cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of Distortion in Class B Audio Amplifiers

The more important defects of class B audio-frequency amplifiers are classified and examined in detail. A general method of determining harmonic components introduced by curvature and asymmetry of the combined plate current curves of a pair of tubes is given, with a tabulation of results in a practical case. The main body of the paper deals with an accurate quantitative determination of the harmonic components introduced in the output by the effects of irregular grid currents on regulation of the driver amplifier, and the characteristics of practical coupling transformers. The effects of loading the driver amplifier are analyzed, and it is shown that a class A driver has minimum regulation when unloaded, and a class B driver has minimum regulation when loaded to the limit of anode dissipation. Class A and class B drivers are compared, and a general figure of merit for any driving system is proposed. It is shown that distortion due to grid currents in the output tubes can be reduced as far as desired by proper design, the only limit is economic. Methods of impedance correction and removal of reactance effects in coupling transformers by the addition of capacitors are discussed. Building out the transformer reactances into filter sections results in a wider transmitted band, more uniform transmission in the band, suppression of components contributing to adjacent channel interference, and lowered nonlinear distortion because of improved uniformity of load impedance.
The Effects of Internal Audit Report Type and Reporting Relationship on Internal Auditors' Risk Judgments

SYNOPSIS: The governance literature (e.g., Archambeault, DeZoort, and Holt 2008) highlights the lack of internal audit information available to external stakeholders and discusses the need for a p...
Power dissipated by CMOS gates driving lossless transmission lines

The dynamic and short-circuit power consumption of a CMOS gate driving an LC transmission line as a limiting case of an RLC transmission line is investigated in this paper. Closed form solutions for the output voltage and short-circuit power of a CMOS gate driving an LC transmission line are presented. These solutions agree with AS/X simulations within 11% error for a wide range of transistor widths and line impedances. The ratio of the short-circuit to dynamic power is less than 7% for CMOS gates driving LC transmission lines where the line is matched or underdriven. Therefore, the total power consumption is expected to decrease as inductance effects becomes more significant as compared to an RC model of the interconnect.
Localized tensor-based solvers for interactive finite element applications using C++ and Java

This paper presents techniques for solving systems of equations arising in finite element applications using a localized, tensor-based approach. The approach is localized in that a major part of the solution responsibility is delegated to vector degree-of-freedom objects, rather than residing solely in a global solver working on a monolithic data structure. The approach is tensor-based in that the fundamental quantities used for computation are considered to be second-order tensors. The localized data structure strategy provides the benefits of an efficient sparse and symmetric storage scheme without requiring complex implementation code. The tensor-based aspect of the approach can bring substantial performance benefits by increasing the granularity at which solution algorithms deal with their data. Java and C++ implementations of interactive finite element programs are used to demonstrate performance that is competitive with other available solvers, especially in the case of problems for which interactive analysis is feasible on commonly available hardware.
Separation of navigation routing code in J2EE web applications

The navigation routing code of a web application is the part of the code involved in routing a request from a web page through the appropriate components on the server, typically ending with the display of a response page. Common maintenance activities are to change the sequence of pages or the processing for a page, and for these activities the navigation routing code must be located, understood, and possibly modified. But in J2EE applications this code is spread among a number of components, making maintenance costly. We describe an approach for separating this navigation routing code, using either Aspect Oriented Programming (AOP) or conventional OO techniques. We demonstrate how this improves maintainability by converting three exemplar applications from Sun and Oracle, with a 4- to 11-fold reduction in the number of files containing navigation routing code and in the lines of code in these files.
An analysis of the credit rating agencies

Credit rating agencies play a critical role in financial markets; by rating the creditworthiness of a wide range of borrowers – from corporations to sovereigns – these agencies add liquidity to markets that would otherwise be illiquid, promote efficiency within such markets, and perhaps most importantly of all, reduce the risk of asymmetric information for investors. Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch dominate the ratings industry, accounting for nearly 95% of the global market. However, in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, these Big Three credit rating agencies have faced mounting criticism stemming from the role they played in perpetrating the crisis. The purpose of this paper is twofold: one – to analyse the role these agencies played in the 2008 financial crisis and summarise the regulations in place; and two – to evaluate their sovereign rating methodology and assess the ratings of these agencies in regards to Greece, France, and the USA.
An Inductively Coupled RF System for the Transmission of 1 kW of Power Through the Skin

In systems in which inductive coupling between a pancake-shaped coil on the surface of the body and a similar coil within the body is utilized for the transport of electromagnetic energy, the minimization of temperature rise in the tissue is intimately related to the achievement of minimum losses in the region of the implanted coil. A detailed theoretical analysis indicates the design considerations for achieving minimum losses in the vicinity of the implanted coil and predicts relevant internal losses of about one-half of 1 percent of the transported power. Experimental verification of theoretical expectations has involved an operating frequency of 428 kHz for the transmission of 1 kW of power between a simple water-cooled coil on the surface of the chest and a coil implanted in the chest wall of a dog. A maximum tissue temperature of 103.5° F was observed. Since 1-h operation per day at the 1-kW level would supply the anticipated energy requirements for a patient with an artificial heart, the system may find application in the charging of internal energy storage units of artificial heart systems.
Can social bookmarking improve web search

Social bookmarking is a recent phenomenon which has the potential to give us a great deal of data about pages on the web. One major question is whether that data can be used to augment systems like web search. To answer this question, over the past year we have gathered what we believe to be the largest dataset from a social bookmarking site yet analyzed by academic researchers. Our dataset represents about forty million bookmarks from the social bookmarking site del.icio.us. We contribute a characterization of posts to del.icio. us: how many bookmarks exist (about 115 million), how fast is it growing, and how active are the URLs being posted about (quite active). We also contribute a characterization of tags used by bookmarkers. We found that certain tags tend to gravitate towards certain domains, and vice versa. We also found that tags occur in over 50 percent of the pages that they annotate, and in only 20 percent of cases do they not occur in the page text, backlink page text, or forward link page text of the pages they annotate. We conclude that social bookmarking can provide search data not currently provided by other sources, though it may currently lack the size and distribution of tags necessary to make a significant impact
High-order harmonic generation in crossed laser beams

We investigate laser high-order harmonic generation in the presence of interfering light. A relatively weak interfering pulse intersects the primary harmonic-generating laser pulse at the focus. The influence on the harmonic-generation process is studied at near-counterpropagating and at perpendicular angles. The interfering beam creates a standing intensity and phase modulation, which disrupts microscopic phase matching and shuts down local high-harmonic production. Simple quasi-phase matching is demonstrated in which the interfering light disrupts harmonic generation in a portion of the laser focus. Under poor phase-matching conditions, perpendicularly propagating light is shown to enhance the 23rd harmonic generated in argon.
Effects of B vitamins, yeast and liver on ovaries of immature rats fed massive doses of alpha-estradiol.

SummaryDesiccated whole liver counteracted the inhibition of ovarian development observed in immature rats fed massive doses of alpha-estradiol. The protective factor in liver was distinct from any of the known members of the vitamin B complex. It was not present in significant amounts in yeast.
Effectiveness of Earphone Shielding for Artifact Control in Auditory Evoked Potentials

Control of the electromagnetic artifact produced by earphones is a major problem in the acquisition of surface-recorded auditory evoked responses, especially short latency responses (0-10 ms). Several investigators have used magnetically shielded earphones to reduce the artifact. In this paper, a method for measuring shielding effectiveness is described, and results obtained with a TDH-39 earphone are presented. Two layers of shielding were found to provide 10-15 dB of shielding effectiveness; the resulting artifact is less than 0.1 ?V for acoustic stimuli below 120 dB sound pressure level (SPL). The shielding also affects the response of the transducer, especially at low frequencies. It is concluded that shielding is effective in controlling artifact for high-frequency transient stimuli. However, for low-frequency stimuli, for which the response begins while the stimulus is present, results obtained with shielded earphones should be interpreted with caution.
A national needs assessment of nurses providing health care to adolescents.

Nurses, as the largest group of health providers in the United States, and by virtue of their scope of practice, are in an important position to promote the health of adolescents. A national survey of nurse members of the American Public Health Association, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners, and the National Association of School Nurses was conducted in 1997 ( n = 520) and was compared with findings from a parallel survey conducted in 1985 that assessed perceived competence in addressing common adolescent health issues, relevance of those issues to nurses' practice, and leadership skills. Findings provided a hopeful yet cautious picture of nurses' competencies. Strong increases in the proportion of nurses who felt equipped to address common health problems of youth suggest improved adolescent health education among nurses. Yet, at least 25% of nurses indicated a low level of knowledge in half of the adolescent health areas, and, like 1985's nurses, most nurses in 1997 did not feel competent to address the needs of gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth. Several priority areas in Healthy People 2010 were considered by 25% or more of the nurses to be irrelevant to their practice, including smoking cessation, suicide, violence, and pregnancy. The task remains to assure that all nurses who work with adolescents are equipped to respond to their diverse and unique health needs.
Quantity and value of commercial moss harvest from forests of the Pacific Northwest and Appalachian regions of the U.S

Abstract The work reported here addresses two primary questions: (1) How much “moss” (a mixture of mosses and liverworts) is harvested commercially from forests in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and Appalachian regions of the U.S.? (2) What is the commercial value of this nontimber forest product? Methods included surveying land managers, botanists and moss dealers, querying U.S. government databases, and interviewing people involved in the moss trade. Approximately 35% of land manager respondents issued permits for moss harvest in the last five years. These reported that permits were issued for an average of 4,009 (Appalachian) and 96,433 (PNW) air-dry kg/yr of moss over the years 1997–2002, with a maximum reported permitted harvest of 166,793 air-dry kg across both regions in the year 2000. Official U.S. Forest Service sources listed the maximum yearly reported harvest for these regions as 115,661 air-dry kg in 2000 (PNW = 71,534 kg and Appalachians = 44,127 kg) and official Bureau of Land Management sourc...
The cultural context model in clinical supervision.

This article introduces principles from the Cultural Context Model (CCM) on the training of master’s and doctoral level mental health professionals to the field of psychology, highlighting its consistencies using critical psychology principles. The main tenets of the CCM are described and illustrated with examples pertaining to clinical supervision. Clinical practice within the model is described to illustrate the learning tasks involved in the supervisory process. This system of clinical theory and practice offers an expanded family paradigm based on an analysis of societal patterns that contribute to social inequality organizing family and community life.
MANET QoS support without reservations

An inelastic flow is a flow with an inelastic rate, i.e., the rate is fixed, and it cannot be dynamically adjusted to traffic and load condition as in elastic flows like TCP. Real time, interactive sessions, and video/audio streaming are typical examples of inelastic flows. Reliable support of inelastic flows in wireless ad hoc networks is extremely challenging because flows and routes dynamically change andflows compete for the shared wireless channel. Bandwidth must be reserved for inelastic flows at session set up time. To avoid repeated attempts to set up reservations in a ‘volatile’ network and prevent serious network capacity degradation due to call set up overhead, a Call Admission Control strategy robust to mobility must be developed. In this paper we propose ProbeCast, a probe based call admission control scheme with QoS guarantees for inelastic flows. ProbCast was designed for multicast streams but can also work, by default, for unicast. In ProbeCast, a path (or a tree) is probed for capacity availability. If an intermediate link along the probed path fails to meet the QoS requirement, the flow is ‘pushed back’ via backpressure upstream to an intermediate branch or possibly to the source. The backpressure principle is simple; however, its implementation requires some care to avoid unfairness and eventual capture by one of the flows sharing a congested bottleneck. We show that proportional fairness among inelastic contenders will prevent capture. To achieve this, we have developed the Neighborhood Proportional Drop (N-PROD) scheme. N-PROD guarantees fair rejection of unfeasible flows and maintains the same proportional drop rate among surviving flows in the same contention domain. We demonstrate the efficacy and robustness of ProbeCast for unicast as well as multicast scenarios using the Qualnet simulation platform. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Locating Nested Monitoring Wells to Reduce Model Uncertainty for Management of a Multilayer Coastal Aquifer

Although the aquifers below the Eastern Shore of Virginia serve as the region’s only sources of fresh water, increased development and intensifying groundwater demands have put this resource at risk. Simulation modeling is used as a tool to evaluate impacts of groundwater withdrawals on the aquifers. Using available monitoring data, a regional three-dimensional variable-density groundwater model (SEAWAT) was previously calibrated to the Eastern Shore’s aquifer system. In general, distributed parameter values were determined by kriging values around specified or calibrated parameter values at 21 pilot point locations spread across the Eastern Shore of Virginia. After calibration, an uncertainty analysis of the model’s performance was completed, and it was concluded that in order to most cost-effectively improve the model accuracy to facilitate management, it is important that any additional data collection be focused on the key modeling objectives, which are predicting hydraulic head and chloride concentra...
Incorporation of photodynamic therapy as an induction modality in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background and Objectives Incorporation of photodynamic therapy (PDT) into the induction therapy regimen utilized for treatment of locally advanced primary non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma (NSCLC) is explored. Study Design/Materials and Methods We present a retrospective review of 41 patients diagnosed with non-metastatic NSCLC who underwent induction PDT with chemotherapy and/or radiation. Results Fifty percent of patients initially deemed unresectable, were able to undergo definitive surgical resection after trimodality induction therapy. Twenty-seven percent of patients considered to require pneumonectomy were able to have a lobectomy. The pathological stage was less than the preinduction clinical stage in 14 of 22 cases; of which four patients had no residual tumor. There was no 30/90-day postoperative mortality. Mean survival was 35.9 months (lobectomy), 25.5 months (pneumonectomy) and 14.7 months (no surgery). Median survival was 78% (12 months) and 46% (36 months). The main postoperative complication following pneumonectomy was bronchopleural fistula formation. All patients who developed this complication had undergone trimodality induction therapy. Incorporation of PDT into the induction arsenal for patients with loco-regionally advanced NSCLC may be safely performed. Conclusions PDT may define an alternative induction strategy for patients requiring pneumonectomy; further studies exploring the true efficacy of PDT as an induction modality are encouraged. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
α-Tocopherol decreases CD36 expression in human monocyte-derived macrophages

Cholesterol-laden macrophages are the hallmark of atherogenesis. The class B scavenger receptor, CD36, binds oxidized low density lipoprotein (OxLDL), is found in atherosclerotic lesions, and is upregulated by OxLDL. We tested the effects of a -tocopherol (AT) enrichment of hu- man monocyte-derived macrophages on CD36 expression and cholesteryl ester accumulation. Monocytes isolated from normal volunteers were cultured into macrophages. Macrophages were enriched overnight with various doses of AT (25, 50, and 100 m M). LDL from normal volunteers was oxidized or acetylated (AcLDL) and incubated with mac- rophages for 48 h at a concentration of 50 or 100 m g/ml. CD36 expression was assessed by flow cytometry. Quantita- tive analysis of scavenger receptor class A (SR-A) activity was performed with 1,1 9 -dioctadecyl-3,3,3 9 ,3 9 -tetramethylin- docarbocyanide perchlorate (DiI)-labeled LDL. CD36 ex- pression was maximal after 8-10 days of culture. AT ( > 50 m M) significantly decreased CD36 expression upregulated by OxLDL and AcLDL ( P , 0.01). Other antioxidants ( b - or g -tocopherol) or protein kinase C inhibitors failed to de- crease CD36 expression. Concomitantly, DiI-AcLDL and DiI-OxLDL uptake was significantly decreased after AT treatment ( P , 0.001). Cholesteryl ester accumulation was significantly decreased after AT enrichment (AcLDL 1 AT, 77% inhibition; OxLDL 1 AT, 42% inhibition). In conclu- sion, AT decreases both CD36 and SR-A expression and cholesteryl ester accumulation in human macrophages. This provides additional scientific support for the antiathero- genic properties of AT. — Devaraj, S., I. Hugou, and I. Jialal. a -Tocopherol decreases CD36 expression in human monocyte- derived macrophages. J. Lipid Res. 2001. 42: 521-527.
Friedrich Schleiermacher: Between enlightenment and romanticism: Schleiermacher's theory of language: the ubiquity of a Romantic text

The challenge of locating the proper intellectual place of On Religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers within Schleiermacher's œuvre is especially daunting. An early romantic work that has repeatedly been relegated to its author's juvenilia, the text nonetheless accompanied Schleiermacher throughout his distinguished career as a theologian. In some manner, still difficult to determine, it claims a relationship to the larger contours of his theological imagination and academic work. Hans-Joachim Birkner knows the problem of locating On Religion better than most persons and has shown the pitfalls of approaching this Schleiermacher text (as well as others) with anachronistic notions of philosophy, theology, and their relationship in mind. Of course, as Birkner notes, within his system of theological sciences Schleiermacher understood On Religion as “philosophical theology.” Elsewhere Schleiermacher speaks of On Religion in relation to the even broader category of “philosophy of religion.” Yet the disciplines of “philosophical theology” and “philosophy of religion” were in the process of formation in Schleiermacher's day, and the labels thus bear only a semantic resemblance to the way these terms are used today. As a means of estimating its relationship to his mature theology, we might raise the question of how On Religion fits into this system. Does the early work stand chiefly as an intellectual launching pad, which was substantively cast aside once the journey was begun? Or are there permanent insights within On Religion that unite it with its author's larger purposes?
Management of rectal varices in portal hypertension

Rectal varices are portosystemic collaterals that form as a complication of portal hypertension, their prevalence has been reported as high as 94% in patients with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction. The diagnosis is typically based on lower endoscopy (colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy). However, endoscopic ultrasonography has been shown to be superior to endoscopy in diagnosing rectal varices. Color Doppler ultrasonography is a better method because it allows the calculation of the velocity of blood flow in the varices and can be used to predict the bleeding risk in the varices. Although rare, bleeding from rectal varices can be life threatening. The management of patients with rectal variceal bleeding is not well established. It is important to ensure hemodynamic stability with blood transfusion and to correct any coagulopathy prior to treating the bleeding varices. Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy has been reported to be more effective in the management of active bleeding from rectal varices with less rebleeding rate as compared to endoscopic band ligation. Transjugular intrahepatic portsystemic shunt alone or in combination with embolization is another method used successfully in control of bleeding. Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration is an emerging procedure for management of gastric varices that has also been successfully used to treat bleeding rectal varices. Surgical procedures including suture ligation and porto-caval shunts are considered when other methods have failed.
Transoceanic Flows: Pacific Islander Interventions Across the American Empire

Pacific Islanders seldom figure prominently in discussions of the United States empire, itself a frequently disavowed apparatus of white economic, military, and political supremacy. Whether construed as products of genocidal removal, national amnesia, or political marginalization, Pacific Islanders frequently remain in the fringes of this nation-state. Yet they will play vital roles in the making and unmaking of American empire from the late nineteenth century to the present, prompting scholars to engage these indigenous peoples as having their “own history, not autonomous and separate from the United States, but integral and intersecting, blending local and global connections.” What accounts, then, for the erasure of Pacific Islanders from the historical record, national memory, and political economy of America? What kinds of Pacific Islander interventions—that is to say, indigenous vernaculars for “self” and “other,” “village” and “city,” “land” and “sea” — occurs because of America's colonial presence ...
Alkyl Nitrate Formation from the Reactions of C8–C14 n-Alkanes with OH Radicals in the Presence of NOx: Measured Yields with Essential Corrections for Gas–Wall Partitioning

In this study, C8–C14 n-alkanes were reacted with OH radicals in the presence of NOx in a Teflon film environmental chamber and isomer-specific yields of alkyl nitrates were determined using gas chromatography. Because results indicated significant losses of alkyl nitrates to chamber walls, gas–wall partitioning was investigated by monitoring the concentrations of a suite of synthesized alkyl nitrates added to the chamber. Gas-to-wall partitioning increased with increasing carbon number and with proximity of the nitrooxy group to the terminal carbon, with losses as high as 86%. The results were used to develop a structure–activity model to predict the effects of carbon number and isomer structure on gas–wall partitioning, which was used to correct the measured yields of alkyl nitrate isomers formed in chamber reactions. The resulting branching ratios for formation of secondary alkyl nitrates were similar for all isomers of a particular carbon number, and average values, which were almost identical to alky...
Observed air-sea interactions in tropical cyclone Isaac over Loop Current mesoscale eddy features

Abstract Air-sea interactions during the intensification of tropical storm Isaac (2012) into a hurricane, over warm oceanic mesoscale eddy features, are investigated using airborne oceanographic and atmospheric profilers. Understanding these complex interactions is critical to correctly evaluating and predicting storm effects on marine and coastal facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, wind-driven mixing and transport of suspended matter throughout the water column, and oceanic feedbacks on storm intensity. Isaac strengthened as it moved over a Loop Current warm-core eddy (WCE) where sea surface warming (positive feedback mechanism) of ∼0.5 °C was measured over a 12-h interval. Enhanced bulk enthalpy fluxes were estimated during this intensification stage due to an increase in moisture disequilibrium between the ocean and atmosphere. These results support the hypothesis that enhanced buoyant forcing from the ocean is an important intensification mechanism in tropical cyclones over warm oceanic mesoscale eddy features. Larger values in equivalent potential temperature ( θ E = 365 ∘ K ) were measured inside the hurricane boundary layer (HBL) over the WCE, where the vertical shear in horizontal currents ( δ V ) remained stable and the ensuing cooling vertical mixing was negligible; smaller values in θ E ( 355 ∘ K ) were measured over an oceanic frontal cyclone, where vertical mixing and upper-ocean cooling were more intense due to instability development in δ V . Thus, correctly representing oceanic mesoscale eddy features in coupled numerical models is important to accurately reproduce oceanic responses to tropical cyclone forcing, as well as the contrasting thermodynamic forcing of the HBL that often causes storm intensity fluctuations over these warm oceanic regimes.
Research on System Defects and Responsibility of the Government about Rural Public Goods Supply

The effective rural public goods supply is an important way to resolve "Three Rural Issues" and build a new socialist countryside.The system defects and responsibility deficiencies of existing public goods supply not only reduce the life quality of the peasants,but also constraint the rural economic development.The government bears main responsibility on the rural public goods supply,thus it should play the leading role to fulfill the responsibility: maintain the urban and rural public goods supply;strengthen the urgent fields' public goods,and promote urban and rural coordinated development;diversify the supplying body and make a clear responsibility between the central and local governments;reform the traditional top-down decision-making mechanism to the democratic and scientific bottom-up mechanism and strengthen the legal protection mechanisms so that the supply of public goods in rural areas become institutionalize and legalize.
Effects of stream-adjacent logging in fishless headwaters on downstream coastal cutthroat trout

To investigate effects of headwater logging on downstream coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii) populations, we monitored stream habitat and biotic indicators including biomass, abundance, growth, movement, and survival over 8 years using a paired-watershed approach. Reference and logged catchments were located on private industrial forestland on ∼60-year harvest rotation. Five clearcuts (14% of the logged catchment area) were adjacent to fishless portions of the headwater streams, and contemporary regulations did not require riparian forest buffers in the treatment catchment. Logging did not have significant negative effects on downstream coastal cutthroat trout populations for the duration of the sample period. Indeed, the only statistically significant response of fish populations following logging in fishless headwaters was an increase in late-summer biomass (g·m−2) of age-1+ coastal cutthroat trout in tributaries. Ultimately, the ability to make broad generalizations concerning effec...
A concept for an Agile Mission Development Facility for CubeSat and suborbital missions

This paper introduces the Agile Mission Development Facility (AMDF), a concept for a new mission development platform at NASA Wallops that will develop a specific kind of Earth observing missions based on networks of small assets (CubeSats, UAVs and balloons) in a timeframe of weeks to months. To achieve this reduced development time, the AMDF will use a new catalog-based and platform-based approach to mission design that emphasizes commonality at the subsystem or assembly level and the use of COTS components when possible. This will necessarily constrain the range of performance achievable by these missions, since only a few alternatives will be available for each subsystem. Only missions whose objectives can be achieved through a combination of the available modules will be considered. In addition to providing a high-level description of the AMDF architecture, this paper describes the process by which this platform consisting of a few standard modules will be optimally designed to maximize the range of attainable performance while keeping short development times. Particular emphasis is put on the communications module that will enable cross-links between nanosatellites, UAVs, balloons, and ground assets. Importantly, the AMDF focuses on a different customer segment than other similar NASA facilities such as the IDC at GSFC or Team X at JPL. AMDF Missions are not meant to compete with larger NASA missions in terms of performance, operational risk or mission assurance, but rather they intend to be complementary. In particular, the very short development time and multi-asset character of these systems will enable a completely new class of missions that can effectively respond to a rapidly changing phenomenon of opportunity, such as a hurricane, a volcano or a geopolitical event of interest for which a larger mission would be inappropriate. Additionally, they can be used to accelerate technology infusion for future larger missions, as long as the new technology satisfies a certain set of interface requirements. The AMDF will maximize reuse of existing design, integration and testing software and hardware infrastructure at NASA Wallops as well as other NASA centers. All potentially relevant stakeholders, such as NASA Goddard, Headquarters, JPL, Ames, the Aerospace Corp., Applied Physics Lab, and universities with nanosatellite programs will be involved and considered in the AMDF development process. This paper focuses on the description of the design aspects of the AMDF, as this is where most of the novelty lies. Integration, testing, launching and operations are only briefly discussed. A description of the system architecture of the AMDF is given using model-based systems engineering tools (SysML). An example application mission to measure ecological changes in the Jefferson and Washington National Forests is also discussed to illustrate the new kinds of missions that this facility could enable.
Disability, Functioning, and Aging

Publisher Summary The risks of disability increase dramatically with age. The consequences associated with loss of functioning can be far-reaching for individuals, families, and communities in terms of both economic costs and quality of life. Research has advanced the understanding of the critical components of disability in later life, its varied progression at later ages, and population-level changes in disabilities that occur as a consequence of population aging. This chapter concerns the conceptual and empirical issues that intersect disability and aging. It reviews emerging definitions of disability and corresponding advances in measurement. It provides an overview of the demography of disability, including a review of research on disability trajectories. There has been interest in developing new measures of late-life disability that go beyond activity limitations and recent advances in conceptualizing disability have provided an important backdrop for expanded efforts in this area. The disability model is making its way into the gerontological literature is the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). There are a number of promising approaches to disability interventions in later life, including comprehensive geriatric assessments; risk reduction programs; volunteer programs for older adults; multi-factorial fall prevention programs; depression screening and treatment; physical activity and fitness programs; and prehabilitation programs.
Increased trabecular bone and improved biomechanics in an osteocalcin-null rat model created by CRISPR/Cas9 technology

Osteocalcin, also known as bone γ-carboxyglutamate protein (Bglap), is expressed by osteoblasts and is commonly used as a clinical marker of bone turnover. A mouse model of osteocalcin deficiency has implicated osteocalcin as a mediator of changes to the skeleton, endocrine system, reproductive organs and central nervous system. However, differences between mouse and human osteocalcin at both the genome and protein levels have challenged the validity of extrapolating findings from the osteocalcin-deficient mouse model to human disease. The rat osteocalcin (Bglap) gene locus shares greater synteny with that of humans. To further examine the role of osteocalcin in disease, we created a rat model with complete loss of osteocalcin using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Rat osteocalcin was modified by injection of CRISPR/Cas9 mRNA into the pronuclei of fertilized single cell Sprague-Dawley embryos, and animals were bred to homozygosity and compound heterozygosity for the mutant alleles. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), glucose tolerance testing (GTT), insulin tolerance testing (ITT), microcomputed tomography (µCT), and a three-point break biomechanical assay were performed on the excised femurs at 5 months of age. Complete loss of osteocalcin resulted in bones with significantly increased trabecular thickness, density and volume. Cortical bone volume and density were not increased in null animals. The bones had improved functional quality as evidenced by an increase in failure load during the biomechanical stress assay. Differences in glucose homeostasis were observed between groups, but there were no differences in body weight or composition. This rat model of complete loss of osteocalcin provides a platform for further understanding the role of osteocalcin in disease, and it is a novel model of increased bone formation with potential utility in osteoporosis and osteoarthritis research.
Live Lecture Broadcast System for Clinical Education

Background Our objectives were to assess medical student attitudes regarding a novel live lecture broadcast technology, audience response systems, and peer-assisted learning.
Resolving Electrode Morphology’s Impact on Platinum Group Metal-Free Cathode Performance Using Nano-CT of 3D Hierarchical Pore and Ionomer Distribution

This article reports on the characterization of polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) cathodes featuring a platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) catalyst using nanoscale resolution X-ray computed tomography (nano-CT) and morphological analysis. PGM-free PEFC cathodes have gained significant interest in the past decade since they have the potential to dramatically reduce PEFC costs by eliminating the large platinum (Pt) raw material cost. However, several challenges remain before they are commercially viable. Since these catalysts have lower volumetric activity, the PGM-free cathodes are thicker and subject to increased gas and proton transport resistances that reduce the performance. To better understand the efficacy of the catalyst and improve electrode performance, a detailed understanding the correlation between electrode fabrication, morphology, and performance is crucial. In this work, the pore/solid structure and the ionomer distribution was resolved in three dimensions (3D) using nano-CT for three PG...
From the Special Issue Editors

(2004). From the Special Issue Editors. Marketing Education Review: Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. vi-viii.
Ventricular Septal Defect Complicating ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarctions: A Call for Action

Abstract Background Ventricular septal defect is a lethal complication after an acute myocardial infarction, which has become infrequent with the advent of reperfusion strategies; however, it remains a major contributor to mortality. Methods We identified patients using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification procedure codes from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between the years 2001 and 2013. A multivariate hierarchical logistic regression model was used to identify significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. Results We identified 3,373,206 ST-elevation myocardial infarctions, out of which 10,012 (0.3%) were complicated with ventricular septal defects. Most of the patients (60%) were older than 65 years, male (55%), and white (63%). Inferior (49.7%) and anterior (41.1%) myocardial infarctions were more commonly implicated with the development of ventricular septal defects. The median (interquartile range) hospitalization length was 7 (3.0-13.5) days. Only 7.65% of patients underwent some intervention, with 7% surgical and 0.65% minimally invasive. Mechanical support devices were used in 36.5% of patients, with intra-aortic balloon pump (96%) being the most common. In-hospital mortality remained high at 30.5% (downward trending from 41.6% in 2001 to 23.3% in 2013). Age, cardiogenic shock, and in-hospital cardiac arrest were statistically significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. The utilization of corrective procedures significantly declined. The use of mechanical support devices and performing a corrective procedure were associated with higher mortality, length of stay, and cost. Conclusions Ventricular septal defects after acute myocardial infarctions remain associated with significantly high mortality rates. Highly specialized regional centers with individual expertise in the management of septal ruptures are required to improve outcomes of these patients.
Glutamine transport in submitochondrial particles

Glutamine transport was studied in submitochondrial particles (SMP) to avoid interference from glutamine metabolism. Phosphate-dependent glutaminase activity in SMP was only 0.04% of that in intact mitochondria. The uptake of glutamine in SMP represented both the transport into vesicles and membrane binding (about one-third of total uptake). Sulfhydryl reagents inhibited glutamine uptake in SMP. The uptake of L-[3H]glutamine increased more than twofold in SMP preloaded with 1 mM L-glutamine, an effect that was not seen with 1 mM D-glutamine. The uptake of L-[3H]glutamine was inhibited in the presence of either L-glutamine or L-alanine in the incubation medium. Other amino acids did not inhibit glutamine uptake. Alanine was also shown to trans-stimulate glutamine transport in SMP and cis-inhibit glutamine transport in both SMP and intact mitochondria. Glutamine transport showed a positive cooperativity effect with a Hill coefficient of 1.45. Metabolic acidosis increased the affinity of the transporter for glutamine without any change in other kinetic parameters. These data indicated that mitochondrial glutamine transport occurs via a specific carrier with multiple binding sites and that the transport of glutamine into mitochondria has an important role in increased ammoniagenesis during metabolic acidosis.
Influence of Salmonella status on the long‐term outcome of horses after colic surgery*

Objective To compare long-term outcome of Salmonella-positive versus Salmonella-negative horses discharged from hospital after colic surgery. Study design Retrospective case-control. Animals Horses discharged from the hospital after colic surgery. For each horse with positive culture for Salmonella enterica (SAL-POS, n = 59), at least 2 horses testing negative for S. enterica (SAL-NEG, n = 119) were enrolled. Methods Owners were interviewed via phone at least 12 months after surgery regarding: (1) complications after discharge from the hospital; (2) duration of survival; and (3) return to prior or intended use. Association between immediate postoperative clinical variables such as Salmonella status and long-term measures of outcome was tested via ratios (odds ratio [OR]) and 95% confidence intervals. Data were analyzed for survival using a Cox proportional hazards model and for return to use using multivariable logistic regression. Results SAL-POS horses had a higher OR of surgical site infection (2.7 [1.1-6.9] P = .027) and weight loss (6.8 [1.8-26.1] P = .002). At the time of follow-up, there were 53/56 (95%) SAL-POS and 99/118 (84%) SAL-NEG horses alive. The final multivariable model for nonsurvival included postoperative colic (hazard ratio 7.6 [2.8-19.2] P = .002) and the interaction between Salmonella status and duration of rectal temperature > 103°F postoperatively (SAL-POS 1.04 [1.01-1.07] and SAL-NEG 1.16 [1.06-1.25], P = .005). The majority of horses returned to their intended use regardless of their SAL-POS (38/50, 76%) or SAL-NEG (77/96, 80%, P = .498) status. Conclusion Salmonella-positive horses that survive to discharge from the hospital after colic surgery have similar risks of long-term complications (colic/diarrhea), survival, and return to function than Salmonella-negative horses.
Transient-state feasibility set approximation of power networks against disturbances of unknown amplitude

This paper develops methods to efficiently compute the set of disturbances on a power network that do not tip the frequency of each bus and the power flow in each transmission line beyond their respective bounds. For a linearized power network model, we propose a sampling method to provide superset and subset approximations with a desired accuracy of the set of feasible disturbances. We also introduce an error metric to measure the approximation gap and design an algorithm that is able to reduce its value without impacting the complexity of the resulting set approximations. Simulations on the IEEE 118-bus power network illustrate our results.
Series pneumatic artificial muscles (sPAMs) and application to a soft continuum robot

We describe a new series pneumatic artificial muscle (sPAM) and its application as an actuator for a soft continuum robot. The robot consists of three sPAMs arranged radially around a tubular pneumatic backbone. Analogous to tendons, the sPAMs exert a tension force on the robot's pneumatic backbone, causing bending that is approximately constant curvature. Unlike a traditional tendon driven continuum robot, the robot is entirely soft and contains no hard components, making it safer for human interaction. Models of both the sPAM and soft continuum robot kinematics are presented and experimentally verified. We found a mean position accuracy of 5.5 cm for predicting the end-effector position of a 42 cm long robot with the kinematic model. Finally, closed-loop control is demonstrated using an eye-in-hand visual servo control law which provides a simple interface for operation by a human. The soft continuum robot with closed-loop control was found to have a step-response rise time and settling time of less than two seconds.
Temperature-Dependent Partitioning of C152 in Binary Phosphatidylcholine Membranes and Mixed Phosphatidylcholine/Phosphatidylethanolamine Membranes

Time-resolved fluorescence and differential scanning calorimetry were used to determine the partitioning of coumarin 152 (C152) into large unilamellar vesicles composed of binary mixtures of two phosphatidylcholines (12:0/12:0 DLPC and 14:0/14:0 DMPC) and vesicles composed of binary mixtures of a phosphatidylcholine and a phosphatidylethanolamine (14:0/14:0 DMPC and 14:0/14:0 DMPE). Differential scanning calorimetry showed that both DLPC/DMPC and DMPC/DMPE are miscible in lipid vesicles. Time-resolved fluorescence indicated that C152 partitioning into DLPC/DMPC mixtures showed nearly ideal behavior that was described with weighted contributions from C152 partitioning into pure DLPC and pure DMPC vesicles. In contrast, C152 partitioning into DMPC/DMPE mixtures was distinctly nonideal. For DMPC/DMPE lipid vesicles having DMPC mole fractions between 10 and 80%, C152 partitioning into the bilayer was measurably enhanced near the melting temperature, relative to expectations based simply on weighted contributi...
Abstract 107: Mitochondrial Depolarization without Reactive Oxygen Species Production leads to Augmented Cerebral Vascular Relaxation via Diverse Calcium-related events in Smooth Muscle and Endothelium

Introduction: Mitochondrial depolarization and subsequent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) trigger vasodilation by diazoxide, a putative mitochondrial K ATP channel (mitoK ATP ) opener, via activation of ‘Ca 2+ -sparks’ (CS) and Ca 2+ -activated K + channels. It is unclear if mitochondrial depolarization, independent of ROS, promotes CS. In addition, the contribution to dilation of calcium events in endothelium following mitochondrial activation is unclear. Previously, we reported reduced vasodilation of cerebral arteries of insulin resistant (IR) Zucker obese (ZO) compared to lean (ZL) rats. Therefore, we examined the effect of BMS-191095 (BMS), a mitoK ATP opener that does not affect ROS generation, on cerebral arteries of Sprague-Dawley (SD) and ZL rats. In addition, we evaluated the impact of mitochondrial dysfunction due to IR in ZO rats. Methods: Fluorescence microscopy was used to measure the CS and global calcium (Fluo-4 AM), mitochondrial membrane potential (TMRE), ROS (mitoSOX), and nitric oxide (DAF) in segments of pressurized, cerebral arteries. Diameters were determined continuously with an automated system. Results: In SD arteries, BMS (50 umol/L) depolarized mitochondria without producing ROS. BMS also enhanced generation of CS (54±9 versus 117±18 sparks/min in response to vehicle and BMS respectively, p Conclusions: Mitochondrial depolarization induces Ca 2+ -sparks in VSM and increased global calcium in endothelium via ROS-independent mechanisms. Thus, mitochondria can be depolarized without an associated increase in ROS levels. In addition, mitochondrial dysfunction associated with IR impaired CS activity leading to reduced mitochondrial mediated vasodilation. Thus, even a relatively mild metabolic disease such as IR, is able to disrupt coupling between mitochondrial status and vascular tone.