cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced structured-illumination depth camera for 3D modeling of small animals

We present here a structured-illumination depth camera with improved depth sensing range and accuracy by recursive decomposition of binary codes. We validated the proposed method numerically and demonstrated it experimentally by imaging a phantom animal
Impaired cognition predicts the risk of hospitalization and death in cirrhosis.

Objective Cognitive impairment, detected in up to 80% of patients with liver cirrhosis, is associated with negative health outcomes but is underdiagnosed in the clinical setting due to the lack of practical testing method. This single-center prospective observational study aimed to test the feasibility and prognostic utility of in-clinic cognitive assessment of patients with liver cirrhosis using the NIH Toolbox cognition battery (NIHTB). Methods Patients recruited from a hepatology/transplant clinic underwent cognitive assessments using West-Haven Grade (WHG) and NIHTB between November 2016 and August 2018 and were prospectively followed until December 2018. The primary outcome was a composite end point of hospitalization related to overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) and all-cause mortality during follow-up, evaluated by a Cox proportional hazards regression model that adjusted for a priori covariates (age and MELD-Na). Results Among 127 patients (median age 60 years, 48 [38%] women) assessed, cognitive performance was significantly impaired in 82 [78%] patients with WHG 0 and 22 [100%] patients with WHG 1 and 2. Over a median of 347 days follow-up, 18 OHE and 8 deaths were observed. Lower cognitive performance was associated with an increased risk of OHE/death adjusting for age and MELD-Na. Subclinical cognitive impairment detected by NIH Toolbox in WHG 0 patients was significantly associated with greater mortality. Median time to complete the two prognostically informative NIH Toolbox tests was 9.4 min. Interpretation NIH Toolbox may enable a rapid cognitive screening in the outpatient setting and identify patients at high risk for death and hospitalization for severe encephalopathy.
SOPC Builder: Performance By Design

We are now in the era of programmable logic. The need for low-cost, high-performance methods of getting to market in the shortest amount of time are ever present. This requires tools and methodologies that leverage the strengths of the designers, utilize known-to-work components, and allow rapid experimentation and innovation. Altera’s SOPC Builder is this tool. SOPC Builder is used to construct embedded “Systems on a Programmable Chip” (SOPC) from a wide variety of components that are available natively (the Nios soft-core microprocessor, communications IP, memory interfaces, timers, etc.) or from 3rd party IP providers. Additionally it is a framework into which developers can place their own custom IP cores for easy reuse. The power of this tool and design methodology lies in the fact that it abstracts away the tedious tasks, such as developing the bus wiring, arbitration logic, and memory map decode, and allows the designer to spend more time on architectural issues, such as system performance or software/hardware co-design. With SOPC Builder the designer is able to iterate through designs quickly, testing which one will provide the most optimal performance for the given problem, testing things like simultaneous multi-master architectures, multi-processors, and where to make the split between software algorithms and hardware acceleration. Working systems are generated in minutes, and architectural evolution can begin immediately, giving faster time-to-market and providing a perfectly tailored solution in the end.
The Relationship Between Asymmetries of Corneal Properties and Rates of Visual Field Progression in Glaucoma Patients.

PReCIS:: In this study, asymmetries in corneal hysteresis (CH) between eyes of glaucoma patients were significantly associated with asymmetries in rates of visual field loss, suggesting a role of hysteresis as a risk factor for disease progression. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between asymmetries in rates of glaucoma progression and asymmetries of corneal properties between eyes of subjects with primary open-angle glaucoma. Participants and methods This prospective study followed 126 binocular subjects with glaucoma for an average of 4.3±0.8 years. CH was measured at baseline using the Ocular Response Analyzer. Standard automated perimetry (SAP) and intraocular pressure were measured at baseline and every 6 months. Rates of visual field progression were calculated using ordinary least square regression of SAP mean deviation (MD) values over time for each eye. Eyes were defined as "better" and "worse" based on the slopes of SAP MD. Pearson correlation test, and univariable and multivariable regression models were used to investigate the relationship between inter-eye asymmetry in CH and central corneal thickness and inter-eye differences in rates of visual field progression. Results Only asymmetry of CH was significantly associated with the asymmetry in SAP MD rates of change between eyes (r=0.22; P=0.01). In a multivariable model adjusting for age, race, central corneal thickness, mean intraocular pressure and baseline disease severity, CH asymmetry remained significantly associated with asymmetric progression (P=0.032). Conclusion CH asymmetry between eyes was associated with asymmetry on rates of visual field change, providing further support for the role of CH as a risk factor for glaucoma progression.
Characterization of Functional Dysphonia: Pre- and Post-Treatment Findings.

OBJECTIVES Functional dysphonia (FD) is one of the possible presentations of chronic dysphonia. Defined as dysphonia without gross abnormality of the larynx, FD manifests as aberrant muscle contractions resulting in mild-to-severe dysphonia. Despite increasing clinical awareness, diagnosis, and treatment strategies for FD remain challenging. STUDY DESIGN Institutional review board. METHODS A retrospective review of videostroboscopic examinations and EMR data from 109 patients treated for FD was performed. Videostroboscopy was analyzed by two independent reviewers and classified by laryngeal posturing and observer-rated quality of voice. Medical records were reviewed and patient characteristics, history of disease, and survey responses were collected. Statistics were calculated using JMP and SAS packages. RESULTS A total of 85.1% of subjects were female and the average voice handicap index (VHI30) score was 71.0/120. Average time to diagnosis of FD was 688 days and average time from diagnosis to treatment was 3.7 days. 44.0% of patients exhibited hyperadducted laryngeal posturing, 31.9% hypoadducted, and 24.2% showed a mixed posture. 98% of patient voices improved after treatment. 85% returned to normal voice and 10% maintained a mild residual dysphonia. CONCLUSION We describe here a large cohort of patients affected by FD, including clinical presentation and videostroboscopic findings. Our data show that most individuals with FD improve after specialized voice therapy once correctly diagnosed but that correct diagnosis and proper treatment was often significantly delayed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4-Case-series Laryngoscope, 131:E1957-E1964, 2021.
Specific Examples of Liouville-Riemann-Roch Theorems

In this chapter, we look at some examples of applications of the results of Chap. 2. These include in particular self-adjoint operators with non-degenerate spectral band edges, operators with Dirac points in dispersion relation, as well as some non-self-adjoint cases.
TCP/AQM network congestion prescribed performance event-triggered control with input saturation

In this paper, the overall window model is used to describe the network operation for networks under TCP protocol, taking into account the interference of UDP streams and http streams to the network operation process. Based on this model, taking into account the input range of the network packet loss rate, processing the impact of input saturation on the control effect and introducing a prescribed performance method, designing an event triggering network congestion controller. The designed controller can track the queue to the preset value and has certain transient and steady-state performance. Finally, the effectiveness of the controller is verified by simulation.
Crustal Structure Interpreted from Magnetic Anomalies

This review, discusses publications during the last quadrennium (1987-1990) that used aeromagnetic data, marine magnetic data, satellite magnetic data, and rock magnetic and petrologic data to provide information on the sources of magnetic anomalies. The publications reviewed reflect increased integration of rock magnetic property and petrologic studies with magnetic anomaly interpretation studies, particularly in deep crustal magnetization, exploration for hydrocarbons, and inversion of marine magnetic anomalies. Interpretations of aeromagnetic data featuring image display techniques and using the horizontal gradient method for locating magnetization boundaries became standard.
Growth cone motility: substratum-bound molecules, cytoplasmic [Ca2+] and Ca(2+)-regulated proteins.

Publisher Summary Embryonic growth cones, especially those pioneers that first establish axonal pathways, actively navigate as they penetrate intervening tissues on their way to their target regions. By saying navigate, it is proposed that the nerve growth cone is a sensory-effector system, involving the surface expression of cell surface receptors for environmental molecules that serve as cues or signals. This chapter presents some of the investigations of this navigational hypothesis for growth cone behavior. The behaviors of growth cone are analyzed at boundaries between combinations of permissive and inhibitory substratum bound molecules. In addition, the involvement of one cytoplasmic regulatory factor is investigated, namely cytoplasmic [Ca 2+ ], in controlling growth cone behaviors. The results suggest that (1) growth cone behavior changes at boundaries among substratum-adsorbed molecules, (2) interactions with surface bound molecules can trigger changes in growth cone [Ca 2+ ], (3) recurrent spikes of cytoplasmic [Ca 2+ ] can be generated in growth cones, and (4) growth cones contain Ca 2+ -regulated proteins that control the organization and functions of actin filaments.
Environmental influences upon firm entry into new sub-markets: Evidence from the worldwide hard disk drive industry conditionally

Abstract Firms need to access skills, capital and customers to enter into an industry initially and the choices they make to access these resources are likely to exert path dependent influences over subsequent entry behavior into new sub-markets. This paper explores how firms configure themselves to access skills, capital and customers and reports data on their association with whether and when firms enter new sub-markets in the worldwide hard disk drive (HDD) industry. While, as with other studies, there appear to be geographic differences between US and Japanese firms in sub-market entry behavior, these are shown not to simply reflect differences in region: US startup firms with former IBM personnel and Japanese incumbent firms with keiretsu linkages to their customers, exhibit different entry behavior than other firms in the same region. The analysis suggests that entry decisions are influenced by firms’ configuration choices to access needed resources and that the menu of configuration options available to firm managers varies across different institutional settings.
Integral Agriculture: Taking seriously the mindset of the farmer, the interiority of the beings on the farm, and a metaphysics that connects them

With the steady increase in the market share of organic food over the last 30 years, some farmers have switched from “conventional” to “sustainable” agricultural practices in order to capitalize on those new markets. Are the practices the only things that need to change? Building off of Warwick Fox’s conception of “transpersonal ecology,” transpersonal agroecology (TPAE) is the name given to a proposed alternative mindset of the farmer derived from various alternative agricultural theorists of the last 100 years. These writers oppose the scientism and economism that typify industrial agriculture, subscribe to the notion that experiences of "identification" between the farmer and the beings on the farm are an important component of a truly sustainable agriculture, and suggest that a truly sustainable agriculture requires a radical critique of the metaphysical assumptions that underlie modern agricultural practices. A case is made that a process metaphysics (based on the philosophy of A.N. Whitehead) can productively support a transpersonal agroecological way of being on the farm with its requisite sustainable agricultural practices. Finally, though many theorists have analyzed both industrial and sustainable agriculture from an ideological perspective, most of them partake of a subtle form of materialism, recapitulating the belief that relationships among beings are exclusively external. This subtle materialism precludes the farmer from ascribing interiority to the majority of the beings she is in relationship with. Revisiting transpersonal agroecology, with an understanding of interiority, yields a truly holistic, integral agriculture that takes seriously the mindset of the farmer and the interiority of the beings on the farm.
Relation of physical activity and cardiovascular fitness to coronary heart disease, Part II: Cardiovascular fitness and the safety and efficacy of physical activity prescription.

Background: This paper is the second of two reports that together review the scientific evidence regarding the inverse relation between physical activity and cardiovascular fitness and coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: Using a MEDLINE search with the key words exercise, physical fitness, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease, more than 75 articles were reviewed, evaluating study design, measurement error, bias and confounding, the strength of associations, consistency of results, temporal and dose-response relation, and biologic plausibility. Results: The relative risk in epidemiologic studies comparing the least to the most fit categories ranges from 1.2 to 4.8, which is greater than that for physical inactivity. The differences between cardiovascular fitness (an attribute) and physical activity (a behavior) are highlighted. The range of correlation (r = 0.02 to 0.44) between cardiovascular fitness and physical activity is discussed relative to measurement error and genetic and environmental factors. Studies reporting the safety of regular physical activity suggest an injury rate as high as 35 injuries per 100 persons per year. Efficacy studies limited to secondary prevention trials report a 66 percent compliance rate and 15 percent reduction in total mortality. Conclusions: The scientific evidence implying a causal relation between cardiovascular fitness and CHD is strongly positive, but the clinical and public health implications are unclear. Further research and clinical guidelines are suggested.
Shared Agency: replies to Tenenbaum, Copp, and Schapiro

This is a reply to discussions by David Copp, Tamar Schapiro, and Sergio Tenenbaum of Michael E. Bratman, Shared Agency: A Planning Theory of Acting Together.
Graphene-Based All-Solid-State Supercapacitor with Ionic Liquid Gel Polymer Electrolyte

Graphene-based all-solid-state supercapacitors the using ionic liquid gel polymer electrolyte have been fabricated and characterized. The gel polymer electrolyte has been prepared by immobilizing ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMIBF4) with poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene). Cyclic voltammetry studies show highly capacitive behavior under fast scan rates. Impedance analysis show nominal charge transfer and ion diffusion at pores related resistance contributions. The graphene-based solid-state supercapacitor shows optimum capacitance of 80 mF cm-2 (equivalent to the single electrode specific capacitance of 76 F g-1). This corresponded to the specific energy of 7.4 Wh kg-1 and specific power of 4.5 kW kg-1. The supercapacitor cell shows stable cyclic performances for up to 5000 cycles and possibly beyond.
Is divalent iron bound to transferrin

Abstract The binding of divalent iron by transferrin has been investigated by ultraviolet difference spectrophotometry under anaerobic conditions and by isotope exchange experiments. If divalent iron is bound at all, it is bound only very weakly.
On the Importance of Hydrodynamic Interactions in Lipid Membrane Formation

Hydrodynamic interactions (HI) give rise to collective motions between molecules, which are known to be important in the dynamics of random coil polymers and colloids. However, their role in the biological self-assembly of many molecule systems has not been investigated. Here, using Brownian dynamics simulations, we evaluate the importance of HI on the kinetics of self-assembly of lipid membranes. One-thousand coarse-grained lipid molecules in periodic simulation boxes were allowed to assemble into stable bilayers in the presence and absence of intermolecular HI. Hydrodynamic interactions reduce the monomer-monomer association rate by 50%. In contrast, the rate of association of lipid clusters is much faster in the presence of intermolecular HI. In fact, with intermolecular HI, the membrane self-assembly rate is 3–10 times faster than that without intermolecular HI. We introduce an analytical model to describe the size dependence of the diffusive encounter rate of particle clusters, which can qualitatively explain our simulation results for the early stage of the membrane self-assembly process. These results clearly suggest that HI greatly affects the kinetics of self-assembly and that simulations without HI will significantly underestimate the kinetic parameters of such processes.
Heart conditioned medium elicits post-lesion muscarinic receptor recovery in vivo.

Abstract Intraseptal administration of heart conditioned medium (HCM) stimulates the growth of injured cholinergic fibers into iris implants placed in the anterodorsal hippocampus. The aims of the present report were to monitor muscarinic cholinergic receptor concentrations during denervation and central innervation of the peripheral tissue targets, and to evaluate the effect of HCM on these changes. For 0, 4, 8, 16 and 28 days after mechanical injury to septohippocampal axons, animals received either intraseptal injectionsof HCM or control vehicle. Binding of [3H]quinuclidinylbenzilate (3H]QNB) within iris implants was used as an index of cholinergic muscarinic receptor concentration. The results indicate that within the iris implants: (1) a dramatic drop in the number of muscarinic receptors is observed 4 days after denervation; (2) under control conditions, central cholinergic innervation is not associated with muscarinic receptor recovery; and (3) after administration of HCM, muscarinic receptor levels begin to increase within two weeks and approach the pre-lesion endogenous concentration following 28 days of treatment. These results support the hypothesis that trophic factors may facilitate the restoration of effective, appropriate connections between nerve fibers and their targets.
Rhodium(III) Complexes with Acyclic Tetrathioether Ligands. Effects of Backbone Chain Length on the Conformation of the Rh(III) Complex

Several Rh(III) complexes containing tetradentate thioether ligands of the general form [RhCl2(RCH2S(CH2)nS(CH2)mS(CH2)nSCH2R)]X (n, m = 2 or 3; R = COOH, C6H5; X = Cl-, PF6-, BPh4-) have been synthesized and fully characterized. The effect of the ligand backbone size on the configuration (cis or trans) has been investigated. The smaller backbone chain length favored the cis isomer while the longer chain length favored the trans isomer (n, m = 2, cis; n = 3, m = 2 or n, m = 3, trans). However, both cis and trans isomers were observed in the case where n = 2 and m = 3. Spectroscopic methods (UV−visible and NMR) were used to characterize the solution conformations of these complexes, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses determined the solid state structures of the benzyl derivatives. cis-[RhCl2(PhCH2S(CH2)2S(CH2)2S(CH2)2SCH2Ph]PF6 crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/c with a = 14.365(2) A, b = 13.200(3) A, c = 15.736(2) A, β = 115.571(4)°, Z = 4, R = 0.048 and Rw = 0.057. trans-[RhCl2(Ph...
Neutrino counting at the Z peak in extended electroweak models

Abstract The consequences of mixing between the standard model Z and a possible extra neutral gauge boson, Z', on neutrino counting at the Z peak are investigated. Our results are presented in the number of light neutrino generations ( V v ), and total Z width ( Γ z ) plane. We find that a large range of values are possible, including the case where one of these quantities takes on its three-generation SM valur while the other does not. Z-Z′ mixing does not appear to be able to conceal a fourth generation of light neutrinos.
Observation and Relaxation of the Two-Photon Echo in Na Vapor

We have used a pair of simultaneously pumped dye lasers to produce in Na vapor the sum-frequency two-photon analog of the photon echo. Quantum-beat effects were observed. Relaxation of the $3^{2}S_{\frac{1}{2}}\ensuremath{-}4^{2}D_{\frac{3}{2}}$ superposition was measured.
Measuring Driver Adaptation to In-Vehicle Information Systems: Disassociation of Subjective and Objective Situation Awareness Measures

This study examined a range of design parameters for an in-vehicle signing and warning system, using a low-fidelity driving simulator and a variety of driver performance measures. A series of probe questions provided an objective measure of situation awareness, and drivers' confidence ratings in these answers provided a subjective measure of situation awareness. The correspondence between the accuracy of the answers to the probe questions and subjective confidence in the answers to the probe questions provides a measure of meta-situation awareness. Meta-situation awareness is a necessary condition for the validity of any subjective measure of situation awareness. Analysis of subjective and objective measures of situation awareness showed that they were both sensitive to design parameters, but that they responded in different ways. In addition, they were poorly calibrated and were only slightly correlated. This indicates a poor level of meta-situation awareness. Poor meta-situation awareness argues for gre...
Thermal boundary layers on a rough surface downstream of steps in wall temperature

Stanton numbers, mean temperature profiles, and turbulent heat flux profiles are presented for thermal boundary layers which develop over a uniformly rough surface downstream of steps in wall temperature. Artificially thickened hydrodynamic layers were employed in order to create large unheated starting lengths compared to boundary-layer thickness, where the unheated starting length is the distance between the temperature step and hydrodynamic boundary-layer origin. Kernel functions for Stanton number distributions with downstream distance are presented which agree with measurements even when the hydrodynamic layers are significantly thicker than thermal layers. Other effects of unheated starting lengths on rough-wall thermal boundary-layer behavior are described, including significant alterations in profiles of mean temperature and turbulent heat flux. Both change shape as the magnitude of the unheated starting length increases, even though logarithmic regions of temperature profiles in wall coordinates and turbulent Prandtl number distributions are largely unaffected by unheated starting-length effects.
Balance and discontinuities in infinite games with type-dependent strategies☆

Abstract Under study are games in which players receive private signals and then simultaneously choose actions from compact sets. Payoffs are measurable in signals and jointly continuous in actions. Stinchcombe (2011) [19] proves the existence of correlated equilibria for this class of games. This paper is a study of the information structures for these games, the discontinuous expected utility functions they give rise to, and the notion of a balanced approximation to an infinite game with discontinuous payoffs.
The amyloid β protein gene is not duplicated in brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease

Complementary DNAs (cDNAs) encoding portions of the amyloid beta protein were used to investigate possible amyloid gene duplication in sporadic Alzheimer's disease. A strategy employing two Eco RI restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) detected by the amyloid cDNAs was used. RFLPs allow the detection of a 2:1 gene dosage in the DNA of any individual who is heterozygous for a particular RFLP. The amyloid gene regions homologous to the cDNAs used were not duplicated in the DNA from brains of individuals with sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Similar results were also obtained with a strategy employing a test for 3:2 gene dosage.
Judicial Appeals for Hearing/Review Officer Decisions under IDEA: An Empirical Analysis

This study analyzed the 65 hearing officer decisions in Illinois between 1982 and 2010 that were subject to a court appeal available in the Westlaw or Individuals With Disabilities Education Law Report (IDELR) databases. These 65 cases yielded 86 issue rulings. Based on refined measures of outcomes and deference, or standard of judicial review, for issue rulings as the unit of analysis, the principal findings were that (a) outcomes were skewed in favor of districts at both the hearing/review officer and court levels; (b) the outcome upon judicial appeal was the same or largely unchanged for the vast majority of the issue rulings; and (c) the standard of judicial review did not appear to be a major factor in relation to the final court outcome.
Investigating Simple and Complex Mechanisms in Texture Segregation Using the Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff Method

Several recent models of texture segregation have proposed two mechanisms: simple, linear channels (first-order, Fourier mechanisms) and complex channels (second-order, non-Fourier mechanisms). We used the speed-accuracy tradeoff (SAT) method to examine the time course of texture segregation processing in simple and complex channels. The stimuli were texture patterns designed to segregate primarily as a result of activity in one set of channels or the other. We presented subjects with textures that were checked or striped arrangements of either Gaussian-blob or Gabor-patch elements. Subjects were required to identify the orientation of a rectangular texture region embedded in a background field of a different texture. A range of contrasts and a control task were used to equate visibility of the Gabor and Gaussian textures. SAT functions were obtained by requiring subjects to respond within 200 msec after an auditory cue. We found that when segregation depended primarily on simple channels, performance was faster than when it depended primarily on complex channels: the 75% correct level was reached 100-200 msec sooner and this extra speed was reflected both in smaller delay and higher rate parameters.
Spanish sparkling wines (Cavas) as inhibitors of in vitro human low-density lipoprotein oxidation.

Forty-seven dealcoholized sparkling wines (cava) from the Penedes area in Spain were tested for their antioxidant activity in a low-density lipoprotein system. The effect of different quality-related parameters, such as harvest year or grape variety, was investigated. Twenty-two phenolic compounds were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography and identified by comparing their retention time and their ultraviolet spectra with those of pure standards. When tested at the same total phenol concentration, the antioxidant activity of these white sparkling wines was found to be similar to that reported for red wines. This activity was positively correlated with the total phenolic content, trans-caffeic acid, coumaric acid, protocatechuic acid, and quercetin 3-glucuronide. The wines made of the classic cava wine coupage had superior antioxidant activity compared to those of other cultivars.
In vivo articular cartilage contact at the glenohumeral joint: preliminary report.

Background Little is known about normal in vivo mechanics of the glenohumeral joint. Such an understanding would have significant implications for treating disease conditions that disrupt shoulder function. The objective of this study was to determine articular contact locations between the glenoid and humeral articular surfaces in normal subjects during shoulder abduction with neutral, internal, and external rotations. We hypothesized that glenohumeral articular contact is not perfectly centered and is variable in normal subjects tested under physiological loading conditions.
Special-Purpose Devices For Signal And Image Processing: An Opportunity In Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI)

Based on the systolic array approach, new designs of special-purpose devices for filtering, correlation, convolution, and discrete Fourier transform are proposed and discussed. It is argued that because of high degrees of simplicity, regularity and concurrency inherent to these designs, their VLSI implementation will be cost effective.
Outage Analysis of Block Fading Gaussian Interference Channels: General Case

This paper considers the asymptotic behavior of two-source block-fading single-antenna Gaussian Interference Channels in the high-SNR regime by means of the diversity multiplexing tradeoff. We consider a general setting where the users and the average channel gains are not restricted to be symmetric. Our results are not just extensions of previous results for symmetric networks, as our setting covers scenarios that are not possible under the symmetric assumption, such as the case of "mixed" interference, i.e., when difference sources have different distances from their intended receivers. We derive lower bounds on the DMT by considering rate splitting. We show that, rate splitting improves the inner bound with respect to the previous results and coincides with the outer bound for a fairly large set of channel parameters.
Key influence parameters for the joint shear behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) beam–column connections

Abstract An extensive database of reinforced concrete (RC) beam–column connection test specimens exhibiting joint shear failure has been constructed. All test specimens included (with at least a minimum amount of joint transverse reinforcement necessary for proper joint confinement) were subjected to cyclic lateral loading, and had no out-of-plane members (transverse beams or slabs). Major categories within the database include the type of joint shear failure (in conjunction with, and also without, yielding of longitudinal beam reinforcement), as well as connection type (interior, exterior, and knee joint). Influence parameters for joint shear stress and/or strain behaviour at identified key points (displaying the most distinct stiffness changes) have been assessed. Concrete cracking and yielding of joint transverse or longitudinal beam reinforcement triggered the most distinct changes in stiffness, for both overall and local behaviour up to the point of initiation of joint shear failure (maximum experimental storey shear). Examined parameters for joint shear behaviour were grouped by material property, joint panel geometry, reinforcement confinement, column axial load, and reinforcement bond condition. The most important influence parameters on joint shear behaviour were found to be somewhat different by connection type and failure mode sequence. However, concrete compressive strength was the most common governing parameter on joint shear behaviour for all groups in the constructed database. In addition, joint shear cracking stresses and strains (for the point displaying the first distinct stiffness change) were investigated by simple equations. Finally, the design checks recommended by ACI 352R-02 were also examined for the specimens within the constructed database.
A Model of Cancer Clinical Trial Decision-making Informed by African-American Cancer Patients.

Background Clinical trials are critical to advancing cancer treatment. Minority populations are underrepresented among trial participants, and there is limited understanding of their decision-making process and key determinants of decision outcomes regarding trial participation.
Analysis and Removal of Arsenic From Natural Gas Using Potassium Peroxydisulfate and Polysulfide Absorbents

Abstract Natural gas from the large Abo gas field in southeastern New Mexico contains arsenic (0.2 to 2.5 μg/L) in the form of trialkylarsines. A method of analysis for arsenic which is based on the extraction of the alkylarsines into a saturated solution of potassium peroxydisulfate (PPDS) followed by determination of total arsenic, as AsO4 −3, by hydride generation- d.-c. helium plasma emission spectrometry (HG-DCHPES) is described. The extraction of the alkylarsines was carried out by either shaking 1L gas samples with PPDS or sparging the gas in PPDS solutions. Analytical results of acceptable precision can be obtained using either procedure. Temperature (24°—45°C) or pH (1.10-4.10) had little effect on the As concentrations obtained by the sparging method. The measured arsenic concentrations of natural gas samples stored in Cr-Mo steel cylinders decrease with time of storage (-30% in the first 4 weeks). A standard blend of trimethylarsine in CH4 (1 mole TMA in 106 moles of CH4), stored in nickel-cont...
Perceptual advantage for category-relevant perceptual dimensions: the case of shape and motion

Category learning facilitates perception along relevant stimulus dimensions, even when tested in a discrimination task that does not require categorization. While this general phenomenon has been demonstrated previously, perceptual facilitation along dimensions has been documented by measuring different specific phenomena in different studies using different kinds of objects. Across several object domains, there is support for acquired distinctiveness, the stretching of a perceptual dimension relevant to learned categories. Studies using faces and studies using simple separable visual dimensions have also found evidence of acquired equivalence, the shrinking of a perceptual dimension irrelevant to learned categories, and categorical perception, the local stretching across the category boundary. These later two effects are rarely observed with complex non-face objects. Failures to find these effects with complex non-face objects may have been because the dimensions tested previously were perceptually integrated. Here we tested effects of category learning with non-face objects categorized along dimensions that have been found to be processed by different areas of the brain, shape and motion. While we replicated acquired distinctiveness, we found no evidence for acquired equivalence or categorical perception.
The effect of spatial correlations on steady-state nucleation kinetics in dense fluid systems

A widely used expression for the steady-state nucleation rate is determined, in part, by the concentration of critical nuclei in a constrained equilibrium state of the system under consideration. We show that when a dense solvent is present, the values of the constrained equilibrium concentrations reflect the spatial correlations that arise from reactant-solvent molecule collisions. We evaluate the effect of such correlations for a simple, model fluid in terms of measurable reaction rate constants; our analysis shows that correlations influence each step in the multistep process of cluster formation and that the overall impact on the nucleation rate is cumulative. We argue that the very low, homogeneous nucleation rates observed in certain miscibility gap experiments are easily understood in the context of our analysis.
Glomus tumor and glomangioma of the nerve: Report of 2 cases

As a rule, normal human nerve does not contain glomus bodies. Nonetheless, rare examples of glomus tumors do arise in peripheral nerves of various sizes. Their pathobiological characteristics are poorly understood, but reported examples have been small and clinically benign. The authors identified in 1 patient each a glomus tumor and a glomangioma involving nerve. Clinical histories as well as imaging and surgical findings were reviewed. All available H & E-stained slides were examined in both cases. Immunohistochemical stains and electron microscopy, as appropriate, were also performed. The lesions were subtotally and completely resected, respectively. An uneventful postoperative recovery was noted in both patients. Glomus tumors and glomangiomas can involve major nerves on rare occasions. They seem to follow a favorable clinical course, and conservative resection can be of benefit.
Creating near-field VR using stop motion characters and a touch of light-field rendering

There is rapidly growing interest in the creation of rendered environments and content for tracked head-mounted stereoscopic displays for virtual reality. Currently, the most popular approaches include polygonal environments created with game engines, as well as 360 degree spherical cameras used to capture live action video. These tools were not originally designed to leverage the more complex visual cues available in VR when users laterally shift viewpoints, manually interact with models, and employ stereoscopic vision. There is a need for a fresh look at graphics techniques that can capitalize upon the unique affordances that make VR so compelling.
A rod monochromat's pattern VECP at high and low background levels: spatial tuning of colour mechanisms and rods compared.

The visually evoked cortical potential spatial-tuning function, i.e. checksize vs amplitude of response, was determined for a rod monochromat at a low background level of 0.2 scot td or a high background level of 200 scot td. The results showed evidence of a peak at 36' for the low-background spatial-tuning curve, but almost no peak was evident when the high background level was employed. This latter finding was interpreted as consistent with a rod saturation effect. Additionally, the shape of the spatial-tuning function found with the low background level was compared with that obtained from the blue or red (R) and green (G) cone mechanisms of normals. It was concluded that the blue cone mechanism may not use, as has been hypothesized, the same neural transmission pathway as rods because its spatial-tuning curve differed from both the rod and R and G systems.
Comparison of N-Alkane and PAH concentrations collected on quartz fiber and teflon membrane filters in an urban environment

Abstract Artifact-free gas and particulate phase concentration measurements are crucial primary inputs into compartmental models used to predict the transport and fate of a compound in the environment. A modified high volume air sampler was designed to minimize volatilization from a particulate laden filter; volatilization is one of the major sampling artifacts associated with the collection of ambient aerosols. This study also considers two other major sampling artifacts, gas adsorption to the filter, and chemical reactions on the filter. Concentrations of 16 n-alkanes (hexadecane - hentriacontane) and 8 PAHs (phenanthrene - benzo(a)pyrene) were measured from aerosols collected on quartz fiber filters (QFFs) and Teflon membrane filters (TMFs) for 12 sampling events in Portland, Oregon in 1988 over a range of ambient temperatures (7–31°C). The extent to which gas adsorption is important can be examined from the ratios of the concentrations of the target compounds collected on the QFFs to TMFs. It was determined that even though the coefficients of variation in the QFF / TMF ratios were as high as 60%, greater than 50% of the target compounds were collected in significantly higher concentrations on the QFFs. The most likely cause of elevated ratios is gas adsorption to the QFFs, creating artificially high QFF / TMF ratios. Gas adsorption to QFFs can lead to a significant over-estimation of a compound's particulate phase concentration.
Site-specific proteomic analysis of lipoxidation adducts in cardiac mitochondria reveals chemical diversity of 2-alkenal adduction

The modification of proteins by lipid peroxidation products has been linked to numerous diseases and age-related disorders. Here we report on the identification of endogenous protein targets of electrophilic 2-alkenals in cardiac mitochondria. An aldehyde/keto-specific chemical labeling and affinity strategy in combination with LC-MS/MS resulted in 39 unique lipoxidation sites on 27 proteins. Several of the target sites were modified by a variety of 2-alkenal products including acrolein, β-hydroxyacrolein, crotonaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal and 4-oxo-2-nonenal. Many of the adduction sites are implicated in the catalytic function of key mitochondrial enzymes suggesting potential impact on pathways and overall mitochondrial function.
Young X-ray-Emitting Supernovae in Galaxies

This talk reviews the observations of the high-energy emission of young supernovae, providing an update from previous reviews in 1995 and 2003. A summary plot shows the number distribution of X-ray luminosities, currently totalling 25 supernovae, from which it is clear that SN IIP are weak X-ray sources, SN IIn are very luminous sources, and SN Ib/c cover a broad range in luminosity.
CpG DNA Prevents Liver Injury and Shock-mediated Death by Modulating Expression of Interleukin-1 Receptor-associated Kinases

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) produced by macrophages in response to CpG DNA induces severe liver injury and subsequent death of d-galactosamine (d-GalN)-sensitized mice. In the present study we demonstrate that mice pre-exposed to CpG DNA are resistant to liver injury and death induced by CpG DNA/d-GalN. CpG DNA/d-GalN failed to induce TNF-α production and hepatocyte apoptosis in the mice pre-exposed to CpG DNA. In addition, macrophages isolated from the CpG DNA-pretreated mice showed suppressed activation of MAPKs and NF-κB and production of TNF-α in response to CpG DNA, indicating that the CpG DNA-mediated protection of CpG DNA/d-GalN-challenged mice is due to the hyporesponsiveness of macrophages to CpG DNA. CpG DNA pretreatment in vivo inhibited expression of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK)-1 while inducing IRAK-M expression in macrophages. Suppressed expression of IRAK-1 was responsible for the macrophage hyporesponsiveness to CpG DNA. However, increased expression of IRAK-M was not sufficient to render macrophages hyporesponsive to CpG DNA but was required for induction of the optimal level of macrophage hyporesponsiveness. Taken together, reduced expression of IRAK-1 and increased expression of IRAK-M after CpG DNA pretreatment resulted in the hyporesponsiveness of macrophages that leads to the protection of mice from hepatic injury and death caused by CpG DNA/d-GalN.
A Comprehensive Report on the Experience of Patients on Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis for the Treatment of End-Stage Renal Disease

This article summarizes highlights of data from the National Institutes of Health Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis Registry Report released in early 1984. Follow-up data for 6,656 patients were collected from January 1981 through June 1983 and were analyzed for this report.
A ventricular assist device as a bridge to recovery, decision making, or transplantation in patients with advanced cardiac failure.

Despite many advances in the management of patients with heart failure, acute cardiogenic shock and progressive congestive heart failure remain serious problems with dismal prognoses. Both temporary and permanent mechanical support has been gaining wide clinical application in this patient population. Although mechanical circulatory support technology is rapidly evolving, this approach is associated with multiple issues such as the optimal duration of temporary support, ideal timing to bridge these patients to a long-term device, and selection of the right device for the right patient. The currently available devices are categorized into two major groups: temporary and long-term devices (including destination therapy). Heart failure is a dynamic condition, and the therapeutic approach may need to be modified depending on the patient’s condition. Furthermore, the patient’s preexisting morbidity, age, socioeconomic status, and family support are confounding factors that need to be considered when making such decisions. Clinical trials including prospective studies, as well as meticulous analysis of existing data, may help develop universal guidelines to select the right device. This manuscript will review the most widely used ventricular assist devices.
Plasmopara halstedii on Cineraria.

A downy mildew of cineraria (Senecio cruentus DC.) was encountered during the autumn of 1932 by H. H. Whetzel. It was reported that about ten per cent of the plants in a greenhouse at Hempstead, Long Island, were affected, and the disease was causing a considerable loss. The plants were of the multiflora type, which is the common potted cineraria, the seed having been obtained from Germany. As a downy mildew had not been re? ported previously on this host, an investigation was undertaken under the direction of Professor H. M. Fitzpatrick. The lesions appear on the under sides of the leaves as small white spots and on the upper sides as slightly browned areas. They are usually from 0.5 to 3 cm. in diameter although in some cases they include a larger area. The part of the leaf bearing these spots gradually dies, the color changing to a dark brown. The death of the remainder of the leaf soon follows.
Elderly Consumers' Knowledge Related to Medigap Protection Needs

Elderly consumers’ knowledge of Medicare coverage and the major factors they considered in purchasing supplementary health insurance were examined. Perceptions of the financial consequences of being hospitalized also were investigated. The findings based on a sample of Florida residents indicated that many older people may be ill-prepared to correctly assess their medigap protection needs and to choose wisely among alternative insurance policies if they decide to purchase supplementary coverage. Inadequate knowledge may result in unfulfilled expectations about protection when medical expenses are incurred, vulnerability to questionable insurance sales appeals and methods, and purchase of uneconomic duplicate coverage.
Energy consumption of TCP in ad hoc networks

In this paper we study the energy cost (protocol processing and communication cost) and goodput of different flavors of TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) in ad hoc networks. We implemented a testbed and measured the actual energy cost as well as goodput of running TCP Reno, Newreno, SACK (Selective ACKnowledgement) and a version that combines Explicit Link Failure Notification (ELFN) [7] and Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) [5] in Newreno. We see that the use of ECN & ELFN does yield higher goodput in most cases with a corresponding lower total energy cost. We see an energy savings of between 20% and 500% depending on the network conditions.