cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimization in Cardiovascular Modeling

Fluid mechanics plays a key role in the development, progression, and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Advances in imaging methods and patient-specific modeling now reveal increasingly detailed information about blood flow patterns in health and disease. Building on these tools, there is now an opportunity to couple blood flow simulation with optimization algorithms to improve the design of surgeries and devices, incorporating more information about the flow physics in the design process to augment current medical knowledge. In doing so, a major challenge is the need for efficient optimization tools that are appropriate for unsteady fluid mechanics problems, particularly for the optimization of complex patient-specific models in the presence of uncertainty. This article reviews the state of the art in optimization tools for virtual surgery, device design, and model parameter identification in cardiovascular flow and mechanobiology applications. In particular, it reviews trade-offs between traditional ...
Mental saccades in control of cognitive process

This paper proposes a cognitive architecture that uses mental saccades to perform cognitive search in support of motivated behavior and learning. It is intended to control the behavior of robots in real environments and avatars that learn how to operate in virtual worlds. A mental saccade is a parallel concept to the visual saccade and yields a sequential cognitive search for the most likely solution to a problem. This model uses an attention switching mechanism that combines the effect of observations, internal motivations and abstract cognitive planning. Thus, a system that uses this model, will not only follow its internal motivations but will also take advantage of opportunities that present themselves in the environment. This model is intended for development of computational cognition, learning and intelligence in a machine.
Maximum likelihood blind channel estimation in the presence of Doppler shifts

Transmitter/receiver motion in mobile radio channels may cause frequency shifts in each received path due to Doppler effects. Most blind equalization methods, however, assume time-invariant channels and may not be applicable to fading channels with severe Doppler spread. We address the problem of simultaneously estimating the Doppler shift and channel parameters in a blind setup. Both deterministic and stochastic maximum likelihood methods are developed and iterative solutions proposed. The stochastic maximum likelihood solution is based on the modified version of the Baum-Welch (1970) algorithm, which originated in the study of hidden Markov models. The proposed methods are well suited for short data records appearing in TDMA systems. Identifiability and performance analysis issues are discussed, and Cramer-Rao bounds are derived. In addition, some illustrative simulations are presented.
Arthroscopic release of shoulder contracture secondary to birth palsy: an early report on findings and surgical technique.

Abstract Purpose: Internal rotation contractures are common in children with external rotation weakness secondary to brachial plexus birth palsy. Surgical release of the contracture, with or without latissimus dorsi transfer, is an established treatment through a variety of open methods. This article describes an arthroscopic method of contracture release in this patient population. Type of Study: New surgical technique. Methods: Forty-one children with contractures, ranging in age from 8 months to 12 years (mean, 3.5 years), underwent arthroscopic release of the shoulder with a 2.7-mm arthroscope used for visualization. The release consisted of a subscapularis tenotomy and release of the anterior capsular ligaments. Eighteen children underwent a subscapularis release as an isolated procedure. Twenty-three of the children also underwent latissimus dorsi transfer. Results: Arthroscopic release was successful in achieving at least 45° of passive external rotation at surgery in all but one case. This case was in the oldest child, a 12-year-old with severe deformity, who needed an open release. No other complications were noted. Glenohumeral deformity was common. The primary contracted elements were the subscapularis and the anterior capsular ligaments. Conclusions: Arthroscopic contracture release was effective in the restoration of passive external rotation in children with internal rotation contractures secondary to birth palsy.
Effect of long-term, high-copper intake on the concentrations of plasma homocysteine and B vitamins in young men

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effect of a long-term, high-copper intake on plasma total homocysteine, folate, vitamin B12, and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate concentrations in humans. METHODS: Nine healthy young men were confined in a metabolic research unit for 18 d and fed 3-d rotation diets supplying an average of 1.6 mg of copper per day followed by 129 d of free-living conditions when they received 7 mg of copper per day in addition to their usual diets. The subjects returned to the metabolic research unit for the second 18-d period and were given the same diets as during the first 18 d with the exception that the copper intake was 7.8 mg/d. There was no apparent biochemical indication that the subjects were deficient in copper before the large-dose copper intake. Blood samples were obtained at the end of the first and second 18-d periods at the metabolic research unit, and plasma concentrations of total homocysteine, folate, vitamin B12, and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate were measured. RESULTS: The long-term, high-copper intake resulted in small but significant decreases in plasma concentrations of total homocysteine and folate. There was no effect of the high-copper intake on plasma concentrations of vitamin B12 and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate. CONCLUSIONS: These findings can be explained by our previous observation in rats suggesting that methionine synthase is copper dependent and that the metabolism of homocysteine and folate is regulated in part by copper nutriture. It may be necessary to consider copper nutriture for the interpretation of plasma concentrations of total homocysteine in humans.
Making the System Work Training Pediatric Oncology Patients to Cope and Their Parents to Coach them during BMAILP Procedures

Three 4-to 7-year-old pediatric oncology patients were taught to engage in distraction prior to painful bone marrow asporations and limber puncture and to use party blowers as a breathing technique...
Incorporating Experiential Learning Techniques to Improve Self-Efficacy in Clinical Special Care Dentistry Education

The New York University College of Dentistry has introduced a clinical rotation for fourth-year dental students that focuses on treating people with special health care needs (PSN). The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that clinical experience in treating patients with special health care needs during predoctoral education is associated with increased self-assessed student ability and comfort and therefore self-efficacy. The study also investigated whether other characteristics, such as prior personal or volunteer experience with this population, service-mindedness, and/or the inclination to treat underserved populations, were associated with comfort in treating PSN. A survey was used to assess changes in students' perceived knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes regarding treating PSN before and after the clinical experience for July 2012-June 2013. The survey included questions about students' service-mindedness, comfort, perceptions of abilities of PSN and educational importance of learning to treat PSN, desire for clinical experience, and future intent or interest in treating PSN. Out of 364 students invited to participate, 127 surveys were returned, for a response rate of 34.9%. The results showed statistically significant increases on six items following training: impressions about the importance of oral health among PSN, comfort in treating people with cognitive disabilities and with medical complexities, intent to treat PSN in future practice, interest in including PSN in postgraduate training, and belief that PSN could be treated in the private practice setting. These students reported preferring to learn in the clinical setting over didactic instruction. This clinical experience was associated with improved self-efficacy in treating PSN and increased intentions to treat this population in future practice. Improvements were particularly evident among those with the least prior experience with PSN and were independent of other aspects of the students' past experience, future goals, or personality characteristics.
Coactivation of resistance vessels and muscle fibers with acetylcholine release from motor nerves

Acetylcholine (ACh) released at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) triggers muscle fiber contraction. We tested whether this source of ACh also triggers vasodilation. Arterioles [diameter: 4th order ...
Causing Constitutional Harm

The conventional wisdom on harmless-error doctrine is that there are two different and irreconcilable approaches, reflected in two coexisting lines of Supreme Court cases. Much of the scholarship on harmless error focuses on the difference in these two approaches - whether one looks at the strength of the overall evidence against the defendant, absent the error (the guilt-based approach), or on the likely impact of the error itself on the jury (the error-based approach). But this debate obscures the shared normative ideal at the heart of harmless-error doctrine. I argue that by using tort law, these two approaches can be reconciled in a way that increases the accuracy of harmless-error analysis overall. This Article proposes reconceptualizing harmless-error analysis as a determination of causation in a constitutional tort claim, and using this reconception to provide a way out of the doctrinal morass. By turning to tort-law doctrine, I grapple with the question: what does it mean for an error to cause a conviction? Indeed, different conceptions of factual causation appear to account for many of the differences in harmless-error outcomes in the federal courts. The Article presents an empirical analysis of harmless-error determinations from the past decade, revealing that 93% of cases using a guilt-based or but for approach found that the error was harmless, as opposed to 47% of cases that used an error-based approach, the equivalent of the substantial factor test for factual causation. With either approach, judicial assumptions about the effects of different kinds of evidence on jurors are often remarkably at odds with research on jury behavior. I argue that a hybrid approach to harmless-error analysis can better serve the normative ideal of determining factual causation at criminal trials, and avoid appellate fact-finding that violates the Sixth Amendment. In order to make accurate causal determinations, though, we must make better use of empirical research on how various kinds of errors impact jurors, as well as specific evidence of influence on the jury.
Chapter 108 – Methyl Iodide

Publisher Summary This chapter considers the properties, registration/health issues, efficacy, and soil fate and transport of methyl iodide. As a preplant soil fumigant, MeI can be used alone or in combination with chloropicrin to control plant pathogens, nematodes, insects, and weeds on crops such as strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, ornamentals, turf, trees, and vines. It is a clear, colorless liquid with an acrid odor and is a highly toxic chemical with the potential to cause serious health effects. MeI would appear less hazardous than both bleach and ozone. Nevertheless, it is important that MeI fumigation practice be managed in such a way as to limit its potential risk to humans, particularly agricultural workers and nearby populations. Potential human health effects would be associated primarily with inhalation, which may irritate the respiratory tract and overexposure may produce symptoms of vertigo, delirium, and mental disturbances. Other symptoms may include slurred speech, drowsiness, coughing, nausea, and vomiting. Higher exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs, which can cause death. While offering the environmental advantage of not being reactive with stratospheric ozone, existing research suggests that MeI is comparable to, and often more efficacious than, MeBr to a wide range of weed, nematode, and microbial pathogens. Coupled with its relatively long half-life, the potential exists for high emissions over more extended periods than might be expected for fumigants with shorter half-lives. A number of serious potential human health risks associated with its use have been identified and form the basis of opposition to the widespread use of MeI within the United States.
Auditory interneurons in the cricketTeleogryllus oceanicus: Physiological and anatomical properties

1. The morphology and physiology of two acoustic interneurons in the prothoracic ganglion have been studied by the use of extracellular microelectrodes filled with cobalt chloride. 2. Interneuron 1 is inhibited by 5 kHz tones (Fig. 1) and does not reliably code the temporal pattern of the calling song (Fig. 2). It is unique in each half of the prothoracic ganglion, sends dendrites unilaterally into the acoustic neuropile, and sends its axon to the brain (Figs. 3, 4). 3. Interneuron 2 is excited tonically by 5 kHz tones (Figs. 5, 6) and accurately codes the temporal structure of song (Fig. 7). One pair of these neurons is present in the prothoracic ganglion. Each interneuron 2 projects to both left and right acoustic neuropiles, but has no process leaving the ganglion (Figs. 8, 9); it is an intra-ganglionic interneuron. 4. The reliability of the relatively new extracellular cobalt staining procedure is discussed.
The Phytophagous Insect Fauna of Russian Thistle (Salsola kali var. tenuifolia) in Southern California

A diverse assemblage of phytophagous insects representing; 6 orders, 25 families, and 91 species was collected from Russian thistle (Chenopodiaceae: Salsola kali L. var. tennifolia Tausch) in southern California during 1965 and 1966. This survey identified the major components of the insect fauna of this widespread alien weed prior to undertaking foreign exploration for insect enemies to introduce into California as biological weed control agents. Russian thistle was frequented mainly by polyphagous species, all ectophagous forms, none of which appreciably damaged their adopted alien host.
Clinical observations on the use of the anti-diabetic substance

Conclusion1. Potent preparations of the internal secretion of the pancreas can be made by aqueous acid extraction and perfusion.2. These preparations were made non-toxic and non-irritant for hypodermatic and intravenous administration.3. The hyperglycemia can be markedly reduced and the glycosuria and acetonuria can be made to disappear by means of these preparations.4. The clinical condition of patients can be markedly improved, e. g., the thirst and polyuria diminished, edema removed, weight gained and mental sluggishness caused to disappear.5. The carbohydrate tolerance is increased commensurate with the amounts of extracts employed.6. Dessicated pancreatic extracts taken in capsule form by stomach have thus far not proved to be effective in reducing blood or urinary sugar.7. Patients in complete coma can be brought back to a rational condition, their acidosis controlled and the non-protein nitrogen and creatinine lowered to a normal level.8. Thus far no definite evidence has been obtained to show that...
The Growth of English Agricultural Productivity in the Seventeenth Century

This paper undertakes an examination, in the light of economic theory, of the growth of English agricultural productivity before and after the Civil War. The hypothesis is simply that the mid-seventeenth century witnessed an inflection point in the growth of agricultural productivity, specifically, a significantly more rapid growth after 1650 than before.
The Emerging Role of Elastography in Cancer Diagnostic Value in Detecting and Assessing Therapeutic Response to Treatment

Real-time elastography is an emerging sonographic imaging technique that provides a noninvasive method of evaluating biomechanical properties of a lesion: specifically, the elasticity, or stiffness...
Treatment of Renal Failure of Children by Hemodialysis

In this paper,5 childern with acute renal failure (ARF,n=2) and chronic renal failure (CRF,n=3) were treated by hemodialysis for altogether 230 times.The results were as follows:One case of aggravating nephritis with ARF was cured by hemodialysis (only twice) combined with other therapy.One case of nephropathy syndrome with ARF died of multiple organs failure after hemodialysis for 16 times.Hemodialytic times of two cases of nephritis and one case of infantile nephropathy with CRF were 103 times,90 times and 19 times respectively,two cases of hemodialysis were planned to kidney transplantation,and three cases of CRF with anemia were treated by erythropoietin.Finally,the feature and cardiovascular complication of hemodialysis were discussed in children cases.
Adiponectin downregulation is associated with volume overload-induced myocyte dysfunction in rats.

Adiponectin has been reported to exert protective effects during pathological ventricular remodeling, but the role of adiponectin in volume overload-induced heart failure remains unclear. In this study we investigated the effect of adiponectin on cardiac myocyte contractile dysfunction following volume overload in rats. Volume overload was surgically induced in rats by infrarenal aorta-vena cava fistula. The rats were intravenously administered adenoviral adiponectin at 2-, 6- and 9-weeks following fistula. The protein expression of adiponectin, adiponectin receptors (AdipoR1/R2 and T-cadherin) and AMPK activity were measured using Western blot analyses. Isolated ventricular myocytes were prepared at 12 weeks post-fistula to examine the contractile performance of myocytes and intracellular Ca2+ transient. A-V fistula resulted in significant reductions in serum and myocardial adiponectin levels, myocardial adiponectin receptor (AdipoR1/R2 and T-cadherin) levels, as well as myocardial AMPK activity. Consistent with these changes, the isolated myocytes exhibited significant depression in cell shortening and intracellular Ca2+ transient. Administration of adenoviral adiponectin significantly increased serum adiponectin levels and prevented myocyte contractile dysfunction in fistula rats. Furthermore, pretreatment of isolated myocytes with recombinant adiponectin (2.5 μg/mL) significantly improved their contractile performance in fistula rats, but had no effects in control or adenoviral adiponectin-administered rats. These results demonstrate a positive correlation between adiponectin downregulation and volume overload-induced ventricular remodeling. Adiponectin plays a protective role in volume overload-induced heart failure.
The Future of Books Related to the Law

able. Still, the general form of the book has remained much the same. But the arrival of e-readers, such as the Kindle 2 and the Sony eBook, offers the possibility of a major change.1 First, people may shift to reading existing books on those e-readers.2 Second, the shift may lead them to change the way they use books, for instance by letting people have many reference works at their fingertips.3 Third, the shift may change the content of books.4 And, fourth, the shift may change who publishes books, and sometimes which books are published.5 Home computers and laptop computers have caused all these effects, to a considerable degree, with other media. We see this, for instance, with newspapers, magazines, and new publications such as blogs that are in some ways the electronic descendants of magazines and newspapers.6 But ereaders, with their greater portability and readability, may yield similar results for books and not just shorter-text media. In this Foreword, I'll try to briefly sketch how these changes might play out as to books related to the law: textbooks, scholarly books, legal books aimed at laypeople, treatises, other practitioner reference books, and law student study tools. I'll also talk about what changes to the technology, and to the structure of the legal-book market, may be needed to capture the technology's possible benefits.7 The effects of the technological change will likely be varied. The shift from horses to cars, for instance, both allowed long-distance commuting and
Two-point discriminability: relation to properties of the somatosensory system.

The ability to resolve two closely spaced cutaneous stimuli presumably depends upon the degree of overlap between the two populations of responding neurons. The degree of overlap is determined by r...
The Role of Consumer Product Warranties and Other Extrinsic Cues in Reducing Perceived Risk

Recent attempts to demonstrate consumer product warranties reduce perceived risk have yielded mix results. The present paper extends previous research by investigating the effectiveness of warranties and other selected extrinsic cues as reducers of perceived performance and financial risk. The results indicated that a full warranty and favorable store image did reduce these components of risk but price and private test certification did not.
Histogenesis in Three-Dimensional Scaffolds

The need for replacement tissues and organs is influencing tissue engineers to develop materials and strategies capable of generating biologically functional substitutes. Researchers seek to develop a scaffold material that can support viability of the appropriate cell type while acting as a temporary substitute for the extracellular matrix. Over time this surrogate matrix will ideally be replaced by functional replacement tissue. A variety of cell types are investigated for regeneration applications including differentiated cells, adult-derived stem cells, and embryonic stem cells. There are three types of mature cells: autologous, allogeneic, and xenogeniec. Allogeneic cells are harvested from healthy adult donor organs and then expanded in vitro . Scaffolds with allogeneic cells are subject to immune rejection but these cells are successful in skin regeneration for burn patients. Autologous cells biopsied from a patient, expanded in vitro , and then seeded onto a tissue scaffold prior to re-implantation into the same individual are generally viewed as the ideal replacement in terms of compatibility. In most types of synthetic materials, successful histogenesis requires a porous microstructure. Scaffold porosity, pore size, and the overall pore structure all have important effects upon tissue formation and infiltration into biomaterial constructs. Interconnecting pores facilitate the loading of cells into scaffold materials while the increased internal surface area provides sites for attachment and spreading.
P127 RNAi screening to identify genes essential for myofibroblast activation.

Fibroblasts play key roles in wound healing and pathologic fibrosis. Expression of a myofibroblast phenotype, distinguished by alpha-smooth muscle actin positive stress fibers, increases contractile function and tissue remodeling capabilities of fibroblasts. While TGF-beta is the dominant driver of myofibroblast activation, pharmacologic targeting of TGF-beta remains …
Cryosurgery, an alternative treatment option for organ-confined prostate cancer: current beliefs and practice patterns of urologists

Purpose We aim to evaluate the current beliefs and practice patterns of urologists in regard to use of cryosurgery for management of PCa.
Bridging the “Digital Divide”

(2001). Bridging the “Digital Divide”. Problems of Post-Communism: Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 65-65.
Novel Screen Printed Flexible Magnetoelectric Thin Film Sensor

Abstract A novel screen printed and flexible magnetoelectric (ME) thin film sensor was developed for the detection of AC magnetic fields, at room temperature. The ME sensor was fabricated by screen printing piezoelectric based polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ink on flexible and magnetic Metglas ® substrate. Silver (Ag), as top electrode, was then deposited on the printed PVDF layer using bar coating technique. The performance of the fabricated device was investigated by measuring the induced voltage response towards varying AC magnetic fields and frequencies. An electromechanical resonance of 50 kHz, with a maximum voltage of 21.1 mV, was obtained for the induced voltage-frequency dependence measurements. A linear relationship with a sensitivity of 503.3 V/T and correlation coefficient of 0.9994 was also obtained towards varying AC magnetic fields.
Coastal Erosion and the United States National Flood Insurance Program

Abstract Coastal erosion and its impact on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as well as the economic viability and environmental integrity of coastal communities is a major concern of the United States. Homes along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts face a risk from erosion that is comparable to that of coastal flooding. However, the NFIP does not currently map erosion hazard areas and therefore is unable to inform homeowners of the risk to their property. Hence, insurance rates do not reflect the magnitude of the erosion risk. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that is in charge of the National Flood Insurance Program should develop erosion hazard maps and make them widely available to the public, but the U. S. Congress has not mandated such an action because the political will is lacking. Coastal realtors are not in favor of such erosion maps because they would have to be revealed to prospective property buyers. The U. S. Congress should require FEMA to include the cost of expected erosion losses when setting flood insurance rates along the coast. Beachfront property owners are opposed to such an action as they have not been paying insurance rates that reflect the combined hazards of coastal floods and erosion. The National Flood Insurance Program continues to experience large deficits in the billions of dollars, which must be borne by the taxpayers—this amounts to a subsidy for coastal homeowners as the program has not been actuarially sound.
School Psychological Consultation in the Eighties. Relevance for the Delivery of Special Services

The consultative role of the school psychologist will be affected by the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, Public Law 94–142. If school psychologists implement the law by increasing time ...
Hospital Volume and the Costs Associated with Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer

Data evaluating the financial implications of volume-based referral are lacking. This study sought to compare in-hospital costs for pancreatic surgery by annual hospital volume. Eleven thousand and eighty-one patients aged ≥18 years undergoing an elective pancreatic resection for cancer were identified using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2002–2011. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to compare length-of-stay (LOS), postoperative morbidity and mortality, failure-to-rescue (FTR), and inpatient costs by annual hospital volume group. Patients undergoing surgery at high-volume hospitals (HVH) demonstrated 23% lower odds (odds ratio [OR] = 0.77, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 0.63–0.95) of developing a postoperative complication, 59% lower odds of experiencing an LOS > 14 days (OR = 0.41, 95%CI 0.34–0.50), 51% lower odds of postoperative mortality (OR = 0.49, 95%CI 0.34–0.71), and 47% lower odds of FTR (OR = 0.53, 95%CI 0.37–0.76; all p<0.05). The overall mean in-hospital cost was $39,012 (SD = $15,214) with minimal differences observed across hospital volume groups. Rather, postoperative complications (no complication vs. complication $26,686 [SD = $5762] vs. $44,633 [SD = $11,637]) and FTR (rescue vs. FTR $42,413 [SD = $8481] vs. $69,546 [SD = $13,131]) were determinant of higher in-hospital costs. While this pattern was observed at all hospital volume groups, costs varied minimally between hospital volume groups after this stratification. Annual hospital surgical volume was not associated with in-hospital costs among patients undergoing pancreatic surgery.
Fixed Ratio Avoidance Under Two Training Procedures

For 6 subjects the response requirement of a discriminated avoidance schedule increased after a given number of successive avoidances and decreased after a given number of failures to avoid. For 6 other subjects the response requirement increased after a given number of successive avoidances but could not decrease. Both procedures resulted in consistent responding in the presence of the warning signal. When the criterion for changing the response requirement was increased, percentage avoidance increased and the maximum response requirement attained decreased.
Curvature and the Variation Formula

This chapter is a direct continuation of Chapter IX, but in a new context, the variation formula. Given a family of curve {α t }, their lengths L(α t ) defines a function, and we are interested in the singular points of this function on the space of curves especially the relative minima and the second derivative test. We do not formalize the infinite dimensional space of curves but work simply with families. We shall see that the Riemann tensor plays an essential role in the expression for the second derivative, which allows us to go futher than we did in Chapter IX, and especially in proving the converse of Theorem 3.6, for which we have to deal with positive curvature. The variation formula will allow us to estimate growths of Jacobi lifts more generally than in Chapter IX.
Echoes of Slavery II: How Slavery's Legacy Distorts Democracy

We continue to pay a heavy price for our history in slavery. It is no exaggeration to say that the legacies of slavery determined the outcome of the most recent presidential election. Donald Trump lost the popular vote by 2.8 million votes. As a matter of democracy, and according to the will of the voters, he lost the election. Yet as a matter of constitutional law and state electoral-vote allocations, Trump received a substantial majority of the votes in the electoral college and won the presidency. In addition, millions of otherwise eligible voters were denied the right to vote through calculated voter suppression efforts and felon disenfranchisement. For a few days after the election, there was a brief flicker of interest in the electoral college and its origins in slavery. Now, several months since the election, this interest has waned and there is little reckoning with the reason why we have such undemocratic elections. Donald Trump won the presidency because of two artifacts of slavery: the electoral college and our post-Reconstruction legacy of state voter suppression and disenfranchisement efforts. The electoral college was created in the Constitution to protect the interests of slave owners. And current voter suppression efforts are a direct legacy of white efforts to prevent blacks from voting after the 15th Amendment prohibited race discrimination in voting. Our failure to know and appreciate the depth of the legacies of slavery leaves us entirely unprepared to understand why presidential elections come out the way they do. In addition, the lack of historical perspective leads us to accept that certain aspects of elections, like state control over voting qualifications and felon disenfranchisement, are somehow neutral and benign doctrines. State voter-suppression efforts enjoy a surface plausibility they do not deserve. This essay describes the principal legacies of slavery in our electoral law and their major effects on the most recent presidential election. First I discuss why the Constitution itself is properly considered a proslavery document. One of the proslavery features of the Constitution is the electoral college, enacted as a way to protect the interests of slave owners. Next I discuss two aspects of state control over voter qualifications that had a major restrictive impact on the electorate: ostensibly neutral efforts like voter ID laws and felon disenfranchisement laws.
Some Results on Almost Ricci Solitons and Geodesic Vector Fields.

We show that a compact almost Ricci soliton whose soliton vector field is divergence-free is Einstein and its soliton vector field is Killing. Next we show that an almost Ricci soliton reduces to Ricci soliton if and only if the associated vector field is geodesic. Finally, we prove that a contact metric manifold is K-contact if and only if its Reeb vector field is geodesic.
Demonstrating communications and control systems for smart irrigation

This paper demonstrates functionalities of a smart irrigation system using low-cost communications and control systems. In the proposed system, field information is collected by various sensors and is consequently exchanged, using Zigbee and the GSM (Global System for Mobile) communication, between the microcontroller, the farmers and a remote server. The centralized microcontroller uses the sensing information to make the decisions about the irrigation time and duration while taken into account the availability of the water. A designed interface should allow the users to interact with the smart system using a mobile application, an SMS (Short Message Service) or a web browser. The proposed system, envisioned to be implemented in selected rural farms, aims to achieve water efficiency and distribution fairness among farms. The filed data is expected to be used for further analysis/prediction in order to improve the agricultural efficiency.
One-Pot Synthesis of Polycyclic Spirooxindoles via Montmorillonite K10-Catalyzed C–H Functionalization of Cyclic Amines

A method for pot and atom economic synthesis of polycyclic spirooxindoles through α-C–H functionalization of cyclic amines has been developed. This highly efficient three-component [3+2] cycloaddition reaction was catalyzed by recyclable montmorillonite K10 and only water was produced as a byproduct.
On the Endomorphism Algebras of Gelfand-Graev Representations

The Gelfand-Graev representations of a finite reductive group G F are multiplicity free representations, each of which contains a large share of the irreducible representations of G F .The G F -endomorphism algebra of a Gelfand-Graev representation γ is a commutative algebra, whose irreducible representations correspond to the irreducible components of γ. This note contains announcements of some results on the connection between the irreducible representations of these endomorphism algebras and the virtual representations R T,θ of Deligne and Lusztig.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF SOLAR TECHNOLOGY IN THE NATIONAL ENERGY PLAN

ABSTRACT In this paper global and national energy supply and demand situation are briefly reviewed. Developments leading to the evolution of a national energy policy are discussed. The role of solar energy technology and its emphasis in the National Energy Plan are presented, and the implications of proposed policies related to solar technology are summarized.
Parallelization of IBD computation for determining genetic disease maps: Research Articles

A number of software packages are available for the construction of comprehensive human genetic maps. In this paper we parallelize the widely used package Genehunter. We restrict our attention to only one function of the package, namely the computations of Identity By Descent (IBD) genes of a family. We use a master–slave model with the Message Passing Interface parallel environment. Our tests are done on two different architectures: a network of workstations and a shared memory multiprocessor. A new and efficient strategy to classify the parallelization of genetic linkage analysis programs results from our experiments. The classification is based on values of parameters which affect the complexity of the computation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preservation of the Pylorus During Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Chronic Pancreatitis

This chapter analyzes the indications for removal of the head of the pancreas in patients with symptomatic, chronic pancreatitis. Several methods can be utilized to remove the pancreatic head, including pancreaticoduodenectomy with hemigastrec-tomy [1], pancreaticoduodenectomy with preservation of the pylorus [2], and excision of the pancreatic head with duodenal preservation [3]. An additional goal of this report is to examine the most current results of the author’s preferred method to excise the pancreatic head in patients with chronic pain of chronic pancreatitis, i. e., pancreaticoduodenectomy with pylorus preservation (PDPP).
CO2 savings due to electronically controlled fuel pumps in fuel delivery modules

ABSTRACT Since the start of the CO2 reduction discussions, the internal combustion engines and all necessary subsystems to run the engine are directly affected. Moreover the new proposed targets for the CO2 emissions of new registered vehicles in 2020 are very challenging. This paper is describing Delphi's next generation of fuel delivery modules, entering production in 2013. Such a module is equipped with a brushless electronically controlled fuel pump (EC-pump) and a controller integrated in the cover in order to minimize the power losses. Thanks to the brushless technology it is possible to reduce the CO2 emissions between 1 to 3 grams/km, depending on the flow/pressure requirement for the engine.
Cerebral palsy: Nutritional Aspects

This article focuses on cerebral palsy (CP) and its nutritional implications. Nutritional assessment of children with CP includes discussion on growth, body composition, energy, and protein, fluid, and nutrient needs. Feeding and swallowing problems and the influence of muscle tone on the ability to eat safely are discussed, as are alternative feeding routes. The interdisciplinary approach is emphasized throughout as the ideal service delivery model.
Technicalizing non-technical participatory social impact assessment of prospective cellulosic biorefineries: Psychometric quantification and implications

Abstract Participatory social impact assessments (PSIAs) are most accurate reflections of social impacts. But, effective integration of PSIAs into Environmental Impact Assessments, decision-making and project implementation present drawbacks. Because of its qualitative content, PSIAs outcomes are termed non-technical—allegedly defying reliable and valid quantification, and consequently impeding determination of impact rankings that inform social investment priorities given limited mitigation and enhancement resources. The participatory fora typically used in PSIAs leads to inadequate representation and outcomes that reflect mostly the perspectives of those who can afford to attend. Social impact assessments are also criticized for lacking reliability. We present a mix methods approach for reliable and representative quantification of PSIAs of cellulosic biorefineries. We conducted 35 structured stakeholder deliberative fora. Four main impact dimensions, each with positive and negative sub-dimensions, emerged from those fora: economic, technical, environmental, and socio-cultural and political impacts. We used these results to develop eight psychometric scales used to quantitatively appraise PSIAs of proposed biorefineries. We compared impacts among social groups differentiated by: un/familiarity with other forms of bioenergy operations and industrial activity, and in/activity in the labor force. No nonresponse biases were detected. All PSIA instruments were highly reliable; Cronbach α ranged from 0.73 to 0.93. There were significant differences in impacts based on stated differentiating criteria, the most distinguishing of which were positive economic, and negative socio-political and cultural, impacts. We found evidence of the operation of the familiarity heuristic. We show that PSIAs of cellulosic biorfineries can be reliably quantified while ensuring representation, comparisons and determination of priorities to facilitate decision making. Hence, unreliable quantification may no longer deter effective use of PSIAs in cellulosic biorefinery establishment and operation. We discuss the implications of our findings for the sitting of biorefineries, impact mitigation and enhancement, and for PSIAs of other forms of energy.
Abstract WP114: Basilar Artery Dolichoectasia is Associated With Lacunar Stroke and With Neuroimaging Markers of Small Vessel Disease

Introduction: Among patients with ischemic stroke, 3-17% are found to have at least one intracranial dolichoectatic artery. Atherosclerosis was previously thought to most commonly underlie abnormal...
Association of age, sex, and pyrethroid resistance status on survival and cytochrome P450 gene expression in Aedes aegypti (L.)

Aedes aegypti is a vector of viruses that negatively impact human health. Insecticide resistance complicates mosquito control efforts, but understanding the mechanisms of resistance can help to improve management practices. This study examined different factors that could influence the interpretation of toxicity bioassays and gene expression studies in A. aegypti, including sex and age, in the context of resistance to pyrethroids. Bioassays using a pyrethroid-resistant strain, Puerto Rico (PR), and a pyrethroid-susceptible strain, Rockefeller (Rock), of A. aegypti were conducted with females and males of three age groups to determine differences in mortality induced by deltamethrin. Overall, strain was the only factor with a significant effect on the LD50. Enzyme assays showed that cytochrome P450 monooxygenase activity in PR was constitutively higher than in Rock, and that pretreatment with the cytochrome P450 inhibitor piperonyl butoxide (PBO) followed by a topical application of deltamethrin (LD25) significantly increased mortality in both strains. Evaluation of the expression levels of seven CYP9J genes previously reported to be involved in pyrethroid resistance revealed that CYP9J10, CYP9J19, and CYP9J28 were more highly expressed in PR than in Rock at all ages of females and males, indicating that they may be essential for resistance. The expression of CYP9J24, CYP9J26, CYP9J27, and CYP9J32 was higher in PR males compared to other groups, including PR females. Significant differences in expression between sexes and strains were also observed as a result of age.
Visual Attention: The Multiple Ways in which History Shapes Selection.

Summary The identity of the next thing you will attend to is under the control of several factors. One of these is your prior attentional history. New research shows that this ‘selection history’ comes in more than one distinct form.
Challenges For Middle-Income Elders In An Aging Society

The United States is becoming an “aging society,” in which the number of people older than age sixty exceeds the number of those younger than age fifteen. This transformation has major implications...
Abstract 4469: Clinical outcomes among patients treated with abiraterone acetate for advanced prostate cancer with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions

Background: Advanced prostate cancer patients with pre-existing cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are often excluded from clinical trials of abiraterone acetate (AA). Therefore, the clinical outcomes of these patients are uncertain. This study was undertaken to examine their outcomes - changes in the rate of hospitalization and short-term mortality after AA initiation by pre-existing CVD conditions. Methods: This population-based study identified PCa patients from the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result (SEER)-Medicare files diagnosed between 1/1/1991 and 12/31/2013 and treated with AA in 2011-2014. The primary endpoints were 6-month overall mortality and changes in hospitalization rates following AA initiation. Major pre-existing conditions are listed in the Table 1. The changes in hospitalization rate were measured by the incidence rate ratios (IRR), post treatment rate divided by pre-treatment rate. Results: Among 2,845 patients treated with AA (median age 75 years), 1,924 (67.6%) of these patients had at least one pre-existing CVD condition. Compared to pre-treatment period, the hospitalization incidence post-AA increased by 58% to 88%. The crude risk of 6-month overall mortality was between 21.4% to 25.6%. Conclusion: All patients experienced significant increase in hospitalization after initiation of AA. Our study highlights the importance of carefully monitoring patients after prescribing AA. Citation Format: Grace Lu-Yao, Nikita Nikita, Scott Keith, Krupa Gandhi, Timothy R. Rebbeck, Jennifer Cullen, Ginah Nightingale, Mark Mann, Andrew Chapman. Clinical outcomes among patients treated with abiraterone acetate for advanced prostate cancer with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4469.
Genetic intolerance analysis as a tool for protein science.

Abstract Recent advances in whole genome and exome sequencing have dramatically increased the database of human gene variations. There are now enough sequenced human exomes and genomes to begin to identify gene variations that are notable because they are NOT observed in sequenced human genomes, apparently because they are subject to “purifying selection”, exemplifying genetic intolerance. Such “dysprocreative” gene variations are embryonic lethal or prevent reproduction through any one of a number of possible mechanisms. Here we review an emerging quantitative approach, “Missense Tolerance Ratio” (MTR) analysis, that is used to assess protein-encoding gene (cDNA) sequence intolerance to missense mutations based on analysis of the >100 K and growing number of currently available human genome and exome sequences. This approach is already useful for analyzing intolerance to mutations in cDNA segments with a resolution on the order of 90 bases. Moreover, as the number of sequenced genomes/exomes increases by orders of magnitude it may eventually be possible to assess mutational tolerance in a statistically robust manner at or near single site resolution. Here we focus on how cDNA intolerance analysis complements other bioinformatic methods to illuminate structure-folding-function relationships for the encoded proteins. A set of disease-linked membrane proteins is employed to provide examples.
The Dark Side of Nuclear Energy: Risks of Proliferation from Domestic Fuel Cycle Technologies

It has been almost three-quarters of a century since scientists developed ways to split atoms, releasing tremendous amounts of energy that were first used for weapons and then harnessed for more productive purposes in society. Most uses of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes pose few risks beyond those of safety and security of using radioactive material but the use of nuclear energy to generate electricity will always pose risks of diversion to nuclear weapons. Countries that seek to develop their own fuel cycle capabilities especially pose a higher risk for nuclear proliferation and efforts to restrict fuel cycle technologies – uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing – rely on agreement among suppliers. Although the agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear program is historic in its restriction of fuel cycle activities and material stockpiling, it is unlikely to be a model going forward. Additional challenges may arise if fast reactors are commercialized successfully and countries moving toward plutonium economies. This chapter will demonstrate how trends in the supply of and demand for nuclear energy and fuel cycle capabilities will shape future risks of nuclear proliferation.