cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identifying directional connections in brain networks via multi-kernel granger models

Granger causality based approaches are popular in unveiling directed interactions among brain regions. The present work advocates a multi-kernel based nonlinear model for obtaining the effective connectivity between brain regions, by wedding the merits of partial correlation in undirected topology identification with the ability of partial Granger causality (PGC) to estimate edge directionality. The premise is that existing linear PGC approaches may be inadequate for capturing certain dependencies, whereas available nonlinear connectivity models lack data adaptability that multi-kernel learning methods can offer. The proposed approach is tested on both synthetic and real resting-state fMRI data, with the former illustrating the gains in directed edge presence detection performance, as compared to existing PGC methods, and with the latter highlighting differences in the estimated test statistics.
EFFECTS OF LOW DOSES OF APHOLATE PLUS IRRIDIATION ON REPRODUCTION AND LONGEVITY OF THE BOLL WEEVIL (COLEOPTERA: CURCULIONIDAE)

Dipping boll weevils, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, in apholate concentrations of 0.5, 0.75, or 1.0% plus 4 krads of gamma irradiation reduced egg hatch and adult emergence by an average of 88.9% and 99.7%, respectively, Mortality of treated males averaged 18.8% but was never higher than 28.0% by 5 days after treatment. Mortality of treated females averaged 76.0% after 5 days and was never less than 60.0%. By 10 days, mortality of treated males and females was never less than 96.0%. Excessive female mortality by 5 days is desirable if the treatment does not affect males. Radiation levels less than 4 krads resulted in less sterility than may be acceptable in eradication programs; less mortality was also observed at lower radiation levels.
A brain-computer interface based on functional transcranial doppler ultrasound using wavelet transform and support vector machines.

Abstract Background Functional transcranial Doppler (fTCD) is an ultrasound based neuroimaging technique used to assess neural activation that occurs during a cognitive task through measuring velocity of cerebral blood flow. New method The objective of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of a 2-class and 3-class real-time BCI based on blood flow velocity in left and right middle cerebral arteries in response to mental rotation and word generation tasks. Statistical features based on a five-level wavelet decomposition were extracted from the fTCD signals. The Wilcoxon test and support vector machines (SVM), with a linear kernel, were employed for feature reduction and classification. Results The experimental results showed that within approximately 3 s of the onset of the cognitive task average accuracies of 80.29%, and 82.35% were obtained for the mental rotation versus resting state and the word generation versus resting state respectively. The mental rotation task versus word generation task achieved an average accuracy of 79.72% within 2.24 s from the onset of the cognitive task. Furthermore, an average accuracy of 65.27% was obtained for the 3-class problem within 4.68 s. Comparison with existing methods The results presented here provide significant improvement compared to the relevant fTCD-based systems presented in literature in terms of accuracy and speed. Specifically, the reported speed in this manuscript is at least 12 and 2.5 times faster than any existing binary and 3-class fTCD-based BCIs, respectively. Conclusions These results show fTCD as a promising and viable candidate to be used towards developing a real-time BCI.
Testing textile durability

Durability is a simple word to use but often a hard concept to define. Textile items undergo a wide range of challenges related to their use and care, and can fail (and thus lack durability) in many ways. The fault may lie with the item or the way it is used or the way it is washed and dried. In order to minimize unexpected failures, laboratory testing plays a key role. Laboratory tests, carefully developed and maintained by independent organizations, mimic conditions of use and careful interpretation of results can provide valuable insights for the manufacturer and retailer. This chapter reviews the concept of durability, the principles of testing, and briefly details the most commonly used tests.
Home health care and quality of life of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Background Little is known about the quality of life (QOL) of people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The formal home care sector plays an increasingly large role in care for this population, but home care agencies do not routinely collect QOL information or use this information in care planning. Methods A series of roundtable discussions with representatives of the home care industry were held to document current practices by home care providers regarding the elicitation, recording, and use of QOL information; to derive indicators of QOL in AD patients; and to develop standardized procedures for using QOL information. Results from this investigation were incorporated into an epidemiological investigation of community-dwelling AD patients, comparing formal sector home attendants to family caregivers regarding efforts to enhance patient QOL. Results Twenty representatives of the home care industry met over three sessions to discuss these issues. Patient QOL indicators were derived, showing divergence of patient and caregiver perspectives. A survey of 240 AD patients compared family and formal home attendant caregivers and showed that home attendants underutilize opportunities to enhance patient QOL, as referenced by patient participation in activities that require supervision. Conclusions Collaboration with home care agencies allowed a better understanding of quality of life for this vulnerable patient population. More research will be required to refine QOL outcomes and develop quality assurance tools for dementia care.
On Programming Models, Smart Middleware, Cyber-Security and Self-Healing for the Next-Generation Internet-of-Things

Internet-of-Things (IoT) is one of the most important new paradigms and technological advances in the realm of the soon-to-be-present-in-every-household (and nearly every business), Internet-powered cyber-physical systems of this decade and likely years to come. We are interested in the distributed intelligence, agent-based programming and multi-agent systems aspects of what it will take to enable the reliable, secure, inter-operable and human-friendly Next-Generation IoT, and in particular, Internet-of-Agents (IoA) as the IoT’s software and computational intelligence foundation. Several key software design and computational intelligence aspects of IoT/IoA are discussed in this paper. We first address suitable programming abstractions for the software agents that would provide IoT’s inter-operability, enabling different users, devices and platforms to effectively communicate and coordinate with each other. We then review some desiderata for the Next-Generation (NG) IoT middleware design. To address cyber-security for IoT holistically, we outline some elements of computational intelligence that would enable the self-healing and self-recovery capabilities of the NG IoT. We argue that the design of NG cyber-defense, self-healing and self-recovering mechanisms could greatly benefit from exploring paradigms from biology – in particular, from the immune systems of living organisms. If such highly adaptable self-healing capabilities were built into the NG IoT, future cyber-attacks would cause much less disruption to the infrastructure and the end-users than what was the case with some recent cyber-attacks on the present-day IoT.
Improving the Efficiency of the Drug Development by Expanding the Scope of the Role of Medicinal Chemists in Drug Discovery

Improvements in the efficiency of the drug discovery process are needed in order to deliver life-saving medications to patients in a more cost-effective manner. While there are many reasons that the efficiency of this process has not gotten better, this Viewpoint proposes that the lack of integration of the three major disciplines (discovery, development, and clinical trials) plays a significant role in the ongoing high rate of failure in clinical trials for innovative drugs. Several specific proposals are made that may help to provide more integration, so that the gears of the human-driven drug discovery machine may mesh better in the future.
Residential taxable value recovery in coastal Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina

ABSTRACTThe resilience of local fiscal resources is an important missing component of community recovery after disasters. We know little about how quickly or fairly broad-based taxable economic activities return to pre-disaster levels. For example, property tax revenue, typically heavily dependent on residential properties, is commonly the largest source of General Fund revenue for local governments in the United States. Because residential properties are frequently impacted by natural hazards, understanding the linkage between housing and fiscal resilience is critical. Yet there exist very few broad-based studies of housing recovery. This paper helps fill that gap by evaluating housing recovery in a coastal portion of the U.S. state of Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. We find that while the influence on housing values of Hurricane Katrina’s flood and wind damage dwindled over time, race and income remained salient factors in the level of recovery of single-family homes and their taxable values.
Effect of Macrolide and Rifampin Resistance on Fitness of Rhodococcus equi During Intramacrophage Replication and In Vivo

ABSTRACT The soil-dwelling, saprophytic actinomycete Rhodococcus equi is a facultative intracellular pathogen of macrophages and causes severe bronchopneumonia when inhaled by susceptible foals. Standard treatment for R. equi disease is dual-antimicrobial therapy with a macrolide and rifampin. Thoracic ultrasonography and early treatment with antimicrobials prior to the development of clinical signs are used as means of controlling endemic R. equi infection on many farms. Concurrently with the increased use of macrolides and rifampin for chemoprophylaxis and the treatment of subclinically affected foals, a significant increase in the incidence of macrolide- and rifampin-resistant R. equi isolates has been documented. Previously, our laboratory demonstrated decreased fitness of R. equi strains that were resistant to macrolides, rifampin, or both, resulting in impaired in vitro growth in iron-restricted media and in soil. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of macrolide and/or rifampin resistance on intracellular replication of R. equi in equine pulmonary macrophages and in an in vivo mouse infection model in the presence and absence of antibiotics. In equine macrophages, the macrolide-resistant strain did not increase in bacterial numbers over time and the dual macrolide- and rifampin-resistant strain exhibited decreased proliferation compared to the susceptible isolate. In the mouse model, in the absence of antibiotics, the susceptible R. equi isolate outcompeted the macrolide- or rifampin-resistant strains.
A new approach to predicting risk for N2 disease in non-small cell lung cancer

There is no precedent from which to truly define a ‘central’ lung cancer. Institutional tumor boards are likely to have standardized their own definition, however the lack of uniformity to define ‘centrality’ potentially varies dramatically without direction from consensus guidelines.
The Effect of Game Importance on Concussion Incidence in the National Football League: An Observational Study.

Introduction Concussion incidence in the National Football League (NFL) has been shown to generally increase as the season progresses. Yet, there is evidence that suggests that the incidence stagnates or decreases in the final quarter of the season in comparison to the third quarter. This anomaly cannot be explained by any of the known modulators of concussion incidence. However, the fact that the teams start getting eliminated from playoff contention in the fourth quarter of the season may explain this pattern in concussion incidence. This study tests whether there is a difference in concussion incidence in games between teams who are still in the playoff hunt [in the hunt (IH) games] versus games where both teams have had their playoff fate already determined (non-IH games). Methods We obtained details of 166 documented concussions from weeks 13-16 of each of the four NFL seasons from 2012 to 2015 from Public Broadcasting Service's (PBS) Frontline Concussion Watch and matched them to the games in which they occurred. Each game was categorized based on the playoff status [clinched (CL), eliminated (EL), or IH] of the teams playing in the game. Concussion incidence of the game types was compared to each other using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and student t-tests. Additionally, concussion incidences at six different player positions in important games were compared to the corresponding incidences in unimportant games. An ordinary least squares regression was used to examine the effects of game importance and plays per game on concussion incidence. Results Concussion incidence in important games (mean = 0.651 ±0.055) did not differ significantly (p: 0.890) from the incidence in unimportant games (mean = 0.623 ±0.143). Instead, plays per game was found to be the primary driver of concussion in the regression analysis (β = 0.01605; p: 0.025). At the position-specific level, running backs (RB) were the only position to demonstrate a significant increase in concussion incidence (p: 0.004) in important games (mean = 0.049 ±0.017) compared to unimportant games (mean = 0.00 ±0.00). Conclusions The results suggest that, in general, players are not more likely to suffer concussions in IH games than in non-IH games. However, RBs may have an increased risk of concussion in games with playoff implications than in games without.
Heartbeat: reducing inequities in cardiovascular disease mortality.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of death in Europe with persistent geographic and socioeconomic inequities even though overall CVD mortality has declined substantially over the past 30 years. In a prospective registry-based study of CVD mortality from the 1990s to early 2010s in 12 European populations, Girolamo and colleagues1 observed similar and rapid declines in absolute CVD mortality in both high and low socioeconomic groups. However, relative declines were faster among higher socioeconomic groups so that relative differences in CVD mortality have not been eliminated when considering gender, educational level, occupational class or geographic location (figure 1). Figure 1 Total cardiovascular disease age-standardised mortality rates (ASMR) and 95% CI among low and high educated, by population and gender, 35–79 years, 2010–2014. In the accompanying editorial, Leyland and Dundas2 discuss the value of considering both absolute and relative inequities in seeking to improve outcomes across the socioeconomic spectrum. In our efforts to reduce inequities in medical care and clinical outcomes, we should ponder their recommendations: ‘An effective and fair health system will be responsive to the needs of its population regardless of social circumstances; perhaps the greatest opportunity for medical care to reduce inequalities …
Tracking P4 Program Execution in the Data Plane

While programmable switches provide operators with much-needed control over the network, they also increase the potential sources of packet-processing errors. Bugs can happen anywhere: in the P4 program, the controller installing rules into tables, or the compiler that maps the P4 program into the resource-constrained switch pipelines. Most of these bugs manifest themselves after certain sequences of packets with certain combinations of rules in the tables. Tracking each packet's execution path through the P4 program, i.e., the sequence of tables hit and the actions applied, directly in the data plane is useful in localizing such bugs as they occur in real time. The fact that programmable data planes require P4 programs to be loop-free and can perform simple integer arithmetic operations makes them amenable to Ball-Larus encoding, a well-known technique in profiling execution paths in software programs that can efficiently encode all N paths in a single [log(N)]-bit variable. However, for real-world P4 programs, the path variable can get quite large, making it inefficient for integer arithmetic at line rate. Moreover, the encoding could require a subset of tables, that would otherwise have no data dependency, to update the same variable. By carefully breaking up the P4 program into disjoint partitions and tracking each partition's execution path separately, we show how to minimally augment P4 programs to track the execution path of each packet.
Evaluation of OPAT in the Age of Antimicrobial Stewardship

Antimicrobial stewardship and outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) collide with the newest Joint Commission requirements for outpatient antimicrobial stewardship. The purpose of this paper was to present key stewardship areas applicable to OPAT and review the data behind them. Data on these topics is emerging. Long treatment durations are being challenged and oral routes are garnering evidence for treatment of traditionally intravenous-only regimens. Stability information and incorporation of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties may lead to use of continuous infusions, once daily dosing, or long-acting lipoglycopeptides. Different models for patient follow-up, frequency of monitoring, and adverse effect profiles can be used. As the popularity and necessity of OPAT and stewardship programs increase, there is opportunity for multidisciplinary collaboration. While there are many overlapping stewardship principles in OPAT, there may be appropriately discordant principles in this unique scenario as well.
Abstract 279: Outcomes From Integrating Stroke Survivors Into Cardiac Rehabilitation

Purpose: Lack of physical activity after stroke results in increased risk of stroke recurrence and other health problems. While some survivors receive physical therapy (PT), it is often discontinue...
A Simplified Approach based on Dual Angle-Controlled STATCOMs under System Faults

Voltage source converter (VSC) based Synchronous Static Compensator (STATCOM) is used for voltage regulation in transmission and distribution systems. VSC based on their control mechanism can be categorized as line-frequency switched and pulse width modulation converters. The line-frequency switched VSCs are based on angle-control method and hence also referred as angle-controlled VSCs. Over the past few years, angle-controlled STATCOMs have been deployed by the utilities for the purpose of voltage regulation and stability and to improve transmission capacity. Apart from the advantages offered to increase voltage transient, the on-site STATCOMs suffer from over-current trips and DC bus voltage oscillations under system faults. The negative sequence current during the faults tend to trip the overcurrent protection and possibly saturation of the interfacing transformer. It also leads to second order harmonic oscillations of the DC bus voltage which can trigger over-voltage protection. Dual angle control (DAC) is a control methodology that generates angle oscillations control signal during system faults which reduces the negative sequence current flow and dc-link oscillations compared to conventional angle controlled STATCOMs. The procedure was effective but deals with complexity of calculating the reference signal for angle oscillation. This paper proposes a simplified dual angle control based on DC-link voltage oscillation. The main advantage over the DAC is its simplified control structure, without compromising the performance in reduction of the negative sequence current and DC-link oscillations. Since the dual angle control is based on DClink voltage oscillation and hence it is called DC-link based dual angle control (DC-DAC). PSCAD/EMTDC results for 48-pulse STATCOM connected to a three-bus power system verify the validity of proposed DC-DAC control under unbalanced system condition and faults.
A unified scatter rejection and correction method for cone beam computed tomography.

Purpose Scattered radiation is a major cause of image quality degradation in flat panel detector-based cone beam CT (CBCT). While recently introduced 2D antiscatter grids reject the majority of scatter fluence, the small percentage of scatter fluence still transmitted to the detector remains a major challenge for implementation of quantitative imaging techniques such as dual energy imaging in CBCT. Additionally, this residual scatter is also a major source of grid-induced artifacts, which impedes implementation of 2D grids in CBCT. We therefore present a new method to achieve both robust scatter rejection and residual scatter correction using a 2D antiscatter grid; in doing so, we expand the role of 2D grids from mere scatter rejection devices to scatter measurement devices. Method In our method, the radiopaque septa of the 2D grid emulate a micro array of beam-stops placed on the detector which introduce spatially periodic septal shadows. By selecting sufficiently thin grid septa, the primary intensity can be reduced while preserving the uniformity of scatter intensity. This enables us to correlate the modulated pixel signal intensity in septal shadows with local scatter intensity. Our method then exploits this correlation to measure and remove residual scatter intensity from projections. No assumptions are made about the object being imaged. We refer to this as Grid-based Scatter Sampling (GSS). In this work, we evaluate the principle of signal modulation with grid septa, the accuracy of scatter estimates, and the effect of the GSS method on image quality using simulations and measurements. We also implement the GSS method experimentally using a 2D grid prototype. Results Our results demonstrate that the GSS method increased CT number accuracy and reduced image artifacts associated with scatter. With 2D grid and residual scatter correction, HU nonuniformity was reduced from 65 HU to 30 HU in pelvis sized phantoms, and HU variations due to change in phantom size were reduced from 59 HU to 20 HU, when compared to use of only a 2D grid. With residual scatter correction via GSS method, grid-induced ring artifacts were suppressed, leading to a 41% reduction in noise. The shape of the modulation transfer function (MTF) was preserved before and after suppression of ring artifacts. Conclusions Our grid-based scatter sampling method enables utilization of a 2D grid as a scatter measurement and correction device. This method significantly improves quantitative accuracy in CBCT, further reducing the image quality gap between CBCT and multi-detector CT. By correcting residual scatter with the proposed method, grid-induced line artifacts in projections and associated ring artifacts in CBCT images were also suppressed with no compromise of spatial resolution.
Resource Management Based on Reinforcement Learning for D2D Communication in Cellular Networks

Recently, the integration of Device-to-Device (D2D) communication to cellular networks became a vitality task with the growth of mobile devices, as well as requirements of enhanced network performance in terms of spectral efficiency, energy efficiency, and latency. In this paper, we propose a spectrum allocation framework based on Reinforcement Learning (RL) for joint mode selection, channel assignment, and power control in D2D communication. The objective is to maximize the overall throughput of the network while ensuring the quality of transmission and guaranteeing low latency requirements of D2D communications. The proposed algorithm uses reinforcement learning (RL) based on Markov Decision Process (MDP) with a proposed new reward function to learn the policy by interacting with the D2D environment. An Actor-Critic Reinforcement Learning (AC-RL) approach is then used to solve the resource management problem. The simulation results show that our learning method performs well, can greatly improve the sum rate of D2D links, and converges quickly, compared with the algorithms in the literature.
Sol–gel derived anti-reflective coatings for high fluence lasers

Abstract Sol–gel derived anti-reflective (AR) coatings, particularly those made by the Stober silica process, have been used on glass and crystal optics in high power and energy laser systems for >30 years, employed on over 100,000 half-meter-scale optics. Sol–gel’s advantages include an appropriate refractive index, which provides high-efficiency anti-reflection, high chemical purity, which leads to high laser-damage resistance, and relatively low cost synthesis and coating processes. This chapter reviews the requirements and design for AR coatings, the sol–gel synthesis process (including reaction rates, surface chemistry, and particle-size and porosity controls), coating methods and post treatments, coating stability, and laser-damage performance.
Sedation, narcotic and neuromuscular blockade in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19

Abstract Objective To describe the sedation, narcotic and neuromuscular blockade usage in ventilated patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Design Single-Center Retrospective Review. Setting George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Patients 62 patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation admitted from March 2020 to June 2020. Intervention None. Measurements and main results Patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure required multiple sedative/narcotic infusions to achieve sedation requirements and at doses that were significantly more when compared to a general medical-surgical ICU population (represented by the MIND-USA cohort). The most common infusions were Dexmedetomadine and Propofol. Approximately 17% of our patients required a neuromuscular blockade infusion as well. Prior to intubation, narcotic utilization was stable and low. Conclusion Patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation have higher sedation and narcotic requirements than general ICU patients.
Shame and Justice: Partners of Individuals on Sex Offense Registries Encourage Policy Reform

Sex offense registration and notification (SORN) policies can contribute to stigma and negative consequences for partners of registered individuals. The present study utilized a self-report questionnaire to ask these partners what they would say to policymakers if given the opportunity. A thematic analysis of the responses revealed three themes which highlight the distinct issues related to registries, describe direct consequences experienced by the partners, and propose changes to existing policy. This study provides valuable insight into the experiences of a hard-to-reach population and can help generate critical discussion around the sweeping impacts SORN policies have on individuals they were not intended to reach. Implications for qualitative criminology and policy are discussed.
Inflammation As A Target For Epilepsy Therapy: The Case of Natalizumab

Inflammation results from a cascade of inflammatory mediators, with concomitant anti-inflammatory molecules, often due to trauma, ischemia, infection, or an immune process. The inflammatory mediators arise from tissue, or blood circulating cells, and can involve nonspecific innate immunity or antigen-specific adaptive immunity.1-3 In the brain, these mechanisms are mediated through microglia, astrocytes, neurons, and endothelial cells, as well as leukocytes entering the parenchyma through disruption of the blood–brain barrier. Cytokines are polypeptide mediators of inflammation that are released by these cells and interact with various cognate receptors, leading to an array of pathophysiologic effects that contribute to inflammation.4 Chemokines are a specific type of cytokine that attracts leukocyte migration into the parenchymal injury. These multiple pathways mediating inflammation provide many targets for anti-inflammatory therapies.
Prevention and Treatment of Friend Leukemia Virus (FLV) Infection by Interferon-Inducing Synthetic Polyanions

Divinyl ether maleic anhydride (MA) copolymers (pyran copolymer, NSC 46015) inhibits Friend leukemia virus (FLV) splenomegaly. Pyran copolymer induces interferon in normal mice and the decreases in splenic FLV titers seen following pretreatment with these polyanions might be explained by the appearance of interferon. In vivo inhibition of FLV splenomegaly has also been obtained by statolon, an anionic polysaccharide, and the plant lectin, phytohemagglutinin, both of which have been reported to induce interferon. Similar inhibition of FLV splenomegaly has also been seen for methyl vinyl ether/MA and styrene/MA copolymers. Pyran copolymer is currently undergoing clinical trial in man. Its animal and human pharmacology indicates uptake in the nucleated formed elements of the blood, and stimulation of reticuloendothelial activity in liver, spleen, and bone marrow.
Formalizing certificate management systems

Certificate management systems (CMS) are used for generating, distributing, storing and verifying certificates. They play an important role in network security applications. This paper presents a mathematical model for such systems. An approach to the formal specification of a CMS structure and its dynamic changes is described.
Identical G+1 to A Mutations in Three Different Introns of the Type III Procollagen Gene (COL3A1) Produce Different Patterns of RNA Splicing in Three Variants of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. IV. An Explanation for Exon Skipping Some Mutations and Not Others

Identical G+1 mutations in three different introns of the gene for type III procollagen (COL3A1) that cause aberrant splicing of RNA were found in three probands with life-threatening variants of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Because the three mutations were in a gene with multiple and homologous exons, they provided an interesting test for factors that influence aberrant splicing. The G+1 to A mutation in intron 16 caused extensive exon skipping, the G+1 to A mutation in intron 20 caused both use of a cryptic splice site and retention of all the intron sequences, and the G+1 to A mutation in intron 42 caused efficient use of a single cryptic splice site. The different patterns of RNA splicing were not explained by evaluation of potential cryptic splice sites in the introns by either their homology with 5'-splice sites from other genes or by their delta G(0)37 values for binding to U1 RNA. Instead, the results suggested that the patterns of aberrant RNA splicing were primarily determined by the relative rates at which adjacent introns were normally spliced.
Core reset considerations of the stepped impedance magnetic compression modulator

Core reset in a magnetic compression circuit for high repetition rate pulsed power applications remains an important issue. Here we present a stepped impedance transmission line pulse generator circuit and show that balanced recharging current of a discharged stepped impedance lumped element transmission line with saturable inductor switches in each cell can be used for lossless core reset. The unequal stage capacitances and the need for keeping the final charge voltages of each stage equal are accounted for. The use of pre-charge voltage and proper capacitance sequence in such stepped impedance magnetic compression line provides voltage multiplication in addition to pulse compression without the use of transformers. A single compression stage can generate a compressed pulse with amplitude 3 times the charging voltage. It is shown that the reset approach described herein can reset the system in microseconds without loss, even when driving a mismatched load, indicating this approach is suitable for operation above 10 kHz for long durations. This reset method will be implemented in a high voltage MPC stepped impedance line at USC to produce 90 kV pulses for research into high pressure streamer propagation physics. Higher voltage implementations are also being studied.
Solutions to mitigate parasitic NPN bipolar action in high voltage analog technologies

This is a study of the parasitic NPN premature turn-on for high voltage BiCMOS technologies. In this work, we will investigate several methods to suppress its turn-on. Using TCAD and TLP we will investigate solutions based on increased well spacing, offset of wells, self-protection and beta reduction through highly doped base implant. We will also investigate the limitations associated with each of these solutions.
Teaching Mindfulness Practice in Therapy

This chapter provides a comprehensive model for teaching mindfulness breath meditation to individuals, couples, and families in outpatient mental health and private practice settings, including unique considerations for teaching mindfulness to couples and families. In addition to detailed in-session instructions for therapists, the chapter includes sample client handouts and practice logs as well as instructions for introducing loving-kindness meditation, mindful body scan meditation, mindful daily activities, and the 3-min breathing space.
Experimental observation of all-optical deflection using forward degenerate four-wave mixing in ZnSe

Abstract We report on the use of forward degenerate four-wave mixing in a sample of ZnSe to demonstrate a variable controlled all-optical deflector. The measured deflection is in the range of 2.9 × 10 −3 to 1.73 × 10 −2 rad. The dependence of the deflection on the intensities of input beams has been investigated.
Critical Moments in Learning A Teacher's Ultimate Reward and Glory

This essays builds on the notion of “critical moments in learning” to suggest that teachers often teach without knowing it and that regardless of how much they publish, their greatest contribution is more likely to be in the lasting impact they have on their students' lives. In doing so, the author reflects on critical learning moments in his own education and, in turn, ponders how actions he had taken in and out of the classroom may have unwittingly influenced the thoughts, feelings, and, sometimes, even lives of the many students who had enrolled in his courses.
Role of reactive oxygen species and MAPKs in vanadate-induced G2/M phase arrest

Abstract Cell growth arrest is an important mechanism in maintaining genomic stability and integrity in response to environmental stress. Using the human lung alveolar epithelial cancer cell line A549, we investigated the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), and p38 protein kinase in vanadate-induced cell growth arrest. Exposure of cells to vanadate led to cell growth arrest at the G 2 /M phase and caused upregulation of p21 and phospho-cdc2 and degradation of cdc25C in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Vanadate stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) family members, as determined by the phosphorylation of ERK and p38. PD98059, an inhibitor of ERK, and SB202190, an inhibitor of p38, inhibited vanadate-induced cell growth arrest, upregulation of p21 and cdc2, and degradation of cdc25C. In addition to hydroxyl radical ( • OH) formation, cellular reduction of vanadate generated superoxide radical (O 2 • − ) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), as determined by confocal microscopy using specific dyes. Generation of O 2 • − and H 2 O 2 was inhibited by specific antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, respectively. ROS activate ERK and p38, which in turn upregulate p21 and cdc2 and cause degradation of cdc25C, leading to cell growth arrest at the G 2 /M phase. Specific ROS affect different MAPK family members and cell growth regulatory proteins with different potencies.
Fate of explanted ICD patients.

UNLABELLED Of 56 consecutive patients who underwent an initial AICD implantation at our center, we analyzed eight patients who subsequently had their units explanted and not replaced by other antitachycardia devices. The mean age was 57.8 years, mean ejection fraction was 28.4%; six patients had coronary disease and two had cardiomyopathy. The presenting arrhythmia was sudden death in four patients and sustained ventricular tachycardia in four others. Mean follow-up from implant to explant was 25 +/- 22 months, and 22 +/- 10 months from explant to end of follow-up. Reasons for explantation were: infection in five patients, lead fracture in one patient, battery depletion in one patient, and one patient underwent cardiac transplantation. Devices were not reimplanted because of: patient refusal in three patients, physician discretion in two patients (one recurrent infection, one received no shocks over 24 months), cardiac transplantation in one patient, ablation of VT focus in one patient, and one patient died while being treated for infection. Three patients died 2, 21, and 26 months after device explantation of nonsudden cardiac, sudden cardiac and noncardiac causes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Preoperative clinical parameters were not indicative of a lower risk of arrhythmic events in these patients as compared to the general population of AICD implantees. Of eight patients, two received alternate nonmedical therapy, one died while receiving treatment for a device-related infection; of the five remaining patients none died of cardiac causes. Termination of AICD therapy for malignant ventricular arrhythmias does not imply imminent sudden cardiac death for most patients treated by alternate modes of therapy.
Stock Those Lakes by Air

(1958). Stock Those Lakes by Air. The Progressive Fish-Culturist: Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 21-26.
Low pressure radiofrequency balloon angioplasty: Evaluation in porcine peripheral arteries

AbstractObjectives. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency-powered thermal balloon angioplasty in an in vivo porcine model.Background. Various modes of thermal ene...
Initial Impressions and the Student Evaluation of Teaching

Do first impressions influence the final evaluations given in a class? The author looked at the initial student perceptions and conditions of a class and compared these with conditions and evaluations 16 weeks later at the end of the term. It was found that the first perceptions of the instructor and the instructor's personality were significantly related to the evaluations made at the end of the semester. Implications for the validity of and utilization of the student evaluation of instruction are discussed.
Games in Culture

RECREATIONAL activities have been classic ethnographic concerns, and sophisticated questions about the distributions of games were asked early in the history of anthropology.1 Still, the science has yet to produce a general theory which deals with such anthropological problems as the description and explanation of the historical development of games, their world distribution, and their functional significance in various societies. This paper suggests a line of inquiry which might lead to the construction of such a theory. In the extensive ethnographic literature on the subject, a wide range of recreational activities has been called "games," but this general category is too broad for the purposes of this article. Here, a game is defined as a recreational activity characterized by: (1) organized play, (2) competition, (3) two or more sides, (4) criteria for determining the winner, and (5) agreed-upon rules. Other recreational activities which do not satisfy this definition, such as noncompetitive swimming, top-spinning, and string-figure making, are considered "amusements." It is relevant to note that most games reported in the ethnographies are activities in which adults can participate. The games of the world may be classified in terms of distinctive patterns of play. Some outcomes are determined primarily by the physical abilities of the players, some by a series of moves, each of which represents a player's choice among alternatives, and others either by nonrational guesses or by reliance on the operation of some mechanical chance device such as a die; some are determined by combinations of these patterns. All these ways of determining outcomes are widely distributed among the societies of the world, and it is therefore possible to offer the following general classification of games: (1) physical skill, (2) strategy, and (3) chance. Each of these three categories requires further definition. Games of physical skill as herein defined must involve the use of physical skill, but may or may not involve strategy or chance; examples are marathon races, prize fights, hockey, and the hoop and pole games. In games of strategy, physical skill must be absent and a strategy must be used; chance may or may not be involved. Chess, go, poker, and the Ashanti game of wari are examples. Finally, games of chance are so defined that chance must be present and both physical skill and strategy must be absent; examples are high card wins, dice games, and the
MULTINUCLEARITY OF OSTEOCLASTS.

THE origin and function of the multinuclear osteoclast cell are of continuing interest among contemporary investigators, and have a long history among investigations on amphibian regeneration1,2.
SURROGATE MODELING OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS USING ADAPTIVE HYBRID FUNCTIONS

This paper explores the effectiveness of the recently developed surrogate modeling method, the Adaptive Hybrid Functions (AHF), through its application to complex engineered systems design. The AHF is a hybrid surrogate modeling method that seeks to exploit the advantages of each component surrogate. In this paper, the AHF integrates three component surrogate models: (i) the Radial Basis Functions (RBF), (ii) the Extended Radial Basis Functions (E-RBF), and (iii) the Kriging model, by characterizing and evaluating the local measure of accuracy of each model. The AHF is applied to model complex engineering systems and an economic system, namely: (i) wind farm design; (ii) product family design (for universal electric motors); (iii) three-pane window design; and (iv) onshore wind farm cost estimation. We use three differing sampling techniques to investigate their influence on the quality of the resulting surrogates. These sampling techniques are (i) Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS), (ii) Sobol’s quasirandom sequence, and (iii) Hammersley Sequence Sampling (HSS). Cross-validation is used to evaluate the accuracy of the resulting surrogate models. As expected, the accuracy of the surrogate model was found to improve with increase in the sample size. We also observed that, the Sobol’s and the LHS sampling techniques performed better in the case of high-dimensional problems, whereas the HSS sampling technique performed better in the case of low-dimensional problems. Overall, the AHF method was observed to provide acceptable-to-high accuracy in representing complex design systems.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
An ion cyclotron resonance spectrometer as a gas chromatographic detector: Measurement of momentum transfer collision frequencies

Abstract The momentum transfer collision frequencies (ξ/n) of 39K+ with the three isomers of difluorobenzene are reported. The measurements have been done using ion cyclotron resonance techniques. Conventional linewidth measurements gave (ξ/n)para = 1.71 ± 0.08 × 10−9, (ξ/n)meta = 2.18 ± 0.11 × 10−9, and (ξ/n)ortho = 2.79 ± 0.14 × 10−9 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. A method for measuring relative momentum transfer collision frequencies at resonance is described. The method involves coupling a gas chromatograph to the ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) spectrometer. Using this method it was found that (ξ/n)ortho/(ξ/n)para = 1.63±0.08, (ξ/n)ortho/(ξ/n)meta = 1.24±0.02, and (ξ/n)meta/(ξ/n)para = 1.32±0.07. The significance of the good agreement between the linewidth measurements and the measurements at resonance is discussed. The measurements are compared with those of Su and Bowers for the momentum transfer collision frequencies of 35Cl− with the difluorobenzene isomers. It is concluded that the momentum transfer rate constants are not affected significantly by a change in the sign of the ionic charge. The measurements are also compared with theory and found to agree with momentum transfer collision frequencies determined from a potential of the form Ar−8 - Br−6 - αe2/2r4 + Eψ where the third term is the ion-induced dipole term and the fourth term is a statistically averaged ion-dipole term. The effect of ion/molecule reactions on the GC-ICR method and possible analytical applications of the method are discussed.
The molecular basis of the heterogeneity of the MM isozyme of rabbit muscle creatine phosphokinase.

Abstract Purified rabbit muscle creatine phosphokinase MM isozyme was resolved into a pattern of six subbands by starch gel electrophoresis at pH 6.3 in a Tris-citrate buffer system. Following urea dissociation and denaturation, urea-starch gel electrophoresis resolved six distinct, enzymatically inactive subunits of molecular weight 43 000 daltons as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-acrylamide gel electrophoresis. This indicates that six different subunit types are involved in rabbit MM isozyme subbanding. The six subbanded pattern obtained following renaturation and reassociation from urea was identical to that exhibited by the purified, untreated MM isozyme. The exact nature of the subbanding is not clear; but it does not appear to be due to sulfhydryl group interactions or to alternative conformations of a single M-type subunit. Rather, it appears to be due to conformational differences resulting from alterations in primary structure, deamidation or ligand heterogeneity.
A Novel SMT-Based Technique for LFSR Reseeding

In order for logic built-in-self-test (LBIST) to achieve coverages comparable with deterministic tests, multiple (and frequently many) seeds are often needed. Unlike previous methods that attempt to chain/compact the number of seeds, we present a novel Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT) based technique that can reduce the number of seeds significantly while simultaneously achieving high coverage for LBIST. In this technique we integrate the process of deterministic test generation and seed generation in one SMT process to eliminate the problems of chaining the separately generated deterministic patterns. Experimental results show the promise of the approach.
PL360, a Programming Language for the 360 Computers

A programming language for the IBM 360 computers and aspects of its implementation are described. The language, called PL360, provides the facilities of a symbolic machine language, but displays a structure defined by a recursive syntax. PL360 was designed to improve the readability of programs which must take into account specific characteristics and limitations of a particular computer. It represents an attempt to further the state of the art of programming by encouraging and even forcing the programmer to improve his style of exposition and his principles and discipline in program organization. Because of its inherent simplicity, the language is particularly well suited for tutorial purposes.The attempt to present a computer as a systematically organized entity is also hoped to be of interest to designers of future computers.
Left Ventricular Function After Cigarette Smoking by Chronic Smokers: Comparison of Normal Subjects and Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

Twenty normal subjects and 25 patients with coronary artery disease underwent systolic time interval analysis before and after rapidly smoking two cigarettes. A slight increase in heart rate and arterial pressure was seen in both groups. In patients with coronary artery disease, preejection period/left ventricular ejection time ratio increased; in normal subjects it decreased. Left ventricular performance is diminished after cigarette smoking among subjects who have preexisting significant coronary artery disease.