the relay node in presence of phase difference $\phi$ is derived. Simulation results showing identical SER performance for a fixed value of $\phi$ , independent of the individual link phase offsets, have been presented. It can be seen that mapping provides better spectral efficiency when compared to the de-noise and forward scheme with a slight tradeoff in SER performance compared to non-mapped case.
Omnibot: A Small Versatile Robotic Platform Capable of Air, Ground, and Underwater Operation

Autonomous systems are increasingly sought after to carry out complex tasks yet most available systems are designed to operate in a limited environment. By combining different mechanisms into a single design, a new kind of universal robotic platform called the Omnibot is proposed, which can fly, move on the ground, move on the surface, and dive into the water at the same time. To achieve this goal, a quadrotor configuration, screwdrive drivetrain, and a bladder-based buoyancy unit are proposed as a robotic design and a proof-of-concept platform is developed. Preliminary results demonstrate that the system is lightweight, cost-effective, versatile, and able to operate in the four kinds of environments and switch between them seamlessly without changing its hardware. The proposed design would enable a robotic system to switch among its methods for locomotion and choose the best mode according to the current goal, environment, and the internal power supply conditions, thus making it especially suited to carry out complex missions in changing and unpredictable environments.
A uro-protective agent with restorative actions on urethral and striated muscle morphology.

Aging increases oxidative stress, which can have delirious effects on smooth and striated muscle resulting in bladder dysfunction. Consequently, in women aged over 60 years, urinary incontinence (UI) is a prevalent health problem. Despite the prevalence and consequences, UI continues to be undertreated simply because there are few therapeutic options. Here we investigated whether 8-aminoguanine (8-AG), a purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNPase inhibitor), would restore urethra and external sphincter (EUS) muscle morphology in the aged rat. Aged (> 25 months) female Fischer 344 rats were randomized to oral treatment with 8-AG (6 weeks) or placebo, and the urethra and EUS were evaluated by electron microscopy and protein expression (western immunoblotting). Aging was associated with mitochondrial degeneration in smooth and striated muscle cells as compared to young rats. We also observed a significant increase in biomarkers such as PARP, a downstream activator of oxidative/nitrosative stress. Treatment of aged rats with 8-AG normalized all abnormalities to that of a younger state. 8-AG, a potent inhibitor of PNPase, reverses age-related lower urinary tract morphological and biochemical changes. Our observations support the concept that 8-AG will reverse age-induced lower urinary tract disorders such as UI. These initial findings could have therapeutic implications for the prevention and treatment of age-related UI.
After Saigon's Fall: Refugees and US-Vietnamese Relations, 1975–2000

Few historians of the Vietnam War have covered the post-1975 era or engaged comprehensively with refugee politics, humanitarianism, and human rights as defining issues of the period. After Saigon's Fall is the first major work to uncover this history. Amanda C. Demmer offers a new account of the post-War normalization of US–Vietnam relations by centering three major transformations of the late twentieth century: the reassertion of the US Congress in American foreign policy; the Indochinese diaspora and changing domestic and international refugee norms; and the intertwining of humanitarianism and the human rights movement. By tracing these domestic, regional, and global phenomena, After Saigon's Fall captures the contingencies and contradictions inherent in US-Vietnamese normalization. Using previously untapped archives to recover a riveting narrative with both policymakers and nonstate advocates at its center, Demmer's book also reveals much about US politics and society in the last quarter of the twentieth century.
Θ The cultural transmission of trust norms: Evidence from a lab in the field on a natural experiment

Abstract We conduct trust games in three villages in a northeastern Romanian commune. From 1775–1919, these villages were arbitrarily assigned to opposite sides of the Austrian and Ottoman/Russian border despite being located seven kilometers apart. This plausibly exogenous border assignment affected local institutions and late-18th century migration in a manner that likely also affected trust. Conditional on trust norms being affected by these centuries-old historical circumstances, our experimental design tests the degree to which such norms are transmitted intergenerationally. Consistent with theoretical predictions, we find that participants on the Austrian side that also have family roots in the village are indeed more likely to trust outsiders.
Vitamin B12 and the macromolecular composition of Euglena. I. Kinetic analysis of the cell cycle and chloroplast replication.

Abstract The kinetics of cell division, chloroplast replication and mean DNA/cell of cultures progressing through B12 deficiency do not follow smooth curves, but contain transient plateaus which are consistent mathematically with the hypothesis that one portion of the Euglena cell cycle, the S phase, is differentially extended under B12 deficiency. A computer simulation of the B12-deficient cultures was capable of duplicating the division kinetics of the actual culture. Chloroplast replication in B12-deficient cells is not directly affected by B12 deficiency, but is a function of the division kinetics of the cells. The chloroplasts continue to replicate initially at a high rate after the cells have entered B12 deficiency, and then follow the kinetics of the cells.
Analytical Performance Issues

In 1973, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published the first edition of the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM®). It contained 38 procedures developed by che...
Biophysical analysis of afromontane forest community types at Mount Kasigau, Kenya

This study examines how biophysical site conditions differ in relation to the distribution of forest community types at Mount Kasigau, Kenya, in the Eastern Arc. Topographic measures of elevation, slope, curvature and aspect were derived from a 30-m DEM and temperature and moisture conditions collected from 19 field data loggers for June 2011–2012 measured seasonal change along the steep elevational gradient (1000 m) from bushland to evergreen forest. Nonparametric statistical analyses then compared topographic and climatic conditions among eight ecologically classified forest types. Steep lapse rates in temperature and available moisture support abrupt changes in canopy physiognomy, but dew points declined with elevation. The Kruskal–Wallis test showed significant differences in the elevation, slope, temperature, dew point and relative humidity conditions among the eight forest types. These biophysical conditions are more discrete for Acacia-Commiphora bushland and cloud forest but not significantly different between riverine forest, lower montane woodlands I and II and Euphorbia quinquecostata woodland, and between semi-evergreen woodland and evergreen forest. Biophysical conditions and their influence on the distribution of forest types across a heterogeneous mountain landscape are important to understand and monitor in this unpredictably changing tropical seasonal climate. Resume Cette etude examine comment les conditions biophysiques d'un site differe selon la distribution des types de communaute forestiere au mont Kasigau, au Kenya, dans l'Arc oriental. Des mesures topographiques d'altitude, de pente, de courbes et d'aspect ont ete derivees d'un DEM de 30 m, et la temperature et les conditions d'humidite qui ont ete recoltees par 19 enregistreurs de donnees sur le terrain pour juin 2011-2012 mesuraient le changement saisonnier le long du gradient altitudinal (1000 m) passant de la brousse a la foret sempervirente. Des analyses statistiques non parametriques ont alors compare les conditions topographiques et climatiques de huit types forestiers classifies ecologiquement. Des taux de diminution rapides de la temperature et de l'humidite disponible favorisent des changements abrupts de la physionomie de la canopee mais le point de rosee diminue avec l'altitude. Le test de Kruskal-Wallis a montre des differences significatives des conditions d'altitude, de pente, de temperature, de point de rosee et d'humidite relative entre les huit types de foret. Ces conditions biophysiques sont plus discretes pour la brousse a Acacia commiphora et la foret nebuleuse, mais pas significativement differentes pour la foret riveraine, la foret montagnarde de basse altitude I et II et la foret a Euphorbia quinquecostata, et entre la foret semi-sempervirente et la foret sempervirente. Il est important de bien comprendre les conditions biophysiques et leur influence sur la distribution des types de foret dans un paysage montagneux heterogene, et de les suivre dans ce climat tropical saisonnier qui change de facon imprevisible.
Calibration of an Aftermarket EFI Conversion System for Increased Performance and Fuel Economy with Reduced Emissions

A 1.6-L 1997 Chinese Volkswagen Jetta Engine was converted from carburetion to Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) in order to meet recent Chinese emissions and performance requirements. A procedure is presented to calibrate an EFI system to reach these requirements. Emission results are reported for steady state and transient conditions over a representative matrix of operating conditions for the stock engine configuration and the new EFI system with and without a catalyst. The work is motivated by the recent trend of developing countries to implement emissions standards for the first time. Most published research focuses on new engine technology. This study demonstrates the feasibility of converting previously carbureted vehicles to EFI, greatly reducing emissions at a reasonable cost.
Renal bicarbonate excretion in extremely low birth weight infants

Objective To test the hypothesis that due to the immaturity of their kidneys extremely low birth weight infants lose large amounts of bicarbonate in their urine. Methods Urine and blood samples collected every 8 to 12 hours for the first 4 days of life from 22 preterm infants 23 to 29 weeks' gestation weighing 540 to 982 g at birth were prospectively studied. Results As described previously, three phases of fluid homeostasis were identified. The first phase (prediuresis) was a period of low urine output followed by a period of spontaneous diuresis/natriuresis (diuretic phase) and then by a phase when urine output varied according to fluid intake (postdiuresis). Sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate excretion rates and bicarbonate balance (bicarbonate or acetate infused minus bicarbonate excreted) were calculated for each of the three phases. Urinary excretion of sodium, potassium, chloride, and bicarbonate increased from the prediuretic to the diuretic phase and decreased from the diuretic to the postdiuretic phase. During the diuretic phase 88% of renal sodium excretion was accompanied by excretion of chloride. Bicarbonate balance was positive in all three fluid phases. Cumulative renal bicarbonate loss over the first 4 days of life was 1.9 +/- 0.5 meq/kg (SD) and the cumulative bicarbonate balance was +4.4 +/- 4.1 meq/kg (SD). The glomerular filtration rate, filtered load of bicarbonate, and absolute tubular reabsorption of bicarbonate significantly increased from the prediuretic to the diuretic phase, while fractional reabsorption of sodium and chloride decreased between these two phases. The fractional reabsorption of bicarbonate did not change from prediuresis to diuresis, but increased from diuresis to postdiuresis and consequently from prediuresis to postdiuresis. Conclusions Contrary to our original hypothesis, the total renal bicarbonate excretion of extremely low birth weight infants in the first 4 days of life is low and the net bicarbonate balance is positive. The anion predominantly accompanying the excretion of sodium in all three phases is chloride and not bicarbonate. Bicarbonate excretion appears to be independent of sodium excretion during these phases. The increase in renal tubular bicarbonate reabsorption during the first week of life may be associated with extracellular volume contraction.
C15H24 Volatile Compounds Unique to Aflatoxigenic Strains of Aspergillus flavus

Headspace volatiles from eight strains of Aspergillus flavus (four aflatoxigenic strains and four nonaflatoxigenic strains), grown for 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 10 days in submerged cultures, were collected in Tenax GC traps. The traps were desorbed onto a 50-m gas-liquid chromatography capillary column by heat and gas purge from an external direct injector device. The column was interfaced with a mass spectrometer data acquisition system. Peaks were identified by comparing retention times and mass spectra with those obtained from authentic compounds and by using a computer-assisted mass spectral data base. Aflatoxigenic strains of A. flavus produced several C15H24 compounds (e.g., alpha-gurjunene, trans-caryophyllene, and cadinene) which peaked in 3-day cultures and were not present in earlier (1- and 2-day) or later (8- and 10-day) cultures. None of these volatiles were detected in nonaflatoxigenic strains of A. flavus. There was an apparent correlation between the release of C15H24 volatile compounds and the initiation of aflatoxin biosynthesis, and a correlation between decline of aflatoxin synthesis and the disappearance of the C15H24 compounds unique to aflatoxigenic A. flavus also existed.
RNA Interference Technology: From Basic Science to Drug Development

RNA Interference (RNAi) technology has rapidly become one of the key methods used in functional genomics. RNAi is used to block the expression of genes and create phenotypes that can potentially yield clues about the function of these genes. In the postgenomic era, the elucidation of the physiological function of genes has become the rate-limiting step in the quest to develop 'gene-based drugs' and RNAi could potentially play a pivotal role in the validation of such novel drugs. In this overview, the basic concepts and applications of RNAi biology are discussed. Leading experts from both academia and industry have contributed to this invaluable reference. The volume is forwarded by Andrew Fire, one of the winners of the 2006 Nobel Prize for the discovery of RNA Interference.
Response: Cutting Members: Culture and the Problems of Authenticity, Fetishization, and Memory

Who ever knew I would be longing for the baby with the gun. As Audrey Thompson pointed out, the examples in moral philosophy have often left something to be desired. Let us say you are in a crowded room and somehow a baby (there is a baby in the room) has gotten a hold of a gun; you too are armed. The baby is on the brink of pulling the trigger (did I mention this a is very strong, well-coordinated baby, but still incapable of understanding entreaties to “drop it”). You have a choice of watching Snookums waste someone else in the room or taking Snookums out with your own weapon. What do you do? That kind of example is spectacular in its silliness, of course. Other examples are spectacular in other ways: what does it mean, for instance, for a fairly staid society of intellectuals to engage in discussion over whether or not members of traditional African societies ought to remove nerve endings from their members’ clitorises? What does it mean for us to switch our examples from fictional and ridiculous babies to the bodies of black people whose sexuality is front and center in our stimulating debate over the possibility of moral progress? Shweder uses this example to chide identity politics and political correctness for their shortsighted, knee jerk tendency to invoke a discourse of moral horror. But the examples also rely on a firm notion of identity politics that demands, for instance, “traditional” cultures continue their practices in non-traditional contexts. But to contextualize the call for context in these examples, they are also moral philosophy’s Venus of the Hottentots, spectacular examples that may say more about white Western discomfort with gender and race than the cultures and time periods they visit.