cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Substrate stiffness and matrix composition coordinately control the differentiation of liver progenitor cells

Recent approaches have utilized microfabricated platforms to examine combinations of microenvironmental signals that regulate stem and progenitor cell differentiation. However, the majority of these efforts have focused on the biochemical properties of extracellular matrix (ECM) or soluble factors without simultaneously exploring the biomechanical effects of cell-substrate interactions. To address this need, we combined a high-throughput approach for the analysis of combinatorial ECM cues with substrates of modular stiffness and traction force microscopy. This integrated approach enabled the characterization of cell-generated traction stress and phenotypic expression in response to ECM cues. We investigated the impact of substrate stiffness and ECM composition on the differentiation of bipotential mouse embryonic liver (BMEL) progenitor cells. We observed that hepatocyte differentiation was primarily regulated by ECM composition, and cholangiocyte differentiation was cooperatively influenced by ECM proteins and stiffness properties. In particular, stiffness-mediated cholangiocyte differentiation was observed for cells cultured on fibronectin, while collagen IV promoted differentiation independent of substrate stiffness. We demonstrated the influence of cell contractility and traction stress in early cholangiocyte specification and further uncovered the roles of ERK and ROCK in this differentiation process. Overall, these findings illustrate the involvement of biomechanical signals in liver progenitor differentiation. Further, this approach could enable investigations for a broad range of cell types and ECM proteins, providing an integrated platform for evaluating the combinatorial effects of biochemical and biophysical signals in cell differentiation.
Developing multilingual pedagogies and research through language study and reflection

ABSTRACTGlobalisation and increased transnational migration underscore the need for educational responses to multilingualism and multilingual discourses. One way to heighten awareness of multilingual pedagogies (while simultaneously providing data for multilingual research) is the use of reflective language study and journaling by language educators/researchers. The purpose of this collaborative autoethnography, which focuses on the United States, is to demonstrate how this can be accomplished in language teacher education courses to help raise awareness and interest of how to capitalise on students’ linguistic and cultural resources. Data for this study included three participant/researcher journals and observational notes from collaborative discussions among researcher/participants about the lived experiences of multilingual language educators as they studied a new language and wrote about their experiences. Findings reveal possibilities for future research in cross-linguistic transfer as well as the te...
Renal denervation for resistant hypertension: not dead yet.

There are few areas in medicine that have gained as much prominence as quickly, or have been as widely dismissed as quickly, as catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) for the treatment of resistant hypertension. Hypertension is a global public health concern affecting 20% to 30% of the
Interactions between white-tailed deer density and the composition of forest understories in the northern United States

Forest understories across the northern United States (US) are a complex of tree seedlings, endemic forbs, herbs, shrubs, and introduced plant species within a forest structure defined by tree and forest floor attributes. The substantial increase in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman) populations over the past decades has resulted in heavy browse pressure in many of these forests. To gain an objective assessment of the role of deer in forested ecosystems, a region-wide forest inventory across the northern US was examined in concert with white-tailed deer density information compiled at broad scales. Results indicate that deer density may be an additional driver of tree seedling abundance when analyzed along with stand attributes such as aboveground biomass, relative density, and stand age. Tree seedling abundance generally decreased as deer density increased above 5.8 deer km2 for all forest type groups with the exception of oak-dominated forests. Findings indicate that introduced plant species, of which 393 were recorded in this study, increased in areas with higher deer density. The abundance of whitetailed deer is just as important as forest stand and site attributes in the development of forest understories. Given the complexity of forest and land use dynamics across the northern US, this study provides directions for future research as more data linking forest-dependent wildlife and forest dynamics at regional and national scales become available.
A Short History of Technology Transfer and Capture: High Speed Rail in China

This is a review of a technology transfer activity in China. It uses the High Speed Rail program as a demonstration of the transfer process and explores the recent history that has projected China’s program from almost zero in 2000 to the largest in the World in a decade. The role of government and private sector technology actors are examined with respect to their alternative strategies and the role of China’s government in leading this technology transfer and adoption, absorption and adaption process. Specific technologies and technological companies are used as examples of the process and its unfolding development.
MCM2 expression in serrated polyps demonstrates aberrant cellular proliferation.

Summary In normal colonic epithelium, the proliferative zone is limited to the lower half of the colonic crypt. Evaluating the changes in the colonic epithelial proliferation can be useful in understanding pathophysiology of various diseases. Our aim was to investigate the proliferative compartment of serrated polyps (SPs) using MCM2, a protein involved in DNA replication, and assess for changes along the SP spectrum. Immunohistochemistry was performed on serrated polyps (16 microvesicular-type hyperplastic polyps (HP), 58 sessile serrated adenomas (SSA), 7 SSAs with dysplasia) and 6 sections of normal colon using anti-MCM2 antibody. Multiple sections of normal colon showed the following pattern for MCM2 and Ki-67 staining: positive nuclear staining of the lower half of the colonic crypts and/or slightly expanded to the lower two-thirds of the crypt. By MCM2, SPs show expansion of the proliferative compartments; 81.3% of HPs and 100% of SSAs showed some degree of full crypt MCM2 staining. SSAs with dysplasia showed consistent diffuse polyp staining. Aberrant staining in adjacent normal mucosa was also seen in SSAs with dysplasia and in a subset of non-dysplastic SSAs. By using MCM2, we show that serrated polyps exhibit changes in proliferation during progression along the pathway. HPs and SSAs show a similar highly proliferative profile. Aberrant proliferative cell staining patterns in adjacent normal colonic mucosa as seen in SSAs with dysplasia and a subset of SSAs suggest a field effect phenomenon. This indicates that changes in the colonic micro-environment may promote adenoma morphogenesis and predisposition to malignancy.
COMPARISON OF HORIZONTAL HEAD MOVEMENTS EVOKED BY AUDITORY AND VISUAL TARGETS

Head movement propensity-the pattern of head saccades dependent on methods of target presentation-varies among individuals. The present group of 9 young adults was previously ranked in a visual saccadic task according to this propensity. The present report examines how and why this propensity changes if the saccades are made to auditory targets. 1) Spatially identical, interleaved, auditorily and visually elicited horizontal saccadic gaze shifts (jumps) differed in amplitude and in starting and/or ending position. The jumps were executed in two head movement modes: first, the non-aligned mode was a standard reaction-time single gaze step between two points. Second, the head-aligned mode required alignment of the head with the fixation (starting) point; thereafter both modes were identical. All results in the auditory task are expressed relative to the visual results. 2) In the non-aligned mode, head movement amplitudes were increased on average by 15% (for example, an 80 degrees jump elicited a 12 degrees larger head movement), and velocity decreased by 12%, reflecting the increased demands of the auditory task. More importantly, the differences between subjects was narrowed; that is, head movement propensity was homogenized in the auditory task. In the visual task, head-movers willingly move their heads off and across the midline, whereas non-movers are unwilling to leave the midline from eccentric starting points or to eccentric ending points. This is called the midline attraction effect and was previously linked to spatial reference frames. The homogenization in the auditory task was characterized by head-movers increasing, and non-movers decreasing, their midline attraction, suggesting altered spatial reference frames. 3) For heuristic purposes, the ideal head-mover is defined by a gain of 1.0 in the visual task, and by external earth-fixed reference frames. Similarly, the ideal non-mover has a gain of 0.0 and has a bias toward body (or some par of the body)-fixed reference frames. In the auditory task these gains (and reference frames) in head movers and non-movers are homogenized (close to 0.5), either by the participation of the head (movement of the ears in space) in sensory acquisition or by differences in central nervous processing of the two modalities, or both.
Strengthening Multipayer Collaboration: Lessons From the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative

Policy Points: Collaboration across payers to align financial incentives, quality measurement, and data feedback to support practice transformation is critical, but challenging due to competitive market dynamics and competing institutional priorities. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or other entities convening multipayer initiatives can build trust with other participants by clearly outlining each participant's role and the parameters of collaboration at the outset of the initiative. Multipayer collaboration can be improved if participating payers employ neutral, proactive meeting facilitators; develop formal decision-making processes; seek input on decisions from practice representatives; and champion the initiative within their organizations. Context With increasing frequency, public and private payers are joining forces to align goals and resources for primary care transformation. However, sustaining engagement and achieving coordination among payers can be challenging. The Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) initiative is one of the largest multipayer initiatives ever tested. Drawing on the experience of the CPC initiative, this paper examines the factors that influence the effectiveness of multipayer collaboration. Methods This paper draws largely on semistructured interviews with CPC-participating payers and payer conveners that facilitated CPC discussions and on observation of payer meetings. We coded and analyzed these qualitative data to describe collaborative dynamics and outcomes and assess the factors influencing them. Findings We found that several factors appeared to increase the likelihood of successful payer collaboration: contracting with effective, neutral payer conveners; leveraging the support of payer champions, and seeking input on decisions from practice representatives. The presence of these factors helped some CPC regions overcome significant initial barriers to achieve common goals. We also found that leadership from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) was key to achieving broad payer engagement in CPC, but CMS's dual role as initiative convener and participating payer at times made collaboration challenging. CMS was able to build trust with other payers by clarifying which parts of CPC could be adapted to regional contexts, deferring to other payers for these decisions, and increasing opportunities for payers to meet with CMS representatives. Conclusions CPC demonstrates that when certain facilitating factors are present, payers can overcome competitive market dynamics and competing institutional priorities to align financial incentives, quality measurement, and data feedback to support practice transformation. Lessons from this large-scale, multipayer initiative may be helpful for other multipayer efforts getting under way.
Military, Work, and Health Characteristics of Separated and Active Service Members From the Study for Employment Retention of Veterans (SERVe)

The Study for Employment Retention of Veterans (SERVe) is focused on improving the health, well-being, and employment retention of military service members who are now civilian employees. The SERVe...
Walter B. Cannon's World War I experience: treatment of traumatic shock then and now.

Walter B. Cannon (1871–1945), perhaps America’s preeminent physiologist, volunteered for service with the Army Expeditionary Force (AEF) during World War I. He initially served with Base Hospital N...
HTTPS Everywhere: Industry Trends and the Need for Encryption

Patron privacy and confidentiality is a fundamental value of librarianship. One of the most fundamental ways to safeguard both patron and institutional data online is to use Hypertext Transfer Prot...
UME-21 local evaluation initiatives: contributions and challenges.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The 18 medical schools involved in the UME-21 initiative developed innovative curricula and evaluation strategies. While there was significant variation in how schools approached the evaluation process, there were common methodological issues and challenges affecting the reliability of scores and validity of interpretations regarding outcomes. This paper explores these issues and challenges, using experiences from selected UME-21 schools. METHODS Four evaluation issues and strategies are discussed: instrument development, study design, process evaluation using formative evaluation methods, and qualitative strategies. Within each discussion, examples from a UME-21 school are presented. RESULTS The four evaluation strategies offered the flexibility to match local evaluation needs with an effective approach to evaluations. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS The school-level evaluation requirements by the UME-21 initiative provided schools the flexibility to design individualized evaluation strategies, yet also encouraged collaboration among evaluators. While this strategy resulted in many successes at the school level, it also served to identify common methodological challenges that can be used as a guide for other schools in implementing and evaluating curricula.
Inductive Inference and the Maximum Entropy Principle

A conventional schema for an inference consists of a set of premises and a conclusion, as in the diagram:
Can ENSO-like convection force an ENSO-like extratropical response on subseasonal time scales?

AbstractA daily El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) index is developed based on precipitation rate and is used to investigate subseasonal time-scale extratropical circulation anomalies associated w...
A Low-Power Electric-Mechanical Driving Approach for True Occupancy Detection Using a Shuttered Passive Infrared Sensor

Passive infrared (PIR) sensors are the most popular deployed sensors in buildings for individual presence detection. However, PIR sensors are motion detectors in nature, responding only to incident radiation variation, which leads to false negative detections, inaccurate occupancy estimation, and uncomfortable lighting swings and waste of energy. To address this issue, an optical shutter driven by a Lavet motor PIR (LAMPIR) sensor is developed for true presence detection. In comparison with our previously developed chopped PIR (C-PIR) and rotationally chopped PIR (Ro-PIR) sensors, a low-power single-phase electro-mechanical driving approach is introduced for LAMPIR to replace traditional servo and stepper motors and thus significantly reduce the power consumption by up to 89%, size by up to 60%, weight by up to 75%, cost by up to 31%, and acoustic noise by 12 dBA. More specifically, driven by pulsed signal from a microcontroller unit, the electro-mechanical vibrator drives a semi-transparent long-wave infrared optical shutter to chop the field of view (FOV) of a PIR sensor periodically. By monitoring and analyzing the voltage outputs generated by the LAMPIR senor, high-accuracy presence detection can be achieved by optimizing the shutter width and shuttering period through parametric studies. Experimental results show that a classification accuracy of 100% can be reached for detecting stationary occupants up to 4.5 m and moving occupants up to 10 m, suggesting a detection range improvement from both the C-PIR and the Ro-PIR sensors (4.0 m for stationary and 8.0 m for moving occupancy detection for both sensors). Additionally, the LAMPIR sensor has an FOV of 90° in horizontal and 100° in vertical, which is sufficient for most applications. For a 31-h-long presence detection test, an accuracy of 97% is achieved when classifying unoccupied and occupied scenarios, while an accuracy of 93% is achieved when classifying unoccupied, stationary and moving occupant scenarios.
Modeling Urban Sewers with Artificial Fractal Geometries

Sewer models are used to simulate complex urban hydrology. However, the development of empirical models can be difficult given the limited availability of sewe…
Indications of a soft cutoff frequency in the charge noise of a Si/SiGe quantum dot spin qubit

Characterizing charge noise is of prime importance to the semiconductor spin qubit community. We analyze the echo amplitude data from a recent experiment [Yoneda et al., Nat. Nanotechnol. 13, 102 (2018)] and note that the data show small but consistent deviations from a $1/{f}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ noise power spectrum at the higher frequencies in the measured range. We report the results of using a physical noise model based on two-level fluctuators to fit the data and find that it can mostly explain the deviations. While our results are suggestive rather than conclusive, they provide what may be an early indication of a high-frequency cutoff in the charge noise. The location of this cutoff, where the power spectral density of the noise gradually rolls off from $1/f$ to $1/{f}^{2}$, crucial knowledge for designing precise qubit control pulses, is given by our fit of the data to be around 200 kHz.
Analysis of anterior and posterior maneuvers to enhance intraconal exposure

BACKGROUND The medial and inferior recti encompass the ideal surgical corridor to approach the intraconal space endonasally. Here, we describe 3 different maneuvers to achieve greater access to orbital contents through an expanded endonasal approach (EEA). METHODS Four human cadaver heads were dissected bilaterally (n = 8). EEA to the medial intraconal orbit was executed. The following 3 maneuvers were performed: (1) anterior: extraocular muscles control (EOM); (2) posterior: annulus of Zinn (AZ) release; and (3) anterior/posterior combined. Measurements of the inferior and medial rectus corridor at the level of anterior ethmoidal artery (AEA) and posterior ethmoidal artery (PEA) and extent of optic nerve and medial rectus visualization was performed before and after each maneuver. RESULTS Medial rectus length (MRL) and optic nerve length (ONL) achieved were 1.72 ± 0.28 cm and 0.85 ± 0.2 cm, respectively. Mean caudal-rostral distances between the rectus muscles at the level of the AEA and PEA were 3.45 ± 0.7 mm and 1.30 ± 0.3 mm, respectively. After EOM control, mean caudal-rostral distances at the same level were as follows: AEA 4.90 ± 1.15 mm (p = 0.009) and PEA 1.70 ± 0.20 mm (p = 0.016). With AZ release, MRL was 2.20 ± 0.7 cm (p = 0.002) and ONL was 1.30 ± 0.2 cm (p = 0.003), with mean rostral-caudal distance at the level of AEA at 4.03 ± 0.8 mm (p = 0.16) and PEA at 1.71 ± 0.36 mm (p = 0.039). Mean caudal-rostral distances achieved with AZ release and EOM control were as follows: AEA 5.6 ± 1.2 mm (p = 0.001) and PEA 2.15 ± 0.4 mm (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION Progressive access to the orbital contents is afforded with the 3 delineated maneuvers. The magnitude of access is optimized with the combined maneuver. The actual anterior/posterior location of the target will determine which maneuvers are required.
Technology, knowledge and beluga whales in Ulukhaktok, NT, Canada

This paper examines knowledge about beluga whales in Ulukhaktok, Canada. During summer 2014, hunters in Ulukhaktok landed 33 beluga whales. The hunt was unprecedented: beluga whales are only rarely...
Use of Evidence-Centered Design to Develop Learning Maps-Based Assessments

Evidence-based approaches to assessment design, development, and administration provide a strong foundation for an assessment’s validity argument but can be time consuming, resource intensive, and ...
Highly Diastereoselective Intramolecular Allylation Reactions of Mixed Silyl-Substituted Acetals

The reaction of preformed mixed acetals derived from (α-hydroxyalkyl)dimethylallylsilane with a number of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes in the presence of Lewis acids results in a highly diastereoselective intramolecular allylation reaction. The reaction proceeds through a cyclic synclinal SE‘ addition of the allylsilane to an intermediate oxocarbenium ion. The reaction occurs exclusively by an intramolecular process as determined by means of a cross-over experiment. The relative stereochemistry was determined by the conversion of one of the allylation products to a known (stereodefined) aldol-type product. A greater degree of diastereoselectivity is obtained by in-situ formation of an oxocarbenium ion from (α-hydroxyhexyl)dimethylallylsilane and an aldehyde in the presence of boron trifluoride etherate. The diastereoselectivity of the in-situ allylation reaction typically exceeds 100:1 in favor of the syn adduct. However, reactions with electron rich aryl aldehydes resulted in a diminished degree of d...
An Alternative to Braille

The standard braille code symbols are very difficult to discriminate tactually, and the braille alphabet code is difficult to learn. It is possible to design alphabet code symbols which are signifi...
Spectral emissivity design using aluminum-based hybrid gratings.

We propose a strategy to design infrared emitters with predefined spectral response using aluminum gratings as building blocks. We begin by identifying 3 target spectra with resonances in the 7–15 µm wavelength range. Next, we use FDTD simulations and interpolation to create a reference library of gratings relating their structural parameters to attributes of their infrared spectra. By using a search algorithm based on minimization of errors in spectral attributes, we identify gratings from this library corresponding to peaks in the target spectra. Finally, we discuss an approach for designing hybrid structures from these gratings to generate each of the 3 target spectra. This strategy can be extended to design structures with complex spectral responses.
Automated Radar Signal Analysis Based on Deep Learning

Radar emitter analysis is achieved by step by step process which starts with removing noise from a received radar signal, then train the deep learning neural network to generate a real-time prediction; so those important parameters can be abstracted. The first part is denoising a radar signal using a wavelet transform (WT). Consists of a few steps such as power envelope, Hilbert Transform, and wavelet transform to remove the noisy data. The second part includes training a long short-term memory (LSTM) model with the radar dataset, to trace radar signal. Three cases were studied in this paper. In the first case, the radar dataset was transformed using HAAR. The DB3 WT was used in the second case. In the third case, the dataset was used without WT. It is observed that the wavelet transform significantly improves the accuracy of the LSTM model prediction. It is also observed that using HAAR, the predictions are more accurate than that of DB3.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Standard Insights Extraction Pipeline for Bantu Languages

Extracting insights from data obtained from the web in order to identify people’s views and opinions on various topics is a growing practice. The standard insights extraction pipeline is typically an unsupervised machine learning task composed of processes that preprocess the text, visualize it, cluster and identify the topics and sentiment in each cluster, and then graph the network. Given the increasing amount of data being generated on the internet in Africa today, and the multilingual state of African countries, we evaluated how well the standard pipeline works when applied to text wholly or partially written in indigenous African languages, specifically Bantu languages. We carried out an exploratory investigation using Twitter data and compared the outputs from each step of the pipeline for an English dataset and a mixed Bantu language dataset. We found that for Bantu languages, due to their complex grammatical structure, extra preprocessing steps such as part-of-speech tagging and morphological analysis are required during data cleaning, threshold values should be adjusted during topic modeling, and semantic analysis should be performed before completing text preprocessing.
First-Year Student Experiences: Uncovering the Hidden Expectations of Frontline Faculty Members and Student Services Administrators

Research that explores the experiences of college students consistently finds that the first year is the most daunting to navigate. While a well-established but far from exhaustive list of factors has been found to impact a student’s transition to and retention in college, very little research has focused on frontline faculty and student services administrators’ hidden expectations of first-year students. Therefore, we explored what we call the integration information gap – the gap between what is expected of first-year students and what they actually know – how this gap is formed and how it can be narrowed. As a contribution to the literature on transition to college and retention, we discuss ways to prevent the gap, strategies to assist faculty members and administrators in an effort to narrow the gap, and suggestions for future research.
Duration of United States Residence and Self-Reported Health Among African-Born Immigrant Adults.

Although researchers have found an inverse relationship between length of U.S. residence and health, research on this issue among African-born immigrants is limited. Data from the 2011–2015 National Health Interview Surveys were pooled for African-born immigrants (N = 1137) and used to estimate weighted ordinary least squares regression models on self-reported health, adjusting for common immigrant health predictors. Length of U.S. residence was associated with significant health status declines only among those that had lived in the U.S. for 10 to less than 15 years (b = − 0.235, p < 0.05), net of covariates. African-born immigrants may have both different selection processes than other immigrants and not follow common integration patterns. These findings suggest that existing immigrant health frameworks may need modification to fully apply to this growing U.S. immigrant population.
Electronic stopping and proton dynamics in InP, GaP, and In0.5Ga0.5P from first principles

The phosphide-based III–V semiconductors InP, GaP, and In0.5Ga0.5P are promising materials for solar panels in outer space and radioisotope batteries, for which lifetime is a major issue. In order to understand high radiation tolerance of these materials and improve it further, it is necessary to describe the early stages of radiation damage on fast time and short length scales. In particular, the influence of atomic ordering, as observed e.g. in In0.5Ga0.5P, on electronic stopping is unknown. We use real-time time-dependent density functional theory and the adiabatic local density approximation to simulate electronic stopping of protons in InP, GaP, and the CuAu-I ordered phase of In0.5Ga0.5P across a large kinetic energy range. These results are compared to SRIM and we investigate the dependence on the channel of the projectile through the target. We show that stopping can be enhanced or reduced in In0.5Ga0.5P and explain this using the electron-density distribution. By comparing Ehrenfest and Born–Oppenheimer molecular dynamics, we illustrate the intricate dynamics of a proton on a channeling trajectory.
Ecological models: higher complexity in, higher feasibility out

Finding a compromise between tractability and realism has always been at the core of ecological modelling. The introduction of nonlinear functional responses in two-species models has reconciled part of this compromise. However, it remains unclear whether this compromise can be extended to multispecies models. Yet, answering this question is necessary in order to differentiate whether the explanatory power of a model comes from the general form of its polynomial or from a more realistic description of multispecies systems. Here, we study the probability of feasibility (the existence of at least one positive real equilibrium) in complex models by adding higher-order interactions and nonlinear functional responses to the linear Lotka-Volterra model. We characterize complexity by the number of free-equilibrium points generated by a model, which is a function of the polynomial degree and system's dimension. We show that the probability of generating a feasible system in a model is an increasing function of its complexity, regardless of the specific mechanism invoked. Furthermore, we find that the probability of feasibility in a model will exceed that of the linear Lotka-Volterra model when a minimum level of complexity is reached. Importantly, this minimum level is modulated by parameter restrictions, but can always be exceeded via increasing the polynomial degree or system's dimension. Our results reveal that conclusions regarding the relevance of mechanisms embedded in complex models must be evaluated in relation to the expected explanatory power of their polynomial forms.
Polyhedral symmetry from ribbons and tubes

A sepak takraw – a ball used for a game in Thailand – is an icosahedrally symmetric shape woven from six bands of rattan. We model it with a multi-parameter family of surfaces, all having icosahedr...
Connected k-coverage in two-dimensional wireless sensor networks using hexagonal slicing and area stretching

Abstract The problem of coverage in two-dimensional (2D) wireless sensor networks is challenging and is still open. Precisely, determining the minimum sensor density (i.e, minimum number of sensors per unit area) that is required to cover a 2D field of interest (FoI), where every point in the field is covered by at least one sensor, is still under investigation. The problem of 2D k-coverage, which requires that every point in a 2D FoI be covered by at least k sensors, where k ≥ 1 , is more challenging. In this paper, we attempt to address the 2D connected k-coverage problem, where a 2D FoI is k-covered, while the underlying set of sensors k-covering the field forms a connected network. We propose to solve this problem using an approach based on slicing 2D FoI into convex regular hexagons. Our goal is to achieve k-coverage of a 2D FoI with a minimum number of sensors in order to maximize the network lifetime. First, we compute the minimum sensor density for 2D k-coverage using the regular convex hexagon, which is a 2D paver (i.e., covers a 2D field without gaps or overlaps). Indeed, we found that the regular convex hexagon best assimilates the sensors’ sensing disk with respect to our proposed metric, sensing range usage rate. Second, we derive the ratio of the communication range to the sensing range of the sensors to ensure connected k-coverage. Third, we propose an energy-efficient connected k-coverage protocol based on hexagonal slicing and area stretching. To this end, we formulate a multi-objective optimization problem, which computes an optimum solution to the 2D k-coverage problem that meets two requirements: Maximizing the size of the k-covered area, C k , so as to minimize the sensor density to k-cover a 2D FoI (Requirement 1) and maximizing the area of the sensor locality, L k , i.e., the region where at least k sensors are located to k-cover C k , so as to minimize the interference between sensors (Requirement 2). Fourth, we show various simulation results to substantiate our theoretical analysis. We found a close-to-perfect match between our theoretical and simulation results.
Fiduciary and Nonfiduciary Duties

An analysis of the problems created when real estate brokers act as dual agents with fiduciary duties to both sides of the deal in California.
Information and Communication Technologies and you: Multi-media Relationship Maintenance

The way we think about relationships today has evolved significantly from the way we thought about relationships many years ago. Relationships that were once maintained primarily via face-to-face interactions have become maintainable through information and communication technologies (ICTs) like instant messenger, text messaging, email, social networking sites, video conferencing and the like. As ICTs continue to develop and relational maintenance behaviors and processes shift, it becomes increasingly important that the impact of ICTs on maintaining relationships be explored. Yes, computer-mediated communication has transformed the dynamic of interpersonal relationships and the way they are maintained - but why? and to what degree? How does the way an individual uses ICTs influence the path his/her relationship travels? These are a few questions this study aims to address through interview and survey data analysis. Ultimately, this study will provide a deeper understanding of how ICTs are being utilized to achieve relational maintenance goals.
Macromolecular graphics: Current Opinion in Structural Biology 1992, 2:193–201

Abstract Computer graphics is invaluable in the determination, analysis and presentation of macromolecular structure. This review describes the current areas of research in macromolecular graphics: interactive modeling packages and system design; the display and manipulation of molecular surfaces; the display of molecular properties on surfaces and in volumes; and, representations for presentation grahics.
The attitude of the fetus in breech presentation

Abstract In recent years, the trend toward reduction in the maternal and fetal mortality has been quite marked. However, the fetal mortality rate in breech deliveries is much too high. This study is made to determine the results of the management of breech deliveries since the opening of the Woman's Clinic of the New York Hospital in 1932. By reviewing the data collected on breech deliveries, we hope that some conclusions can be drawn that may direct us to better management and lead to a reduction in the fetal mortality rate of breech deliveries. In a search for more information concerning this problem, the x-ray was utilized to determine what influence the attitude of the fetus in utero had upon the mechanism of labor in breech deliveries. Otto Brakemann, in 1936, reported the results of a similar radiological survey. His series was not conclusive but he gained the impression that, in breech presentation, with the vertex in a deflexed attitude, more difficulty in labor resulted. Also, he felt that such deliveries necessitated operative procedures more frequently. It was of interest to note whether the information from our x-ray files substantiated his theory, and if so, how such information could be used to better practical advantage.
THE GROSS AND MICROSCOPIC ANATOMY OF THE TRANSVERSE CERVICAL LIGAMENT.

?’ H E c LA s s IC A L description of the transverse cervical ligament and its function was published by Mackenrodt” in 1895. His concept was based upon his clinical observations and the gross dissection of a number of cadavers of stillborn female infants and one adult. Though subject to criticism throughout the years, this original contribution has become rather generally accepted. Medical students have been taught that “Mackenrodt’s ligament is the chief supporting structure of the uterus,” and some texts contain this unqualified statement. ,4 superficial appraisal of investigations since Mackenrodt’s time reveals a gross lack of agreement concerning the function of the transverse cervical ligament and varied conclusions regarding its structure, contents, and attachments to the uterus and the lateral pelvic wall. Gross dissection of this structure has been the basis for differing reports by a number of individuals. In 1917 Fothergill,7 with whose name the Manchester procedure is closely linked, stated that he did not know the exact nature of the paracervical tissues, but that the surgical utility of this tissue in the treatment of prolapse could not be denied. In 1933 Sears13 described a “main sheet” of fascia arising from and continuous with the
Haemophilus (Corynebacterium) vaginalis septicemia

Abstract Thirteen patients with Haemophilus (Corynebacterium) vaginalis septicemia are reported. In 7 of the 13 patients, facultative or obligatory anaerobe bacteria were concomitantly isolated. In 11 of 13 cases, the bacteriologic studies of the presumed portal of infection revealed the presence of the organism or organisms subsequently isolated from the intravascular compartment.
Authorizing Death for Anomalous Newborns

Ten years ago, at the first Symposium on Genetics and the Law, I participated in a panel discussion on withholding treatment from anomalous newborns. At that time, the issue had just come into public view, though it was common knowledge within the medical profession, and it was an open secret for anyone who chose to look at the question, that medical treatment was frequently withheld from some gravely ill newborns. The question we discussed when we met in 1974 was how public policy should respond to this practice.
Man-made semiconductor superlattices

A review is presented on man-made GaAs-Gal−xAlxAs and In 1−xGaxAs-GaSb1−yAsy heterostructures. Emphasis is given to experimental work and to the recent developments in the field.
Band Asymptotics for Operators of Dirac Type on S n

Abstract In this article, the author computes spectral invariants of the sum of the Dirac operator and a zeroth-order potential operator Vacting on sections of the spinor bundle over S n . The invariants computed here arise as the coefficients of asymptotic expansions associated with the singularities of the wave trace for an operator system. Because of the non-commutativity of the symbol calculus for operator systems, the computations of these asymptotic expansions are more complicated than those for a scalar operator. The non-commutativity of the symbol calculus necessitates the scaling of the potential Vby a small parameter and the use of semiclassical techniques to extract the invariants. The band invariants computed here depend on the parallel transport around closed geodesics, and the traces of certain endomorphisms which are related to parallel transport and the potential term averaged around closed geodesics.
A modeling and computer simulation approach to determine optimal lower extremity joint angular velocities based on a criterion to maximize individual muscle power

Abstract A computer program was developed in conjunction with a musculoskeletal modeling scheme to determine lower extremity joint angular velocity profiles which allow specific muscles, if activated tetanically, to generate their greatest power. As input the program requires subject anthropometric and joint configuration data. Muscle-tendon (MT) attachment location data and a straight line MT model are used to calculate MT lengths for each joint configuration. The shortening velocity which allows an active muscle to generate its greatest power is calculated based on muscle architecture and a relationship between power and shortening velocity. A finite difference technique is used to calculate the time between sequential joint configurations which will produce the optimal muscle shortening velocity. This time is then used to calculate optimal joint angular velocities for each muscle and for each joint configuration. The utility of this program is demonstrated by calculating optimal joint angular velocities for fifteen muscles and comparing calculated knee extension velocities with experimental results cited in the literature.
Translocation t(4;11)(q35;p13) in an adrenocortical carcinoma

Chromosome studies were performed on an adrenocortical carcinoma extending into the kidney. The following karyotype was present in all metaphases: 46,XX,t(4;11)(q35;p13). Two metaphases with an additional del(1)(q23) were found. The results are briefly discussed in relation to specific karyotypic changes in cancer, in general, and to those of adrenocortical tumors, in particular.
GJB1-associated X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a disorder affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT) is a group of inherited diseases characterized by exclusive or predominant involvement of the peripheral nervous system. Mutations in GJB1, the gene encoding Connexin 32 (Cx32), a gap-junction channel forming protein, cause the most common X-linked form of CMT, CMT1X. Cx32 is expressed in Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes, the myelinating glia of the peripheral and central nervous systems, respectively. Thus, patients with CMT1X have both central and peripheral nervous system manifestations. Study of the genetics of CMT1X and the phenotypes of patients with this disorder suggest that the peripheral manifestations of CMT1X are likely to be due to loss of function, while in the CNS gain of function may contribute. Mice with targeted ablation of Gjb1 develop a peripheral neuropathy similar to that seen in patients with CMT1X, supporting loss of function as a mechanism for the peripheral manifestations of this disorder. Possible roles for Cx32 include the establishment of a reflexive gap junction pathway in the peripheral and central nervous system and of a panglial syncitium in the central nervous system.
A polydisperse model for bubbly two-phase flow around a surface ship

Abstract A three dimensional polydisperse model for bubbly two-phase flow around a surface ship is presented. The Boltzmann equation for the bubble mass probability density function is evaluated using a multigroup approach with groups of constant bubble mass. The intergroup transfer mechanisms are bubble breakup, coalescence and the dissolution of air into the ocean, and their effects on the two-phase flow field are analyzed. A three dimensional two-fluid model is used for each bubble mass group to calculate the group’s average gas velocity, resulting in four scalar equations per group. The air entrainment process is modeled using simulated breaking bow waves and the steady-state evolution of the gas bubbles for zero Froude number is obtained. It was found that intergroup transfer is very important in these flows. Some of the research areas that need further improvement for the numerical prediction of polydisperse two-phase flow around a ship have been identified and are discussed.
Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) runs and consumer fitness: growth and energy storage in stream-dwelling salmonids increase with salmon spawner density

We examined how marine-derived nutrients (MDN), in the form of spawning Pacific salmon, influenced the nutritional status and δ15N of stream-dwelling fishes. We sampled juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) during spring and fall from 11 south-central Alaskan streams that ranged widely in spawning salmon biomass (0.1–4.7 kg·m–2). Growth rate (as indexed by RNA–DNA ratios), energy density, and δ15N enrichment in spring-sampled fishes increased with spawner biomass, indicating the persistence of spawner effects more than 6 months after salmon spawning. Point estimates suggest that spawner effects on nutrition were substantially greater for coho salmon than Dolly Varden (268% and 175% greater for growth and energy, respectively), indicating that both species benefitted physiologically, but that juvenile coho salmon accrued more benefits than Dolly Varden. Although the data were less conclusive for fall- than spring-sampled fish, they do suggest spawner effects were a...
Desmoid tumour: a pleomorphic lesion.

Abstract Background: Desmoid tumour (DT) is an uncommon locally invasive non-metastasizing neoplastic lesion. The aetiology of this tumour is unknown and its treatment is controversial. Twelve cases of DT are presented and the literature is reviewed. Methods: Twelve cases of DT treated at our institution during a 3.5-year period are analysed and the literature reviewed. Ten patients were referred with a primary tumour, one with local recurrence and one patient with a second primary desmoid tumour. One patient had multiple mesenteric DT (familial adenomatous polyposis coli—FAP), and in the remaining 11 patients the tumour was located in the abdominal wall in four, at an extremity in three, in the upper back in two patients, in the pelvis in one and retroperitoneally in one. Results: The largest mesenteric DT was marginally excised en bloc with total jejunectomy. In the remaining 11 DT, complete excision to microscopically tumour-free margins was possible in nine cases and to microscopically involved margins in two cases. At a mean follow-up of 22 months (range 7–38 months), one patient was alive with stable disease (Gardner's syndrome), 10 patients were alive and free of recurrence and one patient (9%) developed local recurrence which was re-excised—she is disease-free 10 months later. Conclusions: Complete excision is the main modality of treatment for primary and recurrent DT. This is feasible in most cases except for tumours involving the base of the bowel mesentery. Surgical resection alone achieved local control of the tumour in most of the patients in this series (92%).
Cost and performance projections for SPS photovoltaic blankets

An estimate, based on optimistic projections of current technology, is given for the specific power of photovoltaic blankets which might be achieved if the SPS concept was to be implemented. A simultaneous consideration of cost and technical requirements is used to identify key blanket technologies which must be developed for this reference system. The terrestrial photovoltaic experience coupled with new technology is used to develop cost estimates for the blanket, assuming an annual demand of 5 GW and a manufacturing industry dedicated to blanket production. The results indicate that blanket specific power goals may be exceeded, but there is little prospect that the cost goals can be met. This argues for a reconsideration of the photovoltaic option based on more expensive but higher performance blankets.
Hydrophobic organic compounds from hydrothermal liquefaction of bacterial biomass

Abstract The residual biomass of Cupriavidus necator , a biopolyester-producing bacterium, was liquefied in subcritical water at 300 °C. The hydrophobic organic compounds, accounting for about 45% carbon of the original biomass, were recovered with methylene dichloride for analysis. The organic compounds included hydrocarbons such as long chain alkane and benzene, and nitrogen-containing heterocycles such as pyrroles and indoles. The liquid had the similar elemental composition (C, H, O, N) and high heating value (34 MJ kg −1 HHV) of the bio-oils derived from microalgae biomass.
Steady state fueling compensation for purge control in internal combustion engines

Presented is a feed-forward controller that reduces air-fuel (A/F) ratio excursions during a canister purge event. The controller is linear parameter-varying (LPV) model and estimates the necessary changes in the fuel pulse-width (FPW) based on a hydrocarbon (HC) sensor located in the purge line. Coordination between the purge fuel vapor arrival to the intake manifold and the fueling command is realized using a transport delay model. The proposed controller is experimentally validated. A significant reduction in A/F excursions is achieved during the steady state engine operating conditions associated with highway conditions.