cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Parameter Self-Configuration and Self-Adaptation in Industrial Wireless Sensor-Actuator Networks

Wireless Sensor-Actuator Network (WSAN) technology is gaining rapid adoption in process industries in recent years. A WSAN typically connects sensors, actuators, and controllers in industrial facilities, such as steel mills, oil refineries, chemical plants, and infrastructures implementing complex monitoring and control processes. IEEE 802.15.4 based WSANs operate at low-power and can be manufactured inexpensively, which make them ideal where battery lifetime and costs are important. Recent studies have shown that the selection of network parameters has a significant effect on the network performance. However, the current practice of parameter selection is largely based on experience and rules of thumb involving a coarse-grained analysis of expected network load and dynamics or measurements during a few field trials, resulting in non-optimal decisions in many cases. In this work, we develop the Parameter Selection and Adaptation FramEwork (P-SAFE) that optimally configures the network parameters based on the application Quality of Service (QoS) demand and adapts the configuration at runtime to consistently satisfy the dynamic requirements. We implement P-SAFE and evaluate it on three physical testbeds. Experimental results show our solution can significantly better meet the application QoS demand compared to the state of the art.
A microbial factory for defensive kahalalides in a tripartite marine symbiosis

Chemical defense against predators is widespread in natural ecosystems. Occasionally, taxonomically distant organisms share the same defense chemical. Here, we describe an unusual tripartite marine symbiosis, in which an intracellular bacterial symbiont ("Candidatus Endobryopsis kahalalidefaciens") uses a diverse array of biosynthetic enzymes to convert simple substrates into a library of complex molecules (the kahalalides) for chemical defense of the host, the alga Bryopsis sp., against predation. The kahalalides are subsequently hijacked by a third partner, the herbivorous mollusk Elysia rufescens, and employed similarly for defense. "Ca E. kahalalidefaciens" has lost many essential traits for free living and acts as a factory for kahalalide production. This interaction between a bacterium, an alga, and an animal highlights the importance of chemical defense in the evolution of complex symbioses.
Social Problem Solving and Posttraumatic Growth New Possibilities in Postoperative Breast Cancer Survivors.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether social problem solving (SPS) would relate to posttraumatic growth (PTG), particularly new life possibilities in breast cancer survivors. Participants included 85 women who had undergone surgical intervention for breast cancer at least 6 months prior to study participation. Participant ages ranged from 29 to 88 years. The majority of the sample was White (86%), married (58%), and had received at least some postsecondary education (73%), and all participants spoke English. This IRB-approved cross-sectional study was part of a larger study examining psychosocial protective and risk factors in breast cancer survivors at a university-affiliated private hospital. We hypothesized that better SPS ability would relate to PTG new possibilities above and beyond age, annual income, and time since surgery. Results from this study indicate that a positive problem orientation and lack of impulsive/careless problem-solving style appear to play a role in posttraumatic growth among breast cancer survivors, particularly in developing beliefs about one’s ability to positively change one’s life. Given the established benefits of active/approach coping in cancer populations, it makes sense that similar interventions such as problem-solving therapy, a cognitive-behavioral therapy that includes challenging and reframing negative beliefs about self and situation, may promote new possibility beliefs in this population.
Simulation of Sediment Flushing in Paonia Reservoir of Colorado

AbstractA one-dimensional sediment transport model (SRH-1D) was updated to simulate a sediment sluicing and flushing plan for the Paonia Reservoir, located on Muddy Creek in western Colorado. The P...
Technology acceptance and critical mass: Development of a consolidated model to explain the actual use of mobile health care communication tools.

Abstract Objective Secure mobile communication technologies are being implemented at an increasing rate across health care organizations, though providers’ use of these tools can remain limited by a perceived lack of other users to communicate with. Enabling acceptance and driving provider utilization of these tools throughout an organization requires attention to the interplay between perceived peer usage (i.e. perceived critical mass) and local user needs within the social context of the care team (e.g. inpatient nursing access to the mobile app). To explain these influences, we developed and tested a consolidated model that shows how mobile health care communication technology acceptance and utilization are influenced by the moderating effects of social context on perceptions about the technology. Methods The theoretical model and questionnaire were derived from selected technology acceptance models and frameworks. Survey respondents (n = 1254) completed items measuring perceived critical mass, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, personal innovativeness in information technology, behavioral intent, and actual use of a recently implemented secure mobile communication tool. Actual use was additionally measured by logged usage data. Use group was defined as whether a hospital’s nurses had access to the tool (expanded use group) or not (limited use group). Results The model accounted for 61% and 72% of the variance in intent to use the communication tool in the limited and expanded use groups, respectively, which in turn accounted for 53% and 33% of actual use. The total effects coefficient of perceived critical mass on behavioral intent was 0.57 in the limited use group (95% CI 0.51–0.63) and 0.70 in the expanded use group (95% CI 0.61–0.80). Conclusion Our model fit the data well and explained the majority of variance in acceptance of the tool amongst participants. The overall influence of perceived critical mass on intent to use the tool was similarly large in both groups. However, the strength of multiple model pathways varied unexpectedly by use group, suggesting that combining sociotechnical moderators with traditional technology acceptance models may produce greater insights than traditional technology acceptance models alone. Practically, our results suggest that healthcare institutions can drive acceptance by promoting the recruitment of early adopters though liberal access policies and making these users and the technology highly visible to others.
MCL-1 Inhibition by Selective BH3 Mimetics Disrupts Mitochondrial Dynamics in iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes

MCL-1 is a well characterized inhibitor of cell death that has also been shown to be a regulator of mitochondrial dynamics in human pluripotent stem cells. We used cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-CMs) to uncover whether MCL-1 is crucial for cardiac function and survival. Inhibition of MCL-1 by BH3 mimetics resulted in the disruption of mitochondrial morphology and dynamics as well as disorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Interfering with MCL-1 function affects the homeostatic proximity of DRP-1 and MCL-1 at the outer mitochondrial membrane, resulting in decreased functionality of hPSC-CMs. Cardiomyocytes display abnormal functional cardiac performance even after caspase inhibition, supporting a non-apoptotic activity of MCL-1 in hiPSC-CMs. BH3 mimetics targeting MCL-1 are promising anti-tumor therapeutics. Progression towards using BCL-2 family inhibitors, especially targeting MCL-1, depends on understanding not only its canonical function in preventing apoptosis, but also in the maintenance of mitochondrial dynamics and function.
Fluctuations in functional connectivity associated with interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) in intracranial EEG

All epilepsies are defined by a propensity for recurrent seizures, characterized by hypersynchronous electrographic activity. Understanding this overarching property would be advanced by a thorough quantification of how the global synchrony of the epileptic brain responds to small perturbations that do not trigger seizures. Here, we leverage analysis of transient focal bursts of epileptiform activity, termed interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs), to characterize this response. Specifically, we use a group of 145 participants implanted with intracranial EEG (iEEG) electrodes to quantify changes in 5 functional connectivity measures associated with three properties of IEDs: their presence, spread, and number. We perform this analysis in 5 frequency bands in order to contextualize our findings in relation to ongoing neural processes at different spatial and temporal scales. We find that, across frequency bands, both the presence and spread of IEDs tend to lead to independent increases of functional connectivity, but only in functional connectivity measures influenced by the amplitude, rather than the phase, of a signal. We find that these increases are not explained by simple subgroups of connections, such as the weakest connections in the brain, or only connections within the seizure onset zone. Evaluating patterns of similarity across different bands and measure combinations, we find that the presence of IEDs impacts high frequencies (gamma and high gamma)and low frequencies (theta, alpha, and beta) differently, although responses within each group are similar. Using grouped LASSO regression, we identify which individual-level features explain differences in functional connectivity changes associated with IEDs. While no single feature robustly explains observed differences, the most consistently included predictor across bands and measures is the anatomical locus of IEDs. Overall, this work provides compelling evidence for increases in global synchrony associated with IEDs, and delivers a thorough exploration of different functional connectivity measures, frequency bands, and IED properties. These observations show a disruption of several types of ongoing neural dynamics associated with IEDs. Additionally, we provide a starting point for future models of how small perturbations affect neural systems and how those systems support the hypersynchrony seen in epilepsy.
A study of parametric stability of railway vehicles

This paper prevents a study of the parametric stability of passenger and freight vehicles on tangent track due to harmonic variations in conicity using linear models. The effect of primary and secondary stiffnesses on parametric excitation is also studied. Floquet theory is used to find the stability boundaries. The results show that wavelengths associated with conicity variation that are in the vicinity of half the kinematic wavelengths of the vehicles can lead to significant reductions in critical speeds. Results also show that the primary and warp stiffnesses can affect the severity of principal parametric resonance depending on the vehicle models and magnitude of stiffnesses chosen.
Exploiting the Power of Sensory-Motor Coordination

One important implication of embodiment is that, by acting, agents partially determine the sensory patterns they receive from the environment. The motor actions performed by an agent, by modifying the agent's position with respect to the external environment and/or the external environment itself, partially determine the type of sensory patterns received from the environment In this paper we investigate how agents can take advantage of this abilify. In particular, we discuss how agents coordinate sensory and motor processes in order to (1) select sensory patterns which are not affected by the aliasing problem and avoid those which are; (2) select sensory patterns such that groups of patterns which require different responses do not strongly overlap; (3) exploit emergent behaviors that result from the interaction between the agent and the environment.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor-Induced Cough

A 65-year-old woman started taking enalapril 2.5 mg daily for hypertension. Twelve days later she complained of a persistent, dry cough. Due to the coughing and a preexisting cystocele, she developed stress incontinence and a marked decline in her functional status. The coughing and incontinence resolved with the discontinuation of enalapril. During a subsequent hospitalization the patient received Captopril 6.25 mg twice daily for congestive heart failure. Within 24 hours the dry cough recurred. It resolved with the discontinuation of the drug. Cough is a symptom that is generally not recognized as a drug side effect. However, increasing numbers of case reports document angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor-induced cough. Although the actual frequency and mechanism are currently unknown, the dry cough typically begins early in the course of therapy. It may be specific to this pharmacologic class rather than to one individual agent. Age and sex may be contributing factors. While cough has been considered a minor side effect, unnecessary hospitalizations and inappropriate treatments may easily result. Even minor adverse reactions may have an impact on a patient's quality of life.
New Neutron Time-of-Flight (NTOF) Facilities at the Brookhaven 200-MeV Linac

The installation of a new beam chopper and radio-frequency quadrupole (RFQ) preinjector (750 keV) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) 200-MeV Linac will enable single micropulse selection (pulse width <1 ns) with periods ranging from 400 ns to 10 µs. The standard micropulse intensity is 1.2 ×109 p/µ pulse with dc-average beam currents of 50 nA-1 µA routinely available. The NTOF facilities consists of 30–100 meter flight paths at angles of 0, 12, 30, 45, 90, and 135°. Lower energies of 93, 117, 139, 161, and 181 MeV are also available as well as polarized beams at much reduced intensities. The present paper describes the new facilities, and the capabilities of future improvements and upgrades, for use in the BNL intermediate energy (p,n) experimental program.
High fat feeding in mice is insufficient to induce cardiac dysfunction and does not exacerbate heart failure.

Preclinical studies of animals with risk factors, and how those risk factors contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and cardiac dysfunction, are clearly needed. One such approach is to feed mice a diet rich in fat (i.e. 60%). Here, we determined whether a high fat diet was sufficient to induce cardiac dysfunction in mice. We subjected mice to two different high fat diets (lard or milk as fat source) and followed them for over six months and found no significant decrement in cardiac function (via echocardiography), despite robust adiposity and impaired glucose disposal. We next determined whether antecedent and concomitant exposure to high fat diet (lard) altered the murine heart’s response to infarct-induced heart failure; high fat feeding during, or before and during, heart failure did not significantly exacerbate cardiac dysfunction. Given the lack of a robust effect on cardiac dysfunction with high fat feeding, we then examined a commonly used mouse model of overt diabetes, hyperglycemia, and obesity (db/db mice). db/db mice (or STZ treated wild-type mice) subjected to pressure overload exhibited no significant exacerbation of cardiac dysfunction; however, ischemia-reperfusion injury significantly depressed cardiac function in db/db mice compared to their non-diabetic littermates. Thus, we were able to document a negative influence of a risk factor in a relevant cardiovascular disease model; however, this did not involve exposure to a high fat diet. High fat diet, obesity, or hyperglycemia does not necessarily induce cardiac dysfunction in mice. Although many investigators use such diabetes/obesity models to understand cardiac defects related to risk factors, this study, along with those from several other groups, serves as a cautionary note regarding the use of murine models of diabetes and obesity in the context of heart failure.
Pushing Buffalo to the Brink

The Destruction of the Bison An Environmental History, 1750-1920. Andrew C. Isenberg. Cambridge University Press, New York, 2000. 218 pp. $24.95. ISBN 0-521-77172-2. Isenberg argues that the near extinction of the bison was not a simple matter of hunting for commercial profit but reflected complex interactions among Native and Euroamerican societies and the grassland environment of the Great Plains.
A Reusable Automated Acceptance Testing Architecture for Microservices in Behavior-Driven Development

Cloud Computing and Mobile Cloud Computing are reshaping the way applications are being developed and deployed due to their unique needs such as massive scalability, guaranteed fault tolerance, near zero downtime, etc. and also daunting challenges such as security, reliability, continuous deployment and update capability. Microservices architecture, where application is composed of a set of independently deployable services, is increasingly becoming popular due to its capability to address most of these needs and challenges. In recent years, the Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) has become one of the most popular agile software development processes, and frequently used in microservices development. The key to success of BDD is the executable acceptance tests that describe the expected behavior of a feature and its acceptance criteria in the form of scenarios using simple and business people readable syntax. The reusability, auditability, and maintainability become some of the major concerns when BDD test framework is applied for each microservice repository and no previous research addresses these concerns. In this paper, we present a reusable automated acceptance testing architecture to address all these concerns.
The Bear and His Sons: Masculinity in Spanish and Mexican Folktales

The Bear and His Sons: Masculinity in Spanish and Mexican Folktales. James M. Taggart. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1997. 344 pp.
Feasibility of fabricating metamaterials with negative refractive index in the visible spectrum

Summary from only given. We analyze the possibility of constructing metamaterials with negative /spl epsi/ and /spl mu/ (and, consequently, negative refractive index n) in the visible region. Since the location of the spectral window where the negative index is negative is determined by the resonant frequencies of the split ring resonators (SRRs), we focus in this report on the dependence of this resonant frequencies on the size of the SRRs. The geometrical features of a metallic SRR are shown.
Kinetic dependence of phospholipase A2 activity on the detergent Triton X-100

A kinetic analysis is presented for the dependence of one form of phospholipase A(2) from cobra (Naja naja) venom on the presence of the nonionic detergent Triton X-100 for its activity towards egg phosphatidylcholine and synthetic dipalmitoyl glycerophosphorylcholine as substrates. An automatic recording pH-stat apparatus was employed in order to continuously monitor enzyme activity. The results obtained in this study are interpreted in terms of a change in the physical state of the phospholipid when Triton X-100 micelles convert phospholipid bilayers into mixed Triton X-100-phospholipid micelles; this is consistent with the requirement of this enzyme for substrates which are in micellar form rather than either monomers or bilayers. An apparent inhibition of phospholipase A(2) activity at high concentrations of Triton X-100 is described and discussed in terms of the micellar nature of the substrate.
The Standpoint of Art/Criticism: Cindy Sherman as Feminist Artist?*: THE STANDPOINT OF ART/CRITICISM

Feminist Standpoint Theory identifies knowledge as a social product developed from a specific social position. We apply this theory to explore the dominant standpoint informing the social organization of Western art via an institution we call art/criticism. We find that the assumptions, values, and analytic strategies informing mainstream art and art criticism express the standpoint of privileged men. As a test of our argument, we consider the case of an artist who is often hailed as a feminist artist and yet is one of the most successful woman artists today: Cindy Sherman. We find that while Sherman is working with some fertile possibilities for feminist analysis, her work ends up re-directing this potential into a disempowering play with images. We conclude that rather than countering our argument, the celebration of Sherman’s work as feminist reveals the workings, as well as the limits, of the privileged male standpoint in art.
β-Adrenergic-receptor and adenylate cyclase properties in pregnant and nonpregnant guinea pig myometrium

Abstract Stimulation of myometrial β-adrenergic receptors by agonists results in myometrial relaxation through adenylate cyclase-dependent mechanisms. Their activity is modulated by local or systemic estrogen-progesterone milieu. During pregnancy, guinea pigs demonstrate an ovarioplacental shift for progesterone production at ⩽0.35 gestation and a gradual increase in estrogen levels. To investigate whether these changes affect myometrial β-adrenergic-receptor and adenylate cyclase properties, we directly characterized β-adrenergic receptors and adenylate cyclase in myometrial plasma membranes from time-dated pregnant (term 65 days), postpartum, and nonpregnant virgin guinea pigs by well-established in vitro methods. In all animals, there appeared to be a high-affinity, low-capacity, single class of binding sites with pharmacologic specificities consistent with the β 2 -adrenergic-receptor subtype. The dissociation constants of these β-adrenergic receptors were significantly decreased in pregnant animals at approximately ⩾0.80 gestation when compared to pregnant animals at 0.35 to 0.40 gestation, nonpregnant animals, and postpartum animals. Moreover, the total number of β-adrenergic receptors was significantly higher at ⩾0.80 gestation than in the other groups. Basal adenylate cyclase activity increased in animals from 0.35 to ⩾0.8 gestation and was higher than that of postpartum animals and nonpregnant animals. The degree of adenylate cyclase stimulation by (−)isoproterenol was higher at term than at an earlier point in gestation or in nonpregnant and postpartum animals. These results indicate that, with advancing gestation in pregnant animals, there is an up-regulation of β-adrenergic-receptor and adenylate cyclase function.
Structure learning with independent non-identically distributed data

There are well known algorithms for learning the structure of directed and undirected graphical models from data, but nearly all assume that the data consists of a single i.i.d. sample. In contexts such as fMRI analysis, data may consist of an ensemble of independent samples from a common data generating mechanism which may not have identical distributions. Pooling such data can result in a number of well known statistical problems so each sample must be analyzed individually, which offers no increase in power due to the presence of multiple samples. We show how existing constraint based methods can be modified to learn structure from the aggregate of such data in a statistically sound manner. The prescribed method is simple to implement and based on existing statistical methods employed in metaanalysis and other areas, but works surprisingly well in this context where there are increased concerns due to issues such as retesting. We report results for directed models, but the method given is just as applicable to undirected models.
From the World's Largest Propaganda Machine to a Multipurposed Global News Agency: Factors in and Implications of Xinhua's Transformation Since 1978

The Xinhua News Agency is China's largest state news agency. It is also the largest news agency among developing countries. This research examines the changes Xinhua has undergone over the past three decades under the backdrop of (a) the end of the Cold War, (b) the trend of globalization and various challenges it has brought to world news agencies, (c) drastic changes in both international and national news agencies across the world, and (d) China's eager desire to become a world superpower. Three questions are studied: What are the major changes that Xinhua has experienced since China adopted the reform policy in 1978? What factors have contributed to the transformation Xinhua has undergone? and What are the implications of Xinhua's transformation? The primary material/data were obtained from field research at the headquarters of the Xinhua News Agency in Beijing, China.
Comparative study of fluoxetine, sibutramine, sertraline and dexfenfluramine on the morphology of serotonergic nerve terminals using serotonin immunohistochemistry

We compared the effects of treatment with high doses of fluoxetine, sibutramine, sertraline, and dexfenfluramine for 4 days on brain serotonergic nerve terminals in rats. Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) were used as positive controls because both compounds deplete brain serotonin. Food intake and body weight changes were also monitored and yoked, pair-fed animals were used to control for possible changes in morphology due to nutritional deficits. Fluoxetine, sibutramine, sertraline and dexfenfluramine all produced a significant reduction in body weight. Fluoxetine, sibutramine and sertraline treatment resulted in no depletion of brain serotonin but produced morphological abnormalities in the serotonergic immunoreactive nerve network. In contrast, dexfenfluramine and MDMA depleted brain serotonin and produced morphological changes in the serotonin nerve network. These results indicate that even though fluoxetine, sibutramine and sertraline do not deplete brain serotonin, they do produce morphological changes in several brain regions (as identified by serotonin immunohistochemistry). Dexfenfluramine and MDMA, on the other hand, markedly deplete brain serotonin and also produce morphological changes. Collectively, these results lend support to the concept that all compounds acting on brain serotonin systems, whether capable of producing serotonin depletion or not, could produce similar effects on the morphology of cerebral serotonin systems.
A Simple Radioimmunoassay for Urinary Aldosterone

ABSTRACT A simple clinical assay is described for urinary aldosterone which requires only a limited amount of time on 3 successive days interspersed by 2 overnight incubations. Three ml of a 24-hr urine collection is pre-extracted with methylene chloride to remove free corticoids, hydrolyzed overnight and extracted into methylene chloride. The extract is washed successively with dilute solutions of sodium hydroxide and acetic acid, then with water. Aliquots are incubated with anti-aldosterone anti-serum and :3H-aldosterone overnight, then the bound and unbound aldosterone are separated by dextran-coated charcoal. Healthy volunteers on normal diets ranged from 3.2 to 12.0 μg and after 3 days of salt restriction from 17.4 to 44.2 μg per 24 hr.
Hamiltonian Formalism and the Garrett-Munk Spectrum of Internal Waves in the Ocean

Wave turbulence formalism for long internal waves in a stratified fluid is developed, based on a natural Hamiltonian description. A kinetic equation appropriate for the description of spectral energy transfer is derived, and its anisotropic self-similar stationary solution corresponding to a direct cascade of energy toward the short scales is found. This solution is very close to the high wave-number limit of the Garrett-Munk spectrum of long internal waves in the ocean. In fact, a small modification of the Garrett-Munk formalism includes a spectrum consistent with the one predicted by wave turbulence.
Risk of idiopathic cerebral haemorrhage in women on oral contraceptives with differing progestagen components

The risk of idiopathic cerebral haemorrhage in users of third-generation oral contraceptives compared with that of users of second-generation oral contraceptives was evaluated using data from the General Practice Research Database. We found no increased risk for third-generation oral contraceptives, compared with second-generation oral contraceptives.
Nocardia abscess of the choroid plexus: clinical and pathological case report.

OBJECTIVE: Cerebral Nocardia abscesses are rare, accounting for approximately 1 to 2% of all cerebral abscesses. Prompt aggressive surgical treatment involving craniotomy and excision of these lesions has been advocated by many authors, because these lesions have significantly higher morbidity and mortality rates than do most other cerebral abscesses. We report an atypical presentation of cerebral nocardiosis localized to the choroid plexus of the lateral ventricle. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 56-year-old man presented with a 3-week history of fever, cough, and progressive headache and an ensuing 3-day history of progressive lethargy, confusion, and gait ataxia. Radiographic studies demonstrated a loculated contrast-enhancing left lateral ventricular lesion with significant perilesional parenchymal edema that was thought preoperatively to be a neoplasm. INTERVENTION: The patient underwent a craniotomy for resection of the lesion. Intraoperatively, a reddish gray lesion with purulent exudate was encountered within the left lateral ventricle intimately adherent to the choroid plexus as well as to the ependyma and subependymal veins. A frozen section demonstrated an organizing abscess wall. The lesion was resected in its entirety, and multiple cultures were sent for analysis. CONCLUSION: Microbiology cultures grew Nocardia asteroides. A course of intravenous antibiotics was started, which included trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole, amikacin, and ceftriaxone. Two weeks after surgery, at the time of discharge, the patient's neurological status had improved considerably. Although Nocardia abscesses have been documented to occur throughout the central nervous system, the presentation of a lesion confined to the choroid plexus of the lateral ventricle with significant parenchymal edema is unusual and demonstrates that Nocardia abscesses must be considered in the differential diagnosis of a contrast-enhancing intraventricular mass lesion involving the choroid plexus.
Effects of Interaction Component of the Generalized Yeh-Stratton Criterion

The effect of the interaction component of the generalized Yeh-Stratton cri terion is investigated in this paper. The criterion must be calibrated with an experimental result because the interaction component of the anisotropic criterion is generally unknown. The conditions on the interaction components are studied for the off-axis and biaxial strength tests separately, and the behavior of the generalized Yeh-Stratton criterion is observed as a function of the interaction component.
Revisiting Low and List (1982): Evaluation of Raindrop Collision Parameterizations Using Laboratory Observations and Modeling

Abstract Raindrop collision and breakup is a stochastic process that affects the evolution of drop size distributions (DSDs) in precipitating clouds. Low and List have remained the obligatory reference on this matter for almost three decades. Based on a limited number of drop sizes (10), Low and List proposed generalized parameterizations of collisional breakup across the raindrop spectra that are standard building blocks for numerical models of rainfall microphysics. Here, recent laboratory experiments of drop collision at NASA’s Wallops Island Facility (NWIF) using updated high-speed imaging technology with the objective of assessing the generality of Low and List are reported. The experimental fragment size distributions (FSDs) for the collision of selected drop pairs were evaluated against explicit simulations using a dynamical microphysics model (Prat and Barros, with parameterizations based on Low and List updated by McFarquhar). One-to-one comparison of the FSDs shows similar distributions; however...
High-Data-Rate, Line-of-Site Network Radio for Mobile Maritime Communications (Using Harris WetNet&#8482; Technology)

This paper discusses the development of communication technologies to dynamically manage and insure interoperability with high capacity connectivity for maritime communication platforms. Many advanced sensing devices are being utilized in a wide array of data collection platforms including autonomous vehicles, both on the surface of the water and under it. The volume of data from these platforms is increasing significantly. The data is usually required to be disseminated, processed and displayed to the user in a real-time fashion. This paper introduces and describes an IP-based network radio system, called Harris WetNettrade, as a line-of-sight (LOS) long-range communication solution for marine platforms. This paper discusses the ongoing technology innovations of WetNettrade in the area of range extension, power management, protocol modifications, frequency conversion, network modeling, advanced encryption, and ocean RF propagation analysis (channel characterization) in the UHF band. The technical solution discussed herein involves the integration of an innovative OFDM wireless architecture and bandwidth efficient protocol
The electrostatic charging of thin dust clouds

The electrostatic charging mechanism of the Saturn rings was investigated by modeling a thin dense dust cloud on the basis of a time-dependent solution of a set of equations which include Boltzmann's equation for plasma flow through the cloud. It is shown that, for the ambient plasma density and temperatures given by Gruen et al. (1984), the emission of photoelectrons will be the dominant charging mechanism. Thermalization of the plasma within the cloud via collisions with other plasma particles or charged dust is shown to have a negligible effect because of the predominance of plasma absorption.
Prey-localizing behaviour of the nocturnal desert scorpion, Paruroctonus mesaensis: Orientation to substrate vibrations

Abstract A nocturnal desert scorpion, Paruroctonus mesaensis , uses information that propagates through sand to locate prey as far as 50 cm away. Visual and air-borne auditory stimuli from nearby prey do not influence the scorpion's localizing behaviour. Adult scorpions accurately determine both the direction and distance of a standard vibration source less than 15 cm away. At greater distances, only direction of the vibration source is determined. Some qualities of the substrate disturbances (intensity, temporal pattern, and direction of target movement) are also sensed from a distance, while others (geometric size and composition of the disturbing object) do not influence the orientation response.
Quality Variation and Quantity Aggregation in Consumer Demand for Food

Viewing the problem of "quality" variation in consumer demand for food as a problem of valid aggregation over goods leads to new insights. The simple sum of physical quantities, used as the measure of demand in the "quality" literature, is found to be a theoretically arbitrary and potentially misleading measure of demand when goods are heterogenous. Alternative measures of demand derived from restrictions on quality variation, consumer preferences, or relative prices, are investigated. A hypothetical example illustrates the use of a Hicksian composite commodity assumption. The empirical as well as conceptual merits of the various measures are discussed. The usual assumption made about prices in a cross-section analysis of household food expenditures is that all households are facing the same prices; estimation of price elasticities of demand is commonly left to time-series researchers who get price information from intertemporal indices. Recently, however, there has been renewed interest- in the ~otential of cross-section analysis for estimation of price elasticities of demand for food, especially when surveys collect data on both household expenditures for food items and on the physical quantities purchased.
Building Research Capacity With Members of Underserved American Indian/Alaskan Native Communities Training in Research Ethics and the Protection of Human Subjects

Objective. To develop a research ethics training course for American Indian/Alaskan Native health clinic staff and community researchers who would be conducting human subjects research. Method. Community-based participatory research methods were used in facilitated discussions of research ethics centered around topics included in the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative research ethics course. Results. The community-based participatory research approach allowed all partners to jointly develop a research ethics training program that was relevant for American Indian/Alaskan Native communities. All community and clinic partners were able to pass the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative course they were required to pass so that they could be certified to conduct research with human subjects on federally funded projects. In addition, the training sessions provided a foundation for increased community oversight of research. Conclusions. By using a collaborative process to engage community ...
Outcome attribution in a very low calorie diet program

Examined attributions for self-perceived failure or success among participants in a short- term very low calorie diet (VLCD) weight loss program. At 6 months follow-up, each subject was asked to attribute the outcome to internal factors, external factors, or to treatment pro- gram. Results showed that perceived failures and successes attributed about 50% of the out- come to internal factors. Perceived successes attributed outcome more to the treatment program than did perceived failures. Subjects also perceived the general success rates of VLCD treatments to be higher than those reported in the literature.
Race and Gender Differences in Obesity and Disease

The objective of the present study was to examine race and gender differences in obesity and disease overtime. This topic is under studies in racial/ethnic minority populations. Yet, gender differences in health within ethnic groups provide a more nuanced approach to health disparities. The analyses for this study were based on two waves of data (Wave1, 1986 and Wave 2, 1989) of the Americans’ Changing Lives Survey. The results revealed that a larger percentage of females are obese compared to males across all racial groups and females suffer a higher prevalence of disease compared to males which persists across time. The implications for cumulative disadvantage theory, feminist theory and the measurement of BMI and body fat are discussed.
Thrombocytosis is Associated With a Significant Increase in the Cancer Specific Death Rate After Radical Nephrectomy

ABSTRACTPurpose: We have previously reported that patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma and a normal platelet count of 400,000/mm.3 have a 64% increase in life expectancy compared with those with thrombocytosis. We determined whether thrombocytosis was predictive of death from renal cell carcinoma after radical nephrectomy was performed with curative intent for early stage disease.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the records of 204 patients with renal cell carcinoma who underwent radical nephrectomy with curative intent between June 1993 and January 2000 at Emory University Hospital. Survival, pathological grade and stage were recorded from the Emory Winship Cancer Institute tumor registry. Platelet counts were recorded and any patient with at least 1 platelet count of greater than 400,000/mm.3 was classified with thrombocytosis. Those with a platelet count of 400,000/mm.3 were classified with a normal platelet count.Results: There were 26 patients with thrombocytosis and 178 patients with persist...
Cross-validation of the Back Pain Classification Scale with chronic, intractable pain patients.

The current study investigated the utility of the Back Pain Classification Scale with chronic, intractable low back pain and headache patients. Subjects consisted of 50 chronic low back pain and 50 chronic headache patients referred to a university based Pain Center for evaluation. Data indicated that subjects were a representative sample of severely intractable chronic pain patients typically referred for Pain Center evaluation and treatment. Each was administered the Back Pain Classification Scale as part of a thorough physical and psychological/behavioral evaluation. All subjects were classified by blind review of medical records into one of two categories: (1) presence of psychopathologically based pain complaint with little or no pathophysiological findings and (2) presence of pathophysiologically based pain complaints with little or no psychopathological findings. Subjects were also independently classified from blind review of their scores on the Back Pain Classification Scale into one of these two categories. Findings revealed that the Back Pain Classification Scale accurately predicted the actual classification of 80% of the low back pain patients (i.e., 30% above baseline prediction rate) and only 60% of the chronic headache patients (i.e., only equal to the baseline prediction rate). Furthermore, the scale was found to be most accurate in predicting low back pain patients with primary psychopathologically based pain. It was concluded that the Back Pain Classification Scale was an empirically valid instrument to use with chronic low back pain patients, but not with chronic headache patients. This lack of utility with chronic headache patients was also viewed as support for the construct validity of the scale. Wider use of the scale with chronic low back pain patients was suggested.
High-pressure Raman study of the hydrolysis reaction in tetramethylorthosilicate (TMOS)

Abstract The hydrolysis reaction of etramethylorthosilicate is investigated at pH 4.9, 6.0, 7.5 at room temperature and at pressures from 1 to 2000 bar. The rate of reaction is determined using Raman spectroscopy. It is shown that the rate of the hydrolysis reaction is independent of the viscosity of the sol-gel system. The increased mobility and concentration of hydronium and hydroxyl ions at higher pressures and their role in the reaction are also discussed. The pressure-induced changes in the kinetics of the hydrolysis reaction are attributed primarily to the decreasing volume of activation. The volume of activation is found from the pressure dependence of the rate constant and the results are analyzed in terms of the intrinsic and solvent components. It is argued that these results indicate the formation of a pentacoordinate intermediate.
Profound metoprolol-induced bradycardia precipitated by acetaminophen-propoxyphene

Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrate that propoxyphene is a potent inhibitor of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2D6. Clinically significant sequelae have not been previously reported. We report a case of this inhibition manifested by life-threatening bradycardia in a patient receiving a CYP2D6 substrate, metoprolol. A 48-year-old man came to the emergency department complaining of dizziness 3 hours after ingesting metoprolol, at his usual dose, and 2 tablets of propoxyphene, newly begun postoperatively. Four hours after ingestion of both drugs, the patient was noted to have a ventricular rate of about 30 beats/min with underlying atrial fibrillation. The patient's ventricular response returned to normal within 11 hours of ingestion. We have demonstrated the clinical importance of the interaction between propoxyphene and metoprolol likely resulting from inhibition of hepatic clearance of metoprolol by propoxyphene. Underscoring the clinical relevance of CYP2D6 inhibition by an analgesic of questionable efficacy should proscribe its use.
Elective intraaortic balloon counterpulsation for high-risk off-pump coronary artery bypass operations

Abstract Background . Dislocations of the heart required for exposure and construction of distal anastomoses often produce hemodynamic instability when performing coronary artery revascularization without using cardiopulmonary perfusion (OPCAB). We report our early experience with elective intraaortic balloon counterpulsation (IABP) to enable and facilitate selected high-risk patients to undergo OPCAB. Methods . Sixteen high-risk patients undergoing multivessel OPCAB using elective IABP are reported. The patients were believed to be at increased risk because of the presence of severe proximal multivessel coronary artery obstruction, ventricular dysfunction, recent acute myocardial infarction, cardiomegaly–cardiomyopathy, and documented cerebral vascular disease. The presence of significant comorbid disease also made the avoidance of cardiopulmonary bypass desirable, if at all possible, in all patients. Results . The IABP appeared to facilitate the intraoperative management of our series of patients. This was evidenced by improved hemodynamic stability and virtual elimination of the need for inotropic support during the dislocations of the heart needed for exposure and construction of distal anastomoses. There were no complications related to use of IABP. There was one death. Conclusions . We believe this strategy to use IABP selectively can allow surgeons to safely extend the benefits of OPCAB procedures to high-risk patients and avoid dangerous hemodynamic instability that otherwise, often occurs.
Ozone patterns for three metropolitan statistical areas in North Carolina, USA

Abstract As part of an effort by the state of North Carolina to develop a State Implementation Plan (SIP) for 1-h peak ozone control, a network of ozone stations was established to monitor surface ozone concentrations across the state. Between 19 and 23 ozone stations made continuous surface measurements between 1993 and 1995 surrounding three major metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs): Raleigh/Durham (RDU), Charlotte/Mecklenburg (CLT), and Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem (GSO). Statistical averages of the meteorological and ozone data were performed at each Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) to study trends and/or relationships on high ozone days (days in which one of the MSA sites measured an hourly ozone concentration⩾90.0 ppbv). County emission maps of precursor gases, wind roses, total area averages of ozone, total downwind averages of ozone deviations, upwind averages of ozone, and a modified delta ozone analysis were all obtained and analyzed. The results of this study show a reduction in the delta ozone relative to an earlier study at RDU, but no average significant change at CLT (no comparison can be made for GSO). The statistical data analyses in this study are used to quantify the importance of local contributions and regional transport, to ozone air pollution in the MSAs.
Generalizing the Georgi-Jarlskog Relations to Neutrino Masses

A generalization of the well-known Georgi-Jarlskog relations to neutrinos is found in the context of SO(10). The new relations give the mass ratios of the neutrinos in terms of the ratios of masses of the up-quarks, and are consistent with present data, assuming an MSW solution to the solar neutrino problem.
Real-time Video Stream Aggregation in Wireless Mesh Network

In this paper we design and evaluate Ganges, a wireless mesh network architecture that can efficiently transport real-time video streams from multiple sources to a central monitoring station. Video quality suffers from deterioration in the presence of bursty network losses and due to packets missing their playback deadline. Ganges spatially separates the paths to reduce inter-flow contention. It finds out a fair rate allocation for the different video sources. The wireless routers in the mesh network implement several optimizations in order to reduce the end-to-end delay variation. Ganges improves the network capacity by over 10-15% over a shortest path tree, and improves the video picture quality by 7-10 dB