cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low-cost Machine Vision System for dimension measurement of fast moving conveyor products

Product manufacturing industries growth and efficiency greatly depends upon the quality of end product. Hence, it is necessary to inspect each and every object for its quality during manufacturing process. Machine Vision system can be implies here for indispensable advantages. Commercial Vision systems available in market are very expensive. Industries especially in third world countries like Pakistan it is not easy for them to utilize Typical Machine Vision System in place of conventional measuring methods due to economic reasons. Keeping this scenario in mind, an attempt was made to develop a Low-Cost Machine Vision System. The paper presents a design of Machine Vision System capable of object monitoring with the resolution up to 0.3mm. Real time Image processing of moving conveyor objects has performed. Different measurement inspection procedures have been performed including length measurement, diameter measurement and object feature counting. Practical Project Testing gives out measurement results up to 99% accuracy.
Bottom-up and top-down control of pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola): Fertilization, plant quality, and the efficacy of the predator Anthocoris nemoralis

Abstract Herbivore population dynamics are governed both by bottom-up (plant-mediated) and by top-down (natural enemy-mediated) processes, with the potential for interaction between them. Pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola Foerster) is a phytophagous pest in pear orchards. Pear psylla is commonly attacked by several different natural enemies, but it may escape control, especially if fertilizer additions and new shoot production are not carefully managed. We tested the hypothesis that plant quality mediates the efficacy of an important natural enemy of pear psylla, Anthocoris nemoralis. One year-old caged Bartlett pear trees were fertilized at either low (5 mM N) or high (20 mM N) levels of nitrogen, then either psylla or psylla and Anthocoris were added to each tree. We measured plant growth, psylla population size, and Anthocoris establishment to determine effects of fertilizer and predation on psylla population dynamics. Trees receiving more N were taller, had longer total branches, a greater total number of leaves, and higher leaf nitrogen content. Psylla populations were also larger in the high N treatment. Anthocoris establishment and reproduction was positively related to the density of psylla at the time predators were added. And although psylla densities were, over-all, lower on trees where Anthocoris was present, the level to which Anthocoris suppressed psylla was not significantly affected by fertilizer level. These results indicate that the efficacy of this predator is not strongly mediated by plant quality, at least at the local (i.e. tree) scale. Minimizing fertilizer additions to the minimum level required for proper fruit set is likely to be an important feature of successful pear psylla biocontrol programs.
Solar subsidies and economic efficiency

Abstract In this paper the case for subsidies for solar energy to counter inefficient pricing practices of electric utilities, hidden subsidies to non-solar fuels and tax law biases are examined. The conclusion reached for two of three regions in the USA in the case of solar energy replacing electricity for hot water heating is that, far from offsetting biases against solar energy, current subsidies reinforce pre-existing biases in favour of the use of solar energy systems.
Improving transfusion safety: implementation of a comprehensive computerized bar code-based tracking system for detecting and preventing errors.

BACKGROUND: To transfuse blood products safely, health care workers must accurately identify patients, blood samples, and the blood components. A comprehensive bar code–based computerized tracking system was developed and implemented to identify and prevent transfusion errors. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A data network, wireless devices, and bar-coded labels were pilot tested before the system was introduced hospitalwide. The system provided a complete audit trail for all transactions. Data from before and after implementation were analyzed. RESULTS: Incident reports decreased from a mean of 41.5 reports per month in the 6 months before the system was implemented to a mean of 7.2 reports per month after implementation. The blood sample rejection rate decreased from 1.82 percent to a mean of 0.17 percent after implementation. Errors detected by the new system were sorted into misscans, skipped steps, wrong steps, and prevented identification errors (PIEs). Misscans and skipped steps were the most common errors in the first 10 months after implementation. During the final transfusion step, PIEs occurred at the rate of about one per month and scans were omitted approximately 1 percent of the time. Therefore, it is estimated that mistransfusions could occur about once every 100 months on average with the new system. CONCLUSIONS: The bar code–based computerized tracking system detected and prevented identification and matching errors, thereby reducing the proportion of blood samples rejected and increasing patient safety.
Screening for anthocyanins using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry with precursor-ion analysis, product-ion analysis, common-neutral-loss analysis, and selected reaction monitoring

A systematic method for anthocyanin identification using tandems mass spectrometry (MS/MS) coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with photo-diode array detection (PDA) was developed. Scan for the precursor ions of commonly found anthocyanidins (cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, petunidin, and peonidin) using LC/MS/MS on a triple quadrupole instrument allows for the specific determination of each category of anthocyanins. Further characterization of each anthocyanin was performed using MS/MS product-ion analysis, common-neutral-loss analysis, and selected reaction monitoring (SRM). The method was demonstrated for analysis of anthocyanins in black raspberries, red raspberries, highbush blueberries, and grapes (Vitis vinifera). Previous reported anthocyanins in black raspberries and red raspberries are confirmed and characterized. Common-neutral-loss analysis allows for the distinction of anthocyanin glucosides or galactoside and arabinosides in highbush blueberries. Separation and identification of anthocyanin glucosides and galactosides were achieved by LC/MS/MS using SRM. Anthocyanin isomers such as cyanidin sophoroside and 3,5-diglucoside were differentiated by their fragmentation pattern during product-ion analysis. Fifteen anthocyanins (all possible combinations of five anthocyanidins and three sugars) were characterized in highbush blueberries. Pelargonidin 3-glucoside and pelargonidin 3,5-diglucoside were detected and characterized for the first time in grapes. The present approach allows mass spectrometry to be used as a highly selective detector for rapid identification and characterization of anthocyanins and can be used as a sensitive procedure for screening anthocyanins in fruits and vegetables.
Nonoperative management of vertical C2 body fractures.

Objective To estimate the incidence and to describe the clinical results of the nonoperative management of vertical C2 body fractures. Methods An 8-year retrospective review of upper cervical spine injuries from the registry of a level I trauma center identified 21 patients with a vertical C2 body fracture. Results Sixteen coronally oriented Type 1 vertical C2 body fractures and 5 sagittally oriented Type 2 vertical C2 body fractures were identified. These fractures account for approximately 10% of the upper cervical spine fractures identified over this period of time. One elderly patient with a Type 1 fracture died as a result of pneumonia, and two patients with Type 2 fractures died from severe closed-head injuries. One patient had evidence of spinal cord injury. This was not related to the C2 body fracture but rather to a subaxial cervical spine injury. Of the surviving 18 patients, all were managed nonoperatively (with external orthoses) and showed evidence of fusion (union of fracture fragments) at the time of the last follow-up. Conclusion Vertical C2 body fractures are not rare injuries and can account for up to 10% of upper cervical spine injuries. In general, vertical C2 body fractures are amenable to nonoperative treatment with external orthoses.
Lung clearance index: should we really go back to nitrogen washout?

From the authors: We thank J.G. Nielson for his comments about our editorial related to the …
Intercountry inequality in human development: a 30‐year perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend the existing literature on cross‐country disparities by providing measures of cross‐country inequality in human development index (HDI) and real income per capita over the 30‐year period 1975‐2004.Design/methodology/approach – A well‐recommended inequality index is applied to the data.Findings – Ten points are noted: first, HDI inequality declined over the period; second, the pace of decline slowed somewhat since 1990; third, magnitude of HDI inequality has been quite small; fourth, inequality in gross domestic product per capita also shows a declining pattern over the period; fifth, there is very high correlation between HDI and per capita income; sixth, despite the high correlation, magnitudes of inequalities in the two variables are dramatically different; seventh, therefore, even very high correlation may not be interpreted as implying similar inequalities in the variables; eighth, cross‐country inequalities in various regions show huge differences; nin...
ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas: size does not correlate with hormonal activity.

ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas (Cushing’s disease, CD) are the most frequent cause of Cushing’s syndrome. To test whether the size of ACTH-secreting adenomas correlates with the degree of biochemical and clinical features of hypercortisolism, we retrospectively reviewed all newly diagnosed CD patients seen at our institution by two neuro-endocrinologists over a 10-year time period. We documented the number of clinical manifestations and baseline hormonal measurements. There were 37 microadenomas (μAs) and 16 macroadenomas (MAs). We sought to characterize the relationship between tumor size (μA vs. MA) and number of signs and symptoms of hypercortisolism and biochemical assessment of hypercortisolemia. There were no significant differences in mean age, BMI, or prevalence of hypertension and type 2 diabetes between the μA and MA groups. However, the MAs had fewer clinical manifestations of hypercortisolism (29.4% vs. 36.1%, P = 0.02) compared to μAs. There was a higher prevalence of easy bruisability and proximal muscle weakness in the μAs, but otherwise the prevalence of signs and symptoms were similar between groups. The MAs had a lower random serum cortisol (18.2 ± 2.4 vs. 25.9 ± 1.8 mcg/dl, P = 0.018), lower cortisol:ACTH ratio (0.25 ± 0.03 vs. 0.42 ± 0.05, P < 0.048), and lower cortisol:tumor diameter ratio (14.1 ± 2.2 vs. 56.8 ± 7.2, P < 0.0001) than the μAs. We conclude that tumor size does not directly correlate with the extent of hormonal activity in ACTH-secreting adenomas. Biochemical activity and clinical manifestations may be mild even in larger tumors, and therefore a high index of suspicion may be necessary to recognize hypercortisolism in pituitary MAs.
Evidence of a South Equatorial Countercurrent in the Pacific Ocean

AN eastward-flowing current of speeds from 10 to 25 cm./sec. is indicated along a density surface (σt = 26.81) in the Pacific Ocean south of the equator in a position roughly symmetrical to that of the (North) Equatorial Countercurrent. Along this surface the current is found between lat. 2° S. and 5° S. at long. 165° E. and progressively farther south toward the east, to between lat. 10° S. and 14° S. at long. 95° W. The depth of this surface rises to the south along the flow, from 400 to 300 m. in the west and from 400 to 350 m. in the east.
Tribology of the helical scan head tape interface

The performance of video helical scanner heads is strongly dependent on head wear and staining. In this study, the tribology of the helical scan head tape interface is investigated and the effect of environmental conditions on wear and transfer film formation is studied. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) are used to evaluate the morphology of deposits formed in the glass and ferrite regions of helical scan heads, and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) are applied for chemical characterization of the head and deposits, respectively. The tendency towards wear and deposit formation is investigated as a function of relative humidity (RH). Finally, lateral force microscopy is used to evaluate differences in friction between contaminated and clean regions of the head using a silicon nitride probe.
Pilot study using SPOT satellite imagery over Apalachicola national forest to determine appropriate spatial scale for area-wide aggregation of surface fluxes

High resolution radiances from SPOT satellite imagery converted to Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVI) over a 16×16 km2 mixed ground cover study-area in the Apalachicola National Forest in northwest Florida, along with in situ measurements from a Bowen ratio surface flux monitoring system and physical modeling techniques, are used to determine the length manifold beyond which degraded resolution satellite imagery fails to capture flux variability over the scene. The investigation is relevant to an understanding of how bias error is generated in methods designed to produce scale-invariant surface flux estimates from satellite measurements. Error estimates are based on assigning characteristic NDVI values to the four predominant types of ground cover found within the study-area. An open site near the center of the study-area, which satisfies the conditions for surface flux monitoring, is used for obtaining input data for a biosphere-atmosphere exchange model designed to calculate representative fluxes for the different ground covers. Continuous 6-minute meteorological and surface flux measurements were made at the monitoring site for a period of 22 days. These measurements are used in conjunction with surface layer theory to provide surface layer profile estimates of wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity at the tops of the forested sites. The measured and derived meteorological parameters, together with representative biophysical parameters, are used as input to the biosphere-atmosphere exchange model. By representing sensible and latent heat flux distributions due to the variable ground cover with characteristic NDVI values at 20-m resolution, baseline area-wide sensible and latent heat flux quantities are calculated. Error-growth curves as a function of spatial resolution for the fluxes are found by degrading the resolution of the SPOT radiances used to calculate NDVI, and rationing the associated area-wide fluxes to the baseline values. The point at which an error-growth curve becomes invariant represents the edge of a length manifold beyond which the satellite input no longer contains information on surface flux variability, even though NDVI variability continues at all scales up to that of the complete SPOT scene. The error-growth curves are non-linear, with all the error build-up taking place between 20 m and 1.6 km. Decreasing the spatial resolution of the NDVI information down to or below 1.6 km, introduces bias errors in the area-wide surface flux estimates of 10% for sensible heat and 8% for latent heat. The underlying assumptions and modeling produce uncertainty in estimating the manifold limits, however, the principal objective is to show that in using satellite data for scale-invariant surface flux retrieval, there is an optimal spatial resolution factor that can be objectively quantified.
Selection for early flowering in corn: three adapted synthetics.

(...) The present study evaluates selection for early flowering in three adapted synthetics. The synthetics were grown at high plant density (87 000 plants ha − s1) near Mankato, MN; the earliest 5% to flower (55 of 1100 plants) were selected for four generations, then the original populations and the four cycles for each synthetic were compared in performance trials at 48 300, 62 600 and 75 500 plants ha −1 for 5 yr. Selection response for early flowering for four cycles averaged 0.8 d less to flowering, 10 g kg −1 less grain moisture, 4.0 cm less plant height, 2.7 cm less ear height, 0.2 d less silk delay, 0.15 Mg ha −1 (3%) less yield, and 4% more broken stalks (...)
A feedback approach to the steady-state performance of fractionally spaced blind adaptive equalizers

This paper proposes a new approach to the analysis of the steady-state performance of constant modulus algorithms (CMA), which are among the most popular adaptive schemes for blind equalization. A major feature of the proposed feedback approach is that it bypasses the need for working directly with the weight error covariance matrix. In so doing, approximate expressions for the steady-state mean-square error of several CM algorithms are derived, including CMA2-2, CMA1-2, normalized CMA, and a new normalized CMA variant with less bias. A comparison among the various algorithms is also performed, along with several simulation results. The conclusions confirm the superior performance of CMA2-2.
Verbal and Nonverbal Communication: Distinguishing Symbolic, Spontaneous, and Pseudo-Spontaneous Nonverbal Behavior

Verbal and nonverbal communication are seen in terms of interacting streams of spontaneous and symbolic communication, and posed “pseudo-spontaneous” displays. Spontaneous communication is defined as the nonintentional communication of motivational-emotional states based upon biologically shared nonpropositional signal systems, with information transmitted via displays. Symbolic communication is the intentional communication, using learned, socially shared signal systems, of propositional information transmitted via symbols. Pseudospontaneous communication involves the intentional and strategic manipulation of displays. An original meta-analysis demonstrates that, like verbal symbolic communication, nonverbal analogic (pantomimic) communication is related to left hemisphere cerebral processing. In contrast, spontaneous communication is related to the right hemisphere. A general theory of communication should account for the natural biologically based aspects of communication as well as its learned and symbolically structured aspects. Further, such a general theory should include a feedback process—explanations of message production alone or message reception alone, although potentially useful, are incomplete. A corollary of these two criteria is that a general theory of communication should account for the coevolution of symbolic and nonsymbolic feedback processes and their integration into systems of communication characteristic of the human species. Whereas the explication of such a general theory is beyond the scope of this article, developmental interactionist theory (Buck, 1984, 1989, 1994) does aim to offer such an integrated view. The current article poses how developmental interactionist theory deals with the topic of this special issue of Journal of Communication—the relationship between verbal and nonverbal communication.
Delay tolerant networking - bundle protocol simulation

In this paper, we report on the addition of MACHETE bundle protocol model needed to support DTN research. To illustrate the use of MACHETE with the additional BP model, we provide an example simulation and benchmark its performance. We demonstrate the use of the bundle protocol and discuss statistics gathered concerning the total time needed to simulate numerous bundle transmissions.
Factors Affecting Strength of Clays in the Temperature Range 110° to 800°C

Using a carefully established procedure for the preparation of test bars and for the measurement of the modulus of rupture, the effect of firing temperature on the transverse strength of a Georgia kaolin, Kentucky ball clay, and Missouri fire clay was determined. The kaolin showed the greatest temperature vs. strength sensitivity (-19% to +50% of the dry strength); it therefore was used in a study of the effect of aging, electrodialysis, and ion exchange on strength-temperature relationships. Kaolin treated with H2O2 and HC1, and electrodialyzed kaolin with NaCl and CaCl2, was weaker than the untreated clay after being fired at temperatures below 650°C. but was as much as 131% stronger at 800° firings.
Peer Victimization and Parental Psychological Control in Adolescence

With a sample of 831 U.S. adolescents (49% girls) followed from 9th to 11th grade, the directionality of the association between school-based peer victimization and adolescents’ perception of their parents’ psychological control were examined. Possible mediating influences of internalizing symptoms were also explored. The results highlight the relevance of adolescent-to-parent influences during adolescence by demonstrating that physical peer victimization was predictive of increases in mother’s psychological control but parental psychological control did not predict subsequent peer victimization. These direct effects were present above and beyond the contribution of adolescent internalizing symptoms to higher parental psychological control. Practical implications of the primacy of adolescent-to-parent influences in predicting the social adjustment of victims of peer harassment are discussed.
Arterial blood gas analysis in patient evaluation

The use of arterial blood gases in an emergency department was studied by reviewing, retrospectively, 5,000 consecutive patients. Of these, 169 (3.38%) had arterial blood gases done; 150 (85%) manifested at least one abnormality; 58 (35%) were hospitalized. A total of 35 different diagnoses was made among those patients who had arterial blood gases done. Pneumonia was the most common (34), followed by chest pain (14). Hypoxia, the most frequent abnormality, was found in 124 (75%) of all tested patients. In an emergency department, where rapid accumulation of data is necessary, arterial blood gases play a vital role in patient evaluation. Abnormalities are frequent and a significant percent of admissions may result.
Understanding how student nurses experience morally distressing situations: Caring for patients with different values and beliefs in the clinical environment

Introduction/Background: Moral distress and related concepts surrounding morality and ethical decision-making have been given much attention in nursing. Despite the general consensus that moral distress is an affective response to being unable to act morally, the literature attests to the need for increased clarity regarding theoretical and conceptual constructs used to describe precisely what the experience of moral distress involves. The purpose of this study is to understand how student nurses experience morally distressing situations when caring for patients with different values and beliefs than their own in the clinical environment Methods: This study is based on secondary analysis of participant data. The stories of eight student nurses who completed the original study were reviewed following Yin’s multiple-case study design. Results: Findings suggest there is a subtle form of moral distress that has been under appreciated in the literature and differs from Jameton’s classic definition. While traditional institutional triggers to moral distress are pervasive, personal conflict as a result of differing value systems may be a moral challenge faced by nursing students working with culturally diverse patients. Conclusion: Ethics education is needed in nursing school to reduce moral distress in the clinical environment. Nursing students need opportunities to develop moral reasoning skills in addition to their clinical skills. A philosophical approach to ethics education may be needed to prevent and alleviate moral distress.
Soliton excitations in polyacetylene and relativistic field theory models

A continuum model of a Peierls-dimerized chain, as described generally by Brazovskii and discussed for the case of polyacetylene by Takayama, Lin-Liu and Maki (TLM), is considered. The continuum (Bogliubov-de Gennes) equations arising in this model of interacting electrons and phonons are shown to be equivalent to the static, semiclassical equations for a solvable model field theory of self-coupled fermions-the N = 2 Gross-Neveu model. Based on this equivalence we note the existence of soliton defect states in polyacetylene that are additional to, and qualitatively different from, the amplitude “kinks” commonly discussed. The new solutions do not have the topological stability of kinks but are essentially conventional strong-coupling polarons in the dimerized chain. They carry spin (12) and charge (±e). In addition, we discuss further areas in which known field theory results may apply to a Peierls-dimerized chain, including relations between phenomenological φ4 and continuum electron-phonon models, and the structure of the fully quantum versus mean field theories.
Effects of Rapid High Temperature Cyclic Aging on a Fully-Formulated Lean NO x Trap Catalyst

In this study, high-temperature deactivation of a fully-formulated lean NOx trap (LNT) is investigated with an accelerated aging protocol where accelerated aging is accomplished by rapid temperature cycling and by higher temperatures. Thermal aging is carried out in a bench-flow reactor at nominal temperatures of 700, 800, 900, and 1000 C using an aging cycle consisting of a 130s lean-phase and a 50s rich-phase. After a prescribed number of lean/rich aging cycles, the NOx conversion of the aged LNT is evaluated at 200, 300, and 400 C. The NOx performance is obtained at a GHSV of 30,000 h-1 using an evaluation cycle consisting of a 60s lean-phase and 5s rich-phase. The effects of aging on the LNT washcoat are determined with EPMA, XRD, STEM/EDS, and BET. Aging at 700 and 800 C has a minimal effect on LNT performance and material properties. However, at aging temperatures of 900 and 1000 C reduction in surface area and sintering of PGM particles are observed and result in a drastic reduction in NOx conversion. Additionally, after aging at 900 C and 1000 C the NOx storage medium, BaCO3, is no longer visible in the XRD patterns, even though a Ba-phase identified by EPMAmore » still exists in all aged samples. BaAl2O4 is not identified at any aging temperatures; possibly due to stabilization effects provided by washcoat additives present in this particular LNT.« less
Co-Combustion of Refuse Derived Fuel with Anthracites in a CFB Boiler

Combustion of Refuse derived fuel (RDF) is considered as a priority solution to energy recovery from municipal solid waste (MSW). The co-combustion characteristics of anthracite coals with RDF were determined in the commercial scale Tonghae CFB Power Plant. As the feeding ratio of the RDF to the anthracites increased to 5%, temperature and pressure were not changed in comparison with firing only anthracites. The amount of the required air was reduced due to high O2 content in RDF relative to the anthracites. The emissions of NOx, SOx, HCl and Dioxin were also measured. According to higher mixing ratio of the RDF to the anthracites, SOx, NOx emissions slightly decreased and HCl emissions increased, because RDF has relatively smaller S, N and higher CI than the anthracites. Heavy metals of the fly ash and bottom ash and the dioxin emissions were far below Korean maximum permissible concentration level at incinerator. The results showed that it is of great use and technically possible to co-combustion of RDF with the anthracites by 5% in the form of fuel recovery and energy production in commercial scale CFB boiler.
Molecular population genetics of the male and female mitochondrial DNA molecules of the California sea mussel, Mytilus californianus.

The presence of two gender-associated mitochondrial genomes in marine mussels provides a unique opportunity to investigate the dynamics of mtDNA evolution without complications inherent in interspecific comparisons. Here, we assess the relative importance of selection, mutation, and differential constraint in shaping the patterns of polymorphism within and divergence between the male (M) and female (F) mitochondrial genomes of the California sea mussel, Mytilus californianus. Partial sequences were obtained from homologous regions of four genes (nad2, cox1, atp6, and nad5) totaling 2307 bp in length. The M and F mtDNA molecules of M. californianus exhibited extensive levels of nucleotide polymorphism and were more highly diverged than observed in other mytilids (overall Tamura–Nei distances >40%). Consistent with previous studies, the M molecule had significantly higher levels of silent and replacement polymorphism relative to F. Both genomes possessed large numbers of singleton and low-frequency mutations that gave rise to significantly negative Tajima's D values. Mutation-rate scalars estimated for silent and replacement mutations were elevated in the M genome but were not sufficient to account for its higher level of polymorphism. McDonald–Kreitman tests were highly significant at all loci due to excess numbers of fixed replacement mutations between molecules. Strong purifying selection was evident in both genomes in keeping the majority of replacement mutations at low population frequencies but appeared to be slightly relaxed in M. Our results suggest that a reduction in selective constraint acting on the M genome remains the best explanation for its greater levels of polymorphism and faster rate of evolution.
Laser Treatment With a 1064‐nm Laser for Lower Extremity Class I–III Veins Employing Variable Spots and Pulse Width Parameters

BACKGROUND. The long-pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser (employing varying spot sizes, pulse widths, and fluences) has gained popularity for treating lower extremity blue and red vessels that are less than 4 mm in diameter. OBJECTIVE. To evaluate the efficacy of high-power 50-ms 1064 Nd:YAG laser in the treatment of class I‐III lower extremity vessels. METHODS. Ten female patients (mean age of 39 years) had a 5-cm 2 area of veins measuring 0.2 to 3 mm in diameter treated with up to three treatment sessions using a new 1064 Nd:YAG laser, with the end point being 100% vessel clearing after three treatments. Red vessels were treated with a spot size of 1.5 mm, a fluence of 400 to 600 J/cm 2 , a pulse width of 30 to 50 ms; blue vessels of 1 to 3 mm were treated with a spot size of 3 mm, a fluence of 250 to 370 J/cm 2 , and a pulse width of 50 to 60 ms. Macrophotographic imaging evaluations by blinded observers using a quartile scale and a patient satisfaction scale were employed to evaluate results. RESULTS. At month 3 after the final treatment session, 20% of all vessel types had 50% to 75% improvement. Equal clearing was noted for blue and red vessels. At month 6, 80% of patients had a greater than 75% clearing. Ninety percent of patients were highly satisfied with the treatment results at 6 months. CONCLUSION. By varying spot size, fluence, and pulse duration, a long-wavelength 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser can achieve excellent results for treating both blue and red lower extremity vessels that are less than 3 mm in diameter.
A software environment for studying computational neural systems

UCLA-SFINX is a neural network simulation environment that enables users to simulate a wide variety of neural network models at various levels of abstraction. A network specification language enables users to construct arbitrary network structures. Small, structurally irregular networks can be modeled by explicitly defining each neuron and can be modeled by explicitly defining each neuron and corresponding connections. Very large networks with regular connectivity patterns can be implicitly specified using array constructs. Graphics support, based on X Windows System, is provided to visualize simulation results. Details of the simulation environment are described, and simulation examples are presented to demonstrate SFINX's capabilities. >
Dissolution profiles for multisized prednisolone acetate suspensions

Particle-size measurements and in vitro dissolution characteristics of commercial and formulated suspensions of prednisolone acetate were determined using a resistance particle counter and a spinning filter apparatus, respectively. Significant differences in dissolution rates were noted for the commercial suspensions. Particle size affected dissolution but did not account for all observed variations in the dissolution rate. Formulation differences, specifically the presence of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, in suspensions seemed to be important in dissolution.
Performance comparison of scalable location services for geographic ad hoc routing

Geographic routing protocols allow stateless routing in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) by taking advantage of the location information of mobile nodes and thus are highly scalable. A central challenge in geographic routing protocols is the design of scalable distributed location services that track mobile node locations. A number of location services have been proposed, but little is known about the relative performance of these location services. In this paper, we perform a detailed performance comparison of three rendezvous-based location services that cover a range of design choices: a quorum-based protocol (XYLS) which disseminates each node's location to O(/spl radic/N) nodes, a hierarchical protocol (GLS) which disseminates each node's location to O(logN) nodes, and a geographic hashing based protocol (GHLS) which disseminates each node's location to O(1) nodes. We present a quantitative model of protocol overheads for predicting the performance tradeoffs of the protocols for static networks. We then analyze the performance impact of mobility on these location services. Finally, we compare the performance of routing protocols equipped with the three location services with two topology-based routing protocols, AODV and DSR, for a wide range of network sizes. Our study demonstrates that when practical MANET sizes are considered, robustness to mobility and the constant factors matter more than the asymptotic costs of location service protocols. In particular, while GLS scales better asymptotically, GHLS is far simpler, transmits fewer control packets, and delivers more data packets than GLS when used with geographic routing in MANETs of sizes considered practical today and in the near future. Similarly, although XYLS scales worse asymptotically than GLS, it transmits fewer control packets and delivers more data packets than GLS in large mobile networks.
Helios Controls a Limited Subset of Regulatory T Cell Functions

A subpopulation (60-70%) of Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) in both mouse and man expresses the transcription factor Helios, but its role in Treg function is still unknown. We generated Treg-specific Helios-deficient mice to examine the function of Helios in Tregs. We show that the selective deletion of Helios in Tregs leads to slow, progressive systemic immune activation, hypergammaglobulinemia, and enhanced germinal center formation in the absence of organ-specific autoimmunity. Helios-deficient Treg suppressor function was normal in vitro, as well as in an in vivo inflammatory bowel disease model. However, Helios-deficient Tregs failed to control the expansion of pathogenic T cells derived from scurfy mice, failed to mediate T follicular regulatory cell function, and failed to control both T follicular helper cell and Th1 effector cell responses. In competitive settings, Helios-deficient Tregs, particularly effector Tregs, were at a disadvantage, indicating that Helios regulates effector Treg fitness. Thus, we demonstrate that Helios controls certain aspects of Treg-suppressive function, differentiation, and survival.
Do Sexual Harassment Plaintiffs Get Two Bites of the Apple?: Sexual Harassment Litigation After Fitzgerald v. Barnstable County School Committee

In January of 2009, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Fitzgerald v. Barnstable School Committee that students may file claims alleging sexual harassment by their teachers and/or professors under both Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972 and 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Before Fitzgerald, the Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal were split as to whether Title IX precluded simultaneous § 1983 claims against individual teachers and school officials. Since individuals are generally not recognized as appropriate defendants under Title IX, this meant that plaintiffs could only allege discrimination at the hands of a teacher or professor by making a Title IX claim against the school or institution. As a result of the Court’s decision in Fitzgerald, plaintiffs essentially now get one full bite of the proverbial apple when litigating these sexual harassment claims, as they now have a full range of claims and defendants amenable to suit. This article addresses the course of litigation alleging sexual harassment claims by students against their teachers, the impact of the Court’s decision in Fitzgerald, and provides suggestions as to what institutions can do to limit potential damages for these types of claims. Part I of the Article outlines the history of the litigation under both Title IX and §1983, Part II examines the Court’s decision in Fitzgerald, and Part III discusses the implications for educational institutions handling concurrent and parallel Title IX and §1983 claims.
The Revival of Roman Law and Canon law

The Digest (or Pandects), promulgated at Constantinople on December 16, 533, by the Roman emperor Justinian (527–565, born ca. 482), is perhaps the most influential text in the history of Western legal thought. Together with Justinian’s Code (promulgated on April 7, 529, with a second edition in 534), and his Institutes (533), it constituted what in the sixteenth century came to be known in Western Europe as the Corpus of Civil Law (Corpus Iuris Civilis). Justinian’s Novels (or New Constitutions)—imperial pronouncements from 535, supplemented by post-Justinianic directives from as late as 575—together with the Digest and Code are our principal sources for the philosophical underpinnings of Justinian’s conceptualization of his legislative activity; for the philosophy of law that animated Tribonian, architect of the actual codification; and for the philosophy of law implicit in the finished text of the Digest itself.
DETERMINATION OF STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE MARGIN RATIO USING PUSHOVER ANALYSIS

The incremental dynamic analysis(IDA) method suggested in ATC-63 report requires a large amount of time history analyses in determining a structural collapse margin ratio(CMR). It is time-consuming and computationally inefficient, not suitable for a quick assessment on collapse margin during the scheme design stage of structures. A practical method proposed herein to evaluate CMR is on the basis of the pushover analysis procedures, in which the collapse performance points of all selected strong ground motions are determined by the improved Park-Ang global damage model and the combination of the capacity curve obtained from the pushover analysis and the demand curves generated from the response spectra of the motions of concern and Nassar-Krawinkler inelastic spectrum. The proposed method has incorporated the concepts addressed in ATC-63report and the characteristics of the pushover analysis, as well the consideration of variation in the collapse performance point caused by different motions. The computational efficiency has been substantially improved and reasonably conservative. These have been validated through an 8-story reinforced concrete frame structure.
Biology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Although this ubiquitous organism only infects debilitated people, mortality remains high because of its resistance to most antibiotics. Understanding its biology and its lethal toxin, discovery of...
Patient selection for anticoagulant therapy in coronary heart disease

Short-term administration of anticoagulants after myocardial infarction is directed toward preventing thromboembolism, is fairly safe and is potentially beneficial in some cases. Long-term administration of anticoagulants in chronic coronary heart disease is directed toward preventing coronary thrombosis, carries an appreciable risk of hemorrhage but may be of significant benefit in selected patients with advanced disease.
Development of a 6 LiF/ZnS-based neutron multiplicity counter

Neutron multiplicity counters are used in safeguards to provide rapid assay of samples which contain an unknown amount of plutonium in a potentially unknown configuration. A project at PNNL is using regular and nickel-quenched 6LiF/ZnS neutron-scintillator sheets and wavelength shifting plastic for light pipes in place of 3He. A combination of laboratory and modeling work predicts a LiF/ZnS-based system to be able to match or exceed the performance of the best 3He-based systems available. Also, the Ni-quenched material is expected to allow for improved neutron/gamma-ray discrimination at twice the event rate relative to the non-Ni-quenched LiF/ZnS. A new system based on the LiF/ZnS material is under construction and components are being used to optimize the detection efficiency and neutron/gamma-ray discrimination properties. Components of the new system are partially constructed and undergoing performance testing utilizing high-speed digitizers with field programmable gate arrays to perform the neutron/gamma-ray discrimination. The expected performance of the full-scale system is expected to be nearly the same as for 3He-based systems and is due for completion in 2016.
Increases in brain activity during social competition predict decreases in working memory performance and later recall

In our fMRI experiment, participants completed a learning task in both a noncompetitive and a socially competitive learning environment. Despite reporting a preference for completing the task while competing, participants remembered significantly more during the task and later recalled more from the noncompetitive learning environment. Furthermore, during working memory maintenance, there was performance-related deactivation in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the precuneus/PCC. During feedback presentation, there was greater activation in the mPFC and the precuneus/PCC while competing. Differential activation in the precuneus/PCC predicted worse later recall for information learned competitively. Since previous research suggests that the mPFC is involved in social-referencing, while the precuneus/PCC is implicated in off-task thoughts, our results suggest that receiving feedback regarding competition produces more activation in brain regions implicated in social interaction, as well as task distraction. While competition may make a task more enjoyable, the goal of winning may distract from maximizing performance. Hum Brain Mapp 38:457-471, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Enhancing Polynuclear Aromatic Uptake into Bulk Solution with Amphiphilic Colloidal Aggregates

Aggregated amphiphiles in an aqueous or solid/aqueous system can substantially enhance the uptake of polynuclear aromatic (PNA)compound into a bulk solution. The extent of PNA compound incorporated in an amphiphilic aggregate solution in the absence of solids is linearly dependent on the bulk solution concentration of the aggregated form of the amphiphile. In a system in which solids are in contact with a solution, however, the relationship is nonlinear as a result of the adherence of both amphiphile and PNA compound to the solids. The formation of amphiphile aggregates in the bulk solution of a system containing solids occurs only after a much greater amount of amphiphile has been added to the system than would be required for a similar system containing only solution. The partitioning of PNA compound between the solid, the colloidal amphiphilic aggregates in bulk solution, and the rest of the bulk solution can be characterized with two different partition coefficients and a number of other parameters, all of which are obtainable from independent experiments. The total fraction of PNA compound incorporated into bulk solution can be estimated with a mathematical model. Model results for the uptake of pyrene into a C 8 PE 9.5 aggregate solution are shown plotted with experimental data. The effect of amphiphile aggregates on PNA compound transport in porous media may in some cases be substantial.
Design and laser damage properties of a dichroic beam combiner coating for 22.5-deg incidence and S polarization with high transmission at 527 nm and high reflection at 1054 nm

We designed a dichroic beam combiner coating with 11 HfO2/SiO2 layer pairs and deposited it on a large substrate. It provides high transmission (HT) at 527 nm and high reflection (HR) at 1054 nm for a 22.5-deg angle of incidence (AOI), S polarization (Spol), and uses near half-wave layer thicknesses for HT at 527 nm, modified for HR at 1054 nm. The two options for the beam combiner each require that a high intensity beam be incident on the coating from within the substrate (from glass). We analyze the laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) differences between the two options in terms of the 527- and 1054-nm E-field behaviors for air → coating and glass → coating incidences. This indicates that LIDTs should be higher for air → coating than for glass → coating incidence. LIDT tests at the use AOI, Spol with ns pulses at 532 and 1064 nm confirm this, with glass → coating LIDTs about half that of air → coating LIDTs. These results clearly indicate that the best beam combiner option is for the high intensity 527 and 1054 nm beams to be incident on the coating from air and glass, respectively.
Inducible expression of cancer-testis antigens in human prostate cancer.

// Erika Heninger 1, 3 , Timothy E.G. Krueger 3 , Stephanie M. Thiede 1, 3 , Jamie M. Sperger 1, 3 , Brianna L. Byers 3 , Madison R. Kircher 3 , David Kosoff 1, 3 , Bing Yang 2, 3 , David F. Jarrard 2, 3 , Douglas G. McNeel 1, 3 , Joshua M. Lang 1, 3 1 Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA 2 Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA 3 University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA Correspondence to: Joshua M. Lang, email: jmlang@medicine.wisc.edu Keywords: cancer testis antigen, prostate cancer, epigenetics, tumor immunotherapy, methylation Received: April 22, 2016 Accepted: October 11, 2016 Published: October 17, 2016 ABSTRACT Immune tolerance to self-antigens can limit robust anti-tumor immune responses in the use of tumor vaccines. Expression of novel tumor associated antigens can improve immune recognition and lysis of tumor cells. The cancer-testis antigen (CTA) family of proteins has been hypothesized to be an ideal class of antigens due to tumor-restricted expression, a subset of which have been found to induce antibody responses in patients with prostate disease. We demonstrate that CTA expression is highly inducible in five different Prostate Cancer (PC) cell lines using a hypomethylating agent 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5AZA) and/or a histone deacetylase inhibitor LBH589. These CTAs include NY-ESO1, multiple members of the MAGE and SSX families and NY-SAR35. A subset of CTAs is synergistically induced by the combination of 5AZA and LBH589. We developed an ex vivo organ culture using human PC biopsies for ex vivo drug treatments to evaluate these agents in clinical samples. These assays found significant induction of SSX2 in 9/9 distinct patient samples and NY-SAR35 in 7/9 samples. Further, we identify expression of SSX2 in circulating tumor cells (CTC) from patients with advanced PC. These results indicate that epigenetic modifying agents can induce expression of a broad range of neoantigens in human PC and may serve as a useful adjunctive therapy with novel tumor vaccines and checkpoint inhibitors.
William Eickhorst, Decadence in German Fiction: Denver: Alan Swallow, 1953. Pp. 179. $3.00.

(1954). William Eickhorst, Decadence in German Fiction. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 305-307.