cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dielectric qualities of erythrocytes in healthy people of different age groups

This article contains the results of research, in which erythrocytes dielectric qualities were studied. The research was carried out with a help of dielspectrometry with an electrical current of 1 and 10 kHz. The estimation of real part of dielectric permeability (έ) was taken in vitro after getting erythrocyte suspension and after 60 and 120 minutes in conditions of hypoxia. Coefficient of polarization (CP), equal to ratio of (έ) at low frequency to (έ) at high frequency, was counted. Three groups of healthy people were examined. It was found, that the initial level of CP, depending on age, doesn’t have reliable differences. But different type of erythrocytes reaction towards hypoxia was revealed. Different type of erythrocytes reaction towards hypoxia could be connected with age-related changes in oxidative metabolism intensity.
Project ECHO: a Revolutionary Approach to Expanding Access to Modern Treatments for Hepatitis C

Despite the introduction of direct-acting antivirals which simplified treatment and significantly increased cure rates, hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment barriers persist. The number of HCV specialists is limited, particularly in rural and medically underserved areas, and patients often do not have access to care and treatment. Project ECHO was developed to increase the number of patients optimally treated for HCV through their local primary care clinics. Since its inception, the ECHO model has been used to improve HCV access across the USA and globally. Project ECHO and the ECHO model represent a revolutionary approach to expanding access to treatment for HCV.
Epilepsy Syndrome Diagnosis at First Seizure

The value of clinical, EEG, and MRI findings in the diagnosis of specific epilepsy syndromes following a first unprovoked seizure was evaluated in 300 consecutive patients, including 59 children, aged 5-16 yrs (20%), studied prospectively at the Austin Medical Centre, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Australia.
Including Rebinding Reactions in Well-Mixed Models of Distributive Biochemical Reactions

Abstract The behavior of biochemical reactions requiring repeated enzymatic substrate modification depends critically on whether the enzymes act processively or distributively. Whereas processive enzymes bind only once to a substrate before carrying out a sequence of modifications, distributive enzymes release the substrate after each modification and thus require repeated bindings. Recent experimental and computational studies have revealed that distributive enzymes can act processively due to rapid rebindings (so-called quasi-processivity). In this study, we derive an analytical estimate of the probability of rapid rebinding and show that well-mixed ordinary differential equation models can use this probability to quantitatively replicate the behavior of spatial models. Importantly, rebinding requires that connections be added to the well-mixed reaction network; merely modifying rate constants is insufficient. We then use these well-mixed models to suggest experiments to 1) detect quasi-processivity and 2) test the theory. Finally, we show that rapid rebindings drastically alter the reaction's Michaelis-Menten rate equations.
Hybrid surgery-radiosurgery therapy for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression: A prospective evaluation using patient-reported outcomes.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/nop/npx017.][This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/nop/npx017.].
Self-Interest and Rationality: The Modern Connection

This chapter engages in a detailed examination of the modern view of economic rationality, as represented in the Rational Choice Theory of human behavior. The chapter develops a thorough critique of this view of economic rationality, highlighting its many contradictions and calamities, with a special focus on the opinions of Amartya Sen, Andre Gorz, and Alasdair MacIntyre.
Electroflotation From the Double Layer to Troubled Waters

Among technologies with an electrochemical basis, electroflotation appears certain to find expanding applications in the 21st century. Electroflotation (EF) is a separation technology for aqueous fluids containing suspended matter, designed to produce water pure enough to discharge and residues concentrated enough for further workup. After additional compatible processes, the water is suitable for recycle, while the residues may, depending on the particular application, constitute a raw material for food, feed, and fuels, allow mineral and metal values to be extracted, and/or simply become disposable waste.
MEASUREMENTS OF PHOSPHOLIPASES A2, C AND D (PLA2, PLC AND PLD): IN VITRO MICROASSAYS, ANALYSIS OF ENZYME ISOFORMS, AND INTACT-CELL ASSAYS

In order to be properly divisible, the cell membrane has to be remodeled and intracellular membranes must be converted into a vesiculated state prior to mitosis. Phospholipases A2, C, and D (PLA2, PLC, and PLD) are involved in regulatory events of intracellular mitogen signaling pathways. We describe here three methods for comprehensively assaying those phospholipases: 1) in vitro microassays, in which a radiolabeled substrate is exogenously added to cell lysates to measure the enzyme activity(ies); 2) immunocomplex assays, in which immunoprecipitation with a specific antibody is performed in order to study the contribution of a particular isoform within a family of enzymes; and 3) intact-cell or in vivo assays, in which cells are labeled with a radioactive substrate until steady state is reached. The uniqueness of the in vitro microassay method described here for the first time is that it allows the measurement of, in parallel, the activities of three phospholipases utilizing aliquots derived from the same biological sample. The approach for immunoprecipitation described in this chapter can be extrapolated to the study of a large array of enzyme isoforms. Finally, the intact-cell assays allow for the accurate measurement of receptor-mediated activation in vivo.
Auditory conditional discrimination deficits without delays in rats with lesions of either frontal cortex or medial thalamus

An auditory match-to-position (AMTP) task was developed to compare the effects of medial thalamic (L-IML) and prefrontal cortical (MW) lesions on the ability of rats to perform conditional discriminations with and without memory delays. Both lesions affected AMTP when there was no delay, and these impairments were not exacerbated when memory delays were imposed. The MW group performed normally, whereas the L-IML group was impaired in learning a go/no-go discrimination based on the same auditory stimuli as those used for AMTP. These findings are consistent with other evidence that the medial prefrontal cortex is critical for conditional associative learning when the same response alternatives are presented repeatedly across trials. The impairments observed for AMTP when there was no memory delay suggest that the effects of these lesions on the rate of forgetting may have been masked by the effects of these lesions on nonmnemonic aspects of the AMTP task.
Performance of the International Myeloma Working Group myeloma frailty score among patients 75 and older.

Abstract Objectives We compared the performance of two frailty scoring systems in predicting survival among older patients with multiple myeloma: the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) frailty score (which includes age), and the Fried model for frailty (which does not). Methods From 2015 to 2018, all patients aged 75 years and older presenting at our institution with a diagnosis of multiple myeloma were approached for a frailty screening assessment. We first categorized patients' frailty using the Fried model. Then, using available deficit measures, we reclassified frailty using the IMWG approach. We compared the performance of the IMWG strategy to the Fried model in terms of association with overall survival. Results Of the 98 (92%) patients who consented to a baseline frailty assessment, we found 57% discordance among frailty classification between the two scoring systems. Using the IMWG strategy, 9% of the cohort was “fit,” 29% “intermediate-fit,” and 62% “frail.” Using the Fried model, 29% of the cohort was “robust,” 52% “pre-frail,” and 19% “frail.” Frailty category in the Fried model was predictive of overall survival among our cohort, while frailty category in the IMWG strategy was not (log-rank p = 0.04 vs. 0.34). Conclusion Among our cohort of older patients with myeloma (aged 75 and higher), the Fried model appears to be a better predictor of survival compared to the IMWG strategy. These results suggest that using age as a criterion to identify frailty in older patients with multiple myeloma may limit treatment options for the functionally vigorous.
AAV9-TAZ Gene Replacement Ameliorates Cardiac TMT Proteomic Profiles in a Mouse Model of Barth Syndrome.

Barth syndrome (BTHS) is a rare mitochondrial disease that causes severe cardiomyopathy and has no disease-modifying therapy. It is caused by recessive mutations in the gene tafazzin (TAZ), which encodes tafazzin—an acyltransferase that remodels the inner mitochondrial membrane lipid cardiolipin. To identify novel mechanistic pathways involved in BTHS and evaluate the effects of gene therapy on proteomic profiles, we performed a multiplex tandem mass tagging (TMT) quantitative proteomics analysis to compare protein expression profiles from heart lysates isolated from BTHS, healthy wild-type (WT), and BTHS treated with adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9)-TAZ gene replacement as neonates or adults. 197 proteins with ≥2 unique peptides were identified. Of these, 91 proteins were significantly differentially expressed in BTHS compared to WT controls. Cause-effect relationships between tafazzin deficiency and altered protein profiles were confirmed through demonstrated significant improvements in expression levels following administration of AAV9-TAZ. The importance of TMEM65 in Cx43 localization to cardiac intercalated discs was revealed as a novel consequence of tafazzin deficiency that was improved following gene therapy. This study identifies novel mechanistic pathways involved in the pathophysiology of BTHS, demonstrates the ability of gene delivery to improve protein expression profiles, and provides support for clinical translation of AAV9-TAZ gene therapy.
SAT-Based Placement Adjustment of FinFETs inside Unroutable Standard Cells Targeting Feasible DRC-Clean Routing

In this paper, we present an algorithm of transistor placement that takes unroutable standard cells and makes them routable by moving transistors in local windows. It converts the task of placement of gridded FinFETs into a Boolean problem and employs SAT, an accurate computing technology. The Boolean problem models possible moves of transistors as well as possible routes. Track assignment mimics an industrial router. Manufacturing rules are modeled using a special layout data model that is directly translated into SAT. A SAT solver finds legal transistor placement ensuring subsequent DRC-clean routing. The speed of SAT solvers makes the flow practical for most complex cells from a standard cell library.
Framework for Coupling Flow and Deformation of a Porous Solid

AbstractIn this paper, the flow of an incompressible fluid in a deformable porous solid is considered. A mathematical model using the framework offered by the theory of interacting continua is presented. In its most general form, this framework provides a mechanism for capturing multiphase flow, deformation, chemical reactions, and thermal processes, as well as interactions between the various physics, in a conveniently implemented fashion. To simplify the presentation of the framework, the results are presented for a particular model, which can be seen as an extension of Darcy’s equation (which assumes that the porous solid is rigid) and that takes into account the elastic deformation of the porous solid. The model also considers the effect of deformation on porosity. It is shown that by using this model identical results can be recovered as in the framework proposed in the literature. Some salient features of the framework are as follows: (1) it is a consistent mixture theory model, and adheres to the l...
Immunological memory and tolerance at the maternal-fetal interface: Implications for reproductive management of mares

The development of placentation that coincided with the evolution of mammals presented new challenges to the transmission of life from one generation to the next, particularly with regard to the possibility of maternal immunological recognition and destruction of the developing conceptus. The balance between immunity and tolerance dominates the immunological relationship between mother and fetus during mammalian pregnancy, and the focal point of this relationship lies at the interface between the trophoblast cells that comprise the outermost layer of the placenta and the maternal endometrial tissues. Immune memory and tolerance are two of the cardinal characteristics of the immune system. Immune memory is essential in preventing or lessening the effect of infections to the mother or conceptus, but may also be a threat to the semi-allogeneic tissues of the fetus and placenta. The mother must develop functional immune tolerance to her fetus, but at the same time retain her ability to combat infections while pregnant. To address this imperative, mammals have developed overlapping and independent mechanisms for evading maternal anti-fetal immune responses that could result in pregnancy loss. Studies of the unusual component of equine invasive trophoblast in the epitheliochorial placenta have illuminated aspects of immune memory and tolerance that have relevance to fertility in the horse and other mammalian species.
Cell-Based Ligand Discovery for the ENL YEATS Domain.

ENL is a transcriptional coactivator that recruits elongation machinery to active cis-regulatory elements upon binding of its YEATS domain—a chromatin reader module—to acylated lysine side chains. ...
Iron Deficiency: Implications Before Anemia.

1. Schuyler Tong, MD* 2. Elliott Vichinsky, MD*,† 1. *Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology Oncology, University of California at San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, Oakland, CA 2. †Pediatric Hematology Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA Clinicians should recognize iron deficiency as a unique disease entity and understand the interconnection between iron deficiency and other systemic diseases. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Recognize that iron deficiency is a separate entity that precedes iron deficiency anemia and in and of itself causes serious morbidity. 2. Identify iron deficiency as an associated sign for multiple underlying diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. 3. Discuss the vulnerability of the brain to iron depletion. 4. Describe options for replenishing iron stores and the improvements in parenteral formulations of iron. Iron plays a role in multiple essential physiological functions, including oxygen transport, gene regulation, DNA synthesis, DNA repair, and brain function. Depletion of and inability to use iron disrupts these pathways and causes multiple morbidities. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a well-known sequela, but iron deficiency alone, before the manifestation of microcytosis and anemia, may have negative implications for the health of pediatric patients. Of children 0 to 4 years of age, 20.1% have IDA in industrialized countries and the same is true of 39% of children in nonindustrialized countries. (1) Iron deficiency, independent of anemia, affects 2.3 billion people worldwide, including 50% of younger children and female teenagers. The recognition that iron deficiency puts children at risk for a myriad of poor outcomes is an important step in delivering effective health-care. Iron is absorbed from the diet in primarily the duodenum and the jejunum. The body has been known to regulate the amount of absorption; it has been estimated that a diet with 10 to 20 mg of iron leads to approximately 1 mg of iron …
Improved remote-sensing land cover identification using parameterized feedforward neural networks

This article proposes methods of parameterizing the inputs of a feedforward neural network (FFNN) that classifies the land cover (LC) in remote-sensing (RS) images in order to speed up the classification process while maintaining high classification accuracy. FFNN training was optimized via two parameters, the learning time (LT) and the number of neurons (NN), by decorrelating the LC data in the RS image using either a discrete wavelet transform (DWT) or independent component analysis (ICA), although ICA can only be applied to a multiband image. The RS images used in this work have also been the focus of several previous attempts at LC classification using various methods. They consisted of a 4.6-m airborne resolution image with HH polarization that was acquired by a synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) and a 15-m multispectral resolution image acquired by the Terra satellite’s Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER). Corresponding field-truth data was used to validate the FFNN classifiers examined in this work. High resolution gives high accuracy information, so that the LC correlation increases, in this case. Classification results for the ASTER image showed that the NN of the FFNN classifier was reduced by more than half when the classifier was parameterized using a DWT, and by three-quarters when the classifier was parameterized using ICA. Results for the SAR image indicated that the NN of the FFNN classifier was halved when the classifier was parameterized using a DWT. Parameterization also reduced the LT of the classifier. The classification accuracy was assessed using a confusion matrix. The fast parameterized FFNN classifiers presented strong classification performance characteristics, similar to those of the original FFNN classifier, with overall accuracies that always exceeded 0.75 and sometimes reached 1. Subsequent work should focus on optimizing the FFNN further by automating two steps: (1) image decomposition using ICA or DWT and (2) FFNN classification.
Nicotine Induces Maternal and Fetal Inflammatory Responses Which Predispose Intrauterine Infection Risk in a Rat Model

INTRODUCTION Both smoking and infection adversely impact pregnancy. Previously, our group identified in a rodent model that 6 mg/kg/d nicotine increased the risk of fetal infection at gestation day (GD) 18. Here, we investigate lower nicotine doses. METHODS Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received nicotine infusion at 0, 1, or 3 mg/kg/d (no, low-, and mid-dose nicotine, respectively) from GD 6, with intravenous inoculation with Mycoplasma pulmonis (MP) at 107 CFU (N = 20) or sterile broth (sham) (N = 11) on GD 14. Uterus and fetuses were retrieved on GD 18 for MP culture and histopathologic evaluation of maternal and fetal inflammatory responses (MIR and FIR). RESULTS At 1 mg/kg/d nicotine, MP colonization rates were decreased, from 100% (9 of 9) to 40% (2 of 5) of MP-inoculated dams (p = .03), and 59% (66 of 111) to 39% (24 of 62) of fetuses (p = .01), versus no nicotine. Low-dose nicotine resulted in increased MIR and FIR in the sham-inoculated group; in the MP-inoculated group, this resulted in reduced relative risk (RR) for placental colonization (RR, 95% CI with high MIR = 0.14, 0.02 to 0.65; FIR = 0.38, 0.12 to 0.93). In contrast, 3 mg/kg/d nicotine treatment did not alter colonization rates; furthermore, FIR was completely suppressed, even in the face of placental or amniotic fluid colonization. CONCLUSION The 1 mg/kg/d nicotine dose decreased risk of intrauterine infection, with increased MIR and FIR. The 3 mg/kg/d nicotine dose inhibited FIR, and increased risk for intrauterine infection. Nicotine alterations of the intrauterine environment were markedly dose-dependent. IMPLICATIONS Nicotine exposure alters intrauterine infection and inflammation in a dose-dependent manner, potentially impacting fetal development and programming. Previous work in a rodent model showed that high-dose nicotine (6 mg/kg/d) exposure exacerbated intrauterine infection during pregnancy. The current study found that low-dose nicotine (1 mg/kg/d) exposure reduced colonization of placenta and amniotic fluid; this decrease was associated with increased intrauterine inflammation. Exposure to mid-dose nicotine (3 mg/kg/d) suppressed fetal inflammation. Elucidation of underlying mechanisms of these phenomena will inform public health and clinical care decisions, particularly in the context of risk assessment of nicotine replacement therapy during pregnancy for smoking cessation.
Endothelial cells promote metastatic melanoma cell invasion via alpha(v)beta(3) integrin

3771 Extravasation of tumor cells through endothelial cells and basement membrane is a critical step in the metastatic process. Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. To determine the role of endothelial cell-tumor cell interaction a co-culture dual chamber system was established. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were seeded in trans-well inserts (upper chamber) and incubated with melanoma cells. The migration and invasion of metastatic melanoma A2058 cells, a cell line isolated from lymph node metastasis, through HUVECs and matrigel was increased 5-folds as compared to A2058 cells alone (p
An S-band Automatically Tunable Bandpass Filter Based on a Machine Learning Approach

This paper presents a novel automatic tuning mechanism that eliminates hand-tuning and is suitable for electronically-tunable microwave filters. The proposed method is based on a machine learning approach using physics-based filter characteristic parameters like resonant frequency, bandwidth, insertion loss, and return loss. The whole tuning process is done automatically and does not require any pre-tuning or human expertise. Furthermore, unlike single-frequency post-production tuning techniques, the presented methodology is applicable to continuously-tunable filters covering a wide frequency range. This method is experimentally tested on an S-band evanescent-mode electronically-tunable bandpass filter that can tune from 2-3. 5GHz. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first demonstration of such an automatic tuning mechanism where the user can specify any frequency of interest and the filter tunes automatically to that frequency within the entire operating range of the filter.
Low fetal fraction in obese women at first trimester cell-free DNA based prenatal screening is not accompanied by differences in total cell-free DNA.

OBJECTIVE Reasons for first trimester noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) test failure in obese women remain elusive. As dilution from maternal sources may be explanatory, we determined the relationship between obesity, fetal fraction (FF), and total cell-free DNA (cfDNA) using our NIPS platform. METHODS We assessed differences in first trimester (≤14 weeks) FF, indeterminate rate, and total cfDNA between obese (n = 518) and normal-weight women (n = 237) after exclusion of confounders (anticoagulation, autoimmunity, aneuploidy) and controlling for covariates. RESULTS Fetal fraction was lower, and the indeterminate rate higher, in obese compared to controls (9.2% ± 4.4 vs. 12.5% ± 4.5, p < 0.001 and 8.4 vs. 1.7%, p < 0.001, respectively), but total cfDNA was not different (92.0 vs. 82.1 pg/µl, p = 0.10). For each week, the FF remained lower in obese women (all p < 0.01) but did not increase across the first trimester for either group. Obesity increased the likelihood of indeterminate result (OR 6.1, 95% CI 2.5, 14.8; p < 0.001) and maternal body mass index correlated with FF (β -0.27, 95% CI -0.3, -0.22; p < 0.001), but not with total cfDNA (β 0.49, 95% CI -0.55, 1.53; p = 0.3). CONCLUSIONS First trimester obese women have persistently low FF and higher indeterminate rates, without differences in total cfDNA, suggesting placental-specific mechanisms versus dilution from maternal sources as a potential etiology.
Measuring Anxiety-Like Behaviors in Rodent Models of Traumatic Brain Injury

Anxiety is a common complaint following acquired traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the measurement of dysfunctional anxiety behavioral states following experimental TBI in rodents is complex. Some studies report increased anxiety after TBI, whereas others find a decreased anxiety-like state, often described as increased risk-taking behavior or impulsivity. These inconsistencies may reflect a lack of standardization of experimental injury models or of behavioral testing techniques. Here, we review the most commonly employed unconditioned tests of anxiety and discuss them in a context of experimental TBI. Special attention is given to the effects of repeated testing, and consideration of potential sensory and motor confounds in injured rodents. The use of multiple tests and alternative data analysis methods are discussed, as well as the potential for the application of common data elements (CDEs) as a means of providing a format for documentation of experimental details and procedures of each published research report. CDEs may improve the rigor, reproducibility, as well as endpoint for better relating findings with clinical TBI phenotypes and the final goal of translation. While this may not resolve all incongruities in findings across laboratories, it is seen as a way forward for standardized and universal data collection for improvement of data quality and sharing, and advance therapies for neuropsychiatric symptoms that often present for decades following TBI.
Steady-State Solutions

When the solutions of (5.1)–(5.3), or (5.4)–(5.6) are independent of t, they are called steady-state solutions, or stationary solutions. These solutions are the possible limits as t→∞ of the corresponding time-dependent solutions if the time dependent solution is global. There is no panacea for their study. However, many methods were developed to study these types of systems.
Comparison of the switching behavior of internally oxidized and powder metallurgical silver metal oxide contact materials

The switching behavior of powder metallurgical and internally oxidized silver tin oxide based and silver cadmium oxide based contact materials was compared. Computer supported analysis of contact performance (contact weld force, changes in electrical resistance and temperature) coupled with an analysis of the impact of electrical switching on physical characteristics (resistance to contact erosion, degradation of contact surface) was examined. Internally oxidized materials exhibited superior erosion resistance while powder metallurgical materials were slightly better regarding weld resistance. Both manufacturing methods produced materials with comparable electrical resistance and temperature performance. Silver cadmium oxide compositions tended to perform better with respect to electrical resistance and temperature while silver tin oxide based materials had slightly improved erosion and weld resistance. However, the relative oxide level and manufacturing method had the dominant influence on contact performance. The results indicate that consideration to both the manufacturing method as well as the composition should be given when choosing an electrical contact material.
Staging Static Analyses Using Abstraction-Based Program Specialization

Conventional partial evaluators specialize programs with respect to concrete values, but programs can also be specialized with respect to abstractions of concrete values. We present a novel method for staging static analyses using abstraction-based program specialization (ABPS). Building on earlier work by Consel and Khoo and Jones, we give an ABPS system that serves as a formal foundation for a suite of analysis and verification tools that we are developing for Ada programs. Our tool set makes use of existing verification packages. Currently many programs must be hand-transformed before they can be submitted to these packages. We have determined that these hand-transformations can be carried out automatically using ABPS. Thus, preprocessing programs using ABPS can significantly extend the applicability of existing tools without modifying the tools themselves.
Astrometry and Geodesy from VLBI

Dual frequency Mark III VLBI observations acquired since 1979 by several geodetic and astrometric observing programs have been used to establish precise celestial and terrestrial reference frames. The program to establish a uniformly distributed celestial reference frame of ~400 compact radio sources with optical counterparts was begun in 1987. Some 700 sources have been considered as part of this effort and a preliminary list of ~400 has been observed. At present, 308 sources have formal 1σ errors less than 1 mas in right ascension and 308 have similar precision in declination. The astrometric results include some data acquired for geodetic purposes. The geodetic results using data to September, 1992 include the positions of 105 sites with formal lσ horizontal errors generally less than 1 cm at 1992.6 and the velocities of 64 sites with formal 1σ horizontal errors generally better than 2 mm/yr.
Data Buffering and Allocation in Mapping Generalized Template Matching on Reconfigurable Systems

Image processing algorithms for 2D digital filtering, morphologic operations, motion estimation, and template matching involve massively parallel computations that can benefit from using reconfigurable systems with massive field programmable gate array (FPGA) hardware resources. In addition, each algorithm can be considered a special case of a “generalized template matching” (GTM) operation. Application performance on reconfigurable computer systems is often limited by the bandwidth to host or off chip memory. This paper describes the GTM operation and characterizes the data allocation and buffering strategies for the GTM operation on reconfigurable computers. Several mechanisms that support different levels of parallelism are proposed and summarized in the paper. Finally, the implementation of an infrared automatic target recognition application on two commercial FPGA boards is used to demonstrate the various design options with different data allocation and buffering mechanisms and the pruning of the design space based on the FPGA area and memory constraints.
A systematic search strategy for product configuration

Constraint satisfaction problem (CSP) paradigm has proven highly successful in product configuration, particularly for build-to-order products, by assigning component types to all components without violating any constraints. For engineer-to-order products, however, product configuration requires assigning design parameters to each component as well. Hence, it often involves numeric variables, n-ary constraints, and constraints over variables that depend on other variables. Thus, an efficient search strategy is needed to address these issues. In this paper, an extension to the CSP, called Dependent CSP, is proposed to accommodate the complex engineer-to-order product configuration and the search strategy. In the Dependent CSP, variables are categorized as independent variables and dependent variables so that, search space can be reduced by eliminating dependent variables. Backjumping search strategy is employed to search for a solution as effective as possible. An updating mechanism is designed to avoid repetitive and unnecessary variable updating and constraint evaluation. Several variable ordering heuristics are assessed and the most effective ones are chosen for solution implementation. By applying these strategies, we can achieve a very efficient search algorithm for product configuration. The algorithm has been applied in a product configuration problem - an elevator system design - and a configuration solution can be obtained in a matter of seconds.
Pathogen testing of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products collected at federally inspected establishments in the United States, 1990 to 1999.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) conducted microbiological testing programs for ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products produced at approximately 1,800 federally inspected establishments. All samples were collected at production facilities and not at retail. We report results here for the years 1990 through 1999. Prevalence data for Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, or staphylococcal enterotoxins in nine different categories of RTE meat and poultry products are presented and discussed. The prevalence data have certain limitations that restrict statistical inferences, because these RTE product-testing programs are strictly regulatory in nature and not statistically designed. The cumulative 10-year Salmonella prevalences were as follows: jerky, 0.31%; cooked, uncured poultry products, 0.10%; large-diameter cooked sausages, 0.07%; small-diameter cooked sausages, 0.20%; cooked beef, roast beef, and cooked corned beef, 0.22%; salads, spreads, and pâtes, 0.05%; and ...
Confusiones ingeniadas por Roberto G. Fernández en Raining Backwards y En la Ocho y la Doce: antesala de Entre dos aguas.

Roberto G. Fernandez ha ofrecido a sus lectores diversas narraciones caricaturescas de la presencia cubana en los Estados Unidos. Uno de los temas recurrentes es la confusion que reina en el dialogo de sus protagonistas y la carencia de comunicacion entre ellos. Su ultima entrega, Entre dos aguas, sigue el mismo estilo narrativo, pero esta vez se enfoca en cubanos fuera y dentro de la Isla.
STRUCTURE SIDE-EFFECT SORTING OF DRUGS

A literature survey has been done on drug- and chemical-associated nephrotoxicities. Among the 1450 entries examined about 225 (15.5%) have been associated with various types of renal toxicities. These include heavy metals, halogenated organic solvents and general anaesthetics, glycols, analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors), sulphonamides, various antibiotics (aminoglycosides, penicillins and cephalosporins, tetracyclines. amphotericin B. polymyxins and vancomycin), radiographic contrast media and others. Common structural features and possible mechanisms involved in these nephrotoxins are discussed. It is hoped that appropriate measures and advice will be given by physicians and pharmacists to patients taking any of these drugs, especially if predisposing factors are present or prolonged administration of these drugs is needed for the control of chronic diseases (such as analgesic and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents in controlling rheumatoid arthritis).
Group-centric models for secure and agile information sharing

To share information and retain control (share-but-protect) is a classic cyber security problem for which effective solutions continue to be elusive. Where the patterns of sharing are well defined and slow to change it is reasonable to apply the traditional access control models of lattice-based, role-based and attribute-based access control, along with discretionary authorization for further fine-grained control as required. Proprietary and standard rights markup languages have been developed to control what a legitimate recipient can do with the received information including control over its further discretionary dissemination. This dissemination-centric approach offers considerable flexibility in terms of controlling a particular information object with respect to already defined attributes of users, subjects and objects. However, it has many of the same or similar problems that discretionary access control manifests relative to role-based access control. In particular specifying information sharing patterns beyond those supported by currently defined authorization attributes is cumbersome or infeasible. Recently a novel mode of information sharing called group-centric was introduced by these authors. Group-centric secure information sharing (g-SIS) is designed to be agile and accommodate ad hoc patterns of information sharing. In this paper we review g-SIS models, discuss their relationship with traditional access control models and demonstrate their agility relative to these.
Immunological Studies on Dermatophytes I. Serological Reactivities of Neutral Polysaccharides with Rabbit Antiserum to Microsporum quinckeanum

Antiserum produced in the rabbit to autoclaved mycelial suspensions of Microsporum quinckeanum reacted with three neutral polysaccharides isolated from each of five species of dermatophytes, M. quinckeanum, Trichophyton granulosum, T. interdigitale, T. rubrum, and T. schonleinii. The serological reactivities of these polysaccharides, grouped as galactomannans I, galactomannans II, and glucans, were compared by qualitative precipitation analyses in gel and quantitative complement-fixation analyses. Significant differences were found among the glucans and galactomannans II but not among the galactomannans I of these species.
Fraud, security, and Controls in Small Businesses: A Proposed Research Agenda

Fraud and security issues are significant problems faced by businesses. Based on a survey of certified fraud examiners reported in the 2016 ACFE Report to the Nations, total annual loses of all businesses exceeded six billion dollars with an average per case loss just under three million dollars. Small businesses, defined as those with less than 100 employees, reported median fraud losses that were virtually identical to the losses of large businesses. However, given the relative magnitude of assets for these two sizes of businesses, the fraud losses for small businesses have a much bigger impact on small businesses than on large ones. Given the importance of fraud loses to small businesses, fraud, security, and compliance issues are discussed within this context at a conceptual level along with a proposed research agenda. The presented discussion is framed within the special problems, issues, and potential solutions to fraud and compliance in small businesses. We begin with security and compliance issues faced by all businesses. The essence is that the security and compliance solutions (e.g., software) suitable for large businesses are often inappropriate for small businesses. Based on these results, recommendations for small business controls are offered. These recommendations are structured into three sections, understanding the small business control environment, developing internal controls, and security and compliance software for small businesses. In each of these sections, techniques specific to small businesses are presented. After discussing the need to perform additional research in this area, a research agenda is proposed. The specific topics of identifying the target population, methods of fully understanding the target population, data collection and analysis, and potential manuscripts are presented. A brief summary of the paper is then provided.
Experimental observation of coherent millimeter wave radiation in a folded waveguide employed with a gyrating electron beam.

The first experimental observation of a strong millimeter wave radiation from a gyrating electron beam propagating through an H-plane bend rectangular folded waveguide is reported. Measurements of power, frequency, and relative phase change of both forward- and backward-wave radiations verified that the oscillation originated from an absolute instability near a stop band of the second space harmonic. A high power radiation of 5.5 kW which corresponds to an electronic efficiency of 24% was observed at 32.8 GHz.
Clinical electrophysiology, efficacy and safety of chronic oral cibenzoline therapy in refractory ventricular tachycardia.

Abstract The electrocardiographic (ECG) and electrophysiologic (EP) effects, clinical efficacy and safety of oral cibenzoline therapy were evaluated using a twice-daily dosing regimen in patients with refractory ventricular tachycardia (VT). Twenty patients underwent EP studies in the control (drug-free) state and after cibenzoline therapy using an incremental dose-titration protocol. Oral cibenzoline (2.4 to 5.8 mg/kg/day) was administered in doses of 130, 160 or 190 mg at 12-hour intervals. ECG and EP variables, 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring and programmed electrical stimulation studies were obtained in the control state and after 11 ± 4 days of cibenzoline therapy. Cibenzoline therapy prolonged the mean PR interval (from 179 ± 29 to 201 ± 36 ms, p
Computational vision model to assess work-zone conspicuity

A computational means to assess the conspicuity of highway features was developed, verified, and then applied to a sample construction work zone scene. This work was conceived as a balance between modeling the complex phenomena within the human visual system and the need for a simple applications-oriented tool for practitioners to derive a quantitative relative assessment of real-world construction work zones to rank choices in terms of conspicuity. The results indicate that the vision model-based tool can assess the relative conspicuity of individual elements of a roadway or roadside scene and is relatively straightforward in use. As such, it holds potential value in virtual prototyping of work-zone sight lines, colors, and placement of hazard warning cues, such as cones, markings, and reflective vests.
Effects of chronic 2g centrifugation on equilibrium behavior in the rat.

Mature rats were exposed to chronic centrifugation at 2 g for 60 days. A rail test was utilized to quantitatively evaluate equilibrium behavior in a static and dynamic situation after return to the earth standard 1g environment. Exposure to chronic centrifugation was shown to significantly alter equilibrium behavior. The 2 g animals showed greater disequilibrium than 1 g control animals under both static and dynamic situations. The differences between the two groups increased under more dynamic test conditions. A mechanism is suggested to account for these differences.
Strategy of tension: The Belgian terrorist crisis 1982–1986

Abstract Between 1982 and 1986, Belgium suffered a series of terrorist attacks that claimed more than 30 lives, making this campaign one of the most destructive in the recent history of western Europe. Two major groups were involved: one was purportedly a leftist radical sect, the other an anonymous cell popularly known as the “mad killers,” whom subsequent investigation has shown to be connected to neo‐Nazi organizations. Both groups were apparently seeking to destabilize the Belgian state at a time of intense political conflict, and it was widely suggested that the apparently opposed political extremes were actually allied in a common cause. In addition, official enquiries established connections between the terrorist groups and agents of Belgian state security. This paper discusses the use of terrorism in a political “strategy of tension” modeled on that developed in Italy in the late 1960s. It also suggests that the contemporary structure of European terrorist groups readily lends itself to manipulati...
Coupling of volume and surface effects in scattering, and the "splitting rule".

Multiple scattering processes in a heterogeneous medium with rough boundaries lead inevitably to coupling of volume and surface effects. Our study of this problem using a statistical wave theory shows the nature of this coupling, brings forth the issues involved, and gives the approximations required to separate volume and surface effects. We hence understand that, only under rather special conditions, these two effects can be decoupled according to the “splitting rule” suggested by Guerin and Sentenac [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A24, 385 (2007)10.1364/JOSAA.24.000385JOAOD60740-3232]. One situation where the two effects approximately separate is when the boundary roughness is small. In this case our results are in agreement with [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A24, 385 (2007)10.1364/JOSAA.24.000385JOAOD60740-3232] and [Waves Random Media7, 303 (1997)WRMEEV0959-7174]. Apart from this special situation, we find that volume and boundary effects always get coupled. Therefore, it is apparent that a splitting rule is a special property rather than a general law.
Modification to the scattering behavior of a sphere by reactive loading

The scattering of a plane electromagnetic wave by a metallic sphere loaded with a circumferential slot in the plane normal to the direction of incidence is investigated. The slot is assumed to be of small but nonzero width with a constant electric field across it, and under these assumptions the analysis is exact. The field scattered in any direction is then obtained by the superposition of the field diffracted by an unloaded sphere, and that radiated by an excited slot at the position of the load, with the radiation strength of the slot related to the loading characteristics in the combined problem. Numerical results are presented, primarily for the case of back scattering, and these are compared with experimental measurements made using a sphere with an equatorial slot backed by a radial cavity of adjustable depth. The agreement is excellent.
Simulation of ballistic and non-Fourier thermal transport in ultra-fast laser heating

In this work, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is developed to simulate pico- and femtosecond laser heating of silicon. The temperature fields calculated by the LBM are compared with those obtained from the parabolic heat conduction equation (PHCE) and the hyperbolic heat conduction equation (HHCE). Although the HHCE overcomes the dilemma of infinite thermal propagation speed of the PHCE, it cannot be applied to length scales comparable to the mean free path of energy carriers because of the breakdown of continuum approaches under severe nonequilibrium conditions. The LBM, considering both effects, can be used in both short temporal and spatial scales. From the results of the LBM, it is found that the speed of thermal wave at the ballistic limit is equal to the speed of sound, instead of the value predicted by the HHCE, which is valid only in the diffuse limit. It is also demonstrated that the traditional way of calculating heat flux using the temperature gradient gives rise to physically unreasonable results at the thermal wave front, while the LBM has no such drawback.
Focal properties of a plane grating in a convergent beam.

Focusing from a plane grating can be accomplished by using convergent radiation incident on the grating in such a manner that any incident angle αn, and the resulting diffraction angle βn, will be on the same side of the grating normal. The theory for the focal properties is developed by applying Fermat’s principle of least time to selected terms resulting from a finite series expansion of the system’s distance function. Derivations are given for finding the focal curve equation, astigmatism, and coma, of the most usable configuration of the optical components. Discussions of the aberrations disclose methods for eliminating the astigmatism and reducing the coma.