cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of fluid compressibility on the dynamic response of hydrostatic journal bearings

Abstract A theoretical analysis for the dynamic performance characteristics of laminar flow, capillary and/or orifice compensated hydrostatic journal bearings is presented. The analysis considers in detail the effect of fluid compressibility in the bearing recesses. At high frequency excitations beyond a break frequency the bearing hydrostatic stiffness increases sharply and is accompanied by a rapid decrease in direct damping. Also, the potential of pneumatic hammer instability (negative damping) at low frequencies is likely to occur in hydrostatic bearing applications handling highly compressible fluids. Useful design criteria for avoiding undesirable dynamic operating conditions at low and high frequencies are determined. The effect of fluid recess compressibility is brought into perspective, and found to be of utmost importance to the entire frequency spectrum response and stability characteristics of hydrostatic and hybrid journal bearings.
Why are young college women not using condoms? Their perceived risk, drug use, and developmental vulnerability may provide important clues to sexual risk.

Background. Young multiethnic college women (YMCW) are at risk for STDs and HIV secondary to high-risk sexual behaviors that are related to developmental issues such as invincibility, low perceived risk, and substance use. Method. One hundred YMCW on a southern California university campus completed surveys that examined variables that impacted their sexual risk. Results. The study yielded many significantly correlated variables. Women with low perceived risk, lower use of drugs and alcohol, and who had parental involvement had lower sexual behavior risk. Women that were sexually assertive, had intentions to use condoms, and did not use substances used condoms more often. Older students in advanced grades who had steady partners used substances less and had decreased sexual risk, however, they experienced partner resistance to condoms, which canceled out any reduced risk. In a multiple regression analysis, condom use intention and substance use predicted condom use, perceived risk and substance use predicted sexual behavior risk. White women had significantly higher substance use, perceived sexual risk, and sexual behavior risk than did Latinas and African Americans. Conclusions. Despite their assertiveness and intentions, many participants had multiple sexual partners, and 64% of the YMCW were inconsistent condom users. Despite knowing the elevated risks, 52% used drugs and alcohol during sex. Negative attitudes (61%) about condoms were also demonstrated as a key factor in the lack of condom use.
VRPN: a device-independent, network-transparent VR peripheral system

The Virtual-Reality Peripheral Network (VRPN) system provides a device-independent and network-transparent interface to virtual-reality peripherals. VRPN's application of factoring by function and of layering in the context of devices produces an interface that is novel and powerful. VRPN also integrates a wide range of known advanced techniques into a publicly-available system. These techniques benefit both direct VRPN users and those who implement other applications that make use of VR peripherals.
Abnormal pitch mismatch negativity in individuals with schizotypal personality disorder

Abstract Background The goal of the study was to examine mismatch negativity (MMN) in schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) individuals. Abnormal MMN has been a consistent finding in chronic schizophrenia and there also have been reports of reduced duration MMN in first episode schizophrenia patients [Umbricht, D., Krljes, S., Mismatch negativity in schizophrenia: a meta-analysis. Schizophrenia Research (2005); 76(1):1–23], with some studies finding no pitch MMN amplitude differences [Salisbury, D.F., Shenton, M.E., Griggs, C.B., Bonner-Jackson, A., McCarley, R.W., Mismatch negativity n chronic schizophrenia and first-episode schizophrenia. Archives of General Psychiatry (2002); 59(8):686–694.], while others reporting a modest reduction [Umbricht, D.S., Bates, J.A., Lieberman, J.A., Kane, J.M., Javitt, D.C., Electrophysiological indices of automatic and controlled auditory information processing in first-episode, recent-onset and chronic schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry (2006); 59(8):762–772], in recent onset schizophrenia patients. To our knowledge no reports exist of MMN in SPD individuals. Methods Twenty six normal (14 females) control and 23 SPD (12 females) individuals were tested using the pitch MMN paradigm. Normal control (NC) and SPD individuals were recruited from the general population and assessed using DSM-IV. SPD individuals were included if they met 5 or more criteria for SPD disorder. The subjects listened to 2000 frequent 1 kHz pure tones and 100 rare 1.2 kHz pure tones while reading a magazine article. MMN was measured from a difference waveform within the latency window of 175–276 ms. Results Reduced MMN amplitude was found in SPD relative to NC subjects ( p Conclusions These results point to potential differences between SPD and schizophrenia, where no reduction in MMN was found in most studies of first episode patients.
Nano-scale investigation of the association of microbial nitrogen residues with iron (hydr)oxides in a forest soil O-horizon

Amino sugars in fungal cell walls (such as chitin) represent an important source of nitrogen (N) in many forest soil ecosystems. Despite the importance of this material in soil nitrogen cycling, comparatively little is known about abiotic and biotic controls on and the timescale of its turnover. Part of the reason for this lack of information is the inaccessibility of these materials to classic bulk extraction methods. To address this issue, we used advanced visualization tools to examine transformation pathways of chitin-rich fungal cell wall residues as they interact with microorganisms, soil organic matter and mineral surfaces. Our goal was to document initial micro-scale dynamics of the incorporation of 13 C- and 15 N-labeled chitin into fungi-dominated microenvironments in O-horizons of old-growth forest soils. At the end of a 3-week incubation experiment, high-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging of hyphae-associated soil microstructures revealed a preferential association of 15 N with Fe-rich particles. Synchrotron-based scanning transmission X-ray spectromicroscopy (STXM/NEXAFS) of the same samples showed that thin organic coatings on these soil microstructures are enriched in aliphatic C and amide N on Fe (hydr)oxides, suggesting a concentration of microbial lipids and proteins on these surfaces. A possible explanation for the results of our micro-scale investigation of chemical and spatial patterns is that amide N from chitinous fungal cell walls was assimilated by hyphae-associated bacteria, resynthesized into proteinaceous amide N, and subsequently concentrated onto Fe (hydr)oxide surfaces. If confirmed in other soil ecosystems, such rapid association of microbial N with hydroxylated Fe oxide surfaces may have important implications for mechanistic models of microbial cycling of C and N.
Spatial Data Mining

Spatial Data Mining is the process of discovering interesting and previously unknown, but potentially useful patterns from large spatial datasets. Extracting interesting and useful patterns from spatial datasets is more difficult than extracting the corresponding patterns from traditional numeric and categorical data due to the complexity of spatial data types, spatial relationships, and spatial autocorrelation. This chapter provides an overview on the unique features that distinguish spatial data mining from classical Data Mining, and presents major accomplishments of spatial Data Mining research.
Phase gradient autofocus-a robust tool for high resolution SAR phase correction

The phase gradient autofocus (PGA) technique for phase error correction of spotlight mode synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery is examined carefully in the context of four fundamental signal processing steps that constitute the algorithm. We demonstrate that excellent results over a wide variety of scene content, and phase error function structure are obtained if and only if all of these steps are included in the processing. Finally, we show that the computational demands of the fun PGA algorithm do not represent a large fraction of the total image formation problem, when mid to large size images are involved. >
Effects of Tomatine on the Colorimetric Determination of Cholesterol by the Zak Procedure

The iron-acetic acid reagent used for cholesterol determinations produces a color with tomatine, which is reported to be a more specific precipitant for cholesterol. To circumvent the interferen:e of tomatine found in a cholesterol-tomatinide complex, a standard solution containing stoichiometric amounts of tomatine and cholesterol was used and proved to be reliable for the determination of free cholesterol in serum.
A multimedia news delivery system over an ATM network

We discuss a multimedia news system that we have developed in the Multimedia Information Research Laboratory at the University of Ottawa and beyond. The system consists of a production server for document authoring, a conferencing system for collaborative news article creation, a news database server with aging and archiving, and user sites. The goal was to have all components of the system communicating on OCRInet-an R&D ATM network in the Ottawa region. We provide an overview of the above components as well as discussing the news and video browsers implemented to facilitate browsing, searching, and extracting media from the database-in particular, video objects. To this end we introduce a novel way of representing and browsing video streams, called video-tiles.
Plasmonic gratings for interaction with quantum emitters

We propose to use low group velocity modes on a surface plasmon grating to mediate emission from a variety of emitters. We demonstrate the modification of coupling as the grating periodicity is changed.
A Complex Role for Distal-less in Crustacean Appendage Development

The developing leg of Drosophila is initially patterned by subdivision of the leg into proximal and distal domains by the activity of the homeodomain proteins Extradenticle (Exd) and Distal-less (Dll). These early domains of gene expression are postulated to reflect a scenario of limb evolution in which an undifferentiated appendage outgrowth was subdivided into two functional parts, the coxapodite and telopodite. The legs of most arthropods have a more complex morphology than the simple rod-shaped leg of Drosophila. We document the expression of Dll and Exd in two crustacean species with complex branched limbs. We show that in these highly modified limbs there is a Dll domain exclusive of Exd but there is also extensive overlap in Exd and Dll expression. While arthropod limbs all appear to have distinct proximal and distal domains, those domains do not define homologous structures throughout arthropods. In addition, we find a striking correlation throughout the proximal/distal extent of the leg between setal-forming cells and Dll expression. We postulate that this may reflect a pleisiomorphic function of Dll in development of the peripheral nervous system. In addition, our results confirm previous observations that branch formation in multiramous arthropod limbs is not regulated by a simple iteration of the proximal/distal patterning module employed in Drosophila limb development.
The Value of Resident Choice During Daily Care: Do Staff and Families Differ?

Allowing long-term care (LTC) residents to make choices about their daily life activities is a central tenet of resident-centered care. This study examined whether staff and family rated care episodes involving choice differently from care episodes not involving choice. Seventeen nurse aide and 15 family participants were shown paired video vignettes of care interactions. Participants were asked to rate their preferred care vignette using a standardized forced-choice questionnaire. Focus groups were held separately for staff and family members following this rating task to determine reasons for their preferences. Both staff and family rated the vignettes depicting choice as “strongly” preferred to the vignettes without choice. Reasons provided for the preference ratings during the focus group discussions related to resident well-being, sense of control, and respondents’ own personal values. These findings have implications for LTC staff training related to resident-centered care to promote choice.
Determination of Most Desirable Nominal Closed Loop State Space System via Qualitative Ecological Principles

This paper addresses the issue of determining the most desirable ‘Nominal Closed Loop Matrix’ structure in linear state space systems, by combining the concepts of ‘Quantitative Robustness’ and ‘Qualitative Robustness’. The qualitative robustness measure is based on the nature of interactions and interconnections of the system. The quantitative robustness is based on the nature of eigenvalue/eigenvector structure of the system. This type of analysis from both viewpoints sheds considerable insight on the desirable nominal system in engineering applications. Using these concepts it is shown that a specific quantitative set of matrices labeled ‘Quantitative Ecological Stable (QES) Matrices’ have features which qualify them as the most desirable nominal closed loop system matrices. Thus in this paper, we expand on the special features of the determinant of a matrix in terms of self-regulation, interactions and interconnections and specialize these features to the class of ‘Quantitative Ecological Stable (QES)’ matrices and show that for checking its Hurwitz stability, it is sufficient to check the positivity of only the constant coefficient of the characteristic polynomial of a matrix in a higher dimensional ‘Kronecker’ space. In addition, it is shown that these matrices possess the most attractive property among any matrix class, namely that their Determinants possess convexity property. Establishment of this optimal nominal closed loop system matrix structure paves the way for designing controllers which qualify as robust controllers for linear systems with real parameter uncertainty. The proposed concepts are illustrated with many useful examples.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Clinical evaluation of a new generation membrane oxygenator: a prospective randomized study:

A new generation hollow-fibre membrane oxygenator (Spiral Gold) has been introduced by Baxter Healthcare (Irvine, CA, USA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the operational performance of this device under clinical conditions and to compare it to the Univox Gold membrane oxygenator. Following institutional review board approval, and the obtainment of informed consent, 26 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were randomly assigned to either a Spiral Gold (Spiral) (n = 13) or Univox Gold (Univox) (n = 13) group. Study parameters were grouped into the following categories: haematological, haemodynamic, oxygenator performance and perioperative outcomes. All patients received identical surgical, anaesthesia and postoperative care. There were no statistically significant differences in either preoperative or operative parameters between groups. During cardiopulmonary bypass, the Spiral group had a significantly lower pressure drop (26.9 +/- 8.2 vs 46.7 +/- 16.2 mmHg, p < 0.001). The Spiral group had significantly lower plasma free haemoglobin levels during all time periods of CPB compared to the Univox group. Heat exchange coefficients were higher during the rewarming period in the Spiral patients (0.59 +/- 0.28) compared to the Univox group (0.36 +/- 0.19), p = 0.06. There were no differences in oxygen transfer between groups, but ventilation gas sweep rates and FiO2 levels were statistically lower in the Spiral group at two of the three sampling time periods. The ratio of ventilating gas sweep rate to blood flow rate was lower in the Spiral group (0.56 +/- 0.12) compared to the Univox group (0.74 +/- 0.23), p < 0.03. The Spiral Gold oxygenator had superior oxygen transfer efficiency and lower haemolysis rates than the Univox Gold oxygenator.
Fragmentation of 3‐Oximino‐4‐Chromanone

Abstract Heating either the methanesulfonate ester of 3‐oximino‐4‐chromanone or 3‐oximino‐4‐chromanone and an alternative acylating agent such as p ‐toluenesulfonyl chloride or acetic anhydride in the presence of aqueous base afforded two major fragments: salicylic acid and 2‐carboxyphenoxyacetonitrile. These compounds are derived from two separate cleavage pathways involving the acylated oxime. In one pathway, fragmentation appears to be assisted by the ether ring oxygen; in the other, it is assisted by the α‐carbonyl group of the oxime ester.
Reduced gradient bubble model.

An approach to decompression modeling, the reduced gradient bubble model (RGBM), is developed from the critical phase hypothesis. The phase limit is introduced, extended, and applied within bubblenucleation theory proposed by Yount. Much is different in the RGBM algorithm, on both theoretical and applied sides, with a focus on permissible bubble excesses rather than just dissolved gas buildup, something of a departure from traditional models. Overall, the approach is conservative, with changes in parameter settings affording flexibility. Marginal profiles permitted by tables and meters are restricted by the bubble algorithm. Highlighted features of the conservative algorithm include: (1) reduced no-stop time limits from the varying-permeability model (VPM); (2) short safety stops (or shallow swimming ascents) in the lo-20 feet of sea water (fsw) zone; (3) ascent and descent rates of 60 fsw/min, or slower; (4) restricted repetitive exposures, particularly beyond 100 fsw, based on reduced permissible bubble excess; (5) restricted spike (shallow-to-deep) exposures based on excitation of additional micronuclei; (6) restricted multi-day activity based on regeneration of micronuclei; (7) consistent treatment of altitude diving within model framework; (8) algorithm linked to bubble-nucleation theory and experiment. Coupled to medical reports about the long term effects of breathing pressurized gases and shortcomings in dissolved gas models, conservative modeling seems prudent.
Natural and human-induced disturbance of seagrasses

Many natural and human-induced events create disturbances in seagrasses throughout the world, but quantifying losses of habitat is only beginning. Over the last decade, 90000 ha of seagrass loss have been documented although the actual area lost is certainly greater. Seagrasses, an assemblage of marine flowering plant species, are valuable structural and functional components of coastal ecosystems and are currently experiencing worldwide decline. This group of plants is known to support a complex trophic food web and a detritus-based food chain, as well as to provide sediment and nutrient filtration, sediment stabilization, and breeding and nursery areas for finfish and shellfish.We define disturbance, natural or human-induced, as any event that measurably alters resources available to seagrasses so that a plant response is induced that results in degradation or loss. Applying this definition, we find a common thread in many seemingly unrelated seagrass investigations. We review reports of seagrass loss from both published and ‘grey’ literature and evaluate the types of disturbances that have caused seagrass decline and disappearance. Almost certainly more seagrass has been lost globally than has been documented or even observed, but the lack of comprehensive monitoring and seagrass. mapping makes an assessment of true loss of this resource impossible to determine.Natural disturbances that are most commonly responsible for seagrass loss include hurricanes, earthquakes, disease, and grazing by herbivores. Human activities most affecting seagrasses are those which alter water quality or clarity: nutrient and sediment loading from runoff and sewage disposal, dredging and filling, pollution, upland development, and certain fishing practices. Seagrasses depend on an adequate degree of water clarity to sustain productivity in their submerged environment. Although natural events have been responsible for both large-scale and local losses of seagrass habitat, our evaluation suggests that human population expansion is now the most serious cause of seagrass habitat loss, and specifically that increasing anthropogenic inputs to the coastal oceans are primarily responsible for the world-wide decline in seagrasses.
Metareasoning-Based Learning for Classification Hierarchies

This paper takes a metareasoning-based approach to classification learning, framing the learning problem as one of self-diagnosis and self-adaptation. Artificial Intelligence (AI) research on metareasoning for agent self-adaptation has generally focused on modifying the agent’s reasoning processes. In this paper, we describe the use of metareasoning for retrospective adaptation of the agent’s domain knowledge. In particular, we consider the use of meta-knowledge for structural credit assignment in a classification hierarchy when the classifier makes an incorrect prediction. We present a scheme in which the semantics of the intermediate abstractions in the classification hierarchy are grounded in percepts in the world, and show that this scheme enables self-diagnosis and self-repair of knowledge contents at intermediate nodes in the hierarchy. We also provide an empirical evaluation of the technique.
An evaluation of home volume ventilators that support open-circuit mouthpiece ventilation.

BACKGROUND: Open-circuit mouthpiece ventilation (MPV) is a form of noninvasive ventilation that can be used to provide portable daytime ventilatory support for neuromuscular patients with chronic respiratory failure. MPV has been reported to reduce the risk of respiratory infection due to tracheostomy, and to improve cough and voice function and patient quality of life. Despite these potential benefits, mouthpiece ventilation is not widely used. This may be due in part to the fact that little information is available as to which ventilators can support this application. OBJECTIVE: To determine which volume-cycled portable home ventilators currently available in the United States will support MPV, and what peak inspiratory flow rates create adequate circuit pressure to prevent low-pressure alarming. METHODS: We used a commercially available MPV breathing circuit with a set tidal volume range of 500–1,000 mL with each of 8 ventilators currently available in the United States. RESULTS: Six of the 8 ventilators supported MPV: Respironics Lifecare PLV-100 and PLV Continuum, Mallinckrodt Achieva PSO2, Pulmonetics LTV800, Newport HT50, and Uni-Vent
Hemodynamics of coronary sinus occlusion: a linear model

The coronary sinus occlusion pressure exhibits complicated frequency characteristics which can be modeled by either a nonlinear system approach or a high-order LTI (linear time-invariant) system approach. The LTI system presents a superior modeling methodology, due to the applicability of powerful analytical tools such as Fourier analysis. Using linear system identification techniques, a fifth-order LTI system was obtained to characterize coronary sinus occlusion pressure waveforms. Linear systems of lower order were found to have insufficient degree of freedom to model the hemodynamics of the coronary sinus occlusion. The resulting model from the systematic identification process was stable within a broad range of variations of heart rate and time constant of the coronary sinus occlusion pressure. This model provides a mathematical basis to study distributive properties in the coronary venous circulation and to optimize various treatment procedures of myocardium diseases via the coronary sinus. >
Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of epididymis: a case report and review of literature

Epididymal inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, also known by various other synonyms is a rare benign disease. Only eight cases have been reported to date. The most common presentation is a scrotal mass of variable duration. For a scrotal mass it is difficult to distinguish a benign or malignant etiology, in addition to the origin whether from testis or epididymis. As a result the definitive diagnosis can only be established by surgical exploration. We report the ninth case of epididymal IMT who based on clinical and radiological findings underwent radical orchidectomy, with the histology suggestive of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. At 4 years follow up the patient is free of disease recurrence. IMT though rare should be considered in the differential diagnosis of epididymal mass. Clinically it is often difficult to distinguish the origin of mass and even though the disease has benign nature and course it is crucial to counsel patients for orchidectomy as definitive diagnosis is established on surgical exploration.
Program of Study and Social Integration

While Tinto’s (1975, 1987, 1993) Interactionalist Model has reached near paradigmatic status, and introduced the construct of social integration, the research has been inconsistent when applied to community college student retention. This has led Maxwell (2000) and Deil-Amen (2011) to suggest that a different construct of social integration exists in community colleges. This construct focuses less on purely social activities and more on both peer groups centered on academically related activities, along with interactions with faculty and students inside the classroom. While previous research found that these two constructs of social integration were highly related (Mertes, 2015), differences were found when investigating gender. But the previous research did not consider the impact of program of study and potential interactions with other variables including gender, race, and age. The current study sought to investigate the impact of program of study (i.e., occupational vs. transfer) on both constructs, a...
Formation control of underactuated autonomous surface vessels using redundant manipulator analogs

In this paper, we present a method utilizing redundant manipulator analogs for formation control of underactuated autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) with realistic turning constraints and dynamics. The method used relies on casting the swarm as a single entity and utilizing redundant manipulator techniques to guarantee task-level formation control as well as obstacle avoidance and secondary tasks such as mean position control. The method presented differs from other approaches in that the units herein represent a larger class of ASVs with realistic limitations on vessel motions and that the exact position of each of the units on the formation profile is not specified.
Simplifying Robust Control Designs of Parametric Uncertain Systems Using Dimensional Transformations

Robust control techniques have become more popular in the last decade because of their ability to construct a single controller suitable for a family of plants that are represented as a nominal plant with an uncertainty bounds. A typical challenge with robust control design is that, as the size of the uncertainty block gets bigger, the complexity of the control synthesis and resulting controller exponentially increases. Using a dimensional transformation method, this work shows that some robust control problems can be recast into an equivalent representation with a much smaller size of uncertainty block. This reduction potentially reduces the conservativeness and computational complexity of both H∞ /μ – synthesis methods. This method is demonstrated using the 1990 ACC benchmark problem.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
A developmental bottleneck in dispersing larvae: implications for spatial population dynamics

We found evidence for a critical population bottleneck at a developmental-stage transition in larvae of the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha Pallas from field estimates of mortality. Identification of this critical period in the field was made possible by closely tracking cohorts of larvae over 5 days of development as they dispersed 128 km in a river system. The presence of a survival bottleneck during development was confirmed in laboratory studies of zebra mussel larvae. Development-specific mortality has important implications for spatial population dynamics of the zebra mussel in particular, and all species with indirect development in general. Marine reserves that do not take development-specific mortality into account may dramatically underestimate reserve size needed to protect rare and/or exploited marine populations. Conversely, for the zebra mussel, the lower contribution of dispersing individuals to population growth downstream of reserves can lead to more feasible control through the blocking of dispersal.
A mobile Pulsed Ring Down source array using low power solid state radiators

Current work at Texas Tech University is focused on enabling technologies for a mobile Pulsed Ring Down Array. A Monte Carlo Simulation was developed to evaluate the potential performance of an array using current capabilities and to determine the future requirements to achieve the desired system performance. Error sources included are the position error of each element, the jitter of the closing switch, and the synchronization error between elements. Error distributions for the simulation are based on device testing. The array is tested by adding an artificial delay that represents an error source. The simulation is verified by running each error source independently and comparing the results to the experimental data. A system of low power radiators based on stacked MOSFET switches were built to simulate the Pulsed Ring Down Source (PRDS) elements for testing purposes. The testing methodology and results are presented.
Novel chemoresistive CH4 sensor with 10 ppm sensitivity based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes functionalized with SnO2 nanocrystals

Chemoresistive sensors based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) functionalized with SnO2 nanocrystals (NCs) have great potential for detecting trace gases at low concentrations (single ppm levels) at room temperature, because the SnO2 nanocrystals act as active sites for the chemisorption of gas molecules, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) act as an excellent current carrying platform, allowing the adsorption of gas on SnO2 to modulate the resistance of the CNTs. However, uniform conjugation of SnO2 NCs with MWCNTs is challenging. An effective atomic layer deposition based approach to functionalize the surface of MWCNTs with SnO2 NCs, resulting in a novel CH4 sensor with 10 ppm sensitivity, is presented in this paper. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy were implemented to study the morphology, elemental composition, and the crystal quality of SnO2 functionalized MWCNTs. High resolution TEM images showed that th...
Autoimmune endocrine disease.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses autoimmune endocrine disease. Many different definitions of autoimmune disease exist. From a pathophysiological point of view, autoimmune disease represents altered physiology as a direct result of antibodies or lymphocytes reacting with self antigens. From an immunological point of view, autoimmune disease should be transferable with antibodies or lymphocytes, and the disease process should be reenacted in normal transplanted tissue without evidence of tissue rejection. From a clinical point of view, autoimmune disease should be preventable or curable with immunotherapy. As the study of endocrine autoimmunity as well as other autoimmune diseases has progressed, many common themes link these various illnesses. There are three major pathogenic mechanisms in autoimmune endocrine disease. The most common cause of disease is the destruction of a specific gland or cell type (type I diabetes mellitus, thyroiditis, idiopathic primary adrenal insufficiency, idiopathic hypoparathyroidism, primary gonadal insufficiency, and hypophysitis). The next most common cause of autoimmune endocrine disease results from antibody interactions with cell-surface receptors either mimicking hormone action (Graves' disease, hypoglycemia with anti-insulin receptor antibodies) or blocking receptor function (atrophic hypothyroidism and insulin resistance secondary to anti-insulin receptor antibodies).
Human Factors Research in Anesthesia Patient Safety: Techniques to Elucidate Factors Affecting Clinical Task Performance and Decision Making.

Patient safety has become a major public concern. Human factors research in other high-risk fields has demonstrated how rigorous study of factors that affect job performance can lead to improved outcome and reduced errors after evidence-based redesign of tasks or systems. These techniques have increasingly been applied to the anesthesia work environment. This paper describes data obtained recently using task analysis and workload assessment during actual patient care and the use of cognitive task analysis to study clinical decision making. A novel concept of “non-routine events” is introduced and pilot data are presented. The results support the assertion that human factors research can make important contributions to patient safety. Information technologies play a key role in these efforts.
Plague, War, and Democracy: Political Processes and the Spread of HIV

This research examines the relationship between political processes occurring on the macro-level, such as democracy and warfare, and the HIV epidemic. Noting the contradictory nature of previous studies on war, democracy, and HIV, I implement new data and methods to examine two questions. 1) What associations are there between war and HIV? That is, does war appear to drive changes in a country's HIV prevalence?; 2) What associations are there between democratic governance and HIV prevalence? Two design aspects of this study differ from previous efforts. First, I have compiled data from both epidemiological and political science sources, and the result is a larger dataset for analysis. Second, the study conducts time-series-cross-section (TSCS) linear regression analysis, unlike most previous studies in these subject. I use three different estimation specifications and two common error-calculation procedures, to provide comparison of the empirical relevance of common TSCS practices. A significant policy relevant finding emerges. Civil and ethnic warfare have association with lower HIV prevalence, such that one could expect a country in civil conflict similar in size to the Angolan civil war to have 1.25--3.37 percent lower HIV prevalence.
Mania Risk is Associated with Dominance Behavior in an Interpersonal Negotiation Task

Researchers have noted strong parallels in the symptoms of mania—including grandiosity, hostility, goal-driven behavior, and overly sexualized behavior—and dominance. Drawing on these parallels, it has been hypothesized that bipolar disorder might be related to dysregulations of the dominance system, which includes dominance motivation, power, and dominance behavior. The goal of the current study was to consider whether manic tendencies related to the dominance system as measured in an ecologically valid experimental paradigm. Participants took part in small group interactions in which they negotiated merit pay for candidates seeking promotion. They completed ratings of their own and peers' dominance behaviors during the interaction. All participants also completed the Hypomanic Personality Scale to assess risk for mania, as well as scales to assess for current (hypo)mania and history of depression. Whereas history of depression was related to lower dominance motivation, mania risk was related to dominanc...
High frequency of mitochondrial DNA mutations in HIV-infected treatment-experienced individuals

Objectives We recently observed a decrease in deoxyribonucleotide (dNTP) pools in HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Alterations in dNTPs result in mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in cell culture and animal models. Therefore, we investigated whether ART is associated with mitochondrial genome sequence variation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of HIV-infected treatment-experienced individuals. Methods In this substudy of a case−control study, 71 participants were included: 22 ‘cases’, who were HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients with mitochondrial toxicity, 25 HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients without mitochondrial toxicity, and 24 HIV-uninfected controls. Total DNA was extracted from PBMCs and purified polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were subjected to third-generation sequencing using the PacBio Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing technology. The sequences were aligned against the revised Cambridge reference sequence for human mitochondrial DNA (NC_012920.1) for detection of variants. Results We identified a total of 123 novel variants, 39 of them in the coding region. HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients with and without toxicity had significantly higher average numbers of mitochondrial variants per participant than HIV-uninfected controls. We observed a higher burden of mtDNA large-scale deletions in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients with toxicity compared with HIV-uninfected controls (P = 0.02). The frequency of mtDNA molecules containing a common deletion (mt.δ4977) was higher in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients with toxicity compared with HIV-uninfected controls (P = 0.06). There was no statistically significant difference in mtDNA variants between HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients with and without toxicity. Conclusions The frequency of mtDNA variants (mutations and large-scale deletions) was higher in HIV-infected treatment-experienced patients with or without ART-induced toxicity than in uninfected controls.
Nanoscale Radiative Transfer

In the last chapter of this book we will provide a brief introduction to radiative heat transfer in geometries where the pertinent dimensions are measured in nanometers (nm). Research in the field of nanoscale energy transfer has exploded during the past few years, leading to fascinating new problems and devices in microelectronics and microfabrication technology, such as quantum structures, optoelectronics, molecular- and atomic-level imaging techniques, etc. Most radiation is incoherent (multispectral, as well as random in polarization and direction) in the “far field” (a distance of a wavelength or so away from the source), and the radiative transfer equation (RTE) and its solution methods described over the previous chapters are only valid for such incoherent radiation. We noticed in Chapters 2 and 3 (optically smooth surfaces) and Chapter 12 (small particles) that, when distances of the order of the wavelength A are relevant, radiative transfer must be calculated from the full Maxwell's equations presented in Chapter 2. However, Maxwell's equations do not include any radiative emission sources, which must be modeled via what is known as fluctuational electrodynamics, pioneered by Rytov [1, 2].
Terminology/Standard Interpretative Format for Basic and Advanced Urodynamics

Proper reading and interpretation of a pressure-flow urodynamic tracing should be performed in a systematic fashion. Unfortunately, there is no universally agreed-upon approach to the interpretation of a pressure-flow urodynamic study. Using the functional classification of voiding dysfunction as a framework, the pressure-flow tracing can be dissected into a filling/storage portion and an emptying portion. Important aspects of the urodynamic study can be subclassified within each of these phases. Conveniently, each of these aspects can be titled with a “C,” thus providing the 9 “Cs” of pressure-flow urodynamics interpretation and reporting. Such a scheme allows a complete and uniform approach to the interpretation of the urodynamic tracing. This chapter will provide a framework with which the practitioner can approach and interpret the pressure-flow urodynamic (PFUD) study.
Mental Transformations in Human-Robot Interaction

Human-robot interfaces can be challenging and tiresome because of misalignments in the control and view relationships. The human user must mentally transform (e.g., rotate or translate) desired robot actions to required inputs at the interface. These mental transformations can increase task difficulty and decrease task performance. This chapter discusses how to improve task performance by decreasing the mental transformations in a human-robot interface. It presents a mathematical framework, reviews relevant background, analyzes both single and multiple camera-display interfaces, and presents the implementation of a mentally efficient interface.
Insurance and Cardiovascular Health: Time for Evidence to Trump Politics.

The United States is entrenched in a fierce debate over healthcare reform. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) strove to reduce the number of uninsured individuals, and after its implementation, 20 million Americans gained insurance coverage. Ongoing shifts in health policy imperil these gains. As options for repealing, replacing, or revising the ACA are debated, we aim to outline what is known about the relationship between insurance coverage and cardiovascular care, the impact of the ACA on cardiovascular care, and areas where gaps in our knowledge remain. Understanding these relationships may help clinical leaders and policymakers better craft future policy initiatives. Routine medical care is essential for appropriate risk factor screening and treatment. Insurance mediates access to health care, so it is not surprising that uninsured individuals are less likely to receive screening for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemia. Even when diagnosed, treatment and control of cardiovascular risk factors is lower in the uninsured population.1 Perhaps, in part, because of these disparities, coronary artery disease is more prevalent in low-income populations, who are generally at greater risk of being uninsured. Furthermore, although rates of acute myocardial infarction decreased in the US population the decade before the ACA, …
Excimer Laser Projection Patterning

Photolithographic techniques, in particular those based on optical projection with visible/near-UV radiation, have attained a major role in integrated circuit manufacturing because they provide a unique combination of high precision, high volume and low cost. In these methods an opaque pattern on a trans-illuminated mask is imaged onto a photoresist—coated wafer. The intensity distribution in the image plane is imprinted on the wafer in two steps: photoinduced modification of the resist, followed by development. Conventionally, the photon sources in projection systems have been mercury lamps, operating at 436 nm, and more recently at 405 nm and 365 nm (the G, H, and I lines, respectively, in the emission spectrum of Hg atoms) [1].
On Essentiality and the World Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines.

Abstract Background In 1977 the World Health Organization created its first Model List of Essential Medicines—a list designed to aid countries in determining which medicines to prioritize on their National Essential Medicines Lists. In classifying drugs as “essential,” the World Health Organization has historically stressed drugs' ability to meet priority health needs of populations and cost. Objectives In this paper we trace the fluctuations in the application of cost and priority status of disease as criteria for essential medicines throughout the reports published by the WHO Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines since 1977. Methods We analyzed essential medicines lists published on the World Health Organization website since 1977 for trends in criteria concerning cost and priority status of disease. Where, available, analyzed the World Health Organization Expert Committee analysis rationalizing why certain medicines were or were not added and were or were not removed. Results The application of the criteria of cost and priority status of essential medicines has fluctuated dramatically over the years. Conclusions The definition of essential medicines has shifted and now necessitates a new consensus on normative definitions and criteria. A more standardized and transparent set of procedures for choosing essential medicines is required.
Ambiguous interactions between diastolic and SR Ca2+ in the regulation of cardiac Ca2+ release

### Introduction In all types of muscle cells, contraction is initiated by an increase in intracellular Ca2+. Another similarity among skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle cells is that much of the Ca2+ responsible for contraction is released from the SR. Beyond these common features, however,
Buffering the Stress of Programmatic Accreditation

Abstract Accreditation, a public measure of program quality, is essential in today's competitive higher education environment. State board of nursing prelicensure program approval and a program's reputation are affected by the accreditation decision of a nursing program-accrediting agency. Writing the accreditation self-study and hosting the program site visit are often stressful experiences for the nursing program administrators, faculty, and students involved in these processes. The Neuman Systems Model can be used to objectively develop protective buffers for the stressors associated with programmatic accreditation. Three example scenarios that were developed to describe interventions, based on the Neuman Systems Model, to buffer and reduce the stress of the accrediting agency's processes are presented. The scenarios do not represent any specific nursing program but were created based on the experiences and questions of faculty members and academic administrators.
Real-time implementation of minimum time transition for paralleled boost converters

Demand for electrification is booming in both, traditional and upcoming generations of technological advancements. Power conversion systems are crucial aspect of electrification and often constructed by aggregating multiple power converter blocks for high power, performance and reliability of overall electrical system. An advanced control technique is developed is proposed with an aim to optimize system states of heterogeneous power converters within minimum transition time while maintaining feasible stress level on individual power converter. Practical implementation of real-time controller and performance improvement strategies are addressed. Hardware-in-the-loop emulation results validating the method, and the sensitivity analysis of system states as measure of robustness is presented.
Bringing older drivers up to speed with technology: Cognitive changes, training, and advances in transportation technology

Abstract Older drivers are known to face inordinate consequences from automobile crashes. Given that their presence is expected to climb in the near future, the field of human factors is currently in a unique position to help mitigate age-related issues on the road as technological advances are made. This chapter begins by examining the cognitive changes that have been shown to contribute to deficits experienced by older drivers, as well as the late-life changes that are expected to create difficulty for older adults’ abilities to interact with the next generations of transportation technology. In addition, this chapter discusses countermeasures and compensatory strategies that may be implemented to offset those barriers, along with technological advances that are shaping the way so that older adults can maintain optimal performance behind the wheel.
Some Recent Experiments in Turbulently Stirred Fluids

It is well known that strong fluctuations in composition appear in the vicinity of the critical point of binary liquid mixtures and simple fluids.1 The equilibrium properties of such systems exhibit scaling that is now understood. Similarly, much progress has been made in our understanding of nucleation and spinodal decomposition when the system is quenched below its critical point.2 In this paper we are concerned with a different type of experiment, in which the near-critical system is in a steady state. This state is produced by continuous, turbulent stirring.