cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Compartmental modeling of /sup 18/FDG in the heart using dynamic SPECT

Dynamic PET imaging of /sup 18/FDG in the heart has been shown to provide valuable diagnostic and prognostic information in terms of myocardial viability. With the use of three detector systems and 511 keV collimators, dynamic SPECT /sup 18/FDG may be feasible. It is of interest to determine if dynamic SPECT imaging of myocardial /sup 18/FDG with a compartmental modeling approach can result in accurate parameter estimates, thereby providing quantitative data for assessment of coronary disease. A computer simulation and two canine studies were used to investigate imaging /sup 18/FDG with dynamic SPECT. Time-activity curves for blood and the myocardium were simulated with values from published dynamic PET studies. Sub-projections were calculated around each projection angle at a fine temporal resolution and integrated to reflect the inconsistencies inherent with serial (SPECT) projection acquisitions. Point response and realistic noise levels were incorporated. The projections were reconstructed with ML-EM (no point response modeled). Useful parameter estimates were obtained from regions of interest the size of one-quarter of a slice. In addition, dynamic /sup 18/FDG imaging of two canines was performed. Reasonable parameter estimates in the canine studies were obtained using the left ventricle as one large region and incorporating plasma samples for the input function.
Residential Context, Social Relationships, and Subjective Well-Being in Assisted Living

Adaptive reframing and cumulative inequality theory provide the conceptual framework for investigating associations between four measures of subjective well-being (general, temporal, comparative, a...
Treatment of the Addicted Client Utilizing Rogerian Theory

Addiction is defined by Goodman and Gilman (1980) as a pattern of behavior characterized by overwhelming involvement with using a drug, securing its supply, and a high tendency to relapse after quitting or experiencing withdrawal. Talbott (1989) defines addiction simply as illogical, compulsive drug use. It is conceptualized as the need to modify pain and the use of chemicals to achieve that end. Addiction is considered by many experts in the field to be one of the most difficult diseases to treat, given the fact that it attacks every system of the human body, as well as simultaneously altering an individual’s cognitive and affective capabilities (Cony & Cimbolic, 1985). Drug-dependence is now often described as the greatest threat to contemporary society. Dr. Robert Millman, director of the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Program at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, noted that with the inclusion of over-thecounter medications, few persons in the United States could be found who do not use some form of a psychoactive drug. Drug use and drug terminology have permeated our language, recreation, music, and reading materials. They have been woven into the fabric of Americana and now pose as the greatest health risk to the American people-if not to the world (Franklin, 1990). This paper focuses on demonstrating the need to treat addicted clients in a unique and individualized manner. Using the model of the client as a unitary human being as a premise of treatment, the Rogerian model of nursing can be applied to a deadly and costly disease-addiction-and its tenets used as a framework for intervention. The Phenomenon of Addiction Addiction is frequently described as a long, painful, and slow process (Carroll, 1985). The human toll of addiction is evident in every facet of the person’s existence. During prolonged drug dependence, emotions escalate, pain is magnified, and coping evolves into maladaptive patterns. Addiction is frequently described in terms of its physiological symptoms, but underlying this surface presentation is a plethora of emotions, including turbulence, rage, anger, and self-hatred. It is a complex disease, and physical manifestations are only a portion of the entire mosaic. The more difficult facets of treatment are likely to elicit a breakthrough of denial rather than a medical stabilization of physiological alterations. As the tentacles of addiction spread far and wide, the addict’s life becomes unmanageable. Personal relationships disintegrate, family support shatters, and personal health spirals downward, all of which potentially reinforce anhedonia, disorganization of ego strength, and diminished self-worth. The addicted individual is closely tied to the environment of hidher orgins, and this environmental link becomes one of the many foci in addressing treatment. The environment may be a “crackhouse,” a prostitution ring, or a loving home with the trappings of success. These commonalities are the spe
Liposome-Encapsulated Amphotericin B: A Promising New Treatment for Disseminated Fungal Infections

Amphotericin B therapy is hampered by numerous adverse effects but remains the treatment of choice for disseminated fungal infections. A new form of amphotericin B delivery, which utilizes liposome vesicles, is currently under investigation. Preliminary evidence suggests that liposome-encapsulated amphotericin B has a wider therapeutic index than free amphotericin B and allows for the use of larger total doses. The mechanism of reduced toxicity and enhanced activity may be associated with a liposome donor effect, an erythrocyte protective effect, and a liposome-targeting ability. Liposome-encapsulated amphotericin B tends to be entrapped or taken up by organs rich in reticuloendothelial cells--a particular advantage since disseminated fungal infections localize in these areas. This liposome-encapsulated preparation appears to represent a promising new form of antifungal therapy that may reduce the dose-limiting toxicities of amphotericin B and improve treatment response.
Assessing the effectiveness of drug courts on recidivism: A meta-analytic review of traditional and non-traditional drug courts

Abstract Purpose The objective of this research was to systematically review quasi-experimental and experimental evaluations of the effectiveness of drug courts in reducing offending. Methods Our search identified 154 independent evaluations: 92 evaluations of adult drug courts, 34 of juvenile drug courts, and 28 of DWI drug courts. The findings of these studies were synthesized using meta-analysis. Results The vast majority of adult drug court evaluations, even the most rigorous evaluations, find that participants have lower recidivism than non-participants. The average effect of participation is analogous to a drop in recidivism from 50% to 38%; and, these effects last up to three years. Evaluations of DWI drug courts find effects similar in magnitude to those of adult drug courts, but the most rigorous evaluations do not uniformly find reductions in recidivism. Juvenile drug courts have substantially smaller effects on recidivism. Larger reductions in recidivism were found in adult drug courts that had high graduation rates, and those that accepted only non-violent offenders. Conclusions These findings support the effectiveness of adult drug courts in reducing recidivism. The evidence assessing DWI courts' effectiveness is very promising but more experimental evaluations are needed. Juvenile drug courts typically produce small reductions in recidivism.
Methods of microbial control in marine fish larval rearing: clay-based turbidity and passive larval transfer

This study focused on methods to reduce bacterial loads in the larval culture tanks of California yellowtail (Seriola lalandi). We conducted two trials to evaluate methods to minimize bacterial loads in the larval rearing water. The first trial examined the use of bentonite clay as a turbidity agent to replace algae in a green water-type environment. This trial consisted of three treatments: (1) clay with continuous feeding (CCO), (2) clay with batch feedings (CBA) and (3) algae paste with batch feedings (ALG). The results showed that both clay treatments had significantly fewer Vibrio colonies in the water column (CBA – 180 ± 78; CCO – 377 ± 120 CFU mL−1) than the ALG treatment (5692 ± 2396 CFU mL−1) after 14 days of culture. Survival was significantly higher in the CCO treatment (14.1 ± 2.6%) than either the CBA (2.3 ± 0.5%) or ALG treatments (2.8 ± 1.5%). The second trial attempted to limit bacterial loading in the larval culture tank by passively transferring the larvae into an adjacent, clean tank at 1, 5 and 9 days post hatch during the first 2 weeks of culture. The results from this trial showed that after 12 days of culture, water in the transfertank had fewer Vibrio colonies (1025 ± 541 CFU mL−1) than the water in the control tanks (1962 ± 1415 CFU mL−1). Also, survival was significantly higher among larvae that were transferred (43.9 ± 13.5%) than in the control tanks (23.1 ± 6.3%).
“Venturesome and Cautious”: American History in the 1990s

The profession, as one respondent observed, is "venturesome but cautious." Reading the responses to theJAH survey, especially the answers to the questions that invited brief statements, confirms that characterization. Although there is in the academy today much talk about secularism and post-structuralism, among the American historians represented in this survey the Bible was named more frequently, by a wide margin, than any other book as a major intellectual influence. And the next most cited writings belonged not toJacques Derrida, as readers of Gertrude Himmelfarb, or even Peter Novick, might have suspected, but to Richard Hofstadter and Karl Marx.1 The name of Derrida did not appear at all, and Michel Foucault's books were cited for influence less often than J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. If that is amusing, it is disturbing to find only four historians claiming to have been influenced by Max Weber or Sigmund Freud or Hannah Arendt; only three by Marc Bloch; only one by Ruth Benedict, Pierre Bourdieu, or Robert Merton (though three by Thomas Merton); and none by Emile Durkheim, Karl Mannheim, Jurgen Habermas, or Hans-Georg Gadamer.2 It was heartening to discover the considerable influence of W. E. B. Du Bois, William Faulkner, Karl Marx, Mark Twain, and Alexis de Tocqueville (surprising now in a way he would not have been in the 1950s). An impressive list, but not particularly contemporary. Historians need not and ought not chase current fads nor depend upon other disciplines for their ideas. Still, I regret that the responses of American historians did not reveal a fuller engagement with the most advanced transdisciplinary ideas of their own decade and
The TEACH Method: An Interactive Approach for Teaching the Needs-Based Theories Of Motivation.

This paper describes an interactive approach for explaining and teaching the Needs-Based Theories of Motivation. The acronym TEACH stands for Theory, Example, Application, Collaboration, and Having Discussion. This method can help business students to better understand and distinguish the implications of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Alderfer’s ERG Theory, Herzberg’s 2 Factor Theory, and McClelland’s Acquired Needs Theory through in-class activities and application. The TEACH Method is an interactive approach for teaching the NeedsBased Theories of Motivation. Business faculty who teach Human Resource Management, Leadership, Management, and Organizational Behavior must introduce and teach the topic of motivation. Many students find difficulty in grasping the concepts and implications of the multiple theories of motivation. The TEACH Method introduces a model for helping students learn, apply, and analyze the merits of each of the Needs-Based Theories of Motivation. Business faculty can also benefit from using this approach to assure learning outcomes, to stimulate critical thinking, and to encourage higher levels of student engagement and participation in classroom discussion. This model can be facilitated in two 50 minute increments.
Review of Marion Danis, Emily Largent, David Wendler, Sara Chandros Hull, Seema Shah, Joseph Millum, Benjamin Berkman, and Christine Grady, Research Ethics Consultation: A Casebook1

In Research Ethics Consultation: A Casebook, clinical research ethics consultation is broadly defined as “a service provided by a team of consultants to assist clinical researchers, IRB members, re...
BARTHEL SELF-CARE INDEX AND GERIATRIC HOME CARE PATIENTS

Barthel Self-care Index scores were recorded at 6-month intervals for patients in a geriatric home care program by an occupational therapist in cooperation with an interdisciplinary health care team. Scores ranged from 10 to 100 with an overall mean score of 83.9. Lowest score for a patient living alone was 75 and that patient required extensive social services to remain in the community. The data suggest that the Barthel Index may be useful in helping to define the personal care needs of the frail community elderly and in identifying the need to consider institutional placement.
The interface of language aptitude and multilingualism: Reconsidering the bilingual/multilingual dichotomy

This study is an attempt to fill the gap in SLA research regarding the understudied interface of language aptitude and multilingualism. Although there have been numerous studies lauding the benefits of bilingualism and multilingualism, very few studies have examined the relationship between language aptitude and previous language experience (cf. Sanz, 2000). Using the Cognitive Ability for Novelty in Acquisition of Language (Foreign) aptitude test (CANAL-FT), which is based on Sternberg's (2002) triarchic theory of human intelligence, the language aptitude scores from 79 Brazilian language learners were analyzed using one-way ANOVAs. Interviews were also conducted to obtain further insight to the participants' language learning experiences. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed; the results indicate that previous language experience has an effect on language aptitude, thus supporting the concept of language aptitude as a dynamic feature. Furthermore, even those participants with a small amount of previous language learning experience outperformed those with no language learning experience other than English on the CANAL-FT, as did those participants who exhibited the feature of Perceived Positive Language Interaction (PPLI). Thus, the results also indicate a need to closely monitor the linguistic background of participants in future studies, as previous language experience was shown to have a significant effect on language aptitude scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Effect of Polymorphism on Casein Stability in Salt Solutions of Varying Complexity Before and After Freezing

Abstract Stability of 515 casein samples of varying polymorphic composition was tested in systems containing: .02M calcium; .02M calcium + 5% α -lactose; .02M calcium + 5% α -lactose + .035% phosphorous; .02M calcium + 5% α -lactose + 2% citrate; .02M calcium + 5% α -lactose + .14% chlorine; .02M calcium + 5% α -lactose + .035% phosphorous +.2% citrate; and .02M calcium + 5% α -lactose + .2% citrate + .14% chlorine. Combination α s1 B + β A + κ A representing 35.6% of the samples gave stabilities lower than averages before and after freezing while α s1 B + β A + κ AB representing 25.5% of the samples gave stabilities higher before and lower after freezing. Combination α s1 B + β AB + κ AB representing 15.9% of the samples gave higher stabilities before and after freezing. Irrespective of polymorphic composition, Channel breeds and Brown Swiss produced casein of higher stabilities, both before and after freezing, while beef breeds, Holsteins, and Ayrshires gave caseins with lower stabilities.
Table-based simulation of delta-sigma modulators

The program ZSIM (nonlinear Z-domain simulator) is used to explore the benefits and limitations of a table-based approach to the simulation of delta-sigma modulators with switched-capacitor integrators. Simulations demonstrating the effects of clock feedthrough and incomplete settling are presented, as are simulations demonstrating the importance of using an accurate and charge-conservative circuit simulator for the table point transient simulations. The methods used are appropriate for other discrete-time systems where simulation of system-level performance based on the results of transient circuit simulation is desired. >
How I Manage Pain After Total Knee Replacement

A comprehensive, perioperative multimodal pain protocol for total knee replacement including use of a periarticular injection is described here. An appropriately designed and implemented multimodal pain protocol will reduce postoperative pain levels, need for narcotic medication, side effects, and adverse events while improving functional recovery (including ambulation, discharge from hospital, and range of motion), and patient satisfaction.
A Reexamination of the Polymorphism of Ca3SiO5

Polymorphic transitions in CasSiO6 have been investigated by precise high-temperature X-ray diffractometer measurements and by differential thermal analyses. In addition to change caused by normal thermal expansion, three principal crystallographic transformations take place: α-triclinic–β–triclinic (sluggish) in the range 550° to 700°C; 8-triclinic-monoclinic at 910°± 10°C; and monoclinic-trigonal at 970°± 10°C. The sluggish 550° to 700° C reaction alternatively may be interpreted as two separate triclinic-triclinic transitions, accompanied by broad endothermic heat effects at 575° and 675°C.
Authoritative feeding behaviors to reduce child BMI through online interventions

PURPOSE.: The purpose of the study was to examine the feasibility and initial efficacies of parent- and/or child-focused online interventions and variables correlated with child body mass index percentile change. DESIGN AND METHODS.: A feasibility and cluster randomized controlled pilot study was used. RESULTS.: Recruitment was more effective at parent-teacher conferences compared with when materials were sent home with fifth- to eighth-grade culturally diverse students. Retention was 90% for students and 62-74% for parents. Authoritative parent feeding behaviors were associated with lower child body mass index. A larger study is warranted. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS.: Online approaches may provide a feasible option for childhood obesity prevention and amelioration.
Dynamics of Electron Injection in Nanocrystalline Titanium Dioxide Films Sensitized with (Ru(4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine)2(NCS)2) by Infrared Transient Absorption

We have used femtosecond pump−probe spectroscopy to time resolve the injection of electrons into nanocrystalline TiO2 film electrodes under ambient conditions following photoexcitation of the adsorbed dye, [Ru(4,4‘-dicarboxy-2,2‘-bipyridine)2(NCS)2] (N3). Pumping at one of the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer absorption peaks and probing the absorption by injected electrons in the TiO2 at 1.52 μm and in the range of 4.1−7.0 μm, we have directly observed the arrival of electrons injected into the TiO2 film. Our measurements indicate an instrument-limited ∼50 fs upper limit on the electron injection time. We have compared the infrared transient absorption for noninjecting systems consisting of N3 in ethanol and N3 adsorbed to films of nanocrystalline Al2O3 and ZrO2 and found no indication of electron injection at probe wavelengths in the mid-IR (4.1−7.0 μm).
Selective loss of sphingosine 1-phosphate signaling with no obvious phenotypic abnormality in mice lacking its G protein-coupled receptor, LP(B3)/EDG-3.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) exerts diverse physiological actions by activating its cognate G protein-coupled receptors. Five S1P receptors have been identified in mammals: LPB1/EDG-1, LPB2/H218/AGR16/EDG-5, LPB3/EDG-3, LPB4/NRG-1/EDG-8, and LPC1/EDG-6. One of these receptors, LPB1, has recently been shown to be essential for mouse embryonic development. Here we disrupted the lpB3 gene in mice, resulting in the complete absence of lpB3 gene, transcript, and LPB3 protein. LPB3-null mice were viable and fertile and developed normally with no obvious phenotypic abnormality. We prepared mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells to examine effects of LPB3 deletion on S1P-induced signal transduction pathways. Wild-type MEF cells expressedlpB1, lpB2, andlpB3 but neither lpB4nor lpC1, and they were highly responsive to S1P in phospholipase C (PLC) activation, adenylyl cyclase inhibition, and Rho activation. Identically prepared LPB3-null MEF cells showed significant decreases in PLC activation, slight decreases in adenylyl cyclase inhibition, and no change in Rho activation. Retrovirus-mediated rescue of the LPB3 receptor in LPB3-null MEF cells restored S1P-dependent PLC activation and adenylyl cyclase inhibition. These results indicate a nonessential role for LPB3 in normal development of mouse but show nonredundant cellular signaling mediated by a single type of S1P receptor.
Awakening To Global Health

What we used to call "international health" (suggesting something that went on "over there") has now been renamed and reenergized as "global health." Travel communications and the resurgent power of microorganisms make the health of populations in Asia or Africa mainline concerns in the United States. Both epidemiology and humanitarianism argue for a global view of world health. In her essay tropical medicine specialist Claire Panosian Dunavan discusses the path that led the United States to this new level of awareness about the importance of world health and the realization that as she puts it "the health of others touches all of us-eventually." Twenty-first-century America is the beneficiary of growing numbers of immigrants and their children many of whom are health workers. Aisha Saad came to the United States from Egypt as a child and is now majoring in environmental health science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her experiences on returning to Cairo for a summer to work in a public hospital give her a new view of global health-and her role in it. (authors)
Differentiated caching services; a control-theoretical approach

The increasing diversity of Internet appliances calls for an architecture for performance differentiation on information access. The World Wide Web is the dominant interface for information access today. Web proxy caching is the key performance accelerator in the Web infrastructure. While many research efforts have addressed performance differentiation in the network and on Web servers, providing multiple levels of service in proxy caches has received much less attention. This paper has two main contributions. First, we describe, implement and evaluate an architecture for differentiated content caching services as a key element of the Internet infrastructure. Second, we describe a control-theoretical approach that lays well-understood theoretical foundations for resource management to achieve performance differentiation in proxy caches. We describe our experiences with implementing the differentiated caching services scheme in Squid, a popular proxy cache used by many Internet service providers today. Experimental studies and analyses prove that differentiated caching services provide significant better performance to the premium content classes.
The Hook behind the Rapper: The Tension in a Diegetic Rhetoric of Music in The Wire

The Wire, often considered one of the best shows on television, utilizes long-form storytelling techniques to great success. Scholars have often looked at the show from the perspective of cultural theory and rhetoric, often considering both at the same time. However, one rhetorical element of the show is often overlooked: its music. This is not surprising, since the show primarily utilizes diegetic music—that is, the music is part of the narrative and not used as a direct emotional manipulator or hailing device, which is often the case in other TV shows. In this essay, I argue that music is an important rhetorical device in the show, one that displays a tension between its use as a purely diegetic sonic prop and its function as a device that draws the audience into a deeper, subtler rhetoric occurring between characters.
Influence of defocus on quantitative analysis of microscopic objects and individual cells with digital holography

Digital holography offers a unique method for studying microscopic objects using quantitative measurements of the optical phase delays of transmitted light. The optical phase may be integrated across the object to produce an optical volume measurement, a parameter related to dry mass by a simple scaling factor. While digital holography is useful for comparing the properties of microscopic objects, especially cells, we show here that quantitative comparisons of optical phase can be influenced by the focal plane of the measurement. Although holographic images can be refocused digitally using Fresnel propagation, ambiguity can result if this aspect is not carefully controlled. We demonstrate that microscopic objects can be accurately profiled by employing a digital refocusing method to analyze phase profiles of polystyrene microspheres and red blood cells.
The Case for Secular Activism

A critique of irrational social institutions and their role in upholding oppression would not be complete without a discussion of religion. The Nonhuman Animal rights movement has sustained bloated nonprofits, sexism, and racism despite the tendency for these institutions to work against liberation efforts. The same may also hold true for religious approaches to vegan abolition. Religion is sometimes a powerful tool for many social movements, and it can certainly offer particular benefits to mobilization and claimsmaking that should not be rejected. However, this chapter will offer an alternative, secularized approach worth considering. Religious ideology often stands in opposition to a scientific, evidence-based approach to anti-oppression work. Many advocates rely on faith as a point of resonance, but faith alone is insufficient for effective advocacy. Indeed, faith has historically acted as an important barrier to social progress. This chapter will discuss institution-alized religion and its relationship with Nonhuman Animal oppression. It is argued that religious tactics are largely inappropriate for challenging inequality, specifically speciesism.
Displacement-Based Compatibility Strut-and-Tie Method and Application to Monotonic and Cyclic Loading

AbstractThe compatibility strut-and-tie method (C–STM) is an efficient minimalist nonlinear modeling approach for shear-critical reinforced concrete members. This paper presents two key improvements to the C–STM to better model overall behavior through failure. First, modified softened diagonal concrete struts are incorporated directly into the analysis, thereby eliminating any need for post-processing analysis, to enable accurate modeling of the failure load. Second, modeling modifications are made so that the analysis may be conducted in displacement control, thereby permitting cyclic loading and post-peak (failure) load-displacement behavior to be predicted. The modifications are implemented in SAP2000 and verified with experimental results for both monotonic and cyclic loading cases. It is observed that the C–STM predicts the overall force-deformation behavior of the structure quite well. Additionally, the C–STM also predicts the internal strain-dependent behavior of the structure and gives insights i...
Inducing Immune Infringement: The Interplay of § 287(c) and § 271(b) of the Patent Act

This paper explores the relationship between two statutes in the Patent Act. First, the Physician’s Immunity Statute, § 287(c), which grants immunity to medical practitioners who infringe a medical method patent. Second, the inducement statute, § 271(b), which states that a patent holder may recover from a party who 'actively induces' patent infringement. In what circumstances, if any, should the medical practitioner’s immunity be extended to the inducer? Medical method patents are now regularly issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office. While the issuance of medical method patents in the United States is a foregone conclusion, many countries do not issue medical method patents for public policy reasons. Even within the United States, considerable controversy remains regarding the enforcement of medical method patents. In response to the controversial case of Pallin v Singer, § 287(c) was enacted in 1997 to limit infringement actions against doctors. The statutory language and legislative history of § 287(c) left open several questions, including the scope of inducement liability. Part I of the paper briefly lays out the legislative history and policy of § 287(c). Part II explains the statutory framework of § 287(c) and flags several questions for determining the scope of inducement liability. Part III introduces inducement liability and its importance for medical methods, including the breadth of potential liability. Finally, Part IV lays a proposed framework for courts to determine when an inducer should be held liable for infringement of a medical method patent.
Altered Expression and Function of Kv Channels in Primary Pulmonary Hypertension

Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is a progressive, fatal disease that is characterized by a sustained elevation of pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance from an unknown cause. The incidence of PPH is about 1–2 per million in the general population, and the mean life expectancy after diagnosis is 2.5 years. Although PPH can occur in individuals of all ages and both genders, it predominantly affects women (Rubin, 1997).
Heat Sink Induced Thermo-Mechanical Joint Strain in QFN Devices

A blade server system (BSS) utilizes voltage regulator modules (VRMs), in the form of quad flat no-lead (QFN) devices, to provide power distribution to various components on the system board. Depending on the power requirements of the circuit, these VRMs can be mounted as single devices or banked together. In addition, the power density of the VRM can be high enough to warrant heat dissipation through the use of a heat sink. Typically, at field conditions (FCs), the BSS are powered on and off up to four times per day, with their ambient temperature cycling between 25°C and 80°C. This cyclical temperature gradient drives inelastic strain in the solder joints due to the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the QFN and the circuit card. In addition, the heat sink, coupled with the QFN and the circuit card, can induce additional inelastic solder joint strain, resulting in early solder joint fatigue failure. To understand the effect of the heat sink mounting, a FEM (finite element model) of ...
Blaney-Criddle Coefficients for Western Turf Grasses

Evapotranspiration rates were measured for several turf grasses in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Wyoming. These data were used to calibrate the Blaney-Criddle method for estimating evapotranspiration rates. Warm-season grasses used less water than did cool-season grasses when grown in warm climates. However, Kentucky bluegrass did exhibit heat stress that reduced its evapotranspiration rates below what would be expected when soil temperatures exceed 25/DEG C. The data were collected in urban areas and should be representative of city-wide water requirements for turfed areas.
Stent enhancement in digital x-ray fluoroscopy using an adaptive feature enhancement filter

Fluoroscopic images belong to the classes of low contrast and high noise. Simply lowering radiation dose will render the images unreadable. Feature enhancement filters can reduce patient dose by acquiring images at low dose settings and then digitally restoring them to the original quality. In this study, a stent contrast enhancement filter is developed to selectively improve the contrast of stent contour without dramatically boosting the image noise including quantum noise and clinical background noise. Gabor directional filter banks are implemented to detect the edges and orientations of the stent. A high orientation resolution of 9° is used. To optimize the use of the information obtained from Gabor filters, a computerized Monte Carlo simulation followed by ROC study is used to find the best nonlinear operator. The next stage of filtering process is to extract symmetrical parts in the stent. The global and local symmetry measures are used. The information gathered from previous two filter stages are used to generate a stent contour map. The contour map is then scaled and added back to the original image to get a contrast enhanced stent image. We also apply a spatio-temporal channelized Hotelling observer model and other numerical measures to characterize the response of the filters and contour map to optimize the selections of parameters for image quality. The results are compared to those filtered by an adaptive unsharp masking filter previously developed. It is shown that stent enhancement filter can effectively improve the stent detection and differentiation in the interventional fluoroscopy.
Comparison of Periodontitis and Root Replacement in Cat Teeth with Resorptive Lesions

Cat teeth with resorptive lesions and periodontitis may have a distinctly different clinical and radiographic appearance compared with teeth that have focal, lesion-associated gingivitis. A retrospective, case-controlled study was performed to determine the occurrence of root replacement in cats with resorptive lesions and associated periodontitis. Of 543 teeth evaluated with resorptive lesions, radiographic and/or clinical signs of periodontitis were identified in 236 (43.5 %) teeth. Periodontitis was present in 43 of 275 (15.6 %) teeth with root replacement and 193 of 268 (72.0 %) teeth that had normal radiodensity and maintenance of the periodontal ligament. There was a significantly lower occurrence of root replacement in cat teeth with resorptive lesions and periodontitis.
Epidemiologic study on brucellosis in Bayan County,Heilongjiang Province

Objective To explore the prevalence and epidemic trend of brucellosis during August 2003～December 2005 in Bayan County,so as to determine the strategy for prevention and control.Methods According to National Brucellosis Surveillance Program,residents in Bayan County were monitored.Brucellin skin test was performed in people under high risks followed by rose bengal plate test(RBPT)and serum agglutination(SAT)in the positive and the susceptible.Results A total of 79 cases were infected with brucellosis in Bayan County during August 2003～December 2005,the prevalence was 0.039‰,the highest one(0.084‰)was in 2004,when two physicians were contagiously infected.Conclusions The brucellosis prevalence is serious in this area,resulting from the fact that the cattle and sheep in the endemic areas were smuggled to elsewhere or illegally slaughtered. Effective measures must be taken to curb the spread.
The Philosophical Reflections on the Industrialization of The Knowledge-based Education in the Post-Modern Society

The Education industry has developed in its own way and displayed a feature which doesn’t change according to man’s will since it entered into the middle and late period of social economic system. It has become an important theme for this article that how to examine the Education industry and the educational industrialization in the post modern society.
Quality-Aware Streaming and Scheduling for Device-to-Device Video Delivery

On-demand video streaming is becoming a killer application for wireless networks. Recent information-theoretic results have shown that a combination of caching on the users’ devices and device-to-device (D2D) communications yields throughput scalability for very dense networks, which represent critical bottlenecks for conventional cellular and wireless local area network (WLAN) technologies. In this paper, we consider the implementation of such caching D2D systems where each device pre-caches a subset of video files from a library, and users requesting a file that is not already in their library obtain it from neighboring devices through D2D communication. We develop centralized and distributed algorithms for the delivery phase, encompassing a link scheduling and a streaming component. The centralized scheduling is based on the max-weighted independent set (MWIS) principle and uses message-passing to determine max-weight independent sets. The distributed scheduling is based on a variant of the FlashLinQ link scheduling algorithm, enhanced by introducing video-streaming specific weights. In both cases, the streaming component is based on a quality-aware stochastic optimization approach, reminiscent of current Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) technology, for which users sequentially request video “chunks” by choosing adaptively their quality level. The streaming and the scheduling components are coupled by the length of the users’ request queues. Through extensive system simulation, the proposed approaches are shown to provide sizeable gains with respect to baseline schemes formed by the concatenation of off-the-shelf FlashLinQ with proportional fair link scheduling and DASH at the application layer.
Fragments of the Past: Microartifact Analysis of Use Surfaces at Tumilaca la Chimba, Moquegua, Peru

Microartifact analysis, the study of the density and distribution of tiny (yet visible) fragments of ceramics, bone, worked stone, and other microartifacts, offers a promising solution to the challenges of determining the location and nature of activity areas at archaeological sites. In spite of the fact that microartifact analysis has been successfully applied at sites in North America and the Middle East, archaeologists have yet to recognize the utility of this methodology in most of the rest of the world. The purpose of this article is, therefore, to test whether this methodology can be profitably applied in the southern Andes. To do so, we describe the results of microartifact sampling, processing, and analytical techniques that we applied to two phases of occupation at the site of Tumilaca la Chimba in southern Peru. The results of the research outlined in this article suggest that microartifact analysis is an effective analytical technique that can contribute greatly to archaeological praxis.
Delayed spectrum allocation for anycast advance reservation with flexible window in elastic optical networks

We investigate the problem of dynamically routing and spectrum assignment for advance reservation anycast requests using a novel algorithm called Delayed Spectrum Allocation (DSA). We evaluate the flexible window STSD (Demands that specify start-time and duration) to further improve request blocking. Through extensive simulation results we show that anycast with flexible STSD using DSA approach can significantly reduce bandwidth blocking probability of anycast and unicast requests compared to traditional Immediate Spectrum Allocation (ISA). The improvement could be up to 50 percent in unicast traffic and even higher in anycasting.
Functional Molecules and the Stability of Water-in-Crude Oil Emulsions

In the production and transportation of crude oil, undesirable water-in-oil emulsions may form. Undesirable water-in-oil emulsions may also form in hydraulic fracking when acid is added to the injection water. We investigate the role of acid–base interactions in the stability of water-in-oil emulsions. Asphaltenes and resins, referred to as functional molecules, constitute the polar fractions of crude oil. They contain heteroatoms such as N, O, and S, which lead to acidic and basic functionalities in petroleum fluids and contribute to the stability of water-in-oil emulsions. We have quantified the acidity and the basicity of nine petroleum fluids (light, medium, heavy, and extra-heavy crude oils) by measuring their total acid number (TAN), total base number (TBN), and hydroxyl number (HN). Except in extra heavy oils where the TAN and TBN are close, all the other oils are basic (i.e., TBN > TAN). We observe that all the light crude oils form stable emulsions with deionized (DI) water, while medium, heavy, ...
Cloud-Powered Sight for All: Showing the Cloud What You See

We argue that for computers to do more for us, we need to show the cloud what we see and embrace cloud-powered sight for mobile users. We present sample applications that will be empowered by this vision, discuss why the timing is right to tackle it, and offer our initial thoughts on some of the important research challenges. Our rationale is simple: visual information is the richest form of human sensory input. More often than not, it also requires the highest information transfer rate. The human nervous system is centered on the visual experience. We learn, reason, and act based on what we see. Our interactions and collaborations with fellow humans are often triggered by our visual senses and many of our social experiences are influenced by it. By showing our computer what we see, we can not only create the next generation of personalized service but also overcome some the fundamental limitations of being human.
Biobased Diesel Fuel Analysis and Formulation and Testing of Surrogate Fuel Mixtures

The properties and chemical components of a bioderived alternative diesel fuel were used to formulate hydrocarbon mixtures for use as fuel surrogates. This alternative diesel fuel was found to contain mostly alkylcyclohexanes, linear alkanes, and alkylbenzenes, with small amounts of other compounds as determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Surrogate mixtures were prepared containing n-hexadecane, n-hexylbenzene, and n-butylcyclohexane, and their derived cetane number (DCN), density, viscosity, speed of sound, surface tension, and flashpoint were measured to help formulate mixture compositions whose properties most closely matched those of the fuel. Engine tests of three 3-component surrogate mixtures using a Waukesha diesel Cooperative Fuels Research engine showed that the combustion behaviors (burn duration, ignition delay, thermal efficiency, and maximum rate of heat release) of the three surrogates were similar to those of the base bioderived fuel. Successful surrogates were designed using...
Bar-Natan’s deformation of Khovanov homology and involutive monopole Floer homology

We study the conjugation involution in Seiberg–Witten theory in the context of Ozsvath–Szabo and Bloom’s spectral sequence for the branched double cover of a link L in $$S^3.$$ We prove that there exists a spectral sequence of $$\mathbb {F}[Q]/Q^2$$ -modules (where Q has degree $$-1$$ ) which converges to $$\widetilde{ HMI }_*(\Sigma (L)),$$ an involutive version of the monopole Floer homology of the branched double cover, and whose $$E^2$$ -page is a version of Bar-Natan’s deformation of Khovanov homology in characteristic two of the mirror of L.
The Evolution of U.S. National Policies on Coastal Hazards

The tidal shorelines of the United States extend some 134,000 km and include a broad variety of physical landforms, e.g.: Crystalline bedrock (e.g., central and eastern Maine coast) Eroding bluffs and cliffs (e.g. outer Cape Cod; parts of Long Island, NY; Great Lakes) Pocket beaches between headlands (e.g. Southern New England; California; Oregon) Strandplain beaches (e.g. Myrtle Beach, SC; Holly Beach, LA) Barrier beaches (e.g. generally along Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico ocean coasts, Fig. 1) Coral reef and mangrove (e.g. South Florida) Coastal wetlands (e.g. generally landward of coastal barriers)
Quantifying the impact of urban trees on passive pollutant dispersion using a coupled large-eddy simulation–Lagrangian stochastic model

Abstract The use of shade trees is among favorable urban planning strategies to improve outdoor thermal comfort and promote energy efficiency. Meanwhile, the presence of trees alters flow patterns and turbulent transport and influences the dispersion of air pollutants. In this study, we investigated the effects of urban trees on air pollutant dispersion in urban canopy layers using a coupled large-eddy simulation–Lagrangian stochastic modeling framework. The dispersions of two-way traffic emissions were simulated using a set of twenty four scenarios with varying canyon and tree geometries. Results show that tall trees lead to the strongest modification of the canyon flow and pollutant concentration, except in narrow canyons. Trees can exacerbate canyon pollution level in certain built environment owing to the presence of isolated canyon vortices. Trees with high leaf area density are beneficial to reducing concentration in broad street canyons, while trapping of pollutants is manifest in narrow canyons. The participatory role of trees, in conjunction with the effect of urban morphology, is crucial and needs to be meticulously evaluated in urban planning for promoting environmental quality.
Association between changing body composition after diagnosis and survival of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

e16247Background: Body composition has been established as a proxy for the metabolic state of cancer patients and is associated with survival. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is linked to both diabetes a...
A Technique to Rapidly Generate Synthetic Computed Tomography for Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Online Adaptive Replanning: An Exploratory Study.

Purpose To develop an automatic, accurate, atlas-based technique for synthetic computed tomography (sCT) generation to be used for online adaptive replanning during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)–guided radiation therapy (RT). Methods and Materials The proposed method uses deformable image registration (DIR) of daily MRI and reference computed tomography (CT) with additional corrections to maintain bone rigidity and to transfer random air regions by thresholding. The DIR is performed with constraints on the bony structures using a special algorithm of ADMIRE (Elekta). The air regions are delineated from low-signal regions on the daily MRI and forced to air density. The bone regions in the MRI (already determined from the CT) are separated from the air regions because both bone and air have low signal density in MRI. All these steps are automated. The generated sCT is compared with reference CT and the alternative voxel-based CT (bCT) for 4 extracranial sites (head and neck, thorax, abdomen, pelvis) in terms of mean absolute error (MAE), gamma analysis of 3-dimensional doses, and dose volume histogram parameters. Results Both MAE and dosimetric analysis results were favorable for the proposed sCT generation method. The average MAE for the sCT/bCT were 25.5/66.7, 25.9/65.3, 24.8/44.2 and 16.6/47.7 for head and neck, thorax, abdomen, and pelvis, respectively, and the gamma analysis (1.5%, 2 mm) yielded 98.7/97.1, 99.1/93.9, 99.5/99.4, 99.7/99.4, respectively, for those sites. Conclusions The proposed method generates equal or more accurate sCT than those from the bulk density assignment, without the need for multiple MRI sequences. This method can be fully automated and applicable for online adaptive replanning.